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OCTOBER 2004
Submitted by Scott: 10/25/04
Today I spent the day with Kevin Conley and his friend Dan from Dover, OH. This was Kevin’s second trip with me and what a day it was. We started the day out with 7 Dozen shiners fishing them free lined in the spillway. The bass started hitting right away and continued until 11:00am when we ran out of shiners. This was Kevin’s second time fishing shiners and Dan’s first. The guys did a great job landing 59 bass between 2 and 4lbs. After the shiners were gone we headed into the Farm to try some rattletraps and Carolina rigged Senkos. Our first stop was at the east/west ditch where we anchored the boat and caught a few bass right away. Two guys where there before us and said they caught a lot of bass but nothing big. After a short while and only a couple of small bass we decided to head to the South end of the farm to try some rattletraps. We spent about an hour and with only one bass I decided to head back to the East/West ditch to see if some bigger fish moved in. We anchored up and began catch bass right away. While we never did get the big one another 59 bass made there way into the boat on Carolina rigged Senko’s and rattletraps. At 3:00pm we headed back to the ramp with a total of 118 bass and sore thumbs. A great day was had by all, and this was the best bass fishing either Kevin or Dan has ever had.
Submitted by Scott: 10/23/04
Yesterday 10/22/2003 I spent the day with long time client Frank Delucas and his friend Frank for what would turn out to be a fantastic day of fishing. I meet Frank at the ramp at 6:30am and after loading the boat we headed for the spillway. There is no current at the spillway right now, but there are plenty of bass to be caught there. With the weather man calling for strong north winds we opted to use shiners. I anchored the boat off the point of the spillway and we tossed out our shiners. I rigged 3 rods with free lined shiners and 1 rod with a balloon. I hooked a couple of the shiners behind the dorsal fin and a couple through the lips. I try to mix it up until I figure out what the bass want. It took only a few minutes for the first bass to hit and a nice 5lbs bass came into the boat. The action was fast and furious until 11:00am when we ran through 10 dozen shiners. The bass averaged between 2 and 7 pounds today. It did not matter if the shiners were hood through the lips or behind the dorsal fin the only difference we found was that the shiners had to be free lined. The point was definitely the hot spot in the spillway today for shiners.
After the shiners were all gone we decide to see if we could go find some bass willing to eat our rattletraps. We headed to the south end of the Farm where we have had great success with the rattletraps. After 45 minutes one rain shower and only one bass to show for our efforts I decide to make a move. We headed to the pump house where we have been catching fish on Carolina rigged Senkos and rattletraps. There were already three boats anchored up and from what I could see there were bass being caught. The bass have been schooled at the pump, but the majority of the fish have been concentrated in one area. If you are able to anchor up and target those fish you will catch a bunch. I was not able to do so today so it was the difference between catching fish and watching fish be caught. We did manage one more bass at the pump, but with the wind blowing strong Frank decided it was time to call it a day at 1:45pm. All totaled 76 bass made there way into the boat today with the largest bass weighing a solid 7 pounds.
I talked today with my client from the previous day Bo White to see how they made out. They did not get to the lake until late morning and started fishing in the south end of the Farm. They drifted around picking up a few bass on shiners. They decided to move to the spillway and anchored off the point. They action was immediate and they wore them out. They then moved to the shore line to cast up inside the spillway. Both spots provided them with non stop action and by the end of the day they boated 75 bass.
Scott
Submitted by George: 10/21/04
Wednesday Scott had out Gary Weiss from Denver, Colorado and his friend for a 1/2 day AM trip. Avoiding the spillway area because of a late start they headed out into Farm 13. Between rattle traps and Senkos they managed to land over 30 bass for their efforts. Chrome/blue rattletraps and dark Senkos were the winning baits.
Today Scott had out regular Bo White from Gracey, Kentucky and a couple of his workers. Starting in the spillway areas with shiners didn't do the trick so they moved off to the pump house and then the south end of the Farm. After some mediocre results they moved back to the spillway and it was as if someone threw the switch. Shiners, Carolina rigged Senkos, and rattletraps produced well. By days end they had bid a fond adieu and thank you to 10-dozen shiners.
I had a 1/2 day morning trip with Travis Morgan and Jason Carpenter from
Hurricane, West Virginia. We also started in the spillway and although we did
find some action it didn't whet our appetite so we headed out rather early for
the southern reaches of the Farm.
10 AM came and we were out of 4-dozen shiners so for the last hour we bombarded
them with rattletraps. Although we caught them with the traps it wasn't the hot
furious bite that we had just two days ago. However it was more than enough to
keep everyone happy. Average size was down a bit but bigger they said than
average at home.
Upon returning to the ramp I talked with St John's personnel and they said that the dock would be repaired in two weeks. At this point they have removed the part laying in the water so both ramps are now clear of debris. See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
Days open in October: 23rd, 24th, 28th, and 31st. Give us a call. It's not too late.
Submitted by: Scott Welcome
10/19/04
Recovery from Hurricane Charles, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan will be a sometimes slow and agonizing process, but its effects on the fishing in Florida will be minor and will in fact improve the fishing for most of the state. The turn-around from a slowdown on the Marsh due to high water, floating debris, and dirty water is almost complete and the fishing in most of the lake can only be described as fantastic.
Over the last two days the fishing has changed very little, with the majority of the fish being caught in and around current, and on the south end of Farm13. The best baits have been Carolina rigged Senkos, rattletraps, crank bait’s, Long A’s and live bait. The water is clearing up and the bass are as healthy as ever. Shad and shiners are there in abundance and the bass are having a field day feasting on the bait. Water levels are still very high so other than the occasional floater, running around the lake presents no problems.
On 10/18/2004 I had Craig Alexander from Midlothian, Virginia out for a day of sun and what would prove to be excellent fishing. Craig is no stranger to the lake as he has spent many days on the lake in the winters, however this experience would be his best ever as we spent the entire day in the spillway catching fish all day long. The majority of the fish were caught on Carolina rigged Senkos in dark colors. At 11:00am St. John's Water Management personnel came down and lowered the spillway to 2 feet, which of course cause the current to slow down, but the fishing actually improved with less current. The best baits in the afternoon where crank baits and Long A’s. We headed back to the ramp at 3:00pm after catching over 175 bass.
On 10/19/2004 I spent the day fishing with David Kuncl from Lincoln, Nebraska and his friend Mary Ebert. We headed to the spillway and tied off on the pole. While David and Mary were busy catching bass on Carolina rigged Senkos I set out a couple of rods with shiners that we had. After a little practice David and Mary got the hang of fishing with live bait and began catching with Mary do most of the catching. The bite on the live bait started a little slow so David switched back to Senkos and caught bass immediately. Early in the morning they decided to shut the spillway completely but the bass continued to bite. We had more live bait in the live well so I moved the boat up closer to the spillway. The catching was strong and steady until we left at 3:00pm with countless bass making there way into the boat. We never did catch the big bass today but with the bass averaging 2 to 4 pounds they had a great time.
Submitted 10/19/04 by George: I got a call from Steve P. who offered to take me out as my boat sits waiting for a new power head. First light found us in the spillway working C-rigs, crank baits, and rattle traps. We stayed until the gate was lowered and caught bass on most casts.
When the gate was lowered we headed out into the Farm. After a very short time of looking we discovered a school that was active. We anchored, we cast, and we caught on just about every cast. Today Steve was keeping track of the bass and by days end, (1:30) Steve announced that we had just broke 190 bass to the boat. We headed back to the ramp with tired arms, shoulders and wrists after another great day on the unbeatable and famous Stick Marsh/Farm 13.
We have a couple of days open in October so give us a shout. See you on the water.
Submitted by Scott: Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Today I had the pleasure of spending the day with Barry Panfil of Orland Park Illinois. Leaving the ramp just before daylight, we started the day fishing the current in the spillway with Carolina rigged Senkos. With only a few casts we found the right sweep in the current and the bite started. As has been the case, plenty of bass wanted to play and the bite continued until the time we left at 12:15pm. The bass started out a little on the small size but as the morning progressed the average size increased. By 12:15 we boated 105 bass with the largest around 4.5 pounds.
Barry wanted to see more of the lake so we headed to the south end of Farm 13 to throw rattletraps. We have had an area that has been producing well with rattletraps, but over the last couple of days the north winds have muddied the water quite a bit. We worked from the east ditch back to the mouth of the spillway and only had a couple of fish to show for our efforts. We did manage a few more bass on Carolina rigged Senkos but by 2:30 and 109 bass we decided to call it a day. The weather was perfect and with the first cold front of the season moving out the fishing should only improve. It's amazing how spoiled we are on this lake. With 109 bass caught we are looking for an improvement.
Yesterday we went out for a couple of hours. If all we got to see was this beautiful sunrise it would have been worth our time.
However, in the short time we were out there we caught over 30 bass! See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. For the chance to see beautiful scenes like above and to participate in this banner period of fishing, give us a call.
The final day for Robert Magee and Clive was a winner - Their words, "These were the two best days they have ever had fishing, including trips to Mexico".
Crystal clear skies were the order for the day, and bass catching was scheduled
for all.
The Stick Marsh is famous for these kinds of days and if the conditions are right, which many times they are, you can have just such a day. We started out in the spillway on the Farm this AM and by 9:30, only two hours into the day, we went over the 100 fish count. Bass were caught on almost every cast with Carolina rigs in the current. Rattletraps accounted for a few up inside, but the staple was definitely C-rigs. There were plenty of boats working the current, with us on the point, Scott and Don anchored off the point and part way to the post. Steve P. filled the position at the post and there were two boats on the west side. One boat hovered near the sign and a couple of others worked outside on the tail of the current. Everyone was hauling in the fish, and laughter was heard everywhere. About 12 noon the gate got lowered a foot and people starting heading out.
We headed out to the area we fished yesterday and proceeded to repeat yesterday's catch with rattletraps. On sight were Don and Scott, Jim Porter and his wife, Bruce Woodward's brother and his friend and us. Every boat was busy hauling in bass that were more than glad to play. I have no clue where the numbers ended up, but I do know that you could hear the grunts as muscles strained to keep up with the cranking and the hauling. Repetitive casts and caught bass were causing the arms and wrists to wear out but no one was quitting.
Right now it's find the clean water or current and you will find bass. Rattletraps seemed best out of the spillway area just as they did the day before.
See you on the water! We have a few days open in October and November. December is filling quickly so give a call to ensure the days you want.
| Submitted by
George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 10/14/04 Time is flying by with all the things going on down here and time is flying during the day out on the Marsh. Tuesday morning there was the most gorgeous sunrise but I couldn't get a picture because it was raining so hard. However the weather mattered not throughout the day as the bass were up and really anxious to play. Carolina rigged Senkos accounted for the majority of the bass that were caught although the chug bug did catch a fair share. The location was current at the spillway; number of fishermen three; number of bass that actually made it over the rail to be released; THREE HUNDRED & FIVE (305)! big bass of the day was just short of 6-pounds; time fished was 7:30 until 2:30. As stated, the weather was wet in the early AM, and continued as such until about 1:30. Unfortunately, St John's water management people came and shut the gate at 2:15 which stopped the bite as if a switch had been thrown. Last year at the end of October Robert Magee and his friend fished two days with us. The first day was okay but not fantastic, and the second day they opted for shiners in the spillway and caught over one hundred bass. Yesterday we departed the ramp at 7:15 for the first day of this years trip. First stop: we immediately went to the spillway to see if just maybe it had been reopened but no such luck. We spend about an hour and a half there but only caught six small bass. We tried everything in there but without the current the bass just did not want to play. We went from there to the pump house but this also wasn't running. The other day when Scott and I were checking things out we noted that the SW area of the Farm had cleaner water than the rest of the lake so off we went. Drifting from the west wall to the first N/S ditch didn't pay with anything but one hit. I moved over to the Pin Ball Alley area and after several hundred yards of drift it was time to move again and as we did the magic that happens here so often happened for us. Shad busts were all around us! I did drift one and Robert hits a good 5+ pound bass with a Chug Bug. I hit another about the same with a Senko. Drift two we adjusted and it proved fruitless. Drift three and they are busting near but not quite close enough. I moved the boat to the area they were busting and dropped anchor. Rattletrap, Chug Bug, and Senko hit the water and it's an immediate score with the rattletrap. Three rattletraps on and the catching became phenomenal. By 3:00 PM quitting time we hit the number of fish caught the day before in the spillway. With a fish on every cast 3 fishermen caught 300 plus bass with the majority in the 3 pound and plus range. Robert and Cleve are coming out again today and it should be a repeat performance. Give us a shout and book a trip. We will do out best to get you on some of the famous magic this place has. See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. |
As I said in previous reports the water has only to clear up a bit and the fishing will be fantastic. Below is pictures of a few of the 130 bass that we caught today between 7:30 AM and noon. The catch that we had was a fraction of the total that we saw caught as a couple fishing from the shore hauled in bass after bass, and two fellows in their boat just off the point in the spillway area were also cleaning up.
Rattle traps, soft jerk baits, walking baits, crank baits, and Carolina rigs were hit on every cast. It's fantastic to be able to fish such a great fishery that not only produces lots of bass, but plenty of good size ones also. Give us a call and we will try to show you just how a great a fishery it is and just how to catch these giant bass in this playpen of ours.
See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
Last October the cool weather was encroaching our area and we were working areas of ever-increasing mats of hydrilla. The big bite at the beginning of the month was a soft jerk bait bite in the SW area of the Farm. The spillway area was producing well with shiners.
This year we are looking for the water to clean up after hurricane Jeanne without the cool weather. With lots of water flow it won't take long. I am expecting one of the best Octobers yet on the Marsh/Farm. As the water clears the areas of water movement, (current), will be major sources of both quality and quantity.
Other areas that should produce well will be the old irrigation ditches
adjacent edges on the Farm side, as the ditches will be carrying current and
particularly the intersections of those ditches. Both ends of the center ditch,
(Ditch 7), will be having good flow, and Carolina rigs thrown into the ditch and
brought up the inclines should produce. Of course the entrance cut into the
Marsh should have fish.
Some current scenes of the Marsh:
Dock at ramp area
Bathrooms sans the roof
Front Pavillion - note the water level has the tree line under water
Spillway barrel on the SW levee of the Farm
Typical of the west levee on the Farm - Lots of work for the St John's people to
repair, but still intact
See you out there. Say hi if you get the chance.
| Submitted by
George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 10/1/04 Date fished: 9/30/2004 Water clarity: 3 inches Today was Stick Marsh all the way and fisherman zero. There is water running at all points with the exit gate at the C54 in overflow condition. Water level is just short of 25 feet and the water is chocolate. Twin Palms: no trees left standing NW area of Marsh: Pandora's Box is down to only a few trees left West levee took quite a hit and St John's has their work cut out for them in repairing it. Fisherman's shack: gone! Pump house area: building damaged but pumps running Spillway area: very dirt with lots of floating vegetation. Spillway structure has minor damage. Dock at ramp: Dock is broken with a large section blocking the south ramp. North ramp is good. Good ramp etiquette will be appreciated by all until they get to clean that up. Bryan and Sharon Patton spent the day fishing and stayed in good spirits even though the fish didn't bite and the heat was on. Today was extremely warm with little to no breeze. This was not a case of missed bites today but rather one of not even one bite. They started at 7:30 and fished until 3:00. There was nobody at the lake today other than us. On a good note we noted no dead fish other than some small blue gills at the front pipes. Several of our gators didn't make it through Jeanne as we noted about 4-5 floating. As the water clears the fishing should get fantastic. Water levels need to come down but this will take time as there is no where to send it. Upper areas of the St Johns are either at flood or beyond flood stages. See you on the water: |
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