Highlands Today
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Mornings Offer Best Florida Has To Offer
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Published: May 27, 2008
It's six days before the next new moon on June 3 at 7:23 p.m., which means we start the building of the new daytime feeding migration.
Each morning more fish become affected by the gradual lunar affects and alter the daily migration pattern they're presently in.
This process starts with the larger fish first, because sheer size causes more awareness to the most subtle of changes in the aquatic environment. If the oxygen levels change, larger fish notice and adjust before the other fish. If the barometric pressure increases slightly, this multiplies through the water column and felt most at the deeper levels by the larger fish. The same goes for wave action, water current and light.
This week, therefore, will provide excellent early morning fishing, and this "excellence" increases each day. Today the bite starts at 7 a.m. and lasts to 9:30 a.m. and reaches a modest level of migratory feeding.
Tomorrow, the bite starts about the same time and last 30 minutes longer and jumps a few points on the scale of feeding migration intensity. By Friday the best seven days of fishing for June starts with the last two days of May.
The entire morning will provide the best fishing a Florida largemouth bass angler could hope to have. With water temperatures in the low 70s at sunrise the oxygen levels in the shoreline vegetation remains high enough to hold the larger fish during their usual nighttime feeding migration.
The entire food chain is growing at a rapid rate and the larger bass are still in the beginning of their seasonal growth period where they eat anything that moves for 12 hours out of 24.
Fishing Facts
Most anglers say that fishing here in Florida is best during the classic spawn period, but I beg to differ with this claim.
Rather, I would argue that from May to June or September to October — with May being the best of the two periods — as the best bass angling time here in Florida.
The main reason for this is that it is the main growth period of the year. The second reason is because of the lowest level of fishing pressure. It's the last reason that allows the smarter larger bass to return to their normal habits.
Instead of 100 boats a day coming through the area where they are, there might be one or two. Instead of having the dozens of the same "hot baits" thrown into their areas and retrieved past their noses hundreds of times a day or even every hour, they might see one or two in a day — or none at all.
Fishing Report
The anglers who can get out into their favorite lake are reporting some of the best fishing stories of the year.
Numbers and weights are as high as it gets here in Florida. The major challenge is the lake levels and ramp conditions.
Lakes June, Josephine and Istokpoga currently have safe access ramps to use and are high enough to navigate without the danger of running aground.
Fishing News
Lake Istokpoga is currently at 38 feet above sea level (ASL) which is eight inches higher than it was last year on this date.
South Florida Water Management (SFWM) has only dropped the lake nine inches over the past two months — from a winter level of 38.75 feet ASL to 38 feet ASL.
The high for hurricane season is 38.25 feet ASL, and when combined with a very low rain fall for May and the fact that any rain which did fall did not do so south of the lake, the level is as good as can be expected.
Contrary to previous reports of the lake being dropped 18-20 inches in recent month, the fact is SFWM has allowed permitted users to take only nine inches of Istokpoga's water.
Istokpoga hydrilla is steadily, rapidly, progressing North of the islands from five feet depths to the shorelines. South of the islands, the thick green weed is being managed successfully by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). There are several areas rapidly expanding while six areas are rapidly dying from Aquathol chemical treatments.
By the end of the summer –– if there are no lake-altering hurricanes as there was in 2004-05 –– the DEP will have their work cut out for them (literally), to say the least.
Fishing Tournaments
The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event is from 7:30 a.m. to noon today on Lake Jackson.
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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