FISHING: Bass Are In Full-Spawning Mode This Week

Since we're in a period of lunar transition and a change in the full- and new-moon event pattern from late-night/early-morning hours to the dinner hour, the angler prepares for the mid-morning bite to occur.

In the meantime, there is a remote chance to hook into a larger bass from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in your favorite hot spot. Apart from that option, the angler should scout areas for suspended fish. Nothing satisfies the angler more than presenting his artificial bait in an artful, enticing, irresistible, successful manner; resulting in hooking a reluctant bass, worn down by the Florida angler.

Today the weather pattern should play a positive role and negate some of the affects of the last-quarter moon. The warming of the air and water should increase fish metabolisms enough to extend the duration and intensity level.

The barometer is forecasted to gradually drop to normal readings near 30 inHG (Inches of mercury) by Monday, and it's my opinion that fish always bite more during a falling barometer. It doesn't take much of a change in hydro-pressure - brought on by barometric decline - combined with a few parts-per-billion decrease in oxygen to trigger the larger fish to start hunting and eating.

Monday's chances increase and the new feeding migration period starts to build gradually each day until the 5:14 p.m. Friday new moon. Be on the water from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for best results and expect each day for this bite to improve noticeably.

By Friday - weather permitting - you should be e-mailing all your friends (and me) pictures of your trophy Bass, unless you're fishing for Crappie, in which case I still expect you to e-mail me with your record panfish.

Fishing Facts
Bass are now in full spawning mode because of the cold front we experienced a few days ago. If you find vacant beds, move back to deeper areas - about 50 yards away - and work reds, green, and blue baits slowly for the post-spawn bass and faster for the pre-spawn bass. Big females are hungry and exhausted after successfully spawning and will eat what she doesn't have to aggressively chase.

Fishing Report
Everyone I talk to brings up two subjects when asked how angling is on their favorite lakes. First, lake depth is making lake access a real challenge and forcing their target style of approach to not yield any results.

Some have reluctantly switched over to a non-target approach - fishing open water using sonar and markers - and others just fish less or fish the deeper lakes where targets have enough water depth to hold fish.

Second subject is fishing pressure: The lakes with more water attract many more lake users, resulting in one or two lakes in the area getting pounded every day.

The result is, when the angler does find fish, he has a fantastic day, which happens one out of every 10 days on the water. The nine days without hooking anything respectable occurs due to someone else working the hole ahead of him, catching his bass.

If the bass could take pictures of each angler who boats her, she'd have each of our pics in her album above a less-than-flattering subtitle.

When I stopped in at Outback USA (14021 U.S. 27 South in Sebring) to get the latest updated information on Lake June, Placid, and Istokpoga, the news was the same: pressure, pressure, pressure, and lack of lake access.

However, Lake Istokpoga and Lake Jackson and Lake Clay were producing excellent catches. Anglers were having typical big-bass days which Highlands County is well known for nationwide. The conclusion was unanimous: Drought or not, this is still the largemouth capitol of the world.

Other News
Lake Istokpoga Hydrilla treatments are planned for the Tuesday and Wednesday if winds permit. The DEP will be using two helicopters to treat four areas. Log on to sos-floridalakes.org and navigate to the "Istok Information" page for printable maps.

Last Tuesday the Highlands County commissioners approved the rezoning of the Royce 9.8 acre lot known as "Henderson's Point."

Fourteen homes will be built there. A few requirements were attached to the approval, one to change the access road into the development from starting on Bald Cypress, but instead continuing off of Big Pine, straight out to the point and turning south down the west side of the point.

Secondly, deed restrictions prohibiting sea walls and wetlands vegetation removal and/or treatments by homeowners of their lake front property. Ray Royce assured all objectors that he would be "the example" of a good neighbor and Lake Istokpoga conservationist by raising the environmentalist bar of aquatic habitat management.

Tournament News
The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event is March 5 on Lake Josephine 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.

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.