Lake Okeechobee Fishing Reports and video fishing tips

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Oct 27th, 2008


The fishing on Lake Okeechobee has been for a lack of a better word “strange”. You can go out one day and catch them good and than the next day it is hard to find even a few fish. I think that the bass are still out roaming around and haven’t settled into any type of fall pattern yet. But with the cool temperatures that we are getting this week it should trigger the bass into wanting to eat and move into traditional fall areas. The lake level has remained at around fifteen feet above sea level and looks like that is what it will be going into the winter, this is good news and will enable the bass to spawn in areas that the fry should have plenty of cover to survive. For the past few years when the water level was low the bass had to spawn out in open water and the fry had no cover to hide in so the survival rate was low. I’m starting to see some hydrilla, lots of eel grass, and some pepper grass in a lot of areas around the lake.

Some of the areas that are producing bass are the East Wall, West Wall, Coots Bay, Long Point, and around Ritta Island. These areas all have certain or small areas that the bass seem to be holding in and can sometimes be hard to find. Some of these areas have very clear water and others have stained water in them it just all depends on which way and how hard the wind is blowing. When you do find bass in an area you should spend more time dissecting that area as most of the fish seem to be in small areas. There have been reports of bass being caught in the Monkey Box area but I can’t seem to locate any bass in this area. Some other great looking water is the shoal from the Blue Hole up to Cochran’s Pass but this is also an area that I can’t seem to locate any fish.

The bait selection the past couple weeks has been pretty small but does include the Swimming Senko, Snag-Proof Frog, and a buzzbait. As all the bass that my clients and I have been catching have been back in the thick grass a frog or weightless Swimming Senko have been the go to baits. The Snag-Proof Bobby’s Perfect frog I’m fishing is on a Deep South Frog rod with fifty pound test PowerPro line and an Abu-Garcia Revo STX reel. For the Swimming Senko I have been using a 7’2” Deep South medium heavy action rod with Gamma Edge 100% fluorocarbon line in sixteen and twenty pound test spooled on an Abu-Garcia Revo STX reel. When fishing the Swimming Senko I reel it slowly across the grass and than let it fall in any holes in the grass I can find. The buzzbait seems to work good when the wind is blowing hard and everything else is hard to fish. I like to throw a Cavatron buzzbait in 3/8 ounce size and use both a black and white colored ones. I have also been doing pretty good on wild shiners; the key is to find a hole back in the grass big enough to fish and than be patient and you will catch a few bass.

The bluegill bite has slowed down but I do know of a few guys that are still catching them on a regular basis. Fish a live cricket under a cork in the rim canal and on the inside of the dyke on the East Wall and down toward Bear Beach channel. As I write this South Florida has just had its first cold front of the year pass through and it should cool the water down even more which should get the bass move looking for bait. Good luck and hope to see you on the water and don’t forget to take time to take a kid fishing, you might just be the one to get them hooked on fishing not on drugs.



Bite of the Week

Fishing in the grass seems to be the hot spot to fish and the West Wall, East Wall, Coots Bay, and Ritta Island are great places to start. Use a Snag-Proof frog in black color or a weightless Swimming Senko to entice these bass into biting. I would also keep a buzzbait and a spinnerbait rigged for windy days. For fishing with wild shiners get back in the grass and look for holes big enough to fish in, they only need to be as big as your boat in size. Anchor your boat in the grass and fish in the open hole.











Sept. 30th, 2008



September has proven to be somewhat a tough month fishing here on the Big “O”. For most to go out and catch a couple fish a day has been good. The bass have been really scattered out, you may catch one or two fish in an area and than you have to find another area to catch them in, this is true even with wild shiners for bait. The water has slowed down flowing into Lake Okeechobee and has even gone down some in the past couple weeks to 14.95 feet above sea level. I believe that the water just needs to cool down a little and the water needs to clean up in some areas from the dead and dieing vegetation. As long as the wind isn’t blowing too hard to dirty up the water I have had good success on the outside grass line but when the wind blows and dirties up the water on the outside you need to move back in the grass. And this is where the trouble locating fish starts, I have found a few open water holes back in the grass and you can sometimes catch a bass or two out of them but for the most part you will put some time in to catch a few bass back in the grass.

The bass that my clients and I have been catching have been on worms and craws fished along the grass. A ten inch worm like the ones I use from Lake Fork Trophy Lures in junebug color fished with a 3/16 ounce weight on twenty pound test fluorocarbon line has been one of my best producing lures. A Swimming Senko would be my next choice for lures, fished weightless on a 4/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hook also attached to the twenty pound test fluorocarbon line. I swim the Senko through the grass till I get to an open hole in the grass and then just stop it and let it fall in the hole, if no bites just continue swimming it. The frog bite has slowed down but I’m still catching a few and most of them are really good fish. The Snag-Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog in black has been the best color and frog for me to use back in the real thick grass like almost all of the grass is. The fishing has been slow so you will want to really slow down and fish real slow to get the bites.

Some of the areas that have been good are Long Point, Ritta Island, Coots Bay, West Wall, and around Observation Island. It depends on the wind as to which areas will be the better ones. Try to fish the outside grass line first and move in grass farther as you try to locate the fish. I have heard of a few bass being caught back in the grass all the way against the hard line but the water quality is not very good back in with the dieing vegetation. There does seem to be a lot of bait back in the grass moving around so it is just a matter of time before the bass will be there also. By mid October the bass should really be moving in to the grass and feeding for the fall migration into the spawning areas.

In tournament news the Wal-Mart BFL was held last weekend out of Okeechobee with Alex Picos from Davie Florida winning with a two day total of 38.14 pounds, second place was Brandon McMillan from Belle Glade Florida with 38.08 pound for two day. The bass are out there as the tournament results show but they are a little bit hard to find for now.

The bluegill fishing has still been great with most of the bluegill being caught in the rim canal and dynamite holes. My neighbor and fishing guide Joe Payne has been catching a limit of bluegill on almost every trip out. A cricket fished under a cork is the best bet to catch some nice bluegill but a Bettle Spin will also work.



Bite of the Week

I would start fishing the outside grass line at Observation Island, Ritta Island, or Long Point and than slowly work my way back in the grass. Throw ten inch worm, swimming Senkos, or frogs and really fish areas thoroughly. Look for water that is not to dirty and does have a little wind blowing on it. For bluegill try some of the dynamite holes south of Clewiston with crickets.






September 15th, 2008



September is flying by here on Lake Okeechobee and the fishing has been really good as the water level continues to rise. For some though the fishing has been a little tough as they learn to fish in the grass of Okeechobee all over again. The bass are not everywhere and you will not catch a lot in one area but when you do find them you will be able to catch a fair number in the general area. With the water level at 15.15 feet above sea level it is no problem to go almost anywhere as long as you can get through the grass. I have been catching bass from above Cochran’s Pass to Kramer Island. The wind seems to have a lot of affect on where the bass are positioning themselves. If the wind blows pretty hard the bass are back in the grass more but when the wind lays down or just blows a little the bass are more toward the outside grass line. Most of this depends on if the wind is pushing the bait back into the grass or if they are hanging out on the edge of the grass.

Some areas that have been good the past couple weeks are both sides of Ritta Island, Long Point, Coots Bay, and around Observation Island area. Where I go depends on the direction of the wind, I like it to blow straight in against the grass if possible. Another thing to watch for is the dirty water, the harder the wind blows from out on the lake the dirtier the water on the outside of the grass is going to be but as you move farther back into the grass the water will clean up andalmost get to clear. I know everyone hates to fish in the wind but this is where the bass will be waiting to ambush bait that the wind pushes in to them. I use my Power-Pole to hold the boat on the outside of the grass and cast back into the grass a couple feet and work my bait out toward open water. Without a Power-Pole you could use an anchor but it would be a long day fishing a grass line for a couple miles if you have to pull the anchor all day, with the Power-Pole all I have to do is use the trolling motor to move me down the grass line and hit the remote to deploy the Power-Pole and I’m fishing. They are expensive but it is one piece of equipment that is on my boat that I couldn’t do without.

I have been catching bass on both artificial lures and wild shiners. The wild shiner fishing has been really good and all you need to do is find an area that the wind is blowing straight into the grass and anchor out a casting distance away and throw the shiners just of the grass line and give it some time and you will catch some nice bass. As for artificial lures I have been using topwater frogs and 10” worms for the most part. The Bobby’s Perfect Frog made by Snag-Proof has been producing better than any other top water baits I have been using and black seems to be the color to use. The other lure that has been working best is a 10” worm made by Lake Fork Trophy Lures in junebug color. Remember we are now fishing in the grass again and you will need to use braided line like PowerPro, I use thirty pound test for worms and fifty pound test for frogs. Some other lures that have been working are a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon, Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad, and Heddon Zara Super Spook. Most of the bass that we have been catching are from two to six pounds but I have heard about some bass over eight pounds being caught this past week. Don’t be afraid to keep trying different areas till you find the one that is holding fish that you can catch.



Bite of the Week

I would start at Long Point throwing a 10” worm on the outside of the grass and than work my way back in the grass throwing a Snag-Proof frog. I would than move to Ritta Island or Coots Bay and do the same thing till I found some bass. If you want to throw wild shiners fish the outside of Coots or Long Point depending on which way the wind is blowing. Move back in the grass only if the wind is blowing to hard to fish the outside edge of the grass line.











September 3rd, 2008

We wanted water on the Big “O” and now we have it, water level is at 14.60 feet above sea level and going up every day. The fishing has been really good, which is more than I expected with this water coming up so fast. Most of the bass that my clients and I have been catching are holding on the outside of the grass for the time being. The non aquatic grass that has been growing back in the areas that did not have any water in them for two years is now covered with water and dying off. This plant life that is dying off has made this water smell bad and lacks oxygen for fish and bait fish to live in for now. But as soon as this grass does die off the bass will be moving back into these areas and Lake Okeechobee will once again be the famous lake that people come from afar to catch trophy largemouth bass. For now you can catch bass on the outside of the grass from Kramer Island to the mouth of Cochran’s Pass.

Some of the better areas this past week have been outside Coots Bay, East Wall, West Wall, and around Observation Island. I was really surprised at the number of bass that have moved in toward this grass so fast. You have to cover some water to catch the bass holding on this grass, you may catch two or three and than go a quarter of a mile down the grass line and catch four or five more. There is some areas along this grass line that have some eel grass growing in with the other grass and these spots seem to be the best. There is plenty of water to get around almost anywhere on the lake without fear of hitting the bottom with your motor or boat. If you haven’t been out on the lake for awhile you will be in for a big surprise as there is water everywhere and nothing looks familiar any more.

A ten inch Lake Fork worm and a Snag-Proof Frog have been the best lures for the past couple weeks. For worm fishing along the outside grass thirty pound test PowerPro line would be my choice but if you prefer twenty pound test fluorocarbon will also work. I prefer braided line once we start fishing in the grass like we are now and PowerPro is my choice for braided line. For fishing the Snag-Proof Frog I would suggest fifty pound test PowerPro line, the best colors in the frog seem to be black. The worms that I use from Lake Fork Tackle are a ten inch ribbon tailed worm and I use the junebug and blue bruiser color most of the time. I also did catch a few bass on a shakey head rig on the outside of the grass line. I was using the new worm from Lake Fork Tackle called a Hyper Finesse worm on my shakey head and I’m really impressed with the action of this worm. The Snag-Proof Frog that I have been using is the Bobby’s Perfect Frog in black color, fished on a Deep South 7’2” heavy frog rod. This rod has a heavy backbone for getting bass out of the heavy cover and is 7’2” long for making long casts back into the grass. The new line of Deep South Rods are a great rod for beginners to seasoned pros and everyone in between, and are offer in spinning, baitcasting, and specific technique rods. If you have any questions about the line of Deep South Rods give me a call and I can let you know all about them.



Bite of the Week

I would fish the outside grass for now as the bass have not moved back in to the grass yet. Fish the East Wall, Coots Bay, West Wall, and around Observation Island with ten inch worms and Snag-Proof frogs. If there is some wind pushing bait into the grass line try a spinnerbait or buzzbait along the edge of the grass.







August 19th, 2008

I’m writing this as tropical storm Fay is approaching the Lake Okeechobee region and everyone has their fingers crossed for lots of rain. The lake level has already come up to 11.34 feet above sea level before this storm so with Gods grace we will get a good amount of rain from this storm. The fishing on Lake Okeechobee has been improving the last couple weeks as some eel and pepper grass has stated to pop up in some areas. The grass is just in patches but for now that is great and it should spread quickly with the clear water that is in most areas that I write about on the south end of the lake. The bass are relating to the small patches of eel grass and my clients have been able to catch a couple bass out of each patch before you need to move on to the next patch of grass. Also with the water level getting up high enough to once again get back into the main grass line in most areas the bass seem to be also heading to these areas.

Most of the areas from Kramer Island to above Observation Island have some type of grass starting to grow and a few fish to be caught in most of these areas. A shakey head rig and Carolina rigged worm have been the most productive techniques as of lately. But I have been getting my frog rod and heavy flippin rod ready as these bass will be in the grass real soon. I have been fishing a shakey head rig in the eel grass patches with great success, my shakey head rig consist of a Giggy Head jig made by Gambler Lures and a new worm made by Lake Fork Tackle called a Hyper Worm that has great action. On the Carolina rig I have been using a Gambler Ace and a Lake Fork Ring Fry. Darker colored worms like junebug, black-blue, blue bruiser seem to be the best colors to use. I’m still catching a few fish on a swim bait and they are usually bigger bass but you may throw a swim bait all day for just a few bites.

I really excited about the amount of rain that we are receiving from tropical storm Fay and can’t wait to get out on the lake and see how far back in the grass that we will be able to get. I will be getting a frog rod ready to use along with a heavy flippin stick to fish back in the grass. My rig for fishing frogs consists of a Deep South 7’2” heavy rod, an Abu-Garcia Revo reel spooled with fifty pound test Power-Pro line. The Abu-Garcia Revo reel that I use for fishing a frog has a high 7.1 gear ratio so that I can get a Gambler Cane Toad up on top of the water and can keep it there. I use two types of frogs a soft plastic Cane Toad made by Gambler baits and my favorite type of frog made by Snag Proof that will not sink and can be worked very slow over vegetation. I like to use the Bobby’s Perfect Frog made by Snag Proof Lures when I want a frog that will not sink and that I can add a rattle when I fish over heavy cover, when you stop this frog the legs will pulsate. But if you want to fish a frog fast over top vegetation than a Gambler Cane Toad is the bait I turn to.



Bite of the Week

There will be a lot more area accessible after tropical storm Fay passes by and you should be able to fish areas like the East Wall, West Wall, and around Observation Island. There has been a good deal of eel grass popping up in various areas, you just have to get out and look for it. I would fish a shakey head rig, Carolina rig, frog, and a texas rigged worm to search out these bass. Look for areas that have clean water that does not have too much of the tea colored water in it.







August 3, 2008




The fishing has slowed down as water continues to pour into Lake Okeechobee. With the water level at 10.72 feet above sea level Lake Okeechobee is filling up with water at a pretty fast rate, just hope it continues. The bass fishing has slowed down the past couple weeks here on the south end of the lake. Most of the bass being caught are out on the main lake roaming around chasing bait. The rim canal and most of the channels and canals have the red or tea stain water in them and the bass have moved out of this water that has little oxygen. It is great that we are still getting a lot of water into the lake but it is just a shame that it is such bad water from the agricultural community. Maybe some day someone will figure out what to do with this run off water from the fields and farms before they dump it into Lake Okeechobee. Because if they don’t the most famous lake in the world will be nothing more than a sediment pit with no fish or wildlife for our kids to enjoy.

The bass that we have been catching are looking for bait so this is also what you need to be looking for. I have seen some very large schools of shad this past week and the bass were in the middle feeding on them like they hadn’t ate for months. The shad that I have been seeing are big shad so in matching the hatch you will want to be fishing larger baits for these bass out looking for shad. Large swim baits and big 10” worms would be my choice. You will probably not get many bites but the ones that you do get will be nice bass. I have also been catching a few bass on a shakey head rig but it has slowed down some. For worm colors for both the 10” worm and the shakey head worm I would stick with darker colors like junebug, black-blue, or black grape. For what color swim bait to use try to get something that looks like a shad color or white. The swim baits I use “Live” Magic Shad made by Lake Fork Tackle have a color called albino shad that I like to use a lot, but any of the colors that look like a shad or wild shiner will work.

The areas that I have been fishing mostly are out on the lake even though it is shallow in most of these areas. Norman’s channel still has a few fish in and around it, the shoal north of Uncle Joe’s cut has a few bass roaming around chasing shad and bluegill, and the area out from Bear Beach channel has been holding bass most consistently. I have not been able to catch very many bass in the rim canal since they started running the dirty tea stained water in from out in the fields and canals surrounding Lake Okeechobee. There are still bass to be caught on the pipe line that runs from the water tank to the area between Coots Bay and the East Wall. This water out in this area does have a small amount of stain to it but depending on the wind direction it can also be very clear. The pipe line is pretty easy to find as it is covered with rock and is in a pretty straight line. With this water being shallow and clear you will want to stay out a casting distance away from the pipe line and make long casts to keep from spooking these bass. Another tip is to put your trolling motor on a low speed and let it run constant, try not to run it on high or turn it on and off as this will spook these bass in this shallow water.

The bass have been a little hard to find for most even in the tournaments we have here almost every weekend. The winner may come in with over twenty pound in five bass but than second place may only have a little over ten pounds, but than that’s summer fishing on almost any lake in the United States. My suggestion for this time of the year is to get out early as possible to get the best chance of catching these summer bass and to fish slow and be patient and you will catch some bass. The bluegills are still biting good, as long as you find active beds with fish on them. Crickets under a cork or sometimes without a cork will be your best bet. A Beatle Spin will also work good but for me the crickets have been working best. Yes you heard me right I have been doing some bluegill fishing and having a good time at it. Remember during the hot summer months to drink lots of water and use plenty of good sunscreen like the one I use made by SmartShield (www.smartshield.com) that is eco-friendly and oil free so it will not harm fishing line or any of your outdoor gear. SmartShield also makes a great insect repellent that is Deet-Free and I can tell you from experience this stuff really works even in the Everglades National Park where the mosquitoes are as big as a birds.





Bite of the Week

I would start bass fishing on the pipe line just off the Clewiston channel and then move over toward the Bear Beach area, fishing 10” worms and swim baits. From there I would try Norman’s channel fishing the holes and drop-offs in the channel with a shakey head rig. Use dark colored worms and look for the bait and you will find the fish. Bass fishing is almost like dolphin fishing, if you see birds diving on bait the bass won’t be to far behind. For bluegill look for beds up on the shoal north of Uncle Joe’s cut and out from Ritta Island.







July 22nd, 2008

As the dirty water continues to flow into Lake Okeechobee from the farms surrounding the lake the fishing has gotten a little tough if you can’t find clean water. Yes we needed water in the lake but this red or tea stained water that is flowing and being pumped into the lake does not have much oxygen in it and has the bass scrambling for good water. The lake level is at 10.34 feet above sea level and still rising everyday. It seems to be one of those deals where do you want dirty water or no water! The key to finding bass the past couple weeks is to find clean water and bait, the clean water is a little easier to find than the bait fish.

Some of the areas that the water still seams to be ok are the shoal north of Uncle Joe’s cut, Norman’s channel, and the pipeline area. The shoal does have more water on it than it did a couple weeks ago but it is still very shall to fishing it in a bass boat. Norman’s channel and the pipe line that runs from the water tank that is out the Clewiston channel to an area between Coots Bay and the East Wall. The water in the pipe line area is clear and you just need to look for the rocks that cover the pipe. On a weekend it is easy to find the pipe line because there is a string of boats on it, but even then they are still catching bass. At Norman’s channel you want to fish the edge of the channel and up in the shallower water also, you should find the fish if you keep looking around in this area.

My bait selection has changed some from past months to where I’m throwing a swim bait a lot more especially if I see bait jumping or bass trying to eat them. For soft plastic swim baits try a Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad in both the 4.5 and 5.5 sizes. For hard plastic swim baits I have been using the King Shad made by Strike King. As for what color to use I have been using shad colored soft and hard plastic swim baits. The other thing about fishing swim baits is the fact that the strike is viscous and braided line and a rod with a lot of back bone is needed. I have been using thirty to fifty pound test Power Pro braided line and a 7’11” Deep South Flipping rod. My next lure of choice would be an shakey head jig, I use a Gambler Lures ? ounce Giggy Head jig but there is a great variety of different jig head on the market now. Just try different ones until you find the one that works best for you, the one made by Gambler Lures has been a great jig for my clients and I to use. One the best feature is the fact you can get it with a 5/0 hook so that you can use large soft plastics with it and still get a good hook set without the worm being in the way and the fact that the hook is bigger and stronger it won’t bend when you get one of these trophy Lake Okeechobee bass hooked up. I have been using a variety of different soft plastics the past few weeks from 10” worms to 4” tube baits, but the straight tailed 6” worm is still the best producer by far. The bite on wild shiners has been very slow with it being tough to use up a couple dozen. My suggestion to clients is to use artificial lures and save the money that they would spend on the wild shiners.

The bluegill bite has been good as we come off the full moon and the bluegills are on the beds. The key here is the same as the bass fishing, find fish and you will catch them. The shoal has a good number of active bluegill beds on it and would be my choice, just remember that the water is still very shallow and this area is dangerous. Crickets are still producing best but a Bettle Spin will work almost as well. Good luck and hope to see you on the water this week. Now is a great time to pick up some of that trash we all see on the water, lets all help clean up Lake Okeechobee.



Bite of the Week

For bass I would concentrate on areas that are safe to get to and have clean water, Norman’s channel and the pipe line would be my choice. I would take three lure a swim bait, a shakey head rig, and a top water lure. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different soft plastic worms on a shakey head jig, the bass will let you know what they want by the way they bite. For bluegill just drift the shoal area till you find some active beds and then throw a cricket under a cork over the bed. If you prefer not to use crickets throw a Bettle Spin with a black trailer. Please don’t keep more bluegill then you plan on eating, save some for others and for next year.



 

Coming soon