|
|
FARM 13 / STICK MARSH FISHING REPORT
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE and come back often to see the latest detailed Stick Marsh fishing reports available.
"While we are out of town, our good friend and fishing associate, Stan Daniel of the Fish Catchers Guide Service, has graciously agreed to provide current fishing and status reports on the Farm 13/Stick Marsh. Stan is a full-time guide on the Marsh and a quality individual. Jim highly recommends Stan."
August 16, 2003
 Water Level and Clarity: Approx. 2 ft. above normal, Clarity 2 to 3 Ft.
Grass Conditions: Hydrilla topped out all along south end of Farm 13 and old canal levees.
Best Current Patterns and Areas: We have lots of moving water so anywhere you have current you have some bass.
Best Lures and Colors: Carolina Rigged plastics, rattle traps, Dark colored plastics worked best, blue/chrome Rat-L-Trap.
Comments/Tips/Recent Trips: On Friday and Saturday I spent all of my time fishing the spillway area. There is water coming through the gate and through the pipes just east of the gate. The bass can be caught from the spillway all the way out to the cut back into the main lake, so if you get there a little late don't worry you can still catch them even if you can't get up to the cable. If you decide that you want one of the prime spots up near the cable and your coming on the weekend the only thing I can say is be there early. On Saturday I arrived at the ramp at 4:30 AM and my party met me at 5:00, in front of us were two boats that were gone from the ramp when I got there.
I normally do not like to get into the number of fish caught, but to give you an idea of how fun it can be the two trips together produced well over a 100 bass. That's fishing six hours alone on Friday and six hours for two of us on Saturday. The size of the fish have been running from one to six pounds. It is a very special time at the Stick Marsh right now, it does not happen often and no one can tell how long it will last. As long as it keeps raining the gates should stay open, but there is no schedule and no one can tell you how long the water will run, so if you have a chance, get out there soon and enjoy some fantastic fishing.
Weather Comments: Light winds and warm in the mornings; hot with thunderstorms in the afternoons.
SAFETY NOTES:
- Drink lots of liquids.
- Learn to recognize the symptoms of heatstroke.
- Watch for storms and that killer lightening.
August 10, 2003
 Water Level and Clarity: Approximately 2 ft. above normal. Clarity varies from 1 to 3 Ft., depending on location.
Grass Conditions: Hydrilla topped out all along south end of Farm 13 and old canal levees.
Best Current Patterns and Areas: We have LOTS of moving water right now. Anywhere you have current flow, you have bass.
Best Lures and Colors: Carolina rigged plastics, Color does not seem to matter much.
Comments/Tips/Recent Trips: On Saturday, I spent some time on the south end of Farm 13 throwing a scum frog on the hydrilla mat. This is not something that I have personally done a lot of at the Stick Marsh. After two hours of throwing the frog on to the mat I had produced 6 bites and boated 5 of the fish. None of these fish were over three pounds, but the strike was worth the time and effort. All six of the fish that hit the frog would come take the frog then continue up into the air a good foot out of the water with the frog in their mouth. Not many bites, but a ton of fun.
I then headed over to the SE corner to check the water at the spillway; it was running at a good pace. So, I set up on the east side, near the cable, and began Carolina rigging a Stick-O in the current. After finding where the fish had set up, you could catch one almost on every cast; nothing huge just nice 2 to 4-pound fish.
On Sunday I fished with Mark Harrison from North Carolina. Mark wanted to take a couple dozen shiners with us. So, after picking them up we headed out to the Spillway with great expectations. But, upon arrival, I knew things would be different from Sat. What had happened was that on Sat. afternoon, and most of Sat. evening, the skies had opened up and it rained like pouring water out of a bucket. So, when we got there, the first thing I noticed was the water had gone from being clear to having a brown tint to it and there was a ton of debris coming through the gates. Also, the current was twice as strong as it was the day before. After spending over an hour, we produced zero fish and zero bites, so it was time to go.
We headed up to the pumping station on the east wall and found it to be running and the water much cleaner. We got the boat set up and began Carolina rigging the shiners out in the current. Thirty minutes past no fish, then things changed. That water management truck came by started another pump, which increased the current, and the fish started biting almost instantly. We spent most of our day here catching fish on the shiners until they were gone and Carolina rigged Stick-O's. When we got back to the ramp area, we fished the cut that goes into the Marsh and also found some fish here. Current was moving well due to water being released from the Stick Marsh into the St. Johns River basin. Again, the Carolina rig was the technique of choice.
As the water continues to run and clean up this week, the fishing should get nothing but better. Also, while this water is moving, do not forget about the intersections of the canals on Farm 13 and the numerous cuts in the North side of the ditch that separates the two lakes.
Weather Comments: Light winds and warm in the mornings, hot with thunderstorms in the afternoons.
Safety Tip: Thunder means lightning is up there somewhere. Lightning kills, even if it doesn't hit you directly. The shock of a nearby strike can render you senseless and/or knock you out of the boat. Summer is lightning time, so be careful for yourself and your loved ones!
August 4, 2003
Water Level and Clarity: Normal, with 2-3 Ft. visibility.
Grass Conditions: Lots of Hydrilla topped out on the Farm 13 side; still a limited amount on the Stick Marsh side.
Best Patterns and Areas: South end of Farm 13 around small patches of Hydrilla; all the rain keeps the spillway in southeast corner hot when running; old canal intersections sometimes hold schools.
 Best Lures and Colors: Blue/chrome chug bug, blue/chrome RattleTrap, white/chartreuse buzzbait, soft jerk baits.
Comments/Tips/Recent Trips: When fishing the hydrilla on the South end of the Farm, look for small patches of hydrilla in 4-5 ft. of water; the chug bug and buzzbait have been working well. The old canal intersections are holding fish, but you have to be there at the right time. The fish are busting shad in these areas and can be caught on RattleTraps. If you have the chance, it does not hurt to check the intersections a couple of times during your day to see if they are active. The spillway is running at a good pace, and the fish can be caught on RattleTraps and Carolina-rigged plastics.
Weather Comments: Getting out early is a must! This past week, the thunderstorms have been rolling in fairly consistently during the afternoons. Lots of heat and light winds until the storms show up. Bring lots of water to drink.
Safety: Get off the water when storms approach! Lightning and high winds spell danger. Dehydration leads to heat stroke so drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol; it actually aids dehydration!!
July 26, 2003
Water Level Clarity: Normal.
Clarity: 2-3 ft.
Grass Conditions: Still topped out on the South end of Farm 13, Patches of grass now extend North almost out to the center (coordinates A4 to G4) East/West ditch
Best Current Patterns and Areas:
- South end Farm 13 - chug bugs, buzzbaits, soft jerkbaits around patches of grass.
- Twin Palms area in the Stick Marsh side - chug bugs, soft jerk baits, rattletraps
Best Lures and Colors: Chug Bug (blue/chrome), jerk bait (pearl)
Comments/Tips/Recent Trips: The last two guide trips to the Marsh have produced 20-25 fish each day. The fish have been 2-3 pounds, with one that weighed in at 6 pounds. This fish was the largest of both trips. The trick to the chug bug, which has been producing throughout the day, is to fish it slowly. There has been very little wind the past week and the fish seem to like the bait sitting still, twitch it real easy twice then let it set for 5-6 seconds before moving it again. Not many fish busting shad, nor has there been very many fish on the north end of the ditches in Farm 13
Weather Comments: Highs around 90, afternoon thunderstorms, little to no wind, except when the storms approach.
 Provided by:
Stan Daniel
The Fish Catcher's Guide Service
Tel 772-344-7148
Rates: Full Day: $275; Half Day: $200
Today's Weather for
the Stick Marsh Area
Past Stick Marsh 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!!
|
|
