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FISHING: Save Your 'Hot Spots" For Afternoon

Contributed photo/Highlands Today

This six-pound suspended pre-spawn bass was caught on small swimbait in open water.

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Dave Douglass

Published: February 19, 2008

The forecast looks very good for the next four days, with the full moon happening on Thursday morning at 3:30 am, a Lunar Eclipse occurring just four to five hours before that, and the weather warming up slightly with light winds shifting from east to south at five to 10 mph.

The major daily feeding migration is late into the night, meaning an early morning bite for larger bass should occur in the known proven areas. The secondary feeding migration, or daytime bite, happens between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. I'm betting on hooking into the best battle of the day from noon to 2 p.m., so obviously I'll be saving my primary "Hot Spot" for that time and work the other holes to find out if they are improving or slowing down.

Because of the recent rains on Monday and Tuesday, the angler should be checking all in-flowing streams working along the current in-between structure and vegetation for ambushing feeding bass.

Because of the warmer temperatures, half of the bass population will be in either pre-spawn or post-spawn staging areas. Check the deeper areas, 50 yards from the usual beds, and be prepared to slow way down and downsize your bait. Slow-cranking lipless crank-style baits should produce great results in these areas.

If you're into plastics, try the "Junebug" and purple-blue-type colors in stained water and brighten up variation of those colors for clearer water.

The crappie should be moving into vegetation more regularly now with the lower temperatures over the last few days and the moon triggering their spawn. However, at night the majority of the schools will be in the deeper areas not too far from the spawning grounds.

It's a fact that the nighttime crappie fishermen are having greater success than the daytime fishermen. The warmer temperatures are to blame for this migration change, but in time the normal spawn pattern will prevail, and this week anglers should be experiencing the change in migration.
Twenty-five percent of the anglers are coming in with their limits on a regular basis, so it can be done if you know where they are.

Fishing Facts

The majority of anglers do not change with the conditions the fish experience and therefore miss out on the rewards for their efforts and money spent.

The facts are, the fish couldn't care less about how you feel when you look at a section of the lake and feel fish should be there. Most of the time fish suspend away from fishing holes due to anglers pressuring their usual migration route. So, next time you can't find fish where they should be, try 100 yards in back of you, where they shouldn't be. However, you better change your presentation method in order to promote the reaction strike.

Fishing Report

The Florida largemouth bass is feeling the pressure so much, she's has moved away from the normal natural migration routes. Boat after boat, one leaving and one taking its place every 30 minutes is enough to force any finny creature to adapt into a new pattern. Fact is, the bass are not too far away, and all the angler has to do is go deeper in depth and cover to locate their new safe place of residence.

This time of year pressure plays a major factor in levels of success for the angler in Florida.

Lake Istokpoga remains at 38.5-feet above sea level (ASL). No water releases so far were needed due to the timely rainfall occurring between Sunday and today. The lake's level is exactly where it was last year at this time — one foot below the high level limit and above the low level limit when not in a drought. Prayers are being answered in a timely fashion — thank God — for many lives were about to take a turn for the worse if rains did not arrive exactly as they have over the last two months.

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.

Bass Champions Senior Tour Inc. Istokpoga Division's tournament is Friday, launching at the Lake Istokpoga Marina, 155 Marina RV drive Lake Placid at safelight, with the weigh-in at 3 p.m.
Memberships and entry fees are accepted at the boat ramp. Contact Foy Underwood at 352-694-6272 or 800-416-4451 for all the information. Pay and/or visit online at BassChampionsSeniorTour.com.

American Bass Anglers Istokpoga South District 28 will be this Saturday. This is a members-only tournament and if you are interested in becoming a member or would like more information, contact Ted Moore at 863-946-0036. Also visit their Web site, americanbassanglers.com. Weigh-in time is 3 p.m. at the route 98 Istokpoga Park ramp in Lorida.

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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