AUGUST 2005

Submitted 8/22/05

Going back in time: Scott had out Don Mirth from Melbourne, his son and grandson John. Opting for 8-dozen shiners they departed early AM with great anticipation of a fantastic Stick Marsh day and they certainly weren't disappointed. Bass were found to be in current and outside of the current with the better fish coming outside the current. Free-lined shiners worked in the current and shiners on float out of the current.

John Mirth with a 6.5-pound bass and lots of smiles. Shiners were gone by 12:30.

The balance of the month since the 10th we have hit the Marsh several times with mixed results. One day they would be hitting and the next day it would be, "where did they go?". When we did find them it was along the ditches of the Farm and in the wood on the NW area of the Marsh. We could get a sporadic bite if we traveled from visible wood to visible wood on the Marsh. which if you were spending a full day out there might be something to try. Also on the south end of the Farm we found them next to visible wood. The bait most successful for this pointed type fishing was the Senko fished weightless.

The heat has been playing a major factor in the bite as well as time of day. Afternoon bite has been pretty good as you can see from other reports.

As we start into the fall the heat will lessen and things will be back to normal. It has been hotter than usual this year so if you are going out there be prepared. Lots of water, plenty of sunscreen, and cool clothing are all required if you are going to cope with the heat.

In between we have been doing a bit of the salt and have had good success on the Indian River. Multiple species have been the order each time out there, with a mix of Reds, Jacks, Ladyfish, Sharks and Tarpon. Scott got jumped by what appeared to be a 50-pound Tarpon the day before yesterday, but 8-pound line and Tarpon don't mix well, with the Tarpon winning with a quick snap of the line.

See you out there.

Submitted 8/10/2005

Except for the last couple of days the fishing has been pretty good for us. However, most of those days the live bait has outperformed the artificial baits, and the key has been moving water. With this statement, bear in mind that our idea of an outstanding bite might be quite different than others based on the norm for this lake.

Best bait selections: Live bait in current - Carolina Rigs worked adjacent to structure on the Farm - Rattle traps worked adjacent to structure on the Farm - (a major key has been the many floaters that are all over the Farm for individual fish) - weightless T-rigged plastics and rattle traps in the wood on the Stick Marsh.

The pumping station has been running almost daily, but the current has not been strong and the fish have not been piling up there as they usually do. This area normally produces well when running with the bait of choice being the Carolina rig.

Current throughout the lake has been limited which is due to the high water levels. Water north in the rest of the St Johns tributaries is high so moving water northward has been difficult, which in turn backs it up here at the Marsh. What this has done is caused the current at the spillway in the Farm and any other current producers to act quite differently from the past. Adjustments have been needed to compensate and those that made the adjustments have fared quite nicely.

As you have probably noted, those that have adjusted to the Farm conditions and put in the effort have had some pretty decent fishing. Those that are fishing the Farm based on years past are having a tough time of it. The areas that are key are the old irrigation ditches, (boat trails), and moving until you find the fish is going to be the producer. The bass are constantly on the move as they forage for shad so each day is a new adventure. 

The last couple of days out there finding the fish in an eating mood has been difficult and entirely dependant on time of day. I can tell you that early AM has not been that time as Scott and Don on Monday AM had a whopping 4 fish after 4-hours of fishing. Yesterday Scott and I hit some of the other areas and had 1 fish in 3 hours.

The previous two days in the same time span we saw catches of 10-15 for the same three hour span. This included a soft jerk bait bite that was happening on the Marsh side.

As the cooler weather is being pushed southward we are seeing some real nasty afternoon thunderstorms. Hail has been common with the colder air aloft and winds have been running in the 60-70 MPH range within these storms. Be very much aware of the strength of these storms and get off before you become a statistic. Lightening and even tornadoes are a common factor in these storms.

With the cooler air drifting southward things will change quickly on the lake. With the accompanying water temperature drops we should start seeing that fall top water bite. Also, as we move into the fall the bass will start preparing for the ensuing spawn season. This translates into increase bite periods and the larger bass being on the move.

If I may say a few words about our sun here in the sunny south and how it affects you and your time on the water: In a good deal of our reports and others that post here we are constantly admonishing caution and urging the use of a good SPF sun protection. One of the areas of the body missed in our use of protection however is the lips. After a few weeks of trips to the doctor and a rather large lip cancer being removed from my face, I want to tell you it is not some trivial matter. The only good protection is cover-up and the only good and complete cover-up for your lip is Zinc Oxide. If you don't wish to face the worry of cancer in the future protect yourself. It takes very little of sun exposure to cause the damage to the tissue that encourages lip cancer. Fishermen lead the list of candidates so be advised.

See you out there.