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Highlands Today

Sundown To Midnight Looks Good

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DAVE DOUGLASS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

The lunar phase status today is three days past the first-quarter moon, and six days prior to the full moon.

This means the early morning bite -- which was weak at best due to the moon being furthest from the earth on Monday - will dramatically improve each day.

The best day of today's four-day forecast is the fourth day - Saturday. However, if you fish everyday or can't wait until then, the daytime feeding migration peak period is from 9 to 11 a.m. today and starts 30 to 40 minutes later each day. By Saturday the period is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Because of Hurricane Ike moving to our southwest, the barometric pressure should be on the rise over the next few days, which is not good news for the daytime angler.

Combine this fact with the steady high temperatures of our lakes and it's clear that fishing in the late evenings from sundown to midnight is the angler's best bet to experience the best the day has to offer.

For the nighttime anglers fishing is best from 9 to 11 p.m., at which time the water column has a high level of dissolved oxygen, combined with the waxing of the full moon for six more days, works together to trigger a descent feeding bite.

Don't forget the mosquito repellent or you won't be on the water for very long.

Fishing Facts

When tropical storms and hurricanes track past Florida in "near-miss events," dealing with the gusting wind and the challenging waves is worth the aggravation.

This is because of the substantial barometric drop in pressure caused by the extreme weather event. It's especially beneficial as the outer rain bands come through the area.

Fishing on the least windy side of the lake along the shorelines in known "hot-spots" will produce excellent results with very good odds of hooking into that trophy largemouth.

Fishing Formula

This time of year the majority of fish are dormant for most of the day until oxygen levels rise due to weather conditions, such as a bright sunny day causing plants to produce oxygen and wind creating some wave action and currents.

The angler's formula must work in harmony with this situation in order to achieve success. The major problem here is the heat bearing down on the angler at the same time. A test of wills ensues; the angler's patience as he waits for the sun's heat to create the ideal feeding situation for his prey, which also creates the greatest hardship and challenge which could force him from the open water.

There seems to be two types of methods which have worked for me recently.

One is to retrieve the bait as fast as possible, either using top-water or crank-baits in and around vegetation. Two, use a heavier weight than normal, and allow the bait to sit at the bottom of vegetation for minutes at a time -- with only a very slight movement of a ½ inch every 15 seconds, for a total time of five minutes -- before quickly advancing the bait forward about five feet and repeat the process again.

At the beginning and end of the feeding migration period, the second method worked best, but once the feeding became aggressive, the first method was the only one which worked. After four or five times of using method two, try using method one to see if conditions are right for the aggressive bite.

Fishing Fiction

"If you have a boat with a black-colored hull, you'll catch more fish because the fish won't get spooked, cause they can't see the boat."

This is total nonsense. What fish can see the best is an extreme contrast in color.

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga's level is holding at 38.6 feet above sea level with three gates open at one foot to counter the flows of Arbuckle and Josephine creeks.

By the end of this month, the high pool level will be above 39 feet and by the middle of next month at the yearly high of 39.5 feet, but only if we get enough rain to make this happen, hopefully this will be the case.

Lake Okeechobee's level is holding at 15.1 feet above sea level with moderate flows from Istokpoga and Kissimmee influents and releases on both the east and west sides of the lake to counter the influents.

Fishing Tournaments

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