Submitted 6/24/2008

The most often statement that I hear as we start our way across the Stick Marsh is, "wow, I thought this was a much smaller lake". As we round the point of the separation levy they get the full impact as all 11 square miles is in view. "Where do we start?" is the next common question. There are times that our trip is set up to learn safe navigation and Sunday was one of the days. I spent the morning on a combo trip of, "where's safe?", and "where's the fish?".

The first thing to point out is that at this time water levels are up and it is relatively safe to run on the Stick Marsh side of this lake. However, caution must be maintained as this side is the land of stumps, brush, and floaters. Also there are routes that are far safer than the rest. On the Stick Marsh side there are areas that historically produce better than others. The northwest corner which still has plenty of stumps and trees is many times is an area that produces 100+ fish days. Twin pines, an area named as such because there was a pair of identical palms, is located more in the middle of the Stick Marsh, and is a dynamic area many times. In the south central area just inside of the divider ditch is another such area, as is the SW area of the Marsh. All of the Marsh is of the same depth and it is all covered with stumps and brush.

As one rounds the point of the center levee and enters Farm 13, what's below the surface of the water changes completely. This side of the lake was at one time a radish field belonging to Fellsmere Farms known as farm #13, hence the name. This is the side with the structure and is crisscrossed with 3 N/S submerged irrigation ditches, and one E/W main feeder ditch. On the east wall there is a irrigation pump station that is still active and provides water for the farm. Water can flow into the Farm from the spillway located in the SE corner. If either the pump house is working or the spillway is flowing, the moving water can produce days of catching that approach disbelief. The south end of the Farm, from midpoint on the west wall, running diagonally to the SE corner has as much if not more wood and brush, than the Stick Marsh. This area needs to be learned if one is going to keep their equipment intact for another days fishing. Again, as with the Marsh side, water levels are up concealing a lot of the wood, however, unlike the Marsh side, the south end is never safe to run.

The next question is "where's the fish?" At this time they are into full summer pattern, which means they are going to found in the deeper water. This doesn't mean that the deeper water is where you will catch them. What this does mean once located they will be caught when they move into the adjacent shallower waters to feed. The trick is to find their holding area and with 11 square miles to cover this can be a daunting task for the fisherman that only gets out here occasionally. However, if you do locate them and then have the patience and persistence needed, the following can be your reward.

Believe me, although it looks quite warm, which it was, when catching a fish like this all the heat disappears.

The guys treated me to a pizza lunch, and promised that the Marsh/Farm was now on their list of lakes to fish more often. Fortunately for me, it was their boat and vehicle that got dirty on our lovely 6.5 mile long hit-a-bump road, so their was no boat cleaning on the schedule for me.

Yesterday, Don Willis and I headed out to, (I hate to say it but!) a secret fishing hole. Total number of other boats on the lake throughout the morning equaled none. Once in a while it's great to just get off to the peace and privacy of such a place. I hadn't been out here since before the hurricanes, and it would be Don's first trip on these waters. Starting a daybreak on this lake of crystal clear water, things were nice and call. Don worked a rattle trap as I worked a Senko, and it immediately became evident that the rattle trap was going to be the winning bait. Of course, Don laid claim to biggest fish this trip but I would rather show a picture of me, in Don's pond yacht as we didn't take his picture for fear of breaking the camera.

As noon approached and the heat level rose we opted  for the cool of air conditioning and headed back to the ramp. Although we only had about 15 bass for the morning, (most of them Don's), it was a morning that we enjoyed greatly.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. Oh! I do have a few openings! Want to go fishing?

 

Submitted 6/20/08

Before the excitement of the chase ensues there is a lot of planning and preparation in hopes of ensuring a successful day on the water. I rise at least two hours before the scheduled rendezvous time in order to get the boat prepped for the days outing. There is fuel to be gotten, drinks to be put on ice, and equipment to be prepared for the much anticipated seeking of our wily adversary.

Once all is ready it is off to the ramp to meet the days clients. Most of them have been preparing for this trip for a considerable period of time, making accommodations, airline reservations, auto reservations, and in general prepping their gear. Their excitement level is difficult to control as they ready for their day on the waters of Stick Marsh/Farm, a lake that is reputed to have some of the finest fishing in the world.

Today I met Troy and Ray Rogers at the ramp at daybreak. This was their second trip to these fabled waters. After a two hour drive from Winter Haven, Florida the guys were ready to wet the lures and bring some bass into the boat. We started the day using three different baits to see what the bass would prefer if anything. Ray worked a popper while Troy worked a frog in hopeful anticipation of a top water bite. I picked up my rod rigged with a Yamamoto Swim Senko on a 4/0 Gammy, and weighted with a 1/4 ounce torpedo. The first fish of the day which came early on showed us the today would be a day that the slow retrieval of the Swim Senko would be the enticement that they preferred.

The hot rod on the boat belonged to Ray with the bar being set by this 5.5 pound lady. During the course of the morning the catch would be repeated again and again giving us a accumulation of 45 bass in the 4 hours spent on the water.

Although Troy worked hard to better his big gal caught on his last trip he never quite got there. The numbers were there, but size avoided his baits throughout the morning. Several of Troy's bass came on a 10" power worm.

Heading in after a very successful trip, I headed home to do the inevitable: clean the boat in preparation for my next trip, answer e-mails, and put together a report of the days occurrences. My life is a series of early rises, the daily challenge of finding our wily prey, and a lengthy follow-up to insure that tomorrow will yield what today's efforts did.

Water temperatures are up as we come into the summer months, and as has been the case in years gone by, the fishing is in a word, fantastic. If you find the bait, the forage, and the bass, the catching will be something that you will rarely experience on any other body of water. This time of the year look for the deeper water directly adjacent to shallow and work slowly. Once you catch one, you probably are on a bunch so slow down and work the area thoroughly. Don't be in a rush to move on as a bit of work and perseverance can send you home at days end with a smile and memories of an experience to be treasured forever.

See you on the water. 

 

Submitted 6/19/08

Summertime in Florida arrived a bit early this year, and is usual for May and June the fishing has been from good to outstanding. There has to bit of a change-up in your approach to the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 from now through Sept./Oct., however if you put things together correctly you can anticipate some pretty good action and the strong possibility of something big.

May was a short month for me as I took a couple of weeks off, spending some of that in South Carolina. No fishing on that trip, as I was attending a RC aircraft fly-in in Woodruff. However, the two weeks I did spend on the lake proved again why Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is considered some of the finest bass producing waters in the world. Marcelo Manastarla,  Mauricio Brignolli, and Rogerio Batagliesi from Sao Paulo, Brazil and Miami came out and what a blast we had. Steady catching was the order of the day with the incredible Gary Yamamoto SwimSenko doing the trick. Nothing much happened on the top although we did give it a try. Although May was a good month, as we rolled into June the catching picked up drastically.

Dave Adams and Dave Williams came out for a day and a half. Over 130 bass were hauled in and released. Rattle traps and Yamamoto SwimSenkos were the ticket with the edge falling to the tried and proven Bill Lewis 1/2 ounce trap. Chrome/blue with orange belly definitely produced better than any other selection. As a matter of fact, last week was an absolute banner week: Monday on Stick Marsh: 1/2 day 41 bass. Tuesday on Godwin: 1/2 day 31 bass. Thursday on Stick Marsh 76 bass. Friday on Stick Marsh: 92 bass. Saturday on Stick marsh: 1/2 day 40 bass. Sunday on Stick Marsh: 21 bass in 2:45 mins.

This Monday Mike Rogge and his son Nick who are here visiting from Wisconsin went out for a 1/2 day trip in the morning. Three things made for a fantastic morning on the water with one minor catastrophe occurring. We started at daylight with rattle traps but switched to Yamamoto SwimSenkos as the sun rose. A search of the area where the bass were last found yielded only one fish, but as we worked our way eastward from there we found the masses. For the rest of the morning the catching was steady with some really nice bass coming over the rail.

Eight year old Nick holding one of the many that our baits produced for the morning.

This guy was a trooper throughout the entire a trip. Another SwimSenko bass.

As the morning wound to an end Mike made a cast and had his bait stopped the moment it hit the water. At first it seemed Mike had found one of the many stumps in this area, and then the stump began to move. Mike had on his second trip with me, finally found the big one and the fight was on. This gallant lady made one partial leap right after the initial hook-up and then headed for the wood. The leap was obscured by splashing water so although Mike knew he had a big fish on, he didn't truly realize her size. As the fight went on and this fish led Mike around the boat it became obvious that Mike just might have that fish that peaked the magical over-ten weight and the adrenaline kicked in full force. As she approached the side of the boat Mike lifted, she leapt, and off she went. As she broke free, Mike stood there in utter amazement, watching his much sought after lady disappear back to the murky depths. I have seen a weighed a lot of fish, and although I didn't get the Boga Grip on her, I can tell you with complete confidence that this gal was 10.5 pounds or better.

What happened to Mike is typical rather than atypical of first encounters with bigger bass. Handling them in the heavy wood takes an extreme balance of controlling the fish without overpowering it. As the fish neared the boat she was still very much green and made a power surge under the boat. With almost all his line reeled in this put tremendous pressure on the location of the hook making the hole much larger. As Mike attempted to lift her, her leap allowed the hook to simple fall out of the enlarged hole, and off she went. To counter this pressured run I always am ready to release the spool and let her run, using my thumb to maintain a non-severe drag until I get control of the fish again. This prevents that hole enlargement and increases the odds of bringing the fish to camera and scale.

We are entering our rainy season, and with some luck this year bringing us more water than the last couple of years, we should see moving water conditions. Anyone that has fished this lake under those conditions knows just how phenomenal the catching can be. However, even if we don't get the usual heavy rains, fishing should remain very good as the bass move into their summer areas. Look for structure that forms a deeper water situation next to shallow and you should find the fish. With three major N/S ditches on the Farm and one major E/W ditch this can be a daunting task. Good bow electronics are needed and some patient exploring, but the benefits of finding one of our schools of bass make the task well worth while.

See you out there.