JUNE 2004

Date: 6/29/04
Location: Stick Marsh
Air Temps: 90's
Water Temp: 91
Baits used: Zoom Horny Toad, Senkos, Buzz Baits, Rattletrap
Rigs: Texas weightless and Carolina rig
Fish caught on: All baits
Most productive: Senko fished weightless

Stick Marsh bass caught with a Senko off a small patch of hydrilla

Today we started directly on the Farm side just north of the E/W ditch and from the east wall to the center ditch. We had to work for our fish today as the bite was a bit sporadic as the morning wore on. However, the fish we did catch came off of patches of grass. At one point we were sitting in the middle of a very large shad bust, but nothing we threw would yield a fish while it was happening. Later we did get some bass from that area, but all came from the bottom except one.

Don Willis went with us today and there was the usual mutterings heard from the back end. He kept saying something about being front-boated but I just think that with the water clarity they could clearly see that it was Don and avoided his bait. However, he didn't end up skunked even with his reputation.

We moved to the Stick Marsh side and managed a few fish from the Twin Palms area and then headed to some grass patches that we know of. Immediately we were getting fish, but our success would be short lived. If you look over Scott's shoulder you can see why. We don't mess with lightening and at the first sign we leave the lake. It was coming up on noon and we only planned to fish the 1/2 day so leaving wasn't so bad anyway. 22 bass made it a worthwhile trip.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. We do have some openings in July and the bite is going to continue so get on the phone and give us a jingle.

Date fished: 6/25/04
Water Temps: 89-91
Weather: Partly cloudy - very warm - light winds
Time: Daylight till 12:00 PM

Scott went from the ramp to just inside the cut in the Marsh. The top water bite was a bit slow but things picked up out in the Marsh. Working with Senkos in some of the areas on the Marsh that historically hold fish proved to be the pattern for the day and by noon they boated 33 and missed a few. George and Don, two Coasties that are stationed in Canaveral thought this cruise was better than the one they just came back from. No illegal immigrants to deal with was the order for the day, and we never saw one during the trip. They did have a few comments about some of the boat handling they saw out there, such as people getting on plane in the idle zone that goes from the ramp to the cut. It seems that more and more people are doing the high speed trick in the idle zones and one of these days somebody is going to get seriously hurt.

I went out by myself to check some areas on the Farm side and the only area that I didn't find fish was in the western areas. Any of the scattered hydrilla was holding fish as long as I didn't get too close to the E/W ditch. One of the patches held a 8.5 pound lady. As long as they don't get back into the hydrilla you can let them run, but look out if they find the hydrilla.

The 26th  early conditions were the same as the 25th. Light winds out of the ESE kept it a bit cooler than the 25th. Scott had out Ron Dickerson from NC and his friend Brandon. Initially the bite was strong and then the wind came up. The light patches of hydrilla that there were fishing disappeared with the wind and a heavy ripple dimpled the surface. The wind also knocked the bite right down even when they could find the grass. I believe the count for the 1/2 day trip was in the neighborhood of 12 fish in the boat with only a few misses.

I had out George Pelletier from Connecticut and this was his second trip to the Marsh. With us also the early bite was good and then we went to picking at the bass here and there. Early in the afternoon George laid into a good fish and she was full of fight. He managed to get her near the boat a couple times but on her last surge he used a hydrilla patch to slip the hook. I estimated a weight between 9 and 10 pounds. She came of a floating stump that was hung in hydrilla and I promised George if I saw her again I would let him know. Our catch for the day was less than 20 which for the Stick Marsh is a slow day, but we still had a good time fishing together.

On the 27th I had a 1/2 day trip with Matt and Joe Smith, plus their father Mike and two friends were in a follow boat. We started in the grass inside of the cut with buzz baits and Matt and Joe showed the bass that they were up to the challenge. Very few hits were missed. We left the top water and moved out into the Marsh working around some of the grass that is coming up. Matt started with the Senko as recommended and Joe stayed with the buzz bait. After three misses Joe switched to the Senko and they put another bunch in the boat.

No giant bass up here, but there size wasn't something to sneeze at either. We moved to the Farm side to an area that I fished with George yesterday and began hitting bass right away.

Moving the boat to within casting range of the log that held George's fish yesterday I directed their attention to it. Two Senkos flew threw the air and both youngsters were within inches of the lay down. Joe's trigger was pulled and his reward was the lady that I believe George had yesterday.

She measured 25 inches long by 18 inches in girth and weight 9.25 pounds on the Boga Grip. I know that George would be pleased that a youngster was the one to catch the one he left behind. By the end of the trip the count was over 30 and one grand lady. The Smiths are from Palm City, FL and you can bet they will be back again.

Behind Joe you can see the hydrilla that I keep referring to. If you will note the pad closest is heavier than the back two. The back two would be more likely to yield a bass.

Today Scott and I went to a different area and working with the same pattern we managed to boat 33 by 11:30. I pulled a blurb and let a bit fish off which I am still kicking myself for, but other than that it was a great day.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. We did see Don today but unlike on the 26th he wasn't able to scare the fish into not biting any more.

Submitted by George
6/24/04

Are you thinking of coming to the Marsh this weekend? You could be in for some super fishing! Find the grass and find the bass.

This one came off a 5' X 5' patch. She tore into a Senko as it descended after being jerked through the grass.

We fished until 10:30 on the 23rd and boated 70+ bass by 10:30 am. Most of the fish were in the three to five pound range. There were two common factors for most of the fish. Hydrilla that was scattered and in small mats, and Senkos or buzz baits to get the bite. We had almost an equal mix between the two baits with only a slight edge in hits on the Senko. However, the hook ups were slanted to the Senkos as the day wore on. Early AM we had an almost exclusive buzz bait bite in the grass bed areas inside the entrance to the Marsh.

Today we could have repeated the cycle but we opted to check some of the other areas of the Marsh and Farm. We located some good fish in the SE area of the Farm.

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

Submitted by George
6/22/04

To say we are having a blast on our favorite lake would be an grand understatement. As in my last report the fish located in the grass on the Marsh are ripe for the top water bite and buzz baits and soft jerk baits will get you some strong and aggressive bass to play with for about the 1st 2.5 hours of the AM. However, as good as the start of the day will be the follow-up gets better.

As I also said in my last report, the bass on the Farm are holding close to the grass, and the properly presented bait in the right location is going to get slammed.

Today we took pictures of a few of the participating bass and believe me when I tell you that they don't fall into the small fish category.

The grass is holding big bass and the bait that will get these bass is: (you guessed it), the venerable Senko. What makes this bait so productive is the quick sink as it falls off the grass mat that you just jerked it across. Other baits will produce bass, but not as many nor as quickly as the Senko will. By the way: Scott and I are not members of the Senko Pro Staff. However, as long as they produce bass like these we will definitely use them and recommend them with an absolute certainty that they will produce as we say.

The locations to fish these baits all present the same characteristics. Areas on the Farm where you can find hydrilla sporadically spread about and with relatively clean water are prime candidates. Whether they be located north or south of the E/W canal doesn't matter as long as they have relatively clear water. The smaller patches are holding the bigger fish in most cases.

We left a highly productive area to check out some other spots when the big motor faltered, so a very good day of fishing was called to a quick halt. Dirt was floating in the filter so hopefully a changed filter will be the answer.

I received an e-mail from one of our customers who was out on Sunday and had about 100 fish to the boat between him and his fishing partner. As per his report they all came on dark Senkos and the fish were adjacent to grass. The next day the same location only produced about 15. The way I look at it, two days of fishing with an average of 57 bass per day is an outstanding trip in anyone's book.

We still have some openings left for the month and July is looming with hot exciting fishing and not enough clients to share the excitement with. See you on the water.

Submitted by George
6/20/04

Happy Father's Day to all.

Since the 16th we have had 7 full day trips on the Marsh. Chris Mulac, his brother Art, and his Father-In-Law Roger, finished out with a blast. Dave Slobodkin came for his second trip to the Marsh and spent two days with Scott. Dave's first day here we sent him up to fish the Banana River with friend and guide Eric Perez for a day of red fishing and that coupled with the two days on the Marsh will give him a lot to talk about for some time to come. I had Chip Harris and Bret Kelley out for the last three days and they saw some pretty hot top water fishing. Scott had out John Marshall and his friend George on Friday. They came up from Lake Okeechobee and turned what to that point had been some poor fishing into a great trip. Today we are sitting home relaxing but tomorrow it will be back to the lake as we find that more relaxing than sitting around.

Each of the above trips all started in the same location which produced a top water action bonanza. The grass has sprung up just inside the cut into the Marsh and the bass were stacked and willing to fall for presentations of buzz baits and soft jerk baits. The bite which would start at daylight would continue until about 8:30-9:00 at which time it was off to other areas. Each day saw more and more boats and each day the area produced a lot of bass.  As of yesterday there were as many as 8 boats working the area so the bite will certainly not be as good as it was at the beginning.

The grass mats in the back have seen a decline in cooperating fish. The mats that are located along a swale on the north end of the Farm have produced some outstanding catches but on a whole over the last three days they have been off. However, I think that is function of the bite being off more than anything. We did move about through the heavier grass that is in the middle of the Farm, but we didn't find anything in the way of an exciting bite. We would pick at the bass throughout the day and end up with decent days, but certainly not days like we had been having.

(SYNOPSIS...A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS ACROSS THE FLORIDA STRAITS
WILL BEGIN TO DRIFT SLOWLY NORTH MONDAY...BUT WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF
THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK. A SEA BREEZE WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE COAST
EACH AFTERNOON...BUT THE OFFSHORE STEERING WINDS WILL PUSH SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS BACK ACROSS THE EAST COAST DURING THE LATE AFTERNOONS
AND EVENINGS.)

The above weather is more than likely the culprit in the slow down of the bite. The referenced high pressure ridge sat over us for the last 3 days and I believe that is what played havoc with the bite. This ridge will be gone by the end of the week and with the storms that will push in from the south should come the days of hot and furious bites. We are noticing more and more shad busts but they still remain small in size. As the schools of shad get larger so should the numbers of bass that are willing to play.

Watch for the shad busts and be ready with top water and spinner baits. Look for the bass to be adjacent to grass and even holding tight to the cover. Working plastics across the mats and letting them fall right next to the mats will probably get you the most and best fish.

We still have some openings in June and a lot of openings in July so give us a call.

See you on the water.
 

Submitted by George
6/15/04

One half of the month is gone and the fishing as predicted for June is just outstanding. There are bass on the Farm in the hydrilla, and there are fish on the Marsh in the hydrilla, with both groups of fish very eager to come out and play.

On the 16th, with spending only a 1/2 day out there, Scott and I picked off 57 bass. Most came on the Farm side using Senkos in and around scattered hydrilla. As is typical with the summer bite here, once a particular pattern sets up its here for quite a while.

Yesterday Scott had out two youngsters: Austen Foster, and Austen Kit were being treated by Grandma for a full day on the Marsh/Farm and these young fellows were no slouches when it came to hitting the targets and hauling in the bass.

They hauled 58 to the boat, missed a few, and can't wait to get back.

I had out a threesome made up of Chris Mulac from Sellersburg, IN, his brother Mike, and friend Roger. These three had me in stitches from the start to the end of the day. I lost count of the fish they caught both with the top water action and later hitting the mats. They will be back out for round two today and I look forward to the banter of these three amidst the casting and reeling in of big Marsh/Farm bass.

We have some openings for next week so if you are of the mind, give us a call and let's go fishing. I have had a lot of you tell me that if the fishing gets hot to let you know. Well, it can't get much better than it is. You get to see most hits, and in many instances you actually see the fish come out of the mat and inhale your bait. The morning top water is strong and we are starting to see more and more shad busts. Bring plenty of Senkos, Flukes, and your buzz baits and chug bugs.

See you on the water.

Submitted by George
6/14/04

The time is flying by so fast that if I blink I have fallen behind in reports. As you can see from reports on PROBASS.COM, BFHP, and other places, things are on a hot and furious pace here at the Marsh/Farm.

On the 10th Scott had out Darrell and Brenda Atkins of Madisonville, TN for a 1/2 day AM trip. I understand this was Brenda's first time out fishing for bass and they connected with about 15 for the morning.

On the 11th Don, (The World's Worst) called and begged and pleaded so we acquiesced and took him fishing. By quitting time which was early we had boated over 55 between us. The bite continues with the Senkos and hydrilla.

On the 12th I took Dan Stare of Boiling Springs, PA. Dan is down doing soil samples in the area for another soon to be reservoir. Armed with Senkos we went straight to the Farm and proceeded to catch just over 50 for the day including the one below.


This gal tipped the scale at 12.5 and came on a Senko that was just sitting idle next to a small hydrilla patch.

Scott had out three veteran fly-rod fishermen including Charlie Richter. Charlie just moved to the Sebastian area from Miami. For you salt water aficionados you might recognize Charlie's name as he falls into the category of one of the Who's Who of fly fishermen in this country. However, the Marsh/Farm bass were have none of it and the results just weren't there. I have to tell you though, it wasn't for the lack of trying as they put in a full day trying many different offerings.

Yesterday Scott had out Mark Hughes and his friend Ron White from Winter Haven, FL and they had a very successful day working the same pattern as we have for the last month. Over 50 bass later they headed back to the ramp looking for some air conditioning and a shower.

Ron White with one of the day's ladies and a smile that says: Fantastic!

There was a paper tournament on the lake this weekend and several of the guys were advised where to work on the Farm and how. Two decided that the information was golden and followed through

Submitted by George
6/10/04

When you embark on a fishing trip whether it be here or your favorite lake at home it helps greatly if you do your homework before going. There are several ways to accomplish this: you can check with the local bait and tackle store or check with someone that you know that has been there recently. Of course the best way of knowing what is going on is to fish the lake on a very regular basis as there is no replacement for time on the water. If you can find someone that fishes the lake you are going to be on regularly, and they are willing give you information, then you might be well advised to follow some of the information you are getting.

We fish the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 just about every day of the year, whether it be with clients or by ourselves. We get a "lot" of e-mail from people that are headed this way and I have never told anyone to get lost or go away. We will tell them where, how, and with what, but from there on it is out of our hands. We even go so far as to tell them to find us on the lake and we will show them where. Some come, follow our advice, and stick with the information for the duration. Others come and try it and move on. Allen Shadd came to the Marsh and had e-mailed me before coming. He did what we suggested, where we suggested, with the baits that we suggested and as he left the lake yesterday he stopped by to tell me how they did.

I'd definitely say that the above fish would put a smile on anyone's face.

This one on the following day was worth a smile also.

This morning I received the following e-mail:

Well Allen, and any others that send us e-mail that we try to help: congratulations on a fun trip and we hope to see you again soon.

The fishing has been just as good this week as it has been for the two weeks previous. Not every day will have them slamming with the high numbers caught but every day has been respectable. On the 8th we fished until 11:00 AM and Scott and I caught over 50 bass. Our biggest that day was about 6.5 pounds and our smallest would have been a keeper but not much more. However, the majority of the fish fell between the 3 and the 4 pound mark.

Yesterday Scott departed the ramp with Frank Vomonousky and his two sons for a day on the Farm. Working the same areas, using Senkos they boated 50+ bass before the day ended. The boys I understand were out-fishing dad for a while, but dad came on strong near the end to even things up a bit.

I left the ramp with Clint Bowers with the same thoughts of lots of bass and maybe a big one. This was Clint's third trip to the Marsh/Farm. His first trip ended abruptly because of high winds that came up. His second trip he ended up with twin 7.5 pound bass, one on a Senko, and one on a Chug Bug. This trip he would beat those fish with an 8+ pound lady taken with a Senko.

By days end we had boated 50 bass. The camaraderie, the bass, and the weather made this another fantastic trip on the Marsh/Farm. We caught most of the fish on the Farm doing as we have been for the last several weeks. On the way back we added another 5 bass from a spot on the Marsh side. We found some grass, threw some Senkos and as on the Farm, the bass bit.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance and if you have a question we will be glad to try and help. I still have a few openings in June so if you are of the mindset, let's go fishing.

Submitted by George
6/7/04

Went out this morning just to keep tabs on our area. Things were a bit slower today at the beginning but then it picked up as soon as the sun got up. We took Don today to have that third bait in the water and that could be the reason the fish were a bit slow to start with.

With the sunglasses on Don was able to manage sneaking past the lookouts and coming up with this winner.

Scott had to get in on the action and another winner in the boat.

We are still working areas of scattered hydrilla on the Farm side. We meandered down south of the E/W ditch but it is pretty sloppy down there and the hydrilla gnats are in abundance. One fish and we ran. The pump house has been running but the current is minimal and doesn't seem to be doing much to enhance the fishing. The pipes at the ramp were open with good current but your in a hole in there so the heat might be a bit much.

Weather wise we have had some great days although on the tad warm side. However, afternoons have brought some heft thunderstorms so be careful out there. The Marsh/Farm continues to drop in water levels so be careful where you are running. Levees along the ditches in the Farm are good for the most part but there are some areas that are tight so before flying across and hitting something you might want to come off plane and idle across the ditches.

We still have some openings in June so if you want a shot at this hot bite give us a call.

See you out there. Say hi if you get the chance.

Submitted by George
6/6/04

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take the day off and clean the Hewes. However, today we headed for the Marsh before the sun was up. Going straight to where we have been fishing for the last week proved to be the right choice. The bite didn't start until almost 7:00, but once it got going it was really hot.

Again, the bait of choice was Senkos and any dark color would do the trick. For those that are curious we have tried just about every other plastic out there and yes they did catch fish. However, they did not catch the quantity that the Senko did. As a matter of fact the time between hits with some of the other plastics was substantial. If you want to catch the bass that we are catching then you would be well advised to have Senkos on board.

Today's trip was a short one and we quit by 12:00. We boated over 70 bass, and as you can see from the pictures, as predicted the summer bite is not only great for numbers, but size is there also. I did get a couple on a follow up of a shad bust with spinner bait, but it was a small bust and short lived.

Keys to the fish that we are getting: Small areas of hydrilla and jerking the Senko across the grass and letting it fall when it comes off. Most hits are occurring almost immediately, however some are coming from the bottom so let it fall. The Farm seems to have more than the Marsh in cooperating fish. Occasionally the buzz bait has worked, but Chug Bugs have not. It seems that the stimulation of the grass with the bait is what is bringing the strike, which would explain the lack of interest in the Chug Bug.

See you on the water.

Submitted by George
6/3/04

May closed out as one of the strongest months yet on the Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Not only were the numbers way up but the quality was just outstanding.

As June begins the momentum continues with lots of bass, and mostly big bass being reeled to the boat. The bite remains the same as it has been for the last two weeks with the bass being oriented to hydrilla and hitting the bait as it slides across the grass or as if falls off the edges.

Taken June 1, this beautiful specimen of a bass ate a Senko and came on board for a picture.

This one quickly followed as she inhaled a watermelon/no flake Senko. The hits are very aggressive and the fish attempt to swim off immediately. This type of hit results in almost no gut hooked fish.

Later in the day I cast a spinner bait to this lady. She hit it almost as soon as it hit the water as she charged out from her home that for the moment was a small stick-up. The spinner bait was a Terminator 3/8 white skirt/gold willow.

Yesterday Joe Sabotin and his sons Josh and Phil came out for a taste of the Marsh. The wind was strong out of the SW which made it difficult to say the least, but the family had a great day. Josh led the way with over 21 bass including the biggest for the day.

Although the heat was up the wind kept it cool and Josh kept his cool as he wrangled this gal our of a gnarly mess of hydrilla.

Today Scott and I headed out starting on the Stick Marsh. We hit the wood inside the cut from Ditch 7 but even though we knocked with spinner baits, buzz baits, and Senkos there were no takers. We decided to check the hydrilla on the Farm and did we get a surprise. A major storm passed over the Marsh yesterday, late in the day with high winds. Lots of hydrilla had been ripped loose and it was floating around on the north end of the Farm. It was bonanza time all over again. It was impossible to throw a Senko next to or on one of the floating hydrilla patches without getting slammed. The bite was hot and furious and by 9:00 AM we had boated over 45 bass. The biggest gal for the day was a mere 6.5 pounds, but the smallest was over 2.5 pounds. There was a massive algae bloom and the surface was coated so that every line trail was left behind, but the lowered visibility had no effect on the bass. Very seldom did we more than twitch the bait and a bass was on.

At 9:15 it was as if someone had thrown two switches. The first shut the bass off and after noticing that the bass weren't biting anymore we noticed the second switch. The heat had turned on and not bite one to cool things off. We moved off to check some of the other areas which is what we were supposed to be doing anyway.

We ran to the spillway. The water, which is very low, is at 20.5 ASL. That equates to "look out time on both the Farm and the Marsh.) The levies along the ditches on the Farm are getting close to being hittable, and in some areas you will smack them if you don't watch out.

We went to the south end of the Farm and saw a lot of bream, particularly along the south end of the west N/S ditch, but we didn't see much in the way of bass. There is a lot of wood exposed on the south end, but its the wood under the surface that do some real damage. Be careful if you venture down there. Basically south of the E/W ditch the hydrilla is taking over. There are some good areas that are open though and the shad are definitely down there.

We then went to the Marsh side. If you opt to run on the Marsh now don't be surprised when  you are handed a hefty bill for a new lower unit or worse. Heavy wood is just below the surface and there is plenty of wood exposed. Look for top water to become a real adventure on the Marsh soon if we don't get rain.

On either side, keep in mind where you are in the event that you have to run before a storm. Don't get caught in a bad place with a thunder boomer headed your way. It looks like our mini heat wave is just about over, but bear in mind that the sun is really hot and bring plenty of 45+ SPF sun protection. Drink plenty of fluids while out there and catch some big fish. We are looking for customers if you want to get out. Give us a call.

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