Early morning best time to fish

This week anglers can expect the fish to move back into recognizable migration patterns now that the weather returns to normal after a much needed three days of rain.

Large rain events cause fish to feed out of sync with lunar and solar influences. Instead, barometric pressure decline takes over as the "trigger" for fish to feed heavily.

Now that all the fish in the lake have fed heavily over the past three days, today's fishing success totals should be low in terms of numbers and sizes. If there is a feeding migration at all, it will be between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be no peak period to speak of and the overall rating won't reach 4 on the 1-10 scale. So today might be best spent doing boat and tackle maintenance in preparation for the last-quarter lunar phase arriving this Wednesday.

When the lunar and solar influences bring the fish back into a regular normal feeding migration pattern, there will be a major daily feeding period happening from 5-9 a.m. and again from 4-7 p.m.

So Monday and Tuesday's most probable best times to be on the water are centered on the rising and setting of the sun with a slight preference on the early-morning bite being the best chance at hooking a trophy bass.

The nighttime bite is all out of whack because of the weather and it will diminish throughout this week as the morning bite starts to build in duration and intensity over the next seven days.

Fishing facts

The larger the fish the more it literally "feels" the atmospheric pressure changes; because as the barometric pressure drops or climbs, the hydraulic pressure magnifies, increasing the pressure-change experience. The larger fish occupy more space and therefore move into feeding areas first on a dropping barometer. When normal lunar and solar influences are the dominate-feeding trigger, the larger fish move into feeding areas last.

Fishing formula

This is the week that will likely produce many trophy sized bass strikes in the safe-light hours of the mornings. The larger bass will be moving into the feeding areas along shorelines, migrating between two and four foot depths in search of food. If you can locate a four-plus pound bass with a top water bait, you can count on the fact that much larger bass are there too. Remember a 12-pound bass is not going to quickly rise in four feet of water to hit top-water baits, so you'll have to put a different bait of choice in front of her with just the right action to promote a reaction-strike.

Fishing flash

Lake Istokpoga's level is currently 39.07' above sea level and rising due to the rain in the Arbuckle Creek Basin. The rain event of the past few days will turn this 27,500 acre lake into a huge mud puddle with the clearer water being along the north end and south sides of the islands.

Tournament news

The Monday Morning Lake Josephine Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public and launches every Monday morning at 8 a.m. with weigh-in at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per boat with a "winner-take-all" payout. One person or two per boat, three legal (more than 14 inches) bass per boat, and one bass over 22 inches per angler. For information, call Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell).

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Tournament will be on Lake Anthorpe on December 9, and next week's event, December 16, is on Crooked Lake. Launch time is 7:30 a.m. and weigh-in time is at noon. Entry fee is $30 per boat to be paid at the ramp. For complete information call Paul Tardiff, home: (863) 385-8007, cell: (863) 273-4062, or Dwight Ameling (863) 471-3305.

Your Lake Manager's Contact Information:

FWC Largemouth Bass Research Study Program E-mail: TagReturn@MyFWC.com, or phone: FWC Tag Return Hotline - 800-267-4461. Mail address: LMB Tagging Study, 601 W. Woodward Ave., Eustis, FL, 32726

FFWCC Fishkill Report Hot Line 800-636-0511, or go online at www.My FWC.com/contact.

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

Vicki Pontius, Parks and Recreation Director, Highlands County, 4344 George Blvd., Sebring, Florida 33875. Phone: 863-402-6812, E-mail: Vpontius@hcbcc.org

Steven Gornak, FFWCC, Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Sub-Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, 3991 S.E. 27th Court, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Phone: 863-462-5190 Mobile: 863-697-6256, E-mail: steven.gornak@myfwc.com

Erica Van Horn, FFWCC, Invasive Plant Management Section, 2001 Homeland Garfield Rd. Bartow, FL 33830, Phone: 863-534-7074, E-mail: erica.vanhorn@myfwc.com