Heartland Fishing Report

The great fishing conditions of the last three days now moves off into the nighttime -- literally -- as the daytime majority feeding migration becomes the nighttime majority feeding migration.

To replace it is the start of a new daytime feeding migration, which happens at every first-quarter moon event. That will occur tonight at 3:33 a.m.

The daytime fishing and angling will suffer somewhat for the next three days. The best period of the day is on the tail end of the remnant of the last feeding migration - 4 to 7 p.m. The morning bite will be weak at best, although the largest fish of each kind are known to ignore what the masses follow as a rule, so there is a remote chance of catching a larger-than-normal fish.

Fishing Facts

To catch a huge bass when she doesn't want to be bothered is really the main attraction when it comes to angling, in my opinion.

The accomplished angler grades his achievements by boating fish when no one else can, to be able to produce big-bass strikes when conditions have shut down the majority of the Bass.

The first factor is knowing ahead of time where to work the art -- pre-fishing provides the angler with real-time fish-location facts.

The second factor is knowing which bait to use -- ones bass strike out of principle, or self preservation, eat the enemy.

The third factor is presenting the enemy in an annoying manner without causing abrupt disturbances. The key is to place the bait into the area of the large female and leave it there, working an action which doesn't move her from the area. This most times, means that you "crawl rattle" across the lake bottom in her direction.

Pausing is the majority of the action, or should I say, lack of action.

It's the long pauses which will, in the end, trigger the trophy bass to end the nuisance once and for all by calmly swimming over and quickly sucking in the enemy to crush it. Or they'll then blow it away, or on a rare occasion, eat it. When this happens, the angler's hook set is the final factor in successfully working his art.

Fishing Report

All the area lakes have been producing great fishing stories. Bass are being located in the usual areas but the real anglers know to move out in the drought-lowered lakes in areas of lake bottom vegetation to locate the pre-staging fish.

Crappie reports have fallen off from earlier reports, with only half limits being reported for a full days work. However, the nighttime reports are proving that crappie are more aggressive in the lower lake levels in the cover of darkness. The drought has changed the normal feeding migrations the moon cycles would normally produce.

Tournament News

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event is today on Crooked Lake from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Pay at ramp - entry fee is $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), 863-446-1310 (cell) or e-mail bassbutchie60@aol.com. You can also contact Dwight Ameling at 863-471-3305.

Extreme Crooked Lake Series Tournament has of their second event of the year on Crooked Lake, launching from Bob's Landing on Feb. 17 at safelight with weigh-in at 3 p.m. For more information, contact Mike Blocher at 813-363-5266.

Dave Douglass is a bass fishing guide and teacher, bass tournament fisherman and an officer of SOS-Florida Lakes, Inc. You can reach him at 863-381-8474, e-mail davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org or visit reds-bass-fishing-guides.com and sos-floridalakes.org.