AUGUST 2004

Submitted by George 8/30/04

The last five days have had one constant, intensive heat, and some pretty good fishing. All of the fish we have found have been in areas of current, but the current had to be the right current. The spillway on the south end of the Farm has not been producing as they raise and lower the gate almost daily to different levels. The water coming in from Garcia is dirty and my guess is that the oxygen levels are low as the bass are sparse in that area at best.

The spillway which exits north out of the C54 has produced well prior to the last 5 days but it seems that the fishing has slowed there drastically. At the beginning of last week we had some good catches there but lately it's just not happening.

The pump house on the Farm has been running quite a bit and we have had several days of good fishing there. However, when they are pumping the current has to visible and pretty strong to produce well. If the current is weak then so is the fishing.

The pipes in the NE corner of the Marsh have been flowing well but they had a machine trying to get weed out on the Fellsmere Farm side and that has made for a mess of debris coming through the pipes. No fish to be found there.

They finally got some of the water flowing through the Farm and Marsh which can make the cut into the Marsh a bonanza area. Good catches have been gotten there over the last couple of days. Scott and I went out to do what we love to do and spent a leisurely morning there yesterday and landed 58 bass with the big one at seven pounds. The day before, with clients on board we ended up there after trying the pump house and catching some smaller bass.

We also have been working the SW area of the Farm and have been getting some fish on Chug Bugs. So far this is a morning bite. The SW corner of the Marsh has been another are of shad busts, but we haven't really been able to coax more than a couple of bass into the top water bait. However, we have cleaned up in that area with rattle traps. Another are that has been having shad busts is the intersection of the E/W and center N/S ditches on the Farm. Again, most fish that responded were hitting rattle traps and C-rigs.

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

Attached E-mail I just received:

Hi George,
 
Thanks for stopping to talk yesterday.  You and Scott have helped us more than you'll ever know with regards to catching fish and traveling through the Stick Marsh & Farm 13.  All three of my kids (Matt, Carrie & Joe) as well as my wife Cindy enjoy being on the Marsh as much as any fresh or saltwater location. (Thanks to you!)
 
Looks like the bass are stacking up at the spillway right now but I doubt you'll see us there.  It reminds us of opening day on the trout stream and not my favorite style of fishing.  Thank goodness there are fish in other locations too (NW Palms).    Attached is a picture of a recent catch made by my wife Cindy.  Boy is she proud!  

 

 

Submitted by Scott 8/28/04

Date Fished: 8/28/04
Water Temperature: 88
Water Clarity: 1 foot

On the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 the best bass bite continues to be in or near current. One day you find the fish stacked in the current and you go back the next day and it’s as if the fish packed up and moved. This is what we have been finding the past couple of weeks. Most of our success has been with Carolina Rigged Senkos and Chug Bugs around the moving water.   Tuesday, I had the pleasure of spending the day fishing with Joe Rogers and his friend Bill who were down from Winston Salem, NC. We spent most of our time fishing moving water throughout the lake. In the early morning we found a few fish willing two hit Carolina rigged Senkos in the spillway on the Farm.

At 9:00, and with only a few fish to show for our efforts, I decided it was time to make a move. We move to the Stick Marsh and we worked the NW end. We had only a few fish willing to hit rattletraps and Senkos. At 10:00 I decided to give the spillway on the C54 canal a shot and it really paid off. We started catching fish right away on both Chug Bugs and Carolina rigged Senkos. The bite continued strong up until 2:00 and then the fish really slowed down. We managed to catch a few more bass prior to heading to the ramp at 3:00. Over 50 Bass made there way into the boat with the largest of the day of the day weighing in at 5-lbs.  

Wednesday Joe and Bill arrived anxiously anticipating that day would be as good if not better than day one. We went directly to the moving water where we did so well the day before. When we pulled up the bass were having a field day bashing the brim. The first fish came into the boat almost immediately on a Chug Bug and it looked like we where in for a great morning. After only a few minutes however, everything died down and not another bass would bite anything we threw at them. The water quality went from clean to dirty in the matter of minutes.

After a short period of intensive casting it was time to make a move.   We found bass busting shad on the Stick Marsh in the SW corner and willing to hit rattletraps. The average size bass was on the small side so we were off to look elsewhere. Heading toward the spillway I noticed a strong current at the pump house and we anchored up to give it a try. Bill made the first cast and almost immediately reeled in a bass. For the next couple of hours the bass bit on almost every cast. At around 1:00 Fellsmere Farms shut down the current and the fishing slowed down.

With thunder storms moving in we decided to give our starting spot another try before heading in. We anchored the boat made a few cast and before we could determine if the fish where there the lightning started. We headed in at 2:15 with 50+ Bass up to 5lbs making there way to the boat.   When fishing moving water don’t give up without working the current from many different angles. We have found many times by making small moves it can make the difference between catching a few fish and having a trip you’ll never forget. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and use plenty of sunscreen. Thunder storms are almost a daily occurrence this time of year so remember if you can hear thunder you can be struck by lightning.

We still have availability for September so give us a call and take advantage of our summer special. Through September 30th, 2004 – Book a trip at the full day rate, ($275.00), and get the second day for only $150.00. This is a savings of $125.00 off our normal rate.   Scott

 

Submitted 8/24/04 by George

Over the last couple of days the Stick Marsh water levels have increase with the inflow from the spillway and the fishing has stabilized at a slow pace. The air temperatures have been up their but the thunderstorms are holding off until late in the day.

Fish of note have been a bit tougher to get this month.

George Althouse from NJ caught these guys back towards the beginning of the month off grass mats with Senkos. That bite has slowed down to a crawl with fish not cooperating if in fact they are still on the mats. It seems as if they have holed up in some of the heavier grass.

Scott managed this on the day before yesterday right around mid-day on a Chug Bug. Prior to that we had been working in the spillway area. The water is flowing in but not the pace needed to really stack the gals up in there. We did manage 40 but nothing over 4 pounds in there.

Yesterday I stopped with my client Perry Mastrola at the west end of the separation ditch to point out the differences between the Marsh and the Farm. As we sat talking the Merc. quit. After several attempts to get her started I smelled smoke. With fire extinguisher at the ready I pulled the cover and sure enough the wires going to the regulators were smoked and upon inspection I also noted that the stator had been smoked. Don was out with Scott, so a phone call had the clients with Scott and Don with me for our hour plus trek back across the Marsh to the ramp via trolling motor power. During our journey Don made at least a hundred casts and nary a bass came out to play.

Scott and party worked the day in the spillway and with several location adjustments they managed a fair day of about 35 bass, with no big ones for the camera.

I should have the boat back Wednesday, but in the meantime Scott is covering the trips. Hopefully his report will be glowing when he gets off the water today.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. Oh, did I mention that we do have some openings left for September. Give us a call.

 

 

At this time last year the spillway was the area that had produced the most fish for the first three weeks of August. The water flow had been perfect with pipes and gate opened and the bass had really moved in. Every day saw multiple boats and literally hundreds of fish caught per day. On the 16th, 2003 I counted 18 boats either in or around the spillway area.

Last year at this time if the pump was creating current at the pump house there were few fish to be had and these were in most cases smaller fish. This year at the pump house you will find that conditions are pretty much the same. We have had a couple of times where fish were there but size was not what would be expected for flowing current. At his time in 2002 the pump house was the hot area with not only a lot of fish but good quality fish also.

At this time in 2001 all bets were off as water levels were very low and the fish were heavily concentrated on the Stick Marsh side.

Over the last couple of years if the fish weren't located in the current producing structures they could be found along the ditches and in the southwest area of the Farm. This year the hydrilla is dense along the ditches and the southwest area has a good size matted area and murky water.

What's all this have to do with the fishing conditions on the Marsh/Farm? Simply that if you haven't adjusted to this years conditions and looked to other than history you probably aren't doing too well. The first big adjustment was to a lack of current flow as we have had in the past. The pump house when it is running is producing minimal current and this is partly due to the abundance of water north of the Stick Marsh. North Florida has had much more rain than we have so getting water to flow north has been a problem. The spillway has been open far less this year than the last couple of years and much of the time that it is open it is debris laden water that is flowing through. Presently the exit gate in the NW corner is open clear of water and the water on the west side of the gate is at the same level as the Marsh side. What all of these things combined has done is move the bass out into open water areas where the hydrilla is less dense.

Get yourself out where the grass is spread out and work the little concentrations of hydrilla. Work with plastics and work slow. We have found the Senko to work extremely well in the following manner: cast beyond a grass patch, jerk the bait directly through the patch and allow it to fall at the edge of the patch. Remember that the bait will pendulum away from the patch so as you come off open you reel and tip some line back towards the patch. This gets your bait to fall straight down the grass edge. Be patient and give the bass time to react. Some hits will be immediate but most of the bigger bass have come when the bait is on the bottom and sitting still. Look for this situation and conditions on both sides. We have found the bass moving back and forth between the Farm and the Marsh.

Keep your eyes open for shad busts this time of the year. If you are paying attention and get into this situation the bass fishing quickly becomes the bass catching. We have had this event occurring on both the Marsh and the Farm. A particular area to watch for this would be those areas adjacent to deeper water, which simply means outside of the ditch edges. There are three North/South ditches and one East/West ditch on the Farm. Yesterday for a brief period the intersection of the middle N/S and E/W saw just such action.

If you find fish stay with them. This is said over and over and yet most don't do it. If you have a lull where you are fishing that lull has probably spread across the lake so running hither and yon is only going to result in less gas left in the tank. 

Our results for this month have been up and down on a daily basis. The barometer is traveling up and down like a yoyo, and some pretty violent thunderstorms have turned the water into a murky mess in many areas. As usual, looking for cleaner water has produced. We have had to deal with the heat this month, which seems to be a tad more than usual. Just remember that you need to have plenty of liquid on board, good SPF45 or better sun protection, and sun glasses to protect your eyes. If you start feeling lightheaded get off the water. Don't try to wait it out thinking it will pass!

Water temperatures are down even though air temperatures are up. With the rain and water flow the temperatures are hovering right at 85. The water levels are up however caution on the Marsh is recommended as lower units are quite expensive. Keep a sharp eye on the weather. Lightening kills and we have already had more than our share of people in the area hit by it this year. Don't become another statistic. If you see it, or hear the thunder move to the ramp until it passes. Be the person that catches a bass after a storm, not the one riding in the ambulance because you tried to catch one during the storm.

Producing baits have been: Plastics, buzz baits, rattletraps, Chug Bugs, and swim baits. We have had very limited success with spinner baits, or crank baits.

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