Anglers catch more fish in warmer weather

We enter the week of the new moon which arrives tomorrow at 9:01 p.m. and Daylight Savings Time, which started today and St Patrick's Day, which occurs Wednesday - don't forget to use the color orange in your bait selection, that is, if you're a protestant Scot.
Water temperatures have returned to the middle-to-upper 60s so I think it might be safe to say that cold temperatures won't be a fishing factor anymore this year. I don't know about you but I am very ready to get back to fishing where all I have to factor into my fishing strategy is the norm - moon, sun, barometer, wind, lake management events, and fishing pressure.

The lunar apogee also occurs this week on Friday at 10:08 a.m., so the new moon will not be as strong as during the lunar perigee. However as previously stated, the return of seasonal water temps will accelerate the major daily feeding migration so that any negative affects will be negated - fish will be feeding heavier than normally to make up for the weight they lost during the past two months.

The daily major feeding migration will occur at midday between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The intensity rating should reach an 8 or 9 today, a 10 tomorrow and then start to diminish each day thereafter. The peak period today is from 11 a.m. to noon and will move later in the day by 40 minutes to an hour each day this week.

The early-morning bite is moderate but improving as the nighttime water temperatures stay in the middle- to upper-60s throughout the night and into the morning hours. By the first-quarter moon phase which is next week, the early morning anglers should be very successful - unless of course we get another significant cold front by then. Anglers can expect a 5 on the rating scale with a peak period right at safe-light that might last for an hour.

The late-afternoon bite turns on when water temperatures reach their daily high temp. The rating should reach a 6 except on Tuesday evening when the barometric pressure drops slightly raising the rate to an 8 during the change-hour. The peak period will most likely occur right at sunset at the temperatures start to decline within the water column.

Fishing facts
Anglers will be able to locate and track fish migrations now that normal seasonable weather has returned. This will be accentuated even more so by the timing of the arrival of perfect weather with the heavier fish-feeding part of the monthly lunar/solar cycle - new moon phase.

Fishing flash
The SAFER 9th Annual "Save Our Canals"Tournament has been scheduled for Saturday, April 24. Entry fees and raffle ticket purchases are the sole source of funding for SAFER's yearly agenda. For complete information, visit on the web at sfanglers.com.

Lake Istokpoga's level is currently at 39.42' above sea level.

The FWC Lake Enhancement Project using harvesters is now at the route 98 Istokpoga Park boat ramp and Arbuckle Creek area. Boaters should use caution when launching and stay to the left of the Spatterdock field when leaving the docking area.

A Lake Istokpoga hydrilla treatment is scheduled for April 6 & 7. Aquathol K will be applied by helicopter in five "topped-out" areas totaling 494 acres; 111 acres on the NE side of Big Island, 95 acres on the southeastern shoreline just west of Mossy Cove Fish Camp, 102 acres on the south end of Bumblebee Island, 127 acres extending along the shoreline from Windy Point boat ramp to Eagle's Nest, and 59 acres north of Windy Point boat ramp along the western shoreline.

Of the five areas only one is a "prime spawning" area for bass. The 102 acres south of Bumblebee Island has many beds each year and therefore it is my opinion that it should be excluded from this treatment event and included in the next hydrilla treatment event (usually in June) - my guess is the FWC wants the Peppergrass in that area to expand instead of the faster-growing invasive non-native plant.

Generally here in Florida the major bass spawn slows down during the months of March and April. This winter season however shutdown the bass spawn with sustained water temperatures during the months of January and February in the middle 40s to middle 50s. I for one have seen an increase in beds since the temps returned to the upper 50s and 60s over the past week. Angler's can expect the bass spawn to last into April this year - or when ever water temps sustain a mid 60s range.

To the credit of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Highlands County Invasive Plant Department (HCIPD) there are two major "prime spawning" areas excluded from treatment - one from Mossy Cove to Trail's End and the other is much of the area called "The Cut", between Big & Bumblebee Islands.

Istokpoga's total hydrilla acreage is much larger than the 495 acres proposed for treatment. From my calculations there are at least five other large areas totaling approximately 1200-1300 acres - and more if you include many isolated smaller patches and untreatable areas where it's expanded into native vegetations. If my work is anywhere near accurate - and I assure you it is very close - there is about 5 to 7 percent of the total lake with healthy hydrilla expanding (it should be noted that expansion did not slow down, let alone die-back, during one of the coldest winters on record. Usually there is significant die-back in all areas during January through March).

Since the last major treatment event in November of last year some of the same areas expanded despite decomposing hydrilla and subsequent high turbidity and extremely low water temps. Could it be that the hydrilla in Istokpoga is adapting so that it can grow in temperatures much lower than previously? Perhaps it might be true that there is a microbe expanding in the lake because of the large-scale hydrilla treatments of the past years. If this happens the effectiveness of the only control-tool left might be in jeopardy because the microbe breaks down the contact herbicide, Aquathol K (endothall), and greatly reduces contact time, which only kills part of the plant.

Smaller treatments of under 500 total acres scheduled as needed - in order to maintain a total combined allowed-hydrilla acreage of 1375 acres (5 percent) - is what many FWC biologist and anglers believe is best to improve the fishery, I concur but would increase the total hydrilla acreage to 2750 (10 percent) divided into 6-10 designated hydrilla management areas that would remain permanent - hydrilla islands established in areas that bass naturally select.

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 Reedy, March 17, and next week's event, March 24 is on Lake June. 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 at 863-471-3305.