FISHING REPORT OVERVIEW
Gray skies and a chance of rain won’t stop this weekend’s fishing. The BFL Tournament is going out of C. Scott Driver this weekend and the King of the Glades is going out of Roland Martin’s on Sunday. Male bass have been steady in the beds and females are beginning to show up. These next few weeks should be good times for all local lakes.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Once again another front will be pushing through the area over the weekend. However this time the winds will have a southerly component which will bring moisture and warmer temperatures. The greatest chance of light to moderate rain will be on late Saturday evening with the potential of a passing thunderstorm. Skies for most of the weekend will be cloudy. Winds will vary in direction from ESE early Friday and shift to south and then southwest through the weekend. Peak winds will be during the mid-afternoon and periods of passing storms. Winds in the afternoon will top out around 10-15mph. Morning temperatures will be in the upper 50’s to low 60’s and reach 75° on most days. The barometer will be falling until the front passes where-after it will rise rapidly for the remainder of the week. This front will usher in a week of cool temperatures with daily lows near 50° and highs in the upper 60’s and only a slight chance of a passing shower. Sunrise on Friday will be at 7:13am but don’t expect to see the sun. The sun will set at 5:44pm. The moon is almost in synch with the sun and will rise at 5:43am and set at 4:47pm. The AM-Major is at 9:37am and the PM-Major is at 10:04pm. So it looks like a fish-able weekend, just bring your rain gear and dress in layers.
Water Levels — January 08,2016
Lake Okeechobee 14.68 ASL↓0.09-ft
Lake Istokpoga 339.32-ft ASL ↓ 0.04-ft
Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto 3.80-ft ↓0.08-ft
Fisheating Creek @ US 27 2.78 -ft↓ 0.21-ft
Peace River @ Zolfo Springs 5.78-ft ↓ 0.50-ft
Kissimmee River @ S-65E Head 21.12-ft, Tail 14.47-ft, Flow 603 CFS
Caloosahatchee River
Moore Haven Locks S-77: Head 14.88-ft, Tail 11.41-ft, Flow 217 CFS
Ortona Locks Head S-78: 11.24-ft, Tail 2.90-ft, Flow 421 CFS
W.P Franklin Lock S-79: Head 3.11-ft, Tail 0.83-ft, Flow 1066 CFS
Lake Okeechobee Locks
St Lucie Lock S-80: Head 14.21-ft, Tail 1.41-ft, Flow 149 CFS
Port Mayaca Lock S-308: Head 14.57-ft, Tail 14.14-ft, Flow 0 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade; 561-996-3844: Jim reports that with the recent windy conditions and cloudy skies, the lake temperature has dropped 13-degrees and the fish are somewhat in a holding pattern. Bass are still holding near the spawning beds and grass lines near Ritta, Grassy, and Kreamer islands are very active. The shiner bite remains good and plastics are doing better. Mega Daddy’s in black, purple, and glitter are producing the bigger fish. Jim says when lake conditions get too rough, try slipping into one of the dynamite holes for a more comfortable time. Specks are still on the bite with minnows remaining the best bait.
Roland Martin Marine Center, Clewiston; 863-983-2128: More spawning females are being seen on the beds. However the double digit females have yet to appear in numbers. Shiners remain the top bait but artificials are picking up momentum. Senko swimbaits, spinnerbaits in white and mouse colors (War Eagle Lures), and rattle traps are producing fish.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport; 863-946-0170: The guys at the Bait Shop at Harney Pond report a fair amount of females in the 7-8lb range are beginning to spawn. Areas around Horse Island are very active. The shiner fishing remains outstanding and the artificial bite is picking up. White spinnerbaits in the morning and swimbaits in the afternoon seem to be producing well. As for Specks, areas west of Bird Island and by Horse Island are producing creel limits. Closer to Harney Pond, there are Specks being caught though not in great numbers. Just to the left of the canal’s entrance into the lake seems to be a sweet spot. Minnow and jigs are both producing well. With tournament anglers and pre-tournament fishing going on, there is a lot of boat traffic so take extra care when in the canals and trails.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-763-3416: Windy conditions has limited the time on the water and the locations where guys have been fishing, Female bass are coming onto the beds though they’re not the big trophy bass everyone is gunning for. Still there have been some nice weights brought to the boat. Shiner fishing remains the best bet to catch a big bass. Specks have been biting well in the Eagle Bay area as well as Little Grassy Island. Here minnows and jigs are working well. This weekend’s warm southerly winds should improve the bite for both Bass and Specks.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-484-8126: Tyler reports steady fishing when you can find a place out of the wind. Bass have scattered some but still remain on the bite. Shiners remain the top bait. Speck fishing just outside Taylor Creek has been good. In the Rim Canal there are reports of a nice Bluegil bite with crickets and minnows both producing.
J&S Fish Camp, Okeechobee: 513-252-1749: Bass have been scattered along the outside edges of the grass line near J&S Fish Camp. The fish are a mixture of males and smaller females. Besides wild shiners, which J&S now stocks, try a topwater presentation such as a Big EZ or a swimming toad. June Bug seems to be the hot color of the week for the Big EZ. Specks are also being found just off the grass lines and in the Rim Canal along with some Bluegils.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove. Laker Placid; 863-465-0982: Windy conditions has stirred up the sediment in the shallower lakes. This turns bass fishing into a reactionary bite in the vegetation. Speck fishing remains steady though primarily a minnow bite.
Performance Marine Tackle Shop; 863-465-2814: Geoff reports the recent up & down weather patterns have pushed the bigger fish deeper into the lakes. Small males are still being caught though not many over 4-lbs. The front coming through this weekend will bring a period of steady high barometric pressure which should liven up the bite. Speck still remain very active on all the local lakes.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida, 863-655-2323: Scott reports fewer boaters were on the water this past week due to the weather so there is little to report. Windy conditions have pushed the bass off the shorelines and into the open water. Speck fishing remains steady if you can find a time of calmer winds and water.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park 863-452-2248: Activity on the local lakes have been slowed due to the weather. Those who do venture out find a good speck bite and scattered bass. Improving weather next week should not be overlooked so in spite of cooler temperatures, plan on getting a line wet.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle, 863-342-8264: The Corps continues to pulse water through the river which improves fishing in localized areas. However this week there have been fewer boaters venturing out due to the unfavorable winds. With a change in winds this weekend, fishing conditions should improve but bring your rain gear for it may be a wet weekend.
Final Word
Recent weather patterns have slowed down the bass bite in many areas. Wind and waves make for tough fishing conditions. The good news is that these cooler temperatures are a return to more seasonable temperatures which in turn improves the movement of spawning female bass to their spawning beds. Just what the Doctored ordered!
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