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Highlands Today

Late Afternoon Best For Fishing

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DAVE DOUGLASS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2009

The forecast during the waning of the Full Moon produces a decreasing early-morning bite and an increasing late-afternoon bite each day for a week. Next factor to consider is the weather forecast which is predicting a daily modest drop in temperature combined by a mild to medium speed wind from the north, northwest. Fog is another factor which should be heavy each morning and serves to improve early-morning fishing conditions.

The early-morning bite starts right at 7 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. with a peak time of 8:30 a.m. As I said the thick fog will greatly extend and increase this feeding period. But also remember that as the temperatures drop each day this morning feeding migration will decrease both in intensity and duration.

The late-afternoon bite starts at 3 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m. with a peak time of 5 p.m. Unlike the morning bite this bite will improve each day significantly, both in its duration and intensity. Each day it will start, peak, and end, a half hour later. An additional positive factor is the mild-cold-front weather forecast which slows down the morning and night feeding migrations and speeds up the evening feeding migration by virtue of the fact that it is the warmest part of the day for the fish. Remember, water temperatures are about 2-4 hours behind air temperature changes, depending on wind and wave action.

The nighttime bite slows to a crawl this week but as always all fish still feed at night but not as heavily during the waning moon period. It is reasonable to predict that both the nighttime and midday anglers will experience the same results; sub-par to dismal results.

Fishing Facts

One very understood fact about the Florida Largemouth Bass species is that no matter what the lunar cycles are, and no matter what the weather conditions are, and despite the fishing pressure on the Florida freshwater lakes, the chances of catching a "Trophy Big Mouth " are better than anywhere else in the world. Now when I use the word, "Trophy" I'm talking at least ten pounds or greater and thinking from the vantage point of you the average angler reader. However, for experienced largemouth anglers who have caught many dozens, if not hundreds of 10-pound bass in their lifetimes, the starting weight considered a "trophy" is at thirteen or fourteen.

For me, your humble Bass angler columnist, the trophy class starts at 14 pounds. When I "Do" hook into that fourteen pound plus monster, you can bet I'll do everything in my power to get her in the boat for a double photo shoot session with a rest in my live-well in-between. Then as always, in order to have an accurate replica made, I'll take measurements and determine weight before returning her back to her territory in hopes she'll spawn again providing my favorite lake with her superior genetic. For bass anglers nothing beats the experience of capturing the moment of catching a once-in-a-lifetime Largemouth Bass on camera and successfully releasing the giant fish back into the lake healthy.

Fishing Formula

The formula for anglers who fish any one or both of the two choice peak periods is essentially the same. Top water baits worked in the shallows and along the outside edges of vegetation leading to deeper water paying close attention to working key target ambush areas-as the fish considers it.

I have to clarify my statements and advice, especially after I read recently that a judge granted a lawsuit to a person who put there RV vehicle on cruise-control and went in the back area to make a sandwich, which resulted in a crash. The claim was simple, "Nowhere in the vehicle manual did it warn me to not leave the drivers seat controls once I enacted the cruise control, so it's the manufactures fault"-the judge agreed.

So a "Target Ambush Area" is what anglers refer to as places in the lake where underwater structure is located near a lake bottom contour change from shoreline vegetative type areas to an open water areas. The term represents the fishes' vantage point as the angler understands it to be. Note: it is not understood from the standpoint and viewpoint of the angler-what the angler sees is not what the fish sees and therefore the two are not one in the same.

Fishing Fiction

Today's "Fiction Moment" comes from the experience that I have at boat ramps all over Highlands County during the week, where someone who doesn't recognize me from my mug-shot picture accompanying my article, and proceeds to tell me all about what "Douglass" said in the paper recently. I always play along, and never enlighten the person as to who I am, but instead attempt to learn exactly what this guy "Douglass" said. I recently learned that I form my fishing strategy by using Astrology which enables me to find fish better than those who don't use it. This same person also confessed that it "doesn't seem to work or maybe I just don't understand it" and to this I replied, "Well I have heard that Douglass is a Pisces, so maybe that is the secret to his success."

Lake Manager's Contact Information:

Clell Ford - Lakes Management Specialist - Highlands County, 4434 George Blvd, Sebring, Florida 33875. Phone: 863 402 6545, Email: Cford@hcbcc.org

Vicki Pontius Parks and Recreation Director - Highlands County, 4344 George Blvd. Sebring, Florida 33875. Phone: (863)402-6812, Email: VPONTIUS@hcbcc.org

Steven Gornak, Biological Scientist IV, Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Sub-Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, 3991 SE 27th Court, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Phone: (863) 462-5190 (SunCom 761-5190), Fax: (863) 462-5194 (SunCom 761-5194), Mobile: (863) 697-6256, Email: steven.gornak@myfwc.com

Fishing Tournaments

Outback USA Crappie Tournament is open to the public and will be held monthly.

The first event will be held on January 16-18. Entry fee is $5 and anglers can fish any lake of their choice and weigh-in on any day at Outback USA at 14021 Route 27 South.

Application can be picked up at Outback USA which is half way between South Sebring and Lake Placid. Store hours are from 6a.m. - 6 p.m. every day.

Monday Morning Lake Jackson Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public and launches every Monday morning at 8 AM and weigh-in at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per boat with a "winner takes all" payout. One person or two per boat, three legal (over 14 inch) Bass per boat, and one Bass over 22 inches per angler. Tournament director is Paul Tardiff, his contact info is the same as the Wednesday tournament below.

Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event: January 14 on Lake Jackson. Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp - entry fee $30 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. Next week's event, January 21 is on Lake Josephine. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at (863) 385-8007 Home, Cell (863) 273-4062, email- bassbutchie60@aol.com or Dwight Ameling at (863) 471-3305

Dave Douglass is a Bass fishing guide. Website: HighlandsBassAngler.com. CEO of S.O.S.-Florida Lakes, Inc.

Email: davidpdouglass@hotmail.com. Phone: 863-381-8474

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