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FARM 13 / STICK MARSH FISHING REPORT
DECEMBER 2002
As a fitting closeout to the Year 2002, we had the pleasure of fishing with a special gentleman.
Tom Lazarczyk called and said he wanted to set up a guided trip on the Marsh. He indicated his brother-in-law, Ed Eller, was going to be visiting Florida for the holidays from cold, cold Minnesota. All during the conversation, Tom kept pressing his point that he wanted Ed to be the focal point of the outing and to have a good experience.
Came the night before our trip, Tom gave me the obligatory 'night before' phone for final coordination. During the course of that call, he again emphasized the trip was to be structured around Ed. But, Tom also made just the slightest mention of the fact that he had acquired a 'minor head cold' from the recent cold fronts. I let him know that I had some medication on-board, but to be sure and bring his own, if need be.
It was about 45 degrees at the ramp when we launched. Ed had come to sunny Florida for the holidays and was wondering what this weather was about. But, being seasoned tournament fisherman, he came prepared.
Tom did, too. But, his preparations were a few pain pills and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. The guy basically had the flu. But, he disallowed any knowledge of sickness. During the day, Tom took the pills and sucked that pink stuff occasionally. It was not until late in the day that we saw just how sick he was. In fact, he was one miserable puppy from 8:00AM until 5:20PM. But, he made sure Ed got a great fishing trip.
Relatives like that are hard to find and I salute Tom Lazarczyk with my own 'Special Gentleman' award.
This trip started out terrible. Those two boats that try and follow me to find where we catch fish were just out of luck.
We cranked and cranked. No bass.
We wormed and wormed. No bass.
The fish has gone to Wal-Mart to return Christmas gifts, I suppose. Heck, why not? That's where everyone else was! (Just be glad YOUR job is not the Wally-Mart return desk the day after Christmas!)
So, we set up with shiners on the same hole that we crank baited. \
BAM!! The first shiner in the water never stopped and a good, chunky fish came leaping into the air.
But, that was it. All stop. Cease-fire. Anglers go south; fish go north. No more bites. No more nothing!!!
We checked another couple of holes, including one with moving water. Nothing. Water had just started running and was trashy.
So, we go to an area one of my guide partners, Stan Daniel, had clued me to a few days before (three of us fish the Marsh exclusively and share our locations and tactics; the third party is guide Randy Sanders).
Setting the big STRATOS up on the lower end of the middle north/south canal in the Farm 13 side, we send the shiners off to swim. CRASH, SPLASH, BANG, EAT, GRAB, JUMP --- my goodness, shiners are having a very rough existence. Stan was right on the money and the fish are all over this canal trace.
By the time we finish, Ed has done his thing and has a number good bass to the boat, plus a couple of big sows. Tom suffered in silence, while catching a few bass in-between shots of Pepto. In fact, there was even a double or two with the guys.
My hat is off to Tom. He hung in there and they DID have that great trip.
December 28, 2002
Mike Saccone and Gordie Braun were at the Marsh ramp one afternoon when I came in. It was easy to tell they were there for the first time and just looking around. So, I gave them a map of the Farm 13/Stick Marsh impoundment, answered a few questions, and made a couple of new friends. Gordie has retired to Florida from the New England area, while Mike only visits our warm climate for a few months each winter.
A couple of weeks later, the phone rings and it's Mike. He and Gordie want to try some of that great crappie fishing I had told them about. But, they wanted to use live bait, since that is how they fished back up north. I brought minnows, but it was my intention to teach these two old fishing buddies to use my PERFECT jig. And, they did, too. The minnows were never touched, while a lot of giant crappie made their way to the boat. See the 28 Nov 02 report and pictures in our archives.
In mid-December, Mike calls again. The Dynamic Fishing Duo wanted to come back for a repeat performance of their late November trip. However, instead of the Marsh's giant crappie, these two now want to try the bass fishing. They did such a job on the giant crappie the first go-around, I figured it might be a hard act to follow. But, the bass cooperated and we were all amazed at the marvelous Stick Marsh fishery once again!
Mike stated they really would like to fish live bait, as they were accustomed to doing for Pike and Walleye. So, this time we opted to carry a reserve of shiners 'just in case'. I still wanted to get them into artificials, but the customer is always right.
Cranks plugs turned a decent number of bass rather quickly, but all were less than 3 lbs. Still, they were 'great fish' where Mike and Gordie came from, I was told.
Then, Mike explained why he had been insistent on the shiners. Apparently, the pair really LIKED to watch those bobbers swim around and 'crash dive' with a fish attached. Both explained what it was like to fish a big Chubb or sucker for those huge Northern Pike and how exciting it could be. Their enthusiasm convinced me and I got the shiner rods out.
We never even started the motor for the first foray with the shiners. Right adjacent to the shell beds we had just worked with the crank plugs, there was a nice submerged grass bed. The water depth in that area is 7 feet. But, the grass bed grew on top of a mound that was about 2 feet high off the bottom, or 5 feet down. Very near that mound, there is a 12-foot deep rectangular hole, obviously man-made. I stumbled over this bit of interesting structure one day while paying attention to my depth finder and tossing Rat-L-Traps. I really don't know what the hole was for, as it is just out there away from the canal a hundred feet, or so. But, I do suspect the mound is the dirt that came from digging it. Whatever the case, that mound and its grass has produced a LOT of bass, as well as big crappie, for my clients and me. In fact, in 1995, I caught my first real Stick Marsh giant (15 lbs. 1 oz.) off it on a spinner bait.
Mike really came to love this grassy mound, too. His shiners took the first three bass off the spot and each was an even 5 lbs. Just like they came from the same mold. Then, Gordie got into the act with a pair of smaller fish.
Mike's bobber was making some serious circles and his shiner was obviously very scared of something. It bobbed and trembled and darted to and fro. It appeared that something was just toying with the bait. Many times a big Needlefish, Gar, or a Mudfish will do this. Then, the bobbed went the way of Davy Jones' Locker and Mike set back hard. He got his fish just fine. But, he was amazed to see that it was a Pike and said he did not know they lived this far south. I advised him that it was actually a Chain Pickerel, a close relative of the Pike, and that the Marsh held many in the areas of clearer water and grass beds.
Moving over to the gate along the east wall of the Farm 13 side, we found the water moving at a slow pace. But, moving water is still moving water!! I place the boat near the gate and dropped two anchors over. Feeding out rope, I let the current flow take the boat out near the back lip of the blowout hole. Then, much to Mike's dismay, off came the bobbers.
It was time to free-line a shiner, I advised and told them they would really like this. There would be nothing to watch; just keep a good grip on my rods!!!
I am not sure how may fish we caught on that spot, but we used up all the shiners. Even the dead ones were eaten with great enthusiasm. (With dead shiners and current flow, always hook the shiner in the rear part of the tail and let him face downstream. I suppose it looks as though the shiner is swimming. Whatever, it always works great.
Mike got his big bass at almost 6 pounds on a dead shiner, plus a whole bunch of 3-4 lb. fish. Gordie had the bad luck of the trip, losing three giant fish right up close to the boat, just out of net range. But, he also brought a dozen others into the boat. The 'biggest fish of the day' honors, if we can call it that, went to Mike with a 24 lb. Mudfish. (Just a bit of trivia here: If you check the record books, I think you will find 19+ lbs. is the official World record on rod and reel for Grindle/Mudfish. But, who wants that record, anyway?!)
The Stick Marsh has now blown Mike and Gordie away with giant crappie and great bass fishing. I wonder what it's going to be next time? Maybe those bluegills that average a pound and a quarter?
Mike said they wanted to go out again sometime in January. I know I am sure looking forward to it. Fun guys and great fishing - it doesn't get much better!
December 24, 2002
The New Hampshire pair of Mike Norman and Mitch Lunin invaded the Stick Marsh recently.
Now, these guys were a pair! If you recall some earlier reports, I indicated that it is really great to get on the water with two anglers who have been fishing buddies for a long time. They always have bets on first fish, most fish, biggest fish, and so on. Plus, they have so many great fishing tales to tell about their past adventures that I wish I could record them all.
In addition to all the bets and stories these two had going, Mitch mentioned something about his car and an accidental fender scraping. I mentioned he could probably get that one right past his insurance company if he told the story right. He, then, stated that he probably could have at one time. But, Mike was his insurance agent. Hum, I pondered that one and then said something to the effect that, if that were the case, Mitch should probably treat Mike right. Mike then said it was a moot point and that he would support most any claim from Mitch. The reason was, he indicated, that Mitch was his dentist. Then, Mike mumbled something about getting in that dang dental chair and not making it out with a tooth left in his head, if he did something funny. I think he had a point!!
When Mike contacted me about fishing, he was emphatic that he and Mitch wanted to fish only artificials. He noted that Mitch did not have too much experience with lures, but that this trip was sort of an early Christmas present to his buddy and also to get him more attuned to fishing artificials. Well, I think we got Mitch 'attuned' OK. In fact, when the friendly dentist got that Carolina Rig under control, he sort of 'whupped' up on Mitch. Here's that tale.
We had one full day and a half of the following day to fish. Then, Mike and Mitch had to make a mad dash to the Orlando airport for a quick trip back to snow-shoveling country. So, the guide's plan was to find enough fish for day one and then go back on the best spots for the shorter day two. Everything worked out, with 41 bass coming over the side the first day and 22 the following morning. Not at all shabby for artificials this time of year.
On day one, we took the Rebel Deep Wee Rs swimming along the canal edges and the reliable shell beds. It doesn't hurt at all that there are a couple of small ditches that intersect these canals and their levees, either. Mike casts and cranks like he has done it before. Mitch works at it a bit and then gets the hang of what's going on. Before we leave the area, the fishing pals have 22 bass caught and released on the plugs.
Mike says he'd like to fish a plastic worm for awhile so Mitch can see something different. I ask if he wants to go with a Texas Rig or a Carolina Rig. Mike answers 'yes'. (That's Weekend Semi-Pro talk for 'let the guide make the call'. Because it is a bit easier for Mitch to get the feel of a Carolina Rig, I opt for it. Mike says he would like to rig with ¼ oz sinkers since we are in shallow water and some grass. (I see he has done this before!)
Working some canal levees, we found the bass liked seeing those slinky plastics crawl by. They inhaled them pretty good. Before the day was out, Mitch was working that worm very well. But, Mike had gotten ahead of him during the early stages. Final day's total: 41 bass, with Mike having the lead.
The next morning we again stop on the shell beds. Mitch has gotten a good bit of confidence in the artificial lure approach by now and the bets are on again. The black and silver Rebel crank plug sails out and digs the bottom coming back. BAM - Mitch has a fish. SLAM - Mitch has another fish. After the second dentist fish goes on the lure, Mike says he is going to get even. He hardly gets the words out of his mouth, before he does, too. GRAB - RUN - JUMP - under the boat and around the boat and over hill and dale the bass went. But the hooks held and Mike got his 'biggie'.
The pair managed to coax another three bass onto the plugs before the hole seemed to just dry up. So, it was off to the worm locations.
And, the boys only needed one spot to do 16 more fish and finish their partial day trip. I think it can safely be said that, on this worm hole, Mitch was the one who got even and he did it pretty impressively, too. Of the 16 total off the hole, Mitch racked up 14 of them. Both anglers fished pretty much the same spots, especially when Mike was trying to figure out why he couldn't raise a strike. Mitch finally confessed that he was getting his fish whenever he could drag the worm over a small rough spot, probably a rock or two. He said that he was just stopping the worm and letting it sit still for a moment, or two, and the bass seemed to take it while it was still. (Personally, I think he was putting some type of magic dentist potion on the lure.)
Mike and Mitch were very complementary of the Stick Marsh and its fabled bass fishing. And, I know I had a blast just sharing a boat with these two great friends.
It's a tough life, but someone has to do it.
Next up, Mike Saccone and Gordie Braun come back for a repeat performance of their late November trip. However, instead of the Marsh's giant crappie, these two now want to try the bass fishing. They did such a job on the giant crappie the first go-around, I figured it might be a hard act to follow. But, the bass cooperated and we were all amazed at the marvelous Stick Marsh fishery once again!
December 11, 2002
Ms. Suzanne Stay, who was a client last week, called and wanted to learn to really bass fish. Although crappie had been her thing up to now, she saw just enough of the bass action on our trip to make her want more. So, how can you turn down a pretty lady? Especially when she says she also wants the guide to fish, too, so she can see how he casts, works lures, and selects the fishing spots.
I tell every fishing party that I take out that they should NEVER let the guide fish. That's dumb! If you pay good money for a guide, that it exactly what he/she should do - put you in a boat, take you to an area of fish, and explain to you what to use and how to use it. If you let the guide fish, you can bet he will catch a lot of YOUR fish. He already knows how and where really well. You can't see that submerged stump or treetop. But, HE knows just where it is.
But, Suzanne said she wanted to see me catch fish, as well as catch them herself.
So, I did.
I sure did!
Yesterday, we met at the ramp at noon for what was to be a most memorable day. We only fished two places over a 3-1/2 hr period. But, it was more than enough.
First spot: shell bed flat in 6-8 feet of water along a canal drop line. Results: 12 fish to 4 lbs.
Second spot (you can probably tell from the background of the pictures): an area to the west of the inflow gate on the east wall of the Farm 13 side. Results: 22 fish to 13-lb. 7 oz. That right; it isn't a typo. That is the third biggest I have been lucky enough to get from the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 impoundment. Added to that were a 6 pounder, 2 at 5 lbs., 4 more close to 4 lbs., and a whole bunch below that.
Most people try to fish the hole in front of that gate. For years, we have been doing something that works a LOT better and that is moving out a good bit further. West of the gate and its blowout hole is the start of the east/west canal across the middle of the Farm. No one EVER works with that near part of the canal and its levees. Well, we do. 'Nuff said on that. You can figure it out, I am sure.
I really only caught 4 bass near that gate, and Ms. Stay did all the rest of the damage. She used the Deep Wee R in 6 feet or less of water and a Carolina rig in the deeper zones. I checked to be sure the bass were there for her and caught my first one on the first cast. Then, I just let her learn and I critiqued her. Fishing off the other end of the boat, I caught a couple on a Texas rig somewhat later. Getting bored, I guess.
The action started to slow down, so I told Ms. Stay that I would check further up the canal to see if there were others. That big Fat Free Shad is very heavy and I can cast it a mile. So, I heave it darn near out of sight, crank it down, and start churning the bottom a bit.
Then came the strike. Everything just stopped. For a moment I thought I had hung on a submerged log. But, then, the 'log' moved. Whatever I had was slow and very heavy. I told Ms. Stay that I was not sure what I had, but that it was VERY big. I figured it might be a big catfish, as I have caught them before and they feel a lot like being tied to the bumper of a slow Volkswagen. But, it did not roll or jerk like a cat. I though 'maybe a big mudfish'. However, mudfish, no matter what size, have a jetpack on their back and go like an Indy racecar. I have even snagged a big turtle and a small alligator before and they move slow, but very commandingly.
I guess I was hoping it was a bass, but it was a far stronger fish that any I have ever encountered. I just could not believe a bass would move like that. While I tried to control the fish and keep it from the anchor rope, Ms. Stay stated that, if it were a bass, wouldn't it try to jump? Well, to this point the fish had stayed down and made no attempt to come shallow at all. So, that gave another factor that indicated it might not be a bass.
The fish then came about and went under the boat. I knew I had to stop that or the anchor rope would surely foul the fish. I thumbed the spool to stop the drag and prayed the line would hold. Actually, I was more worried about the snap giving that the 20-lb. Fireline.
It was a standoff for a few seconds. The fish stopped, but I could not budge her. Then, it happened. She came from under the boat in a sweep to the rear and tried to surface. My gosh, what a bass!!
She was obviously too big to jump and just rolled over at the surface and went down again. Suzanne Stay had seen the bass clearly and she was almost in shellshock, mumbling some like 'Lord, what a fish.' I kicked the net at her and said she would need to net this one. Ms. Stay did not hesitate a second, grabbed that net and went to the side of the STRATOS.
I instructed her NOT to try and net the fish. Instead, I explained, put the net under water and let me lead the fish over it. Then, simply come up with the net. At that point, I was not really doing the leading in the dance we were having. The big sow bass was still doing that. I was just following. One more wide arc away from the boat and the fish turned in towards the pressure I was putting on her. I knew then that, if the hooks held, she was ours.
I have to say that Ms. Stay did an absolutely perfect job with the net. She did not try to swipe at the bass and stayed calm as could be (well, she was continually mumbling to herself). The net was a foot under, the big bass came right to it, and Suzanne raised the net to the surface of the water. Then, we both just stared in amazement. The fish was so tremendous in size, it was staggering. We knew it was big, but not like this!
We weighed it twice on a Berkley digital scale and it read 13.4 lbs. 4/10ths of a pound coverts, then, to 6.5 - 7 oz. One genuine grown fish. I suspect this will be the big fish of the year for artificials.
The bass was what we call a 'football bass'. It appeared to be a young fish that had just grown very, very fast. Its girth and head had grown rapidly in the fertile waters of the Farm, with the body length just not developed yet. Its mouth was bigger as any I have ever seen. And I have 2 over 15 lbs. to my credit. You can see from the picture that the mouth looks like something from saltwater.
I did not have a tape to do the girth. The length was right at 29 inches, which I later determined from having laid it along the net and then going back and measuring that portion of the net length. . I would then think the girth was 24-25 inches, a real rarity.
After a few quick pictures (INCLUDING ONE WITH Ms. Stay holding the bass), I asked Ms. Stay to release the fish. I explained what to do, and she gently moved the big fish back and forth through the water to pass water over the gills. Soon, the sow bass flipped her tail hard and Ms. Stay saw that as the signal to turn her loose. Of course, the bass then flipped her tail again, harder, and doused us both a little. I took it as a goodbye kiss from a fine lady.
I believe Suzanne Stay got just what she asked for. She got to catch a lot of bass and in different ways. She learned how to use crank plugs and worms. She got a really great practical exercise on netting and releasing a big bass.
But, most of all, she got the point - never let the darn guide fish!!!
Stick Marsh bass are getting ready to start bedding. You cannot sight fish this water, due to clarity, but knowing they are staging should tell you a lot of places to look. I have not had to wet a shiner in a long time now. For the past month, my parties have been getting 40-60 per day and all on artificials. We use the mid-size Cordell Big O (model C77) in the stick marsh side stumps and timers. It runs the proper depth does not hang very much (due to its shallow angle of attack). In 6-9 feet, we are using the reliable old Deep Wee R (model D93). It has been the real quantity taker. Just crank the dickens out of it and hold on. The big 3" Fat Free Shad (model BD7F) does the trick in the deep areas, such as the deeper canals and the blowout holes near the various gates. The key has been to either root the bottom hard, or bounce off the stumps sharply. Those both indicate a fairly fast retrieve is being used. Colors have been black/silver and Firetiger. After the active fish are taken on the cranks, we switch to Texas or Carolina rigged worms. Which one depends on the cover (or lack of) present. All the reports, info, and pics are on my web site. You see a lot of reports about the Rat-L-Trap doing well, too. So, I emphasize to that you DO NOT need to use shiners, IF you know where to fish the artificials properly. This has been a really great Fall and early Winter for artificials. Maybe, if enough of us keep using them, it will bring down that obscene price for shiners.
December 9, 2002
When Suzanne Stay emailed us about a trip to the Stick Marsh, she was quick to point out that her Father was a live bait fisherman. He had never really fished by casting artificials. So, he was not very practiced and adept at a spinning rod. We know spinning rods are very simple to use, as well as teach to use. All you do it point your finger at the target to release the line. So, while we did bring along a few live minnows and shiners, we had every intention of Bill Stay fishing with artificials.
And, he did. In fact, after 1 minute of instruction and 2 minutes of practice, Bill Stay caught his first bass on a crank plug. He smiled like a guy who finally figured out he could twist that beer bottle cap off and not use an opener! During the rest of our trip, he would catch bass and possibly 25 of the 60 crappie caught that day on the PERFECT jig. Suzanne Stay says her likes fishing a spinning rod now.
Suzanne had been trying to catch those big Stick Marsh crappie. That's why she contacted us. She was zeroing, while we were posting reports of great catches of BIG crappie on jigs. The young pharmacist from our local Wal-Mart said she would like us to show her how to do it. We told here she could invite a second person along at no additional cost and she said, "Great. I'll bring Daddy."
As we launched at the ramp, it appeared everyone else was coming in. The winds had gone from calm to 20 MPH with hardly a bit of warning and it was really white-capping on the Farm and Marsh sides. Well, we decided, we are here and we came to fish. So, we decided to give it a shot. George Welcome was taking out and offered some information on where the hyacinths were stacking up and where the winds were the worst. Using that data, we planned to fish selected spots that would be at least a bit protected.
But, of things, the winds gradually started to lay. As soon as everyone was gone (except us), the winds dropped to 12-15 MPH and then suddenly to 5-10. Within 3 hours, it was calm. We sure took advantage of that.
We made our way to the shell bed area that been so good to us recently and started bouncing the Rebel Deep Wee Rs off the bottom with a medium-fast retrieve. The waves had the boat rocking, but not to bad to fish. Bill, having about gotten the handle on that spinning stuff by now, was sending his plug downwind with the best of them. Sure enough, a wet lure often catches a fish and (BANG!) his first one ever was a solid 3 lbs.
Daughter, Suzanne, was not wasting any time either and put the Fireline to the test with some nice bass. Nothing big came on the crank plugs, with the largest being about 5 lbs. However, there were none under 3 lbs., either. Good 'catching' fish, in anyone's book.
Suzanne indicated they really wanted to try the crappie fishing, so we sent the big STRATOS skimming across the Farm. Finding one of our productive crappie spots along a submerged levee on a North/South canal, we proceeded to locate the exact place to anchor. Then, we dug out a couple of ultralight outfits, put a couple of PERFECT jigs on each and began some crappie fishing instruction.
We have found that the Farm 13 area, as well as the big canal dividing the Marsh and the Farm, is simply full of crappie. I mean there are so many, I do not see how the food supply supports them, much less all the other fishes in the place. The key to the BIG crappie, however, is the deeper water of the canals, themselves.
We use the depthfinder and position the boat in the canal. Then, we cast straight down the canal and allow the jigs to settle to the bottom. In 1 of 5 casts, a crappie will take the jig on the drop, so be alert for that bump. Keep a tight line and stay alert. If the jigs make it to the bottom, we simply raise the rod tip to lift the jigs a bit and start a slow, steady retrieve back to the boat. Suzanne Stay found she could do well with a pull-drop retrieve, while her Father and I continued with the steady retrieve.
While crappie fishing, we positioned the boat on three separate locations. Of the three, two were full of crappie. One, out on a Farm canal, was loaded with quality specks. The tasty panfish were so thick, Suzanne got a big thrill by catching two at once on her tandem jig rig.
Poppa Bill, all this time, was sandbagging us while he practiced with the spinning rod and the light jigs. The, he started to fish seriously. Bill then caught a LOT of fish in a very short time. He and Suzanne double up numerous times during that period. It was impossible to keep up with how many crappie those two people caught.
Everyone went home happy with another great day on the Marsh. I had a ball, too, shooting pictures and acting out the part of the guide.
As you can tell from this, and previous fishing reports, we are experiencing a real boom in big crappie very early in the winter season. Usually, the best crappie fishing is in Feb - Mar. But, it is as good right now as I have seen in 6 years. There are even crappie in that big divider canal between the Farm and the Marsh. The bass, likewise, have been exceptional. In four guide trips, we have caught approximately 220 largemouths. None have been our sought-after giants, but we have had 5-6 LB fish. And, we are doing everything on artificials.
Next up, we will be reporting on The New Hampshire pair of Mike Norman and Mitch Lunin, as we get 41 bass on one day and 22 in the next partial day cut short by storms. I do believe Mitch 'came of age' with a Carolina rigged worm on these outings. On the first day, he floundered around a bit with the worm. But, he then brought in the last six bass of the day rather quickly. On our short second day, he took 14 fishing off one structure feature, while Mike only managed 2. For the combined day and a half, I think it was a dead heat fishing between the two anglers.
Be sure to read the details and see the great photos when we post this report very soon!
December 4, 2002
Prior to heading back to the cold weather of Kentucky, Phillip Semones, his son Chris, and their friend, Josh Gains, stopped by to sample the Stick Marsh fishing extravaganza. It was a half-day trip that most can only dream of -- 60+ bass on worms and crank plugs. Non-stop action signified this outing. It made it all worth it to have driven 150 miles to and from the Marsh that day.
With the bass being so stacked on our shell bed hawg hole for the Pace family a few days earlier, we decided that was the place to start for Phillip Semones and his crew. The fish had been using this area for a couple of weeks, but the Pace trip showed that they could be there in huge numbers at times.
Rigging up with the good old Deep Wee R, everyone was soon cranking plugs from every direction. The poor bass probably thought a whole school of those tight-wiggling, silver & black lures must have been passing by. And, sure enough, there were some bass there to watch them, not to mention take a swipe at them. Bang, splash, jump, run, jump again - it was pretty good for a few moments. And, then, as suddenly as it started, the action slowed.
While the guest anglers were cranking those plugs, the friendly guide had been sampling what else might work if the plugs didn't. I was placing a Texas rig out behind the boat just seeing if I could draw a strike. That worked, too. So, we had a back-up to the plugs.
But, before we made a lure change, I suggested we make a big circle around the area with the crank plugs and see if the bass had just re-positioned themselves a bit. They will often do that if the winds have changed and the induced water currents change the baitfish locations. After moving about 3/4ths of the way around the search circle, I was starting to have some doubts.
And, then three Deep Wee R's came to the boat with 11 pounds of thrashing bass attached. It quickly became obvious to even the most casual observer that we had found our school of fish.
For a period of time, nearly every cast with the plugs brought a strike. The action was fast and furious. As usual, I was tossing the worm away from the action trying to see if it would draw a strike. Three casts and three fish showed that the worm would work. I asked Josh to cast his Deep Wee R where I had hooked up with the worm. Coming to the front of the boat, he cast the lure in almost the opposite direction from the big school location. They ate his plug like cats after mice.
I put the worm out in another quadrant where no one was presently casting and BANG - it was quickly inhaled. Suddenly, I realized that we might have actually anchored this time in the MIDDLE of the school.
What tough, tough luck!!
Gradually, the crank plug strike slowed, as the anglers caught and released the most active bass. So, we decided to change over to soft plastics.
Oops! No one was a worm fisherman. Phillip had a bit of experience, but he said it was very limited. Chris and Josh just asked what the heck a plastic worm was.
Once again, we had that golden opportunity to teach someone to fish a plastic worm from scratch!! Since we do it so much, this story seems to get old. But, for me, it is a thing of pure, unadulterated enjoyment when it works well. And, once again it did work like a charm.
Short and sweet, the key to mastering the plastic worm quickly is to go slowly.
- Forget what you feel on the bottom as you pull the lure. If it is not 'alive', it is not a fish.
- Forget all that gibberish about setting the hook quickly. A bass will NOT drop a plastic worm unless you scare him and that is hard to do.
- If you think you may have had a strike, it is easy to tell. Simply point the rod tip down and directly at the possible fish. Take up the slack line slowly and feel for his tugging or the line or the line 'swimming' off. If there is no feeling or other sign of life on the end of the rod, pull gently. If there is still no sign, it is not a fish.
The key point is that you have plenty of time to find out if it is a fish, because a bass is dumb. D-U-M-B. He will not drop that worm unless something happens that scares him. Plus, when he moves away from you, he has turned his head. That means you are pulling the hook back AGAINST his mouth, not out of it. I show nearly every guide customer how I can get a bass to take a worm and then lead him all around the boat like a dog on a leash without ever setting the hook.
Phillip, Chris and Josh had one other help in learning the worm art quickly: there were a LOT of bass there and they got a strike on nearly every cast with the soft plastic. It took only a few minutes before all three showed they could handle the plastic worm effectively.
It was another absolutely GREAT half-day trip and the Stick Marsh bass performed their magic in thrilling anglers once again.
And, I was enjoying it just as much as anyone. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!
In our next trip report, we'll tell you about the young lady who said her Father could not fish a spinning rod, so be sure to bring live bait for him. After 2 minutes of instruction and 5 minutes of practice, Bill Stay caught his first bass on a crank plug. During the rest of our trip, he would catch possibly 25 of the 60 crappie caught that day on the PERFECT jig. Suzanne Stay says her likes fishing a spinning rod now.
We'll see you then.
December 6, 2002
David Pace called and said he had two sons, ages 7 and 9, who were turning into fishing fanatics. They were watching the TV fishing shows, reading the magazines and surfing the web looking for fishing. But, they always had to fish off the bank in some small lakes/ponds in the Orlando area near their home. David said he wanted the boys to have a good fishing experience with a professional guide.
How do 10 bass to 6 lbs. on shiners and 50+ on crank plugs sound? Yep, that's what the boys did and you can see the pictures and read how they did it below.
A cold front had passed through central Florida the day before the Pace clan and I met at the Stick Marsh ramp. The weather was cool, sunny and a bit breezy. David's earlier description of Carson, 9, and Gordon, 7, was right on target. They were Ready-Teddy to rock and roll some bass. We wasted no time and set out for the wind-protected NW corner of the Marsh.
Based on the cold front's passage, we decided to start with a few shiners, expecting the bite to be slow. 'Slow' turned out NOT to be the word to describe. There was so much inactivity, even the shiners went to sleep. But, your friendly guide KNEW the fish were there. Heck, I have caught some of them so many times, I know them by first name. So, we hauled the shiner rods in and I said that we needed to FIND our fish before we could catch them.
Everyone was rigged up with that little magic green plug, the mid-sized Big O in FireTiger color. Plugs were flying everywhere, knocking the cormorants off the palm trees and bouncing across the submerged stumps and logs. Suddenly, a 2-lb. bass loaded on one of the plugs. He hit it hard, too! Then, two more grabbed themselves some Big O. Shortly thereafter, another two, then three came to the lure. While having caught these eight bass, the guide was noting the location each fish came from and was zeroing in on a circle of water and stumps about 30 yards in diameter. All the fish had come from within that circle. Guess where we sent those shiners swimming next?? (There ought to be a law!)
While the quantities were not what we would have liked, the size of the bass that ate the shiners was fairly good. The younger brother, Gordon, followed the fish and set the hook perfectly on a nearly 6-lbs largemouth. It was his biggest fish by far, the young man noted.
Meanwhile, as the boys taught the shiners to swim, David Pace was honing his skills with the plastic worm. I noted this and suggested that, when we moved, we should by-pass the next shiner spot and try an area of shell beds that produced fish on a plastic worm at times.
Soon, we found ourselves on the shelf that had the shell beds. The three Pace family anglers began tossing and pulling the Texas rigged worms, as suggested by the guide. The guide, in the meantime, starts to evaluate other options in the event the worms did not work. Noting the depth to be 6-7 feet over the shells, I pulled out a Rebel Deep Wee R and started casting the opposite direction from the area the Paces were worming.
Bam!! 5-lbs. of Stick Marsh largemouth went on the Rebel like it was a hot summer day and not a post-cold front condition.
On the next cast -- Whap!! - a 3-lber. Gobbles it up!!
By now, everyone was ready to throw the worms in the boat floor and grab a crank plug rod. And, so they did.
I put my Dee Wee R on Gordon's rod and passed two others to Carson's and David's. David said he was just going to watch the boys have fun. Can you guess how long that lasted??
Right, it lasted about 20 casts and 16 fish by the youngsters. Dad then decided there must be enough bass there to keep everyone happy, so he could fish, too. Sure enough, there were.
In the next couple of hours, the trio landed the remainder of the 50+ bass they wound up with. I lost count at around 50 and believe they probably caught and released another 10-15 before we pulled up stakes and left for the day. Plus, there were a good number that shook off before getting to the boat.
The nice part is that none of the fish was much less than 3 lbs. The odd part was that none were over 5-lbs. Usually, when you catch that many Stick Marsh bass, there will be a couple from 6-8 lbs. mixed in.
All in all, I think we had that 'good fishing experience' for Carson and Gordon. Dad even hair-lipped a few, too.
But, I had more fun that they did. Seeing kids catching fish, laughing and just having fun is a wonderful sight.
Our next fishing report will about to be written up and you will see it and the great photos in a few days.
Prior to heading back to the cold weather of Kentucky, Phillip Semones, his son Chris, and Chris' friend, Josh Gains, stopped by to sample the Stick Marsh fishing extravaganza. It was a half-day trip that most can only dream of -- 60+ bass on worms and crank plugs. Non-stop action signified this outing.
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.
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