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Highlands Today

Fishing As Good As It Gets

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Dave holds a 5.7-pound bass he pulled out of the Istokpoga Hydrilla.

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Dave Douglass

Published: February 10, 2008

From today until Tuesday night, fishing and angling is about as good as it gets.

If I had to pick a day and time to spend my angling money wisely, it is going to be Tuesday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. If the weather is changing — barometric drop and calming wind — I'm staying out until sundown.

The major daytime feeding migration starts about mid-morning and builds in intensity and duration throughout the entire day. Factor in an approaching weather front for Wednesday and that spells "s-u-c-c-e-s-s." The additional good news is the morning bite is still excellent from the effects of the new moon and the nighttime rains the day after.

The only people who won't catch fish between now and Wednesday is the people not on the lake.

Istokpoga News

South Florida Water Management (SFWM) hasn't needed to use the temporary deviation which was approved on Jan. 11. If there had been no rainfall over the last month, SFWM had the authority to release water to the level of 37.5 feet above sea level (ASL) — today's low level schedule according to the deviation approval.

As of Friday, the lake was at 38 feet, four inches ASL, which is almost a foot of lake depth above the worst-case scenario expected when the deviation request was submitted to the Army Corp back in Oct. 2007.

If the timely rain continues as it has, water won't be released for another four or five weeks when the seasonal regular schedule kicks in — 37.5 feet ASL is the normal low level starting May 1, so water would be released to meet that low mark on time.

Now, that mark is used only if rain is falling on the farmers during that same time of release. But if there's no rain falling at that time on the farmers, because the pumps from Okeechobee are dry the regular schedule is dropped to 37 feet ASL, as a last resort if the drought continues SFWM is allowed to use their approved deviation schedule of 36' ASL.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is still forming a Hydrilla management plan for four, thick, topped-out areas all in the south end of the lake. If their final analysis is anywhere near their preliminary analysis, three or four separate areas totaling 1,500 acres will be treated by two helicopters spraying Aquathol Super K at two parts per million.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission (FFWC) will be on Lake Istokpoga this week treating areas — Henderson's Cove and The North Shore — by private contractor (All American Aquatics). The airboat applications are for Primrose, Cattail, Burhead Sedge, Spatterdock, and Pickerelweed — control totaling 50 acres.

Last week, the airboat contractor treated 90 acres, which included Henderson's Point, East Shore, Bumblebee Island, and String Islands (a.k.a. Reed Island, Long Island).

Highlands County Zoning Board will be addressing the "Royce Rezoning Request" for 9.99 acres of agricultural Lake Istokpoga lake front property on the northern section of the West Wall and Henderson's Point to be rezoned to residential. The plan is to develop the area into 14 residential plots and build homes in what is now a "Cypress Prairie" and one of the last natural lake habitats left on the lake. If you are interested in voicing your opinion on this, the meeting is at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb.12 at 600 S. Commerce Street in Sebring.

Tournament News

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event is Feb. 13 on Crooked Lake from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Pay at ramp — entry fee is $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 contact Dwight Ameling at 863-471-3305.

Dave Douglass is a bass fishing guide and teacher, bass tournament fisherman and an officer of SOS-Florida Lakes, Inc. You can reach him at 863-381-8474, e-mail davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org or visit reds-bass-fishing-guides.com and sos-floridalakes.org.

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