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Highlands Today

FISHING: Best Bet Is To Cause A 'Reaction Strike'

BIG BASS WILL NOT BE FOOLED EASILY

Contributed photo/Highlands Today

Vern Hoffman of Sebring holds an 11-pound, 19-inch black bass he caught using a rod, reel and shiner on Lake Istokpoga in March.

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Dave Douglass

Published: June 4, 2008

The new moon happened on Tuesday at 7:23 p.m., which means we're in the middle of the six-day period of the month when fishing reaches its highest rating.

The optimum time of the day to be on the lake is from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This time of year, the summer afternoon storms will cause this moon phase effect to start later and last longer.

The early morning bite is mediocre at best due to the very warm water temperatures and the nighttime oxygen consumption by the lake's vegetation. There is, however, a slight chance of hooking into some decent fish from 8 to 9 a.m. if you happen to know exactly where to present your bait.

A late afternoon bite will start to develop by Friday afternoon. If the weather conditions include a barometric drop from 4 to 8 p.m., and the wind is not too strong or lightning is not a factor, there is a very good chance (which will increase substantially each day) of experiencing the coveted thrill a huge Florida largemouth striking a top-water bait.

If you happen to be on the water during a lull in the feeding migration, remember that this time of year the chances of finding the "rogue" female are very good.

The rogue Florida largemouth bass don't pay attention to everything I wrote in the previous three paragraphs. If you know where bass have been suspending and feeding, and have the route between the two areas charted, try working a variety of baits along this route. A long wait, followed by a quick jerking motion followed by another long wait, could just make your day, or even week.

Fishing Facts
The 12-pound Florida largemouth bass will not be tricked easily while she waits between feeding periods during the summer months. She knows what foods are readily available and plentiful in her area. It is the angler's challenge to mimic this particular bait/food in such a manner of presentation, to cause a "reaction strike."

The reaction strike is what the bass uses to accomplish one of two things: First, killing the intruder by a partial inhale to crush it and then blow it out, or, secondly; inhaling the annoyance as an easy food source which strayed too close.

If you can't see the bass but know that area you are in definitely holds trophy fish, try three of four methods of retrieve, each with different timed pauses, designed to keep the bait at a determined height off the lake's bottom.

The first pass should bump the lake bottom all the way back to the boat. If no strike, try the same method again but this time pause much longer and add a shake or wiggle to the bait before you retrieve a few feet to repeat this process.

The second pass should be two to three feet off the bottom, moving as slow as possible, using the position of the rod — 9 to 10 o'clock — to maintain a consistent strike zone retrieve all the way to the boat.

The third pass should be from the surface to a foot or two below the surface. Use the rod movement from 12 to 10 o'clock to achieve this while maintaining a constant reel speed.

If you happen to be in less than five feet of water, a fourth pass to try is a blazing fast top water retrieve, pausing half way back to the boat for a few seconds to see if a Bass followed the disturbance overhead. The timing and duration of the pause should be experimented when using this method. I have seen many bass follow a fast retrieve waiting for the falling motion before they strike, but there have been times where the constant retrieve to the boat produced strikes right at the boat.

Fishing Report
Again today, as I heard last Saturday and all last week, the catches were exceptional and in all likelihood the best weights anglers will experience all year. A three-fish total is averaging approximately 14 pounds with the heaviest weights in the low to middle 20s.

Some anglers produced five-fish totals in the middle 30s, which included a trophy bass weighing over eleven pounds.

I did personally verify two catches at two Highlands County lakes which were in the 14-pound rage — 14.22 and 14.84 pounds. Both "hawgs" were caught in smaller deeper lakes, in clear water 15-20 feet deep on plastics.

I would tell you more, but, I had to swear I would only say this and nothing else. Sorry.

Fishing Tournaments
The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tourna-ment is open to the public. Next Event is from 7:30 a.m. to noon today on Lake June.

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 CEO 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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