TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Early Morning Bite On Full Tilt

Courtesy photo

A typical three-bass stringer for the late summer: Totaling 8¾ pounds, it may just put you in the money.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dave Douglass

Published: November 19, 2007

Since the cold front came through our area on Thursday night and the temperatures have slightly returned to normal for this time of year, the regular migration bite caused by the lunar cycle is triggering when it should –– starting at 3 a.m., peaking at 5 a.m., and ending at 7 a.m.

Each day, this early morning migration starts a half hour later.

This means the early morning bite is on full tilt. Bass will be striking anything that moves into their vicinity. The next positive to add to the equation is the fact that bass start spawning soon, and are pre-spawn feeding in preparation for the four- to six-week event.

There is a minor bite session in the late afternoons, but you really have to be exactly where they are. And by that, I mean you have to hit them on the head softly.

A falling plastic bait they haven't seen –– preferrably small in size –– will cause them to suck it in, in order to crush it before blowing it out.

Lately I've been using a variety of blue colors mixed in with silver, white, black, and gold, changing them as the day progresses. Seems the brightest blues work very well in the very early morning. By mid-morning, the two-tone blue, at noon the black and blue, and middle afternoon to late afternoon, blue and white, gold, or silver. It's also a good idea to add a glass rattle, or something which the bass haven't seen if you're in a lake with heavy pressure.

Remember though, the cold front being only two days ago might cause the migration to occur slightly later –– weather conditions always trump lunar/solar cycles. This usually prolongs the natural events anywhere from an hour to two hours, but the event must take place, so hang in there and don't quit too early.

Fishing Facts

In heavily fished lakes, bass become accustomed to similar actions, as well as being hooked several times a week, so to cause a reactionary strike you need to be creative and individualistic. This entaisl adding creative designs to your worm, creature plastics, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits. The odd occurrences of strange rattling, foreign actions, and never-before-seen alien creatures will surely provoke the "Queen of Bad" to lash out in attempts to exterminate intruders.

What works on one day, however, might not work on the next, so try alterations to your favorite successful bait. Maybe just a change in the crawdads claw color from light green to bright orange will do the trick, so try different-colored dyes.

Fishing Report

Ok, the report has plenty of good news this week. Many anglers have reported hooking into decent sized fish –– crappies and bass –– in deeper water lakes in six- to 15-feet depths. The crappie are just starting to move into the usual areas, enough to keep anglers on the lake a few hours longer than in recent weeks. Bass have been caught roaming the shorelines and moving into cover type areas in attempts to feed –– a signal that the pre-spawn feed is happening.

Tournaments

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event: Nov. 21 on Lake June, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp – entry fee $30 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home), 863-446-1310 (cell) or e-mail bassbutchie60@aol.com. You can also reach Dwight Ameling at 863-471-3305.

Dave Douglass is a Bass fishing guide and teacher, Bass tournament fisherman and also an officer of S.O.S.-Florida Lakes, Inc. You can reach him at (863) 381-8474, e-mail davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org or visit the Web sites reds-bass-fishing-guides.com and sos-floridalakes.org/.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT