OVERVIEW
In talking to the area’s bait & tackle shops, the last few weeks of unseasonably warm temperatures has really slowed down the bass bite. Baitfish that where once schooling have scattered and so have the bass. Best bets are to revert back to summertime fishing patterns and be out there early before the sun rises or late in the afternoon for that early sundown. Frogs and buzzbaits are making a comeback in this hot weather.
The good news is that there are indications that this cool weather is just what the doctor ordered and the bite will pick up quickly once the water cools. I think the bass have their bio-clocks pounding and urging them to spawn but they are holding out for the right temperatures. Hopefully this cool snap with be just enough to push them back into the shallows. As for Specks and catfish, Specks are still on the small side on Lake Okeechobee while Istokpoga is producing some quality sized Specks. Catfish are active everywhere.
If you want to get out on the water this Saturday for a good cause, don’t forget the ‘Hope For Hunter’ fundraiser tournament being held at Windy Point on Lake Istokpoga. Hope is a young girl battling leukemia and she needs all the help she can get to offset the cost of treatment. Entry is $60.00/boat and the tournament stars at first light.
Besides getting on the water this weekend, don’t forget to set some time aside for the 2nd Annual Okeechobee Outdoor Sports Expo that will be on Saturday and Sunday at the Agri-Civic Center in Okeechobee. With live music and everything outdoors, it should be a good time.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
This weekend’s weather will be fantastic. As a cool front passes through on Friday there will be relief from 90-degree temperatures we have been experiencing. Once the front passes the morning lows will be in the mid 60’s and daytime highs will be in the upper 70’s to possibly 80-degrees.
Throughout the weekend the barometer will be on the rise and peak on Sunday afternoon. We’ll have sunny skies, low humidity, and slight chance of rain. The only downside to this weekend will be the winds which will start out from the northeast at less than 10 mph and gradually shift to an eastwardly component at 15 to 20 mph on Sunday. This past Wednesday was the New Moon which is always a favorite time for night time Speck fishermen so this weekend the moon will be on the Waxing Crescent at 16% full by Sunday night. Moon rise on Friday will be at 8:14 am and will set at 7:20 pm. Sunrise on Friday will be at 6:41 am and will set at 5:33 pm. The AM Major on Friday will be at 11:42 am and the PM Major will be at 12:11 am. Remember each period advances 1 hour per day, add 1 hour, each day throughout the weekend.
WATER LEVELS
- Lake Okeechobee: 14.45ft ASL, ↓ 0.13-ft
- Lake Istokpoga: 39.35-ft ASL, ↓ 0.05-ft
- Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 3.93-ft ↓ 0.34
- Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 3.15-ft ↓ 1.16-ft
- Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 7.12-ft, ↑ 0.59-ft
- Kissimmee River, Lock S-65E: 20.91-ft Head, 14.33-ft Tail, 1140 CFS
- St Lucie River Lock: Head 14.23-ft, Tail 1.79-ft, Flow 0 CFS
- Port Mayaca Lock: Head 14.38-ft, Tail 14.17-ft, Flow 0 CFS
- Caloosahatchee River
- Moore Haven Locks: Head 14.20-ft, Tail 11.12-ft, Flow 1022 CFS
- Ortona Locks: Head 11.00-ft, Tail 3.00-ft, Flow 429 CFS
- W.P. Franklin Lock: Head 3.20-ft, Tail 1.82-ft, Flow 667 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade (561-996-3844): Jim reports fishing has been off this past week. Though he’s hoping the coming cool front will improve the bite, generally it takes 2-4 days after a weather change for the fish to acclimate to the new conditions. With this front he’s expecting strong winds in the 15-20 mph range on the lake late this weekend so fishing may be limited to the inside trails and dynamite holes. If you never explored the dynamite holes just off the inner canal by South Bay, now is a good time to do it. The depths of these holes range for 8 to 20 feet in House Boat Hole, to 12-46-feet in the Lake Harbor Dynamite Hole, so prepare yourself and you tackle for a deeper presentation. It’s like fishing pot luck style so you never know what is lurking in these deep holes.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport: Ed from The Bait Shop at Harney Pond reports an uptick in bass activity with the cool down in temperatures. Small schoolie bass are being caught in the peppergrass between Horse Island and Bird Island. These bass are small but there are a few 4-5 lbers being landed. These bass are taking plastics and spinners and anything resembling a shad since schooling shad are also being found in the area. Ed also reports that Sunshine Bass are beginning to show up and are being caught on anything that makes a noise such as rattle traps, spinners, topwater baits, etc. These fish are in the 18-22-inch size group though some 25-inchers are being taken. That equates to about a 3-lb fish. For those unfamiliar with Sunshine Bass, they are a hybrid between a Stripe Bass and a White Bass. They are aggressive fighters and they taste great on the grill. Specks still remain active and generally small. Favorite jig and tube colors are anything in a chartreuse color and with red eyes or heads. Catfish still remain plentiful. The water color still remains Tannin red stained on the inside though clear water can be found on the outside edges.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee (863-763-3416): Lief reports fishing on the Big ‘O’ North End is improving especially with the wild shiner bite. Active areas include the Kissimmee Grass and Bulrush lines around Tin House, Cove, King’s Bar and the Buckhead Ridge area. Big fish reported this week was a 10.8-lber with a few 7’s and 8’s all on shiners. The artificial bite remains tough though those working dark colored worms and flipping baits have been producing some fish. Dark green, deep blues, and blacks seem to be working best. As for Speck fishing, guys are starting to bring in their limits though most of the Specks are just above the 10-inch limit. Minnows and jigs in grass shrimp and chartreuse colors seem to be the baits of choice this week. With the winds expected to be out of the northeast to east this weekend, being on the north side of the lake, the winds should have minimal impact so long as you stay near shore.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee (863-484-8126): Tyler reports that the artificial bite has fallen off and it’s been hard work for the few fish being caught. Shiner fishing remains the most effective means of producing bass though the size of the bass remain small. The Speck bite is steady with an increasing number of evening fishermen catching their limits but you still have to catch 2 to 1 for keepers. Minnows and bright colored jigs seem to be the baits of choice.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove. Laker Placid (863-465-0982): According to Ed, fishing in the lakes near Lake Placid has been slower than usual with the bass bite being a little stronger than the Speck bite. Despite the new moon, Speck fishing has tapered off, though this could be just due to less fishermen going out in the heat of the day. With the cooling temperatures the weekend fishing should pick back up again.
Performance Marine, Lake Placid (863-465-2814): Jeff reports the bass bite in the shallower lakes in Highlands County remains slow due to the warm temperatures. In the deeper lakes the bass remain scattered as do the schools of bait. Best times to fish remain early mornings and late afternoons just before the sun sets. Top water lures and buzz-baits are still producing well which is a typical summertime pattern. Lake Istokpoga bass fishing remains in pre-spawn transition with bass scattered and then appearing in the shallows. Specks are plentiful and aggressively feeding on minnows.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida (863-655-2323): Scott reports the bass bite on Lake Istokpoga has picked up despite the heat. Though water temperatures remain high, the water has cleared-up considerably and the bass are happier for it. Scott says to look for patches of hydrilla and hit these areas with jigs and sinking soft plastics. Colors in favor right now include watermelon red, red bug, and anything in a redish hue.
Specks remain a good story with fishermen bringing in their limits and with some sizeable slabs amongst the mix. As for baits, minnows are preferred but chartreuse jigs with red heads and dark green jigs with red heads are producing well. Live red worms and night crawlers have also been a very active bait this week which means panfish and catfish are active in the canals and the Kissimmee River.
Tale Tales bait & Tackle, Avon Park (863-452-2248): Rob reports fish activity has been slow mostly due to the warm temperatures. With the weekend cool front pushing through Speck and bass fishing should improve.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle (863-342-8264): The river has seen a slight uptick in water flow this week which is good for fishing. Catfish remain active through-out the river system and bass are starting to show up in better numbers. Up towards Zolfo Springs the Peace River saw a major jump in water levels this past Sunday going from 6.2-ft to 8.6-ft. Since that time it’s been on a steady decline and down to 7.2-ft as of this writing. This high water pulse should have placed a lot of food in the flow making the down river Snook and Tarpon very happy.
All-in-all, it should be a gorgeous weekend for anything outdoors.
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