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Highlands Today

'Safe-Light' Bite Looking Better As Nighttime Temps Go Down

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DAVE DOUGLASS

Highlands Today

Published: September 18, 2008

Today and tomorrow offer the tail end of the full-moon phase-effects on the daytime fishing migration. The peak period occurs from noon to 3:30 p.m. today and at least a half-hour later tomorrow.

Unless your favorite lake experiences a nighttime rainfall, be expecting the bite to start at the beginning of the peak period.

With daytime temperatures still in the mid to lower 90s and water temperatures reaching the mid-80s by the middle of the afternoon, dissolved oxygen levels are highest during the peak daytime migration.

Because of this fact, fish should be feeding heaviest near midday just before it becomes too hot and oxygen levels stop rising.

Starting on Friday, an early morning bite starts to build in intensity and duration with the peak period being about 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. The "safe-light" bite will get significantly better each day, especially since nighttime temperatures dropping just enough to allow more oxygen to remain in the water in the very early morning hours.

This is the week where both the early morning angler and the late afternoon angler should be able to work top-water baits in and around healthy vegetation and experience some spectacular strikes.

Fishing Facts

When the water temperatures are high during the daytime, fish wait for the oxygen level to start a quick rise before they start to feed.

Both the oxygen level and feeding happen fast, and are over within an hour. The angler must be in the expect area of the waiting fish. This time of year fish do not migrate very far, for once they find an area which has a higher oxygen level, they stay there.

Fishing Formula

The angler's formula starts with the wind factor.

Areas where wind has produced current and/or wind driven flow through vegetation or structure, is where fish will be waiting in ambush to feed.

The angler's position should be down wind if possible, handling the challenge of casting into the moderate wind and retrieving the bait toward the ambush points.

If casting into the wind is not possible, try slowing down the retrieve as to not spook the feeding fish, but instead enticing a natural feeding strike.

Fishing Fiction

"When the wind's out of the South, you gotta hit'em in the mouth."

I suppose this saying might be true if that South wind is part of a fast-rising barometer after a low pressure system produced rain. But here in Florida, many times the South wind brings with it a low pressure system and fast dropping barometer which triggers intense long-duration feeding periods.

As with most old fishing tales, the small element of truth which inspired the saying is wrong most of the time - working in a very small percentage of the time. As with most sports, superstition is preferred by the sportsman rather than actually objectively analyzing all the facts.

Well, that and the fact that the superstitious version probably makes for a better "fish story."

Fishing Feature

The feature fish story was the same no matter where I went this past week.

"Man-oh-man we wouldn't have a bite for hours and then all of a sudden it would turn on fast and furious for about 20 or 30 minutes and then completely vanish," anglers said.

Most reported catching their limits several times over.

No one reported any trophy Bass, but a few nice ones were boated in the eight-pound range. It's been the norm to land many two- to three-pounders and one or two over four pounds.

The few anglers who hooked into bass six pounds or heavier reported experiencing some of the best battles of this year.

Six or seven hard thrashing, rod-bending runs, into vegetation and under the boat, pulling line before giving up the fight - this is what it's all about.

Nothing fights better than a seven-pound Florida Largemouth trying to eat its first meal of the day, only to find a hook in its food.

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga is at 38 feet, 10 inches today and rising steadily due to the Arbuckle Creek influent and all three S-68 gates remaining closed.

Next week FFWC starts the fall emergent evasive weed treatment program along most of the shorelines, including all four of the islands. Helicopters and airboats will be used over the six week event. All treatments should be concluded by Oct. 31. Maps of the treatment area are available at each of the boat ramps or will be made available by this weekend. Hydrilla will not be included in this management program, but instead managed after Thanksgiving.

Lake Okeechobee is at 15 feet, 2 inches and holding steady as SFWM is releasing about 1,400 cubic feet per second which is the same amount of flow entering the lake from the Kissimmee River.

Fishing Tournaments

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