OCTOBER 2003

Date fished: 10/27/03
Water Temps: 76 degrees/stained
Water clarity: 2-3 feet in heavy hydrilla areas
Baits used: Senkos, Zoom Flukes, Buzz Baits, Spinner Baits, Storm Chug Bug

Every away from home fishing trip starts with a planning session. Dates have to be set, lodging has to be considered, transportation arranged, and if a guide is going to be used then reservations have to be made. Robert Magee of Carrollton, Georgia, and his friend Cleve have done this many times in their fishing past but with one twist that most of us would love to have. Upon arrival of the departure date, Robert heads to the airport, climbs aboard his Cessna Citation, and flies himself and his friend to wherever the fishing whim has led them. This time they were headed to Stick Marsh/Farm 13 for 2 1/2 days of intense fishing.

They departed the ramp with Scott, my son and partner, at 12:40 and fished until 5:30 in the SW area of the Farm with one quick trip to the center N/S ditch. South of the intersection on that ditch we have found some nice fish with rattletraps but not this afternoon. The fish were hitting up on top and down the bottom but the majority of the fish were one to two pounds. The conditions are pre-spawn and these bass are busy with the chore of trying to select a suitable location for the females to come to. The females will come in and out of this area and perseverance will usually get you something really nice but this afternoon trip only yielded quantity and no big fish. 

Date fished: 10/28/03
Water temps: 76 degrees/stained
Weather forecast: winds SSE 15 to 20
Weatherman - absolutely correct

Scott's trip today was with David Fletcher of Tallahassee, FL, his wife Gina, and his son Eric. This was David's second trip and to be a memory trip for Eric who is off to basic training very soon in the USMC. They opted for shiners and it was a decision they would be delighted with.



Starting the morning with 8 dozen shiners, Scott took them directly to the spillway area. Fishing the shiners free-lined they ran out of shiners by 10:AM. The decision was made to get more shiners and another 6-dozen were ordered from Middleton's Bait and Tackle. Jeanne delivered them to the ramp and it was back to fishing.


As you can see, Mom was not to be outdone. This was another fantastically successful trip as the 14 dozen shiners produced bass after bass and memories never to be forgotten. One good piece of preparation was this group remembered the camera so these fish will be remembered for a lifetime.

Robert, Cleve, and I headed to the SW area of the Farm. With the impending low front sweeping across the state from the Gulf anticipations ran high as we plied the waters with soft jerk baits and Senkos. It was breezy from the beginning but not so bad that managing the boat was a problem. The catching was good early on with fish to 5-6 pounds coming on Senkos. However, as promised the winds came and as they got stronger the bite got weaker. Tomorrow's forecast called for a repeat of the winds and after hearing of Scott's success with shiners the guys did an about face and ordered up shiners for the day.

Date fished: 10/29/03
Forecast: Clear with winds NNE 15-20

Starting with 10-dozen shiners in the spillway proved to be as successful today as it was yesterday for Scott and the Fletchers. Fishing with shiners can be a challenge when it comes to actually getting the fish hooked. Getting them hit is a lot easier than getting them hooked. Success comes by having a taut straight line connection to the fish when you strike and it took no time before Robert and Cleve had the rhythm.

The morning hours flew and by 10:30 the shiner tank was empty. The decision was made to get another 6-dozen. Within an hour we had the new shiners and they lasted until 2:15. 16-dozen shiners - 2-dozen died - hookup ratio was about 70% - estimated catch over 100 bass. We were free-lining the shiners and hooking them in the back. Many hits were on top as the shiners ran across the surface.

Although the artificial bite is really good right now, the wind made the decision to go to shiners a "right move".

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

Submitted 10/27/03

Today's weather forecast is calling for a slight chance of showers with winds from the south @ 10. Saturday's forecast called for 0% chance of rain with winds from the east at 15 - 20 Knots. Saturday it started relatively calm but by 9:AM the weatherman was right about the wind as the wind came and within short order we were fighting 20+ winds. 20 knots = 23 MPH and the weatherman proved to be dead on from 10:AM on. However he was a tad bit off about the rain as a rainstorm bore towards the Farm at 1:30.

Temperatures did get into the low 80's so it made for a pleasant change for two of the 3 gents I had on board. Three young gents in and around their 60's arrived with a trip on the Marsh as part of their annual get together. These guys presently live in Yorktown, Va., Holland, NY, and Davenport, Florida, but their commonality was that they all went to high school together in upstate New York. Your own Houdini, J. Geckler, Howard Hoffman of Davenport, and Art from Yorktown proved once again that "boys will be boys" as the banter flew about the boat in a continuous and humorous manner throughout the day.

We started in the SW area of the Farm throwing both topwater jerk baits and T-rigged plastics in our search for the lunker. The hydrilla over here is matted in some of the area and spread out and growing in the rest. After an hour and not so much as one "howdy" from the bass we were seeking we moved through the mat to the deeper south. As you move southward the mat has dropped back and the water is fairly open.

It didn't take long before our first fish of the day; Small he was, but a bass nonetheless. While we fished we kept in contact with Scott who was out on the center N/S ditch just south of the intersection, and working the area with rattletraps. We continued in our area with an occasional bass and decided to move out when Scott reported several fish on the traps. As we moved the short distance out to Scott's location the wind hit and the bite he had died. After a short while we went back to the area in the SW, moving from stump to stump and fishing the areas we could reach while tied off.

All the conditions were in place for an upset. Bass win and we lose. I sure do dislike that term "that's fishing", but although the fishing was lacking the camaraderie was plentiful as we finished out the day and headed for the ramp. Houdini was a definite winner with fish caught, but all three were winners as they shared memories and time together out here.

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

Cocoa Beach to Jupiter Inlet out to 20 NM ... 4:30 AM EDT Fri Oct 24 2003

Today ... East winds 5 to 10 Knots ... Increasing to 10 to 15 Knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Intercostals waters a moderate chop.

As you can readily see by the above NOAA forecast, winter weather patterns are arriving with fronts rolling southward that will cool our waters. It is presently 59 degrees with an expected dip to 55 over the next 2 hours. New York City is sitting at 39 degrees which would be a bit cooler than I would want to see.

The last week has seen the arrival of two fronts but both were mild with only small increases in winds and very little drop in temperatures. Water temperatures are still holding in the high 70 ranges and the bite has been mixed between top water soft jerk baits and down with the Senkos.

Chris Cattuna of Wayne, NJ came out to sample some Florida fishing and had a great time on the Marsh/Farm. Chris lives on Packanack Lake and gets to fish most days, but he could not resist the opportunity to spend a day here while vacationing with his family in the Disney area. We started the day with soft jerk baits over the grass and ended throwing Senkos and it was the Senkos that brought the bass to the boat. Fished weightless and little movement did the trick.

It has been relatively slow over the last week with most fish being caught down instead of on top. Half day forays have yielded catches in the 20 to 30 fish range. A lot of smaller bucks are showing up in the SW areas of the Farm in preparation of the upcoming December spawn and it is only a matter of a short time until the big females start showing up consistently down there. There are some in the area right now; make the right cast and she could be yours. If you catch her get your pictures and measurements but remember to be gentle and return her to the water as quickly as possible.

Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is a public body of water with an immediate catch and release rule in effect. Fish and Game enforcement frowns greatly on the placing of any bass into a live well. Crappie or "specs", have a 25 per person limit and bream and such have a 50 per person limit. There are plenty of cats, some pickerel, the pesky bowfin and alligator gar, and a strange looking freshwater inhabitant, the needle fish. Shore fishing is available but difficult at best as is the case with most Florida bodies of water. There is one ramp to access the lake at is located at the end of Fellsmere Grade Rd, which is a 6.5 mile dirt adventure. Ramp procedures here are the same as anywhere: prep your boat first and then use the ramp as quickly as possible. With only one ramp location, prepping your boat on the ramp and tying it up is just a tad impolite. Be aware of your fellow fisherman and make every ones start of day a good one.

Our busy season is here and as you make your plans to visit Florida and fish here keep this in mind. There are several really good guides to choose from and tons advertising on the internet. Many have the Stick Marsh featured in their ads, but never fish here and will try to divert you to other lakes. How do you figure out who is who? It is real easy. Get references! "Word of mouth" is the best way to know, but inquiries on the internet are good also. Most guides are advertising on the internet today: go to their pages and look for a comments section; http://www.imaginationbassin.com/Coments.htm

When you do book your trip be sure to communicate the type of fishing that you want to do and any needs that you may have. Most guides provide tackle if needed but that does not mean that they will have it on board if you do not let them know in advance. Good communications will make a better trip for you and the guide. Some thoughts that I would like to pass on: remember that when you hire a guide you are hiring his expertise and not his boat. Treat his boat as a guest as you would want people to treat your boat. Don't walk on seats, throw trash just anywhere, store lake litter under your feet to be ground into the carpet, knock drinks over, come aboard with dirty feet, or any of the myriad of other things that can damage an expensive investment. Obviously the boat is made to work from but use it as you would use your own. If you are going to use the guides fishing tackle do so in the same manner that you would use your own. If you are hiring the guide than avail yourself of the guides expertise. Follow the guides suggestions and you will probably do a lot better out here than if you follow your own methods of fishing. Remember, he is a "Guide" with a lot of fishing experience with emphasis on this lake and not just a charter boat. If you have done your homework and gotten references you will probably have a great day out here even if the fishing is slow.

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

DATE: 10/16/03

As predicted, the front started through on Wednesday evening. Yesterday we ran to the lake to see what the affect the pressure increase would have. With the rapid onset of the front so early in the year I anticipated working hard for the fish.

Our biggest problem was the wind and wood as the area the fish have been in is stump city and the stumps are concealed by the heavy hydrilla. The chance of coming to a sudden stop in the south end of the Farm is always there and if you are not paying attention it is but a couple of wobbly steps and you are in the water. I remember working on a TV show with Bob Dillow and having that very thing happen to me: the result was three broken ribs, so you want to be alert down here.

In and around the mats we worked as best we could with little to show for our effort early on. The overnight effect on the water temperatures had been a 6 degree drop from 80 down to 74, but that was surface only. There were a couple of gators out and about (always a good sign), but no cormorants in the water, no sound of bream popping under the matted areas and no surface activity from crappie or bass. In the first two hours we managed to coax out 5 bass between surface baits and pitching to the holes in the mats.

We took a ride around the south end to check other spots with our first stop at the spillway. The water movement has halted as the gate is fully closed at this time. On the way out we noted smoke from the pump house area so we stopped to check that out. Anytime there is current there can be fish and today was not exception. In the spillway area the best presentation is the Carolina-rig and if you find the right spot in the current you will get a bass on just about every cast.

Before leaving we decided to check a bit of the area south of the center E/W ditch and just east of the center N/S ditch. One could certainly make a day of it out here doing the same as in the SW areas.

Fish like the one above are out there to be caught but there is only one way to achieve that. You have to be on the water. Give us a call.

See you out there. Have a great day and say hi if you see us out there.

Date: 10/7/03
Weather: Partly cloudy and breezy
Water temps: 75
Air Temps: mid 80's

Jean Laney finished his day at work and with his friend Bob they headed out to the Marsh/Farm to spend another day in search of the heart pounding minute when a big bass smashes the bait. This was Jeans second 1/2 day within a week and today and we sure did not want a trip like his last one.

Everything pointed to a "not so bad" afternoon as we found fish in the SW of the Farm right away. The bream were popping under the mat, some crappie were tailing, and the bass were sporadically biting.

One hour into the trip there was a tremendous explosion on a soft jerk bait. In the heart of a small clump of hydrilla this massive lady attempted to inhale the offering but as her mighty head burst into view the bait rode away on a wave of water and hydrilla. Bob followed the miss with a Senko as did Jean. As the seconds ticked by it seemed as if she might have moved off and then Jean announced with a bit of a grunt, "I think I have her". In that heavy weed condition the fight was short but tense and within less than a minute I lipped her and hauled her on board. Size guessing had begun as soon as she was on and Jean had guesstimated 6-7 pounds.

Here is 156 reasons why the Marsh/Farm is considered one of the best bass fisheries in the country, and why you need to stay on your toes when fishing it. Here is 156 reasons why we use Senkos as our number one soft plastic out here, and here is 156 reasons why you need to keep casting even if the bite is a tad slow. Here is 156 reasons why Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is a "catch and immediate release" fishery.

This 9.75 pound beauty is back in the water ready to strike the bait of the next lucky fisherman who gets in her neighborhood. As I prepare to set forth on yet another day of fishing I thank God for such a beautiful place to fish and such fantastic fish to catch.

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

Submitted by George: 10/5/03

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we spent 72 hours on the Marsh/Farm. Total man-hours fished: 191. There were six fishermen on Thursday, 6 fishermen on Saturday, 5 fishermen on Saturday and 5 fishermen on Sunday. 

During the course of the four days bass were caught with soft jerk baits, Senkos, spinner baits, and tremendous perseverance. Not one of the fellows gave up during their time out there and by each days end the results showed their effort. The fishing was tough but the fishermen proved that they were tougher and managed to make the best of poor conditions.

My thanks go to JW and his crew from North Carolina who fished with us on Thursday and Friday. My thanks also go again to Jean Laney who fished with Scott in the afternoon on Saturday and met the conditions with solid fishing skills and good cheer. Bob and Charlie I had a fantastic time fishing with you on Saturday and Sunday and I want to applaud your perseverance throughout both days. You definitely caught more fish than you would have in your living room but not what the Marsh/Farm can produce on most days. Mike, Scott said that you never let down and had a great time. We hope to see you all again.

Basically over the last few days, just as other reports have indicated, the bite got tougher and tougher. It could have been the weather but who knows for sure. Perhaps the bass were off just because they didn’t like our offerings, although I think at some time or another they saw just about all that you could fish with.

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

Submitted by George: 9/30/03

A little bit of the top water and Senko action that we experienced in the morning hours today. Hydrilla on the south end of the Farm side produced 50+  bass by noon.