Clear Skies Bring Moonlight, Best Bite

The full moon occurred on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., which means the mid-day bite should be best, right?

Wrong!

The major bite occurs during the night because of the lower water temperatures, clear skies enhancing the moonlit night, and the pattern from the past two previous months, which had the new and full moon happening during the late night hours. However, there is a moderate feeding migration taking place first thing in the morning in areas about 5- to 10-feet deep. There is a very slight chance of hooking a bass in more shallow water because of the pre-spawn, but other than that, most likely not.

So the predicted best times of the day are from safelight to 10:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 6 p.m.

Try using crawdad- or crayfish-type baits with the largest hooks possible. Three-eighth-ounce jigs with small trailers, grubs, and tubes should be small enough to entice a strike if used with a very slow to slow retrieve combined with 15-second or longer pauses.

Fishing Facts

All the larger bass caught recently have been on very small baits - 5/0 hook size and three- to four-inch plastics.

Both rattling weights and non-rattling weights, as well as Caroline-rigged plastics set to 16-inches or less lead, dragged along vegetation and structures worked well on Friday providing a four-pound bass and two- to three-pound bass - catching one fish using each type of rigging.

Fishing Report

Lake Istokpoga continues to prove to be a "hydrilla-only" bass-catch lake.

The north wind has been predominate and has caused the northerly edges of the invasive weed to dieback significantly due to shading - which is the wind-driven-suspended lake muck sticking to the plant blocking sunlight results in death.

All the oldest topped-out areas are also decomposing enough to contribute to this process on the down-wind side, killing new growth significantly.

Shading increases each year, because each year there is more plant matter from weed treatments contributing to the amount of decomposed plant matter or muck on the lake's bottom. If the wind can create waves in the same direction for three or four days or longer, this process works to the lake manager's favor - years of essential weed management chemical treatments caused muck increase, to the point where it does become a factor resulting in a great deal of shading dieback.

The majority of the bedding bass are in the hydrilla areas. This is especially true when the spillway is releasing water. A current from the north end influent of Arbuckle Creek takes two routes through the lake to the south end area.

Bass follow this current to the hydrilla - "bass heaven" - and roam until they find the cleaner or clearer water, usually in downwind-protected areas where the thick weed filters out sediment. Last year, most of the bass chose this area to reproduce. This year, there was far less hydrilla than last year at this time - half the growth or less.

Also, since SFWM will be releasing water earlier and more often due to the drought conditions, this process intensifies - more bass bedding in the south end.

Lake Jackson has had the shoreline along U.S. 27 greatly improved and looks much better. I have also heard that the access way between Little Lake Jackson and Lake Jackson - under U.S. 27 - is being addressed by the proper authorities and might possibly be opened up if all goes well - no promises, and no facts to rely on yet.

I will keep on top of the facts and will let you know when possible to do so.

Tournaments

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event: Nov. 28 on Crooked Lake from 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. 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 teacher, bass tournament fisherman and also an officer of S.O.S.-Florida Lakes, Inc. You can reach him at (863) 381-8474, e-mail davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org or visit the Web sites reds-bass-fishing-guides.com and sos-floridalakes.org.