|
|
FARM 13 / STICK MARSH FISHING REPORT
FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, 2001
April 28, 2001
Yesterday, when Ken Knapp got his biggest bass ever, his Nephew, Tracy, swore he was going to get one bigger. Well, it did not happen. Ken's was a bit too large to expect to beat. BUT, Tracy did get his own biggest ever. Tracy's fish came from the A3 coordinates on the interactive map. When you look at the photos, please take into account that Tracy is over 260 lbs. and is a pretty good sized trophy himself.
The Stick Marsh is an awesome place. I'd like to think we are just really a good guide service. But, the Marsh is such a wonderful fishery that a wet lure is always an opportunity at the next World's record. or your personal best. Big bass are what we do, unless you specify quantity over quality. Then, we go to 'school fish city'. We don't just talk; we catch!
April 27, 2001
Well, as noted at the end of yesterdays Update report, our Friday trip took place. Take a look at the largest bass Ken Knapp has ever caught. True to our experience a few days earlier, there are major bass in that F10 section (see our map) of the Stick Marsh. And, like two of the giants I had caught, Ken's cartwheeled out of a tree and came down on the same old twisted-up buzz bait. I thought, for a moment, it was one of the same bass I had caught on that same buzz bait and he had just decided to kill it this time. But, Ken's was much bigger than mine. Right at 29 inches long and 19 inches around. Put that in your formula and stroke it. Way to go, Ken!!
April 26, 2001
The water is 45 inches low, which is GOOD and BAD. The BAD part is that it makes the submerged levees in the Farm side very shallow, so idle over them. The GOOD part is that now you can actually SEE all those stumps in the Marsh side and work your way through them. I only touched one yesterday and I went almost all the way across the Marsh from the ramp. In fact, I ran on plane part of the way in the clear zones. Probably not smart, but I like to think I know the place that well.
The Stick Marsh is just an awesome fishing hole. I keep thinking I have seen it all and more things amaze me. I saw a bass try to get a small duck, or shorebird of some kind, yesterday. I would not have thought it a bass except that I saw the fish come out of the water twice trying to get it.
Also, a word to the wise - watch the Gators right now. Mating season is about done. But, I saw a female guarding what I think was a nest were she may have laid some eggs. It seems a bit early, but she was sure aggressive towards me and the boat when we neared that sandy bank she was lying on. There was none of that 'slip off the bank and wait until you have passed' stuff. She let me know the area was hers and even came out to tell me so. Go to the C-8 coordinates of the interactive map and you'll see something like what I saw.
Rain! We had an inch yesterday. Almost forgot what it was. A storm went over the marsh and down the 6 miles of bad road as I was coming in. Everyone else was booking out to miss the storm. By the time I got to the ramp, it had passed and I got in 3 hours of GOOD action before the next cell came. With lightening involved, I did not want to venture too far out. So, I went 2/3 of the way across the Stick Marsh side, directly south from the ramp opening in the trees (the F-10 section on the interactive map). Come out of the opening and go straight for the far south side. The brush is very visible and is thinner in that area. To the east and west of where I was fishing are the thickest brush sections. This used to be the premier topwater location in the whole World; just a 200 meter-square section. We caught thousands of bass there every year. But, it gradually seemed to taper off, so we stopped. Have not fished it much lately and not since the water got low at all.
The weather stayed very overcast which made the bass prone to hit topwater and that dumb unweighted worm sinking slowly by a tree. The tally was 16 fish, with all but 3 being 2-3 lbs. But, those other 3--!! 8.6, 8.2. 7.9. And, although all got hung up in the brush, all finally came free. One was on the worm - line twitches and moves off. 2 were on buzz baits. Clean out of the water in a summersault on the strikes. The first tore the buzz bait up like a mudfish would. Looked like a pretzel when I got it back. Probably from being hung on that tree. Now, all this tells me is that the fish are in that area very well. But, they seem to be in ALL the wood on the Marsh side right now. The problem is the bright sun. That makes them more difficult to get on a topwater, or near surface, strike. Couple that with the usual NE winds this time of year, and it means spinnerbait and Texas rig worm time. A Swimming Image also works and is remarkably weedless in the limbs.
I have a party out on Friday and expect some wind and a lot of sunshine. I think that will drop the topwater action to almost zero, except very early AM. So, we will see if we can shakes them back up again. "Some days you is the bug, and some days you is the windshield." We may wind up being the windshield.
April 18, 2001
Here's a roll-up since the last report. Bass are doing VERY well on artificials. The key is 'slowwww'. Most any lure works some, but it needs to be slowly presented. A soft jerk bait allowed to settle slowly and twitched ever so gently works well, as does a weightless worm worked the same way. Shallow crank plugs appear best when retrieved slowly with a stop-and-go approach. Topwater is sporadic, at best. I would not expect a great topwater bite. It might happen, but that is very 'iffy' right now. Topwater will probably come on strong sometime in the next few weeks. There seems to be a lot of fish in two places - the brush in the Stick Marsh (D-10, D-11, C-10, C-11 on our map) and just outside the stump lines in the south end of the Farm C-2, D-2). In either location, work along until you catch a fish and then cover that area very well. The bass seem to be in schools, but dispersed in an area. This is especially true over in the Stick Marsh side. Water is now 40 inches low.
April 16, 2001
We have indicated that a lot of bass are now coming from the Stick Marsh side and in the middle of all that standing brush. And, we have been using a number of lures successfully. But, a slowly sinking, weightless worm has been the real killer. I had someone send an email and he thought I had meant I was using a jerk bait most of the time. So, he's the detailed answer I sent him. Possibly, it will clear some things up.
"The truth is that I may have been a little unclear earlier. MOST of my bass from the wood have come on the WORM. I use a straight 6-7 inch worm that is somewhat soft and 'floppy'. I have been using the ZOOM trick worm. I use a 4/0 or 5/0 sproat hook, so it has some added weight. But, the ZOOM worm is dense. That means it throws well, plus has some weight of its own to make it sink. I just toss it right into a tree or bush and drop the line, with some slack, on the water and watch the line. No weight needed. I also used a Charlie's-brand soft jerk bait and it worked well. But, the worm lasted longer. I could just bite a ½ inch off the head when it got torn and keep on fishing it.
With the jerk bait, I used a 4/0 hook and a BB-size split shot right against the head. The size on the bag will say BB. You can also go 6-8 inches out in front of the bait and tie a swivel in the line. That will make it sink, too, so you won't need the shot. Those short fat jerk baits twist more than the worm, so the swivel can serve 2 purposes.
With both, I just let them sink for about 5 counts and then feel them for a taker, if I did not see any line movement. That's about. Kinda like 'do-nothing' fishing, if there ever was any!
If it gets really overcast, they will blow that weightless worm up when you just retrieve it slowly across the surface. No action; just a slow, steady retrieve. Sometimes you see a swirl, but most times you just feel a couple of light tugs and the line comes tight. My wife, Dot, caught a giant on that retrieve yesterday. But, in that case, we had substituted a lizard for the worm to just see if it would work, as well. A friend we had out in a fishing party a few weeks ago, Gary Sale, was touting the lizard over the worm and he made it work for him. Last week, he sent us a few packs in the mail, with a note that said they were for Dot so she could beat me next trip out. So the picture we made of Dot's big fish had to have the lizard package in it for Gary. In 3 hours, she had 26 fish to my 12, plus that big one (some were on the lizard; but, most were on the worm. I got waxed, but good. We were down in the south end of the Farm for that (C-2 and D-2), fishing the outer edge of the visible stump lines. The water depth drops about a foot pretty quick after you clear the main stump fields and there is a bit of grass growing. Most of the fish seemed to be from 6 to 15 feet out from the stumps. But, you can never tell when they followed it out.
Water remains 39 inches below normal, with no rain in sight.
April 6, 2001
FLASH!! Stick Marsh Bass Are Now Great On Artificials!
The nervously anticipated start of the prime artificial bite period for Farm 13/Stick Marsh bass appears underway. The accompanying photos were made 4 April.
Our guide trips two weeks ago caught approximately 300 of the mean-green, largemouth critters in six days. Four more trips have yielded about the same numbers. And, all of these have been on purely artificial offerings. However, there are two distinct differences in two weeks ago and now: the average fish is running almost twice size and we are getting a number of 'grown' bass each time out.
Just before, during, and for a period after the spawn, the Farm 13/Stick Marsh bass were reluctant to chase lures. This left many anglers with only one recourse - those expensive, but highly effective, wild shiners. Locals who have fished the Farm 13/Stick Marsh for many years recognize an early season slow-down as a normal event, but noted it had never been quite so difficult for those tossing artificial lures. One theory is that this year's early and exceptionally low water conditions possibly contributed in some way.
Whatever the reason, the fish are now making up for their Winter - early Spring doldrums - and in spades, too. Here's the detailed scoop.
The water levels in the Stick Marsh side are generally 3 ½ to 4 feet deep out in the center area, defined as coordinates 'D, C, and E' by '10, 11, and 12' on our web site's interactive map. The vast majority of the area contains the mummified remains of old trees and brush, with some growth exceptionally thick. The growth ranges from a few inches under the surface to 2-3 feet above. There is very sparse milfoil/hydrilla grass starting to emerge throughout the entire area, mainly near the bottom. But, the sparseness is such that it does not interfere with a lure. In fact, you may notice the grass unless you are using a Texas rig worm and happen to snag a small piece. The grass is a key element, in that it provides a haven for the baitfish and other prey items.
The bass appear to be keying to two types of locations: extremely thick brush areas; and, the stumps and limbs of the larger tree residue. While I am personally of the opinion that there is probably a fish by EVERY piece of wood out there, those two location types appear to stand out. The groups of bass, up to 6 pounds, seem to be in the thick stuff, while those really big girls appear to pick out the largest old tree in the area and get right up in the limbs next to the main trunk.
In the two weeks that we have had this hot pattern working, I have yet to see a baitfish skitter across the surface, or a bass break water. There are some large gar presently spawning in the areas and we have seen them bust the top. And, it is easy to differentiate between them and the bass. I know this reluctance by the bass to 'chase' is going to change soon (it usually happens around early May, when the buzz bait bite become unreal). But, for now, the bass appear to predominately want something dropped slowly right down their chimney. While flipping would seem an ideal approach, the water clarity is such that I believe it will spook the fish. We opted for the floating worm set-up (a 7-inch straight worm, pumpkin seed or blue fleck, a Texas-rigged 4/0 sproat hook, and no weight) and it's performance has been awesome, to say the least.
We simply toss the worm into the thickest part of the wood, or right into the middle of a tree-top, and then drop 2-3 feet of slack line down on the water. Then, we just watch the line for movement, just as one would a bobber. The nice thing is that this technique can be applied effectively under both calm and windy conditions (when windy, the presentation should be made directly downwind to prevent bowing of the line). Occasionally, the line will twitch, signaling a strike. But, the majority of times, the line slack line just starts to move and straighten out. It is important to set the hook quickly and apply immediate force to turn the fish towards you and get it out of the wood. This is easier said than done when the giant bass are involved, but it's either get her out quickly or you'll be broken off for sure. If she does wrap around a limb, just hold a slight pressure, or even give some slack, and it will surprise you how many times she will work herself loose.
Other lures that are producing to a lesser degree are:
- Texas rigged 6-inch lizard, with a small (1/16 oz.) sinker. Remember, we are in shallow water and also want a slow lure drop. . Color did not matter.
- Spinnerbait, size and color immaterial. Both white and some wild orange colors have been equally effective. Leave off the trailer hook and fish slowly.
- Buzzbait, color immaterial. However, the small 1/8 and ¼ oz. sizes seem to have a decided advantage.
- Buzzbait, color immaterial. However, the small 1/8 and ¼ oz. sizes seem to have a decided advantage.
- Shallow zone (6-inches to 1 ½ feet) crank plug, retrieved with a medium speed 'stop and go' application. Strikes always come when the lure stops close to wood. We used a Spittin' Image in a shad finish. It ran the ideal depth and comes over most snags well.
Reports from the Farm 13 side of the impoundment seem to indicate a good topwater bite is underway. I was unable to duplicate that, however. There are a lot of fish on the Farm 13 side and the ones we have been taking were on the same lures as above, over and around emerging grass in the southern half.
The huge bluegills are lining up to bed. Get the crickets ready, Virgil. Everyone will get a limit! (By the way, limits for panfish are now 25 in aggregate, not the old 50.)
The crappie spawn is done, with a few stragglers remaining here and there. One of those 'here and there' locations is the grass along the edges of the SE floodgate basin (coordinates G-1). Look for emerging grass underwater and just out from the shoreline grass. It appears the bulk of the crappie spawned back in the shallow stump fields where we could not get to them. On, well. There's next year, Sunny.
April 1, 2001
Gas up the Ark, Noah, the Stick Marsh is rising!! We've had 2 days of GOOD rain in Central Florida and a lot of it cored itself in the area of the Stick Marsh. After all the rain Friday and Friday might, the water level was up an amazing 4-5 inches yesterday as of 2 PM. 2 of the gates were running hard - the one at the ramp area and the one on the east side mid-point of the Farm. With Saturday's deluge, I suspect we got a decent 3 inches. Couple that with the run-off bring pumped in and I suspect the Marsh will rise 8-10 inches, maybe a bit more. You will still need to idle to the rim canal, but the Farm's levees will be passable with care. Many you could not even idle over in places, but the rising waters will fix that. Just don't plane across them just yet.
Before the rains really set in, I took Tim Estes out yesterday at noon. We did not get our half-day in before the boomers ran us off, but we still had 22-24 pretty good fish. In the calm before the storms, we found the fish really stacked in the Stick Marsh side in the brush. Use coordinates D-8,9,10 and C-8,9,10 on my interactive map on the Marsh Information Page. Basically, the middle of the Marsh, but I expect you can find them anywhere.
The key is slow and subtle lure presentation. The absolute best was a floating worm tossed into the thickest wood and allowed to slowly sink on a very slack line (let a coil or two lay on the water so no wind affects it). All you do is watch the line like it was a bobber. Seems like there is a fish in every large brush top remains. The ones yesterday averaged a good 3 - 3 1/2 lbs, which means they are hard to get out of the stuff. Last week, with Gary and JT, we caught a lot in the same area, but they were mostly 2-3 lbs. Now, the size in getting better. Topwater produced 3, but was slow. You had to twitch once and just wait (as long as 30 seconds) for a strike. I can't fish that slowly. The Swimmin Image, buzz bait, spinnerbait and Texas rigged lizard worked last week, so I suspect they will still be fine.
The one problem is that lovely rising water. It will cover the tops again and make the specific tops and clumps of brush difficult to locate. Lots of fish out there now. Time top move out of the Farm for awhile.
NOW AVAILABLE: We just finished the first version of the Farm 13/Stick Marsh section which provides history, current conditions, current fishing reports, special information topics, AND an interactive map. The map, a creation of Bryan Hague of Fishing-Hunting.com, allows you to point to a section of the impoundment and have a pop-up window appear with the information about that section.
Today's Weather for
the Stick Marsh Area
Past Fishing Reports
Farm 13/Stick Marsh Information Guide
Email questions to jporter@jimporter.org.
|
Recommended sites by The Fishin' Tipster |
A common question that we get: "Is there somewhere close to get bait and tackle?" This is where we get our bait.
Pete and Tina Heinz / 9 South Mulberry St. / Fellsmere, FL 32948 / 772-571-9855
Get your site listed here
Let us help you drive more targeted traffic to your site.
|
Rank our Site
©Copyright 2001-07 All rights reserved by Jim Porter, any reproduction, quotation or other use of this site or its elements is prohibited without the express written permission of Jim Porter
|
|
FROGG TOGGS RAIN GEAR
THE BEST PRICES AVAILABLE!!
|
|
