Submitted 10/31/06 George

Can you believe that the end of October is already here? Tonight the goblins will howl, Ichabod will wander about Sleep Hollow, and the Mad Pumpkin will lead the Peanuts gang on a frightfully fun evening as they venture forth for Trick or Treat.

I, on the other hand will be preparing for tomorrow's trip to the Stick Marsh. Cleaning the boat, re-spooling reels, getting fuel, and checking oil levels are all part of this fantastic job that I have.

Recapping the fishing forays for the month of October, I am reminded of some great trips on both the Marsh and Blue Cypress Lake. The fishing was up and down, with down being the predominate feature, but the friendships developed and the camaraderie were absolutely fantastic. The month started really slow and certainly like no October that I can remember. Heat levels were sustained in the low to mid-nineties. Water temperatures stayed in the mid to upper eighties and for most of the month the bass were difficult to find or provoke into biting a lure. Those that reported using shiners fared poorly as the bass rejected even this, their favorite candy.

As we neared the end of the month things started to change. A cold front came sweeping in and water temperatures starting dropping. Immediately following the first day of the front bass were found to be moving southward toward areas of previous spawns. While traveling the old irrigation ditches, more and more bass were being noted on the graph, and fish that were being caught were getting bigger. The end of the month saw a definite increase in size. Numbers were still off, but size is on the increase.

Moving into November will bring forth an increase in both numbers and quality. Typically November is an outstanding month for us as the bass start increasing food intake and the females start egging up. You can expect to see activity in the bedding areas as the males start cleaning house in preparation for the upcoming spawns. You can expect to find the females outside with the occasional gal touring the spawning grounds.

Get out the rattle traps, spinner baits, plastics, and Long A's. Magic time is coming and the bass are going to be out in force.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. I am ready to take your booking and will help you in any way that I can.
 

Submitted 10/19/06: George

I am going to make this short and sweet. I know I have been remiss on the report duty, but as has been said by many: things have been up and down. One day you find some and the next you spend hunting. However, the change I do believe is here.  
 
Left the ramp at 7:30 and we fished until 2:30. Tried several different baits, but the 1/2 ounce rattle trap, chrome/blue with orange belly, proved to be the winner by 100%.
 
In the boat came 26 bass with the biggest weighing 4 pounds. Missed hits or slipped fish were easily 1/2 as many.  
 
The turn is here!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted 10/9/06: George

The business of taking people out fishing has its upsides and its downsides. The downsides are few: it can rain, the wind can howl, and the temperatures can reach extremes of opposite spectrums. The upsides are many as each and every client is unique in personality and fishing experience. I cannot remember one instance of a bad day on the water because of a clients temperament or fishing ability. The reality is that most trips stand out as being one of great fishing and fantastic camaraderie.

Near the end of September, the 26th to be exact, I had the opportunity to take out Aaron Lewis for some recreational fishing on Blue Cypress. For those that don't recognize the name, Aaron is the lead singer for the band Staind. This young fellow is one avid fisherman. With a tour schedule that is loaded with heavy travel and long days, Aaron still finds time to fulfill one of his passions: The chasing of finny creatures. One compartment on his bus is loaded with his gear always at the ready for one of his forays. Although the fishing was a bit slow on our day together we caught some, talked about many things, and in general had a great time on the water. I thought my schedule of early morning rises, long days, and nighttime activities on the internet were long, but it doesn't hold a candle to schedule this band follows. 

Fishing both Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and Blue Cypress has been filling our mornings and we have watched a steady progression of success over the last couple of weeks. On Blue Cypress the fishing location hasn't changed. The grass is holding the fish but it takes patience and persistence to dig them out. Saturday for example, with three souls on the boat we managed to nail down 20 bass with a couple of nice fish as kickers. For a 1/2 day of fishing that's not too shabby.

The grass, (Kissimmee or knot grass), stretches most of the western shore.

Senkos placed well into the grass and using a slow jerky retrieve produce.

The isolated small patches can be very productive, so they are a must hit location.

Sometimes Don gets lucky and manages a fish or two.

On the Marsh we have seen some major improvements, and have found fish both on the Marsh side, and the the Farm side. The bait of choice on the lake until yesterday has been Senkos, with any dark color doing the producing. On a half day trip on the 5th we never left the Marsh side, opting to work the timber and brush that this side is loaded with. What started out as a calm and fishy day switched to wind whipping the lake into white caps and we watched the bite drop off instantly.

Yesterday, Don and I started of the Marsh covering quite a bit of area for the short time we were out there. Not finding the bite we wanted we headed south to the Farm. Working the venerable rattle trap proved to be the ticket for the 9-bass that we had by 11:00. No monsters, but there were a couple that hit the 4-5 pound range.

Cooler weather is on its way south and with its arrival you can expect to see a rapid change on these lakes as the fish start coming out of their hiding holes to feed. The gals will be concentrating on feeding up for the upcoming spawning seasons, and the males will be cruising their selected bedding areas looking for just the right spot. As we move further into this month the congregations of bass will get bigger and the action a lot hotter.

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