JUNE 2003

Today the weather would be absolutely fantastic for our customers John Fleming and his wife Jennifer. John has some business meetings in Orlando and opted for a morning trip. Scott met them at the ramp at first light and headed for the  Farm to a grass patch in the SE to find some top water action. One big fish swung on John's bug and there were a couple of misses on Senkos, but none made it to the boat.

From there they went to the SW area of the Farm and worked some of the grass over there. 2 caught on Chug Bugs, and 2 on Senkos.

From there they went to check out the SW area of the Marsh. Voila! Sometime during the morning hours the fish had moved back to the area they have been at for the last week and a half. Rattletraps were the producers although there were some shad busts but they were too far to get to. Unfortunately a business meeting had John needing to only do the 1/2 day or he would have definitely stayed.

Wind, (what there was of it) came from ENE but will be swinging from the SE this afternoon. As it swings the bite will increase, and it is expected to stay in the quadrant for a few days. With the stable wind should come a solid top water bite and we will be out there to take advantage of it.

Don't forget: You still have a limited time to get in the our fantastic Summer Sale. Book day one at the regular rate of $275.00 and get day two at $125.00. The saving could pay for your motel and meals.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.

Fishing date: 6/20/03 - (Wind mild from the SSW) Scott left the ramp at daylight with Joe Dolan and fished both the Marsh and the Farm. Most of their fish were caught in the SW corner of the Marsh on rattletraps, Chug Bugs, and Senkos. Best bait for the day were rattletraps,
(chrome/blue). The Chug Bug was only working when the shad came over the bass and there was a bust.

I was out scouting in the southern reaches of the Farm with a friend and we had the opposite results. Top water Chug Bugs produced some really nice 3-5 pound bass from a patch of hydrilla. As the afternoons storms headed in we headed off. Two boats, 4 fishermen and 60 bass for the day.

Fishing date: 6/21/03 - (Wind mild from the SSW) Scott departed the ramp for day two with Joe Dolan and they repeated day one, both in location and baits. Weather today would be a bit wetter but they managed a full day. One item of note: a reel with a 6:1 retrieve moved the bait more to the bass's liking than one with a retrieve of 5:1. Both yesterday and today there were bass also found just inside the cut into the Marsh and they were liking the rattletrap in that location.

 

I had out a couple of Coasties from Canaveral. We headed to several different spots that included the spillway, several patches of grass in the Farm, and the above mentioned areas of the Marsh. We made a run to the ramp at about noon for a fast moving storm and then headed back out. Since one of the Coasties was my oldest son when the second storm looked like it was moving in we moved out. Again today we had two boats, 5 fishermen, and 60 bass. However, as you can see by the numbers the bite was a bit slower today.

Fishing date: 6/22/03 - (Wind mild from the SSW) Mark and Tyler came out for a second day with Scott. There was no change in the producing baits, however the bite wasn't as strong as their first trip. The 30+ fish that they caught came from several locations and they had very little topwater bite as compared to the first trip. The best location was on the Farm for them today. The grass and mats of the SW area produced fish up to 5 pounds.

 

I took Don out again as I scouted areas of the Marsh and the Farm. You have probably read the results of Don leaving his box sitting on the back deck as we ran to the spillway. (OOPS) The spillway produced pretty good and we called Scott and his party in. When they arrived the bite dropped. We spent a 1/2 day out there and had a pretty catch, but with rain heading in we again opted to come back another day.
 

Fishing date: 6/23/03 - (Wind mild from the NNE - NOTE THE WIND DIRECTION CHANGE) Today we had a two boat trip with Charlie Wilder and his friends Dave and Jim. We hit all of the areas that we fished in the last several days but with one drastic difference. The fish weren't as willing to play. We caught some in the SW area of the Farm, some in the Twin Palms area of the Marsh, and that was about it. Almost all the fish came on weightless Senkos. Total for  4 fishermen today was 25 with the biggest barely topping 3 pounds. The weather was better throughout the day with no storms and some sun. One major difference in the morning was some pretty heavy fog which didn't lift out until somewhere between 10:00 and 11:00. Of course the wind had swung with the movement of the front but who knows what put the bite on hold. However, Charlie and friends are true fishermen and made the best of the slow bite and walked away knowing that their next trip would be a lot better, (maybe).

Today Scott and I went out to check some areas that we haven't fished in a while, plus we hit some of the old. A 1/2 day fishing with the same weather conditions as yesterday resulted in the same bite. It was slow and sporadic. Basically to recap: Chug Bugs, rattletraps and Senkos are the baits that are working best right now. Areas holding fish are the SW of the Farm, the SW of the Marsh, the end of the Center N/S ditch, the front of the Marsh outside the cut, and Twin Palms. Watch for shad busts and hit them with the Chug Bugs when you see them. When the bass go down pull out the rattle traps and Senkos and pick them off the bottom.

See you on the water.

Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services

Date Fished: 6/18/03
Water Temperature: 84
Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

The last three days have really been good fishing with the majority of the fish being taken with topwater baits. The weather has been such that the mornings and early afternoons are pretty nice. Yesterday was a bit breezy but the breeze kept the heat down.

We were greeted on Monday by a glorious and colorful sunrise and Don snapped a photo that I want to share with you.
 

As you can see, the wind was calm which would be ideal for the what we had in mind. As Don reported we were able to boat 35 bass throughout the day and even got in some action with a aggressive gator that wanted our fish.

However, Scott was having none of it and landed the fish which probably frustrated the heck out of the gator.

As the morning wore on the weather worsened and the clouds rolled in laden with rain, lightening bolts and wind so off to the ramp we ran. We made it just in time but still got a tad wet.

On Tuesday Scott and I did some scouting and fished until about 10:30. We found bass in the SW area of the Marsh. We didn't find bass in the SW area of the Farm or on the intersections of the ditches but I would attribute that to timing. However, after boating 20+ bass we knew where we would be fishing tomorrow.

On Wednesday Scott took out two young fellows from Wisconsin, Mark Mayefski and his friend Tyler. Mark and Tyler will be working on more fish over the next few days out of a canoe so if you spot them say hi.

They started on the SW end of the Marsh and proceeded to the south end of the center ditch on the Farm. After catching a bunch there they headed back to the Marsh and picked up several more in the SW area of the Marsh and at Twin Palms. All the fish were caught using a chug bug or a rattletrap. Mix up the retrieves until you find the one that works best. A lot of the chug bite has been when the bait is still. The rattletrap has produced when slowly retrieved in some areas and when burned in others. Be sure to bring a few traps as the Marsh likes to keep them now and again. 58 bass cooperated to make their trip a good one and they couldn't wait to get back out on their own. Weather didn't chase us away today but we did have a good breeze.

Weather can be a major player this time of the year so keep it safe. If a storm threatens get to the ramp and sit it out. Don't forget the fluids, sun protection, and eye protection.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
 

Submitted by George: Imagination Bassin Guide Services

 6/14/03 3:34:09 pm:

Today I took out Don Willis, more commonly known to most of you as (Don, The Worlds Worst Fisherman), for his first trip out on the Marsh in a little over a year.

We started out on Farm 13 fishing the Spillway area because we had noted current in the cut coming into the Marsh. We threw our baits but the action isn’t there yet so we headed to the south end of the center ditch, and the intersection of the first ditch. By 10:00 we had tested several baits and we had only seven fish to show for our efforts. I was at the point of thinking that it probably was because the fish still remembered Don’s face and weren’t about to hit anything we threw at them. There was a small shad bust at the intersection of the first ditch so if you’re out there, check this area out throughout the day.

Moving to the Stick Marsh we hit an area where there were continuous shad busts until 1:00pm. When the fish were busting the shad we caught them on Chug Bugs, and when they were down we caught them on Rattle-Traps. The action was fast and furious, and we caught another 53 Bass giving us a total of 60 fish by 1:00, which is when we called it a day. Most of the fish averaged 2-3 pounds with the occasional 4-pounder mixed in.

If you have not experienced the shad busts on the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 now is the time to come as it’s the most exciting Bass fishing there is. Good luck and don’t forget to watch for storms, and use plenty of sun tan lotion, and drink plenty of water.

You still have time to catch our summer sale: Book a trip for the summer months through September at the full rate for day one, ($275.00) and get the second day for only $125.00. That’s a savings of $150.00 which will easily pay for lodging. The days must be consecutive and that covers up to two fishermen. Don’t miss out! This sale won’t last forever.

Scott

Submitted by George (209.208.60.177) from FLORIDA on 6/12/03 8:07:12 pm:

I had the pleasure of taking out Bill Prince on Tuesday and Wednesday for what we hoped would be some top water action. We did find a few fish willing to eat our Buzz Baits but for the most part it was all Senko’s, and Rattle-traps. Tuesday proved to be the better of the two days with 30 Bass making it to the boat, and on Wednesday we could only find half has many to play. The most productive areas were the south ends of the ditches in the Farm and, the SW corner of the Farm, and Twin Palms on the Marsh. Late on Wednesday we did find a few fish busting shad on the intersection of the center ditch, but unfortunately a storm ran us of the lake early. While we never found the big fish Bill was hoping for we had a lot of fun, and I am sure the next time Bill comes he will be rewarded for all his efforts. The weather is getting hot so don’t forget to drink plenty of water and use adequate sun screen.

Scott

Submitted by George: Imagination Bassin Guide Services (216.10.180.24) from FLORIDA on 6/10/03 07:43:28 am:

Date Fished: 6/10/03 Water Temperature: 81 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

Fishing has been fair to good with our trip average producing 30+ fish. The SW corner of Farm 13 in the heavier hydrilla, the south end of the center ditch, and Twin Palms up on the Stick Marsh side have all been producing good catches. The producing baits have been Chug Bugs, Senko's, Buzz Baits, Flukes, and Rattle-Traps. The stronger bite was on the Senko. We have had a couple of days of strong winds and the water in some areas is a little dirty so look for the cleaner water and you should find fish. We have had some very server thunder storms in the afternoons so keep a close eye out, and if it even looks like a storm is approaching get off the lake right away. Don't wait until it's too late and become a statistic.

Sunday I took out Gary Pisano out for a ½ day and found 30+ fish willing to play. Most fish were caught in the SW corner of the Farm on Senkos. We caught a couple of fish on Chug Bugs with the biggest weighing 5 lbs.

Today I took out Vance Moore with almost the same results as Sunday. Most fish were caught in the SW corner of the Farm with Senkos, and a few fish on Buzz Baits, and Rattle-Traps. No big fish made it to the boat but plenty of action throughout the day kept us going.

Scott

Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services

Date Fished: 6/4/03
Water Temperature: 84
Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

There was no question as to what bait we should start with. Water levels are up a little as we have had quite a bit of rain in the last couple of days which let us get even further south with our Chug Bugs than we had just a couple of days ago.

We had a short day today, only three hours, but it was enough time to put 30 nice bass in the boat. All but five came on the Chug Bug, and the five came on a watermelon Senko.

It's top water all day right now, but you can also get them with plastics, rattletraps, spinner baits, buzz baits, and hard jerk baits.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
 

Don't forget! Summer Special!

Book a trip for a full day at the current rate of $275.00 and receive the second day for only $125.00. These rates apply now until the end of September. The days must be consecutive.