Highlands Today
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Success Depends On Water Current
Contributed photo
Here's a six-pound bass Dave caught on top water with Buzzbait.
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Published: August 17, 2008
Today, the peak daily feeding migration is influenced by the effects of the full moon, which occurred Saturday at 9:16 p.m. and happens between 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
For anglers to take advantage of this lunar event, they'll have to overcome the extremely high water temperatures and very mild wind, both of which cause lower oxygen levels.
There is a very early morning bite starting today between 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. If there was no rain last night on the lake you intend to fish today, there should be some good action along the usual migration routes leading to the deeper vegetative areas.
The late afternoon bite is very poor at best, but as always, if the weather conditions include a fast dropping barometer, there is always a very good chance of hooking into a rouge female bass migrating into her usual feeding areas for a late afternoon snack.
Fishing Formula
The formula for angler success during the Florida summertime depends totally on knowledge of water current within the lake, combined with healthy deep vegetation, factored with the current wind speed and direction.
My advice is to try the areas of the lake where wave action is greatest - providing the waves are not heavy of course. In these areas the possibilities of nature bring all the right ingredients together for fish to thrive in, are very good.
Fishing Facts
Waves can bring fish to their regular migration route area or it can force them out, it all depends on the time of year and the severity of the wave action affect on the area.
To determine how much of the water column is being affected by the waves, roughly calculate the distance between wave crests, divide by two, and the result is approximately how deep the current waves are mixing the water column.
Now factor in the lake-bottom structure in that area and how it relates to the depth and you should be on your way to locating fish. Keep in mind though, that if the waves are heavy (16 inches or greater in height and two to three feet apart) only the strongest fish will be moving throughout the turbulence below and the smaller bait fish will be just below this action in the unaffected section of the water column.
Fishing Flash
Lake Istokpoga's level is at 38 feet, 5 inches above sea level and rising since the S-68 Spillway gates have been closed for the last three days. With the rainy season past half way the seasonal water level management schedule is designed to start water storage, thus the "high pool" level gradually increases over the next two months to the maximum yearly high of 39.5 feet above sea level.
With the current tropical depression forming to our south and projected to arrive here sometime this week if tracking models are correct, we just might experience a great deal of rain without the high winds and the damage that goes with it. This would be great for Lake Istokpoga; lots of rain, mild wind and waves, maximum depth.
Hopefully we'll have lots of rain throughout our state; it would be the start of real recovery, but nowhere near the amount of rain needed to even reach half the recovery needed to return to normal.
The fact is, we'd have to have at least three of four massive tropical depressions stall over Florida before anglers can celebrate.
Fishing Feature
A bass angler arrives at his prime fishing hole and sets his trolling motor into the water without making a noise and pitches into open water, above the lake bottom structure below. The structure happens to be a sharp three-foot drop, which extends along a bar that ends at the deepest section of that part of the lake.
The first bait offering of the day is designed to determine if the peak feeding migration is already in progress. When the buzz-bait hits the surface a blistering fast retrieve brings it back to the boat in 20 seconds, leaving behind a wake and lots of surface bubbles.
The second attempt is a long cast over the same route using the same speed retrieve but this time a hesitation and popping action is used at the half way mark, however nothing strikes.
The third attempt is a long cast over the same route again, but this time using the slowest retrieve possible but still keeping the buzz-bait barely on the surface - only the wake of the bait was visible. At the halfway area - where the pause was used on the previous cast - a swirl and a "smack" of a large six-pound bass tail occurs as the bait is dragged under.
A quick upward snap of the rod sets the hook perfectly and the one minute battle is on. Four hard surges of a rod-bending thrash gives the impression that the fish is much larger than she really is. At the end, she gives up and is lipped onto the deck of the boat exhausted.
As the angler takes a quick picture and releases her safely back to her domain, he thinks to himself, "There are always fish here, it's up to me to get in tune with their program and offer them what they want."
Fishing Tournaments
The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next event is Aug. 20 on Lake Josephine. Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp - entry fee $30.00 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at (863)385-8007 Home, Cell (863) 446-1310 bassbutchie60@aol.com or Dwight Ameling at (863)471-3305.
The following two-day bass tournaments both started Saturday and finish today on Lake Istokpoga, launching at opposite ends of the lake. The weigh-in events are at different times. The Lakeland Bassmasters weighs in at 3 p.m. and HT3 is from 2:30-4 p.m. (Most anglers weigh-in closer to 4 p.m.).
The Lakeland Bassmasters Istokpoga Two Day Tournament, which is the largest federated Bass club in the world, will be launching today, Aug. 17, from Istokpoga Park, route 98, Lorida. Weigh-In is at 2:00 p.m. For more information visit their website at www.lakelandbassmasters.org
HT3 Sunwest Xecutive Tour Two Day Event's second day is today on Lake Istokpoga launching out of Istokpoga Marina in Lake Placid, located on the southwest end of the lake. Weigh-In is from 2:30 - 4:00 PM. For more information contact tournament director Pat Malone at 352 735 502. Visit online at HT3OUTDOORS.com
Dave Douglass is a bass-fishing guide and bass tournament angler and CEO of S.O.S.-Florida Lakes, Inc. He can be reached at 863-381-8474, or e-mail him at davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org.
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