Get Up Early, Fish Until You Can't Anymore

We are in the middle of the best time of the lunar cycle, which is the best time to be on the lake fishing for our favorite fish.

The new moon occurs tomorrow at 12:18 p.m., which means the effects of the moon on aquatic life will be in favor for the angler during the daytime.

The major feeding migration of the day happens from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it will be as good as it can get for the next four days. Also factor into this exceptionally good news, the additional good news of the early morning bite being good to excellent as well.

In fact you might as well get up as early as possible, head out to your favorite Highlands County lake and fish all day - until you can't fish anymore.

Yes, it's going to be "that good."

Water temperatures are in the middle 70s and reach the low 80s by 3 p.m., and this means first thing in the morning - before the sun appears over the horizon - bass will be moving in and out of Cattails and Bulrush, feeding on the active food chain which comes to life during the nighttime.

As the heat of the day builds, try working the lily pads and healthy fresh Hydrilla areas. Keep in mind that all throughout the day, repeatedly, the largest bass will feed several times. They will cover a lot of area, swim further, and patrol areas which have bait fish.

Fishing Facts

This time of year, the larger bass feed more often and for longer periods. Once the angler locates one larger bass, he should note the time, work the area for another strike.

If one doesn't occur, move to the second area of the day and work that areas in the same manner as you did the first area. If there happens to be a concentration of bass in any one area, try allowing one of your hooked bass to run freely by "free-spooling" once you get her to the side of the boat. This will show you exactly the route all your bass are coming to that areas on. Bass always move along the same routes in accordance with the weather conditions. An east wind will cause the bass to use a different route than a west wind.

Knowing the characteristics of each of your favorite fishing holes is essential to obtaining the highest level of success - and enables you to tell the best fish stories, too.

Other News

Lake Josephine is scheduled to have some aquatic weed management work done this week. So be aware of signs of chemical treatments along the shorelines and canals.

Lake Istokpoga will also have two days of helicopter treatments done on May 12 and 13. Aquathol Super K contact herbicide will be applied to five Hydrilla areas. Out in front of Sebring Estates and Istokpoga Park on the North end. The Southeast corner of Big Island. Two areas South of Bumblebee Island, and out in front of Eagle's Nest. All in all 1600 acres.

SFWM released water to permitted water users on Monday and Tuesday. The lake level dropped from 38.7-feet above sea level to 38.35 feet ASL. If rain does not arrive in a timely manner between now and the end of the month, be expecting more releases to supply water to the farmers south of the lake. Okeechobee is still too low at 10.25 feet ASL for the pumps that usually supply water to the canal system used by these farmers. So, water must be used from Istokpoga until the "Big O" receives enough rain to get to 11 feet ASL.

Some South Florida Water Management District representatives are betting that the drought can't last longer than two years. There seems to be a mindset based on optimism rather than taking the safer thinking as the appropriate base to form an adaptive management plan on - like since there is no threat of flooding downstream from Istokpoga, if any rains come which cause the lake to rise above the "hurricane high level" of 38.25 feet ASL, instead of releasing it to Okeechobee, hold on to it in Istokpoga. Every inch counts in such an extreme drought as we currently are experiencing.

Some officials from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation say that 6 inches of Istokpoga lake level doesn't make any difference, and is insignificant.

They see no need to hold water above the regular high level during hurricane season. If it is of no real value and not particularly important, why not keep it then - after all, it's not a problem, there's no real difference if we let it go, so there is no difference if we keep it.

The fact is, with the advanced warning of hurricanes and the accuracy of their potential track two-week to 10-days in advance, more than enough water could be released without any danger for flooding down stream because it flows into a very needy Lake Okeechobee. The only negative then would be the Seminoles and farmers can't use it, instead it evaporates and is used by no one.

Tournament News

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

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 CEO 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.