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Highlands Today

Bass Are Following Currents

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2008

The full moon occurred Tuesday at 8:02 p.m., and with the clear skies and high winds out of the east, daytime fishing won't be all that good today.

The daytime bite influenced by the lunar cycle normally would happen from noon to 4 p.m., but with the strong nighttime bite it won't be noticeable for anglers who do happen to find an area on the eastern shoreline or the western side of islands that is holding fish.

For all the anglers who will brave the high winds out of the east, your best bet is to navigate to areas out of the wind. In high turbidity shallow lakes, the eastern shorelines and island western shorelines should hold fish along known migration routes. If you don't mind two-foot-plus waves, working crank-baits along secondary holding areas along migration routes in four- to 10-foot depths should also hold fish.

The wind is forecasted to subside by Friday or Saturday, making it more enjoyable to take advantage of the afternoon bite, which this week is the best time to fish, normally when there isn't a strong wind factor to deal with.

There is no early morning bite to speak of, but there is a great possibility to land some good fish from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., especially if the nighttime skies are clear.

Looking ahead to this weekend, anglers should prepare for the development of an excellent early morning bite by Saturday and Sunday.

Fishing Facts

The Florida fall fishing patterns are ideal for the heavy vegetation flipper and pitcher.

Bass will increasingly move into these types of areas to bulk up on bait fish and other sources of food which are currently significantly increasing due to higher lake levels and subsequent accelerated feeding habits.

Fishing Formula

The formula for success depends on the type of method you are comfortable with. For the deep-water angler using a heavier line and weight, along with a deeper diving crank-bait is the preferred technique. For the shallow heavy vegetation angler, working the calmer waters where wind driven currents develop is the better bet because the larger fish will be migrating along these areas looking for the quick easy food source.

Fishing Fiction

"High wind days move fish into deeper waters and shut down the bite."

Here is another partial truth. For the deep-water angler, it's true the normal depth that they were finding fish will not produce feeding fish, however the fish will still feed but at a deeper level and near a lake bottom structure.

For the shallow-water angler who was finding fish on the windy side of the lake, many times the fish move in more shallow; taking refuge in thicker vegetation out of the wind-driven current. However, the feeding process will slow down somewhat so anglers will have to literally hit them on the head to trigger a strike.

Fishing Feature

Bass anglers from all throughout the county have reported catching fish both in deep cover and along sharp drop-offs in 12 feet of water. Lake Istokpoga, Kissimmee, and Toho have yielded five-fish stringers weighing in the middle 20s, anchored by at least one bass heavier than eight pounds.

"Finding the healthy new heavy vegetation in 30 inches of water is the key", said one angler I talked to at Camp Mack this past week. Several Istokpoga anglers said similar statements at the County Istokpoga park on route 98.

The crappie anglers are all reporting limits in the usual areas along up-wind bottom structures in deeper water. Most say that this season will be one of the best they have seen in several years.

Fishing Flash

Water is being released throughout the entire Central Florida water basin. From Lake Toho to Okeechobee, water is moving south as the Florida water management districts open gates to release the additional water provided by the recent rains.

Florida freshwater anglers know this means fish will be on the move as they tend to follow the currents and migrate toward the south end areas of each lake's several deeper holes.

Bass tournaments in all Central Florida lakes are seeing very good weights at the scales. The majority of the anglers are finding five bass totally in the high teens.

And there are always five or six teams who know where to hook into large females who have established areas as their territory in preparation for the spawn which will occur once we experience our first significant cold front.

Our first cold front is forecasted to arrive at the end of this week and first part of next week. Hopefully it will be enough of a temperature drop to trigger the best bass in the lakes to think about spawning ahead of the norm.

Fishing Tournaments

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next event is today 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.

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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