DECEMBER 2004

Submitted by Scott: 12/28/04

I was going to take a picture of the sunrise yesterday but the wind was blowing hard enough that I thought the camera might blow away. However, it was nothing to the way the wind came through this area on the 26th. Sunday's highest wind gust in Sebastian was recorded at 51 MPH. Yesterday the forecast was for 20 - 25 MPH but gusts reached well into the high 30's out of the north and the wind chill was just a bit cool. All of this wind has the Marsh/Farm stirred into a muddy mess with fishermen heading for whatever shelter they can find.

Bill and Jim Vanderschalie came down from Walkersville, Md. for another shot at the Marsh, probably thinking they had left the cold of the north behind if only for a brief respite. When we left the ramp at 6:00 I think they probably thought that somehow they brought the cold weather with them. Opting for shiners with the forecasted winds and temperatures seemed the prudent thing to do for their one day here so 6-dozen was the order for the day. As usual the spillway was already booked out when we got there so we set up at the pipes east of the spillway. Free-lined shiners accounted for about 5 landed and the same amount missed by 8:30 and with a lack of appropriate clothing for the severe conditions the guys were debating calling it a day.

There are on a couple of places that one can get out of the wind and as luck would have it, one of those places has current at times. As I neared the ramp I noted that today was one of those days and current was flowing well. After a brief warm-up in their car Bill and Jim came back and for the rest of the day they spanked the bass. Jimmy took big fish honors today with this beautiful 9-pounder.

Submitted by Scott: 12/24/04

Braving the weather on Christmas Eve were Matt Davis and his wife Jennifer. The forecast called for rain and wind with cooler temperatures, but fog and rain seemed to hold the wind down and the temperatures are just starting to drop.

Submitted by George and Scott: 12/22/04

We are coming upon the close of 2004 with only 2 more days to Christmas. Florida has seen some troubles with Hurricanes which made getting accommodations here a bit tough, but that is behind us, things are pretty much back to normal. Scott and I took over 500 people out on the Stick Marsh this year and most had really good days irregardless of weather conditions.

Each and every year the Marsh/Farm presents us with changes in fishing conditions and locations and this year will be no different. Water quality, weather conditions, and varying cover cause the bait to move and with their movements, so go the bass. Each and every year the spawn comes and some years to the same location. This year we saw a change on the Marsh side and the bass were in a different spot for the spawn. The beginning of this year and the end of 2003 we found the bass located on the south end of the Farm. Due to the draw down at Toho we saw a large increase in those seeking bass on our waters and as is normal, boats draw boats, so the south end of the Farm looked like a gathering of all the fishermen on the lake.

This year, since the hurricanes, things have again changed. The bass are not on the south end of the Farm, Toho has its waters back and I doubt that we will see boats relating so closely to each other. The fish on the Farm side are relating to the structures far more than the cover, although there is an abundance of cover in the south end of the Farm. For those that know the Farm, they know that there is a hefty combination of structure and cover on the Farm side, whereas the Stick Marsh side is primarily cover. Well, bass like the combination more often than one or the other, hence at this time most of the bass are to be found on the Farm. For a good deal of the time, the apparent cover is hydrilla, but this year Mother Nature has changed that. As the hurricanes ripped through the area they removed the hydrilla and moved it to the west wall of the Farm. For the next few months your most important tool is going to be your depth finder, as you need to see the structure to fish it.

On the Farm there are old irrigation ditches that run from north to south, and a major feeder ditch that runs east to west. Along these ditches are levees and road beds and this is where you will presently find your best fishing. Intersections create areas of increased current as the ditches merge so I would suggest that be your first stop. From there I would suggest that your best option would be to head north along the ditches. On the north end of the ditches running east to west there is a swale and this can be a productive area also. Once you locate a fish work the area intensively, moving outward from where you caught the fish.

This is the time of year when the crappie, (speckled perch), fishermen come out in force, and for the next two months the parking lot will make you think that the fishing pressure is intense. No less than 50% of the vehicles will belong to crappie fishermen. The road will have its periods of washboard but they usually grade it a couple times a week during the season. Dust from the road will get into everything so a cover is strongly recommended.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words: So here is 10,000 words to describe the Stick Marsh  last January: 1/11/04 - 1/18/04.

Andy Strickland 1/18/04

I see no reason to not have the same kind of a January this year. The fish are there, just not in the same spots as last year, and they are just as easy to catch. Our last trips out there have all been high number trips. The wind has howled, the grass is gone, but the right spot, and the right bait will produce. Give us a call, we still have plenty of spots open and we will be only too glad to take you out to our favorite fishing hole.

See you on the water, say hi if you get the chance.

Submitted by Scott: 12/10/04

Here it is the second week of December and the bass are supposed to be heading to the south end of the lake to take care of business. However, it appears that someone forgot to tell them, or so it seems after spending a good part of the morning down there Wednesday. Starting on the south end of the west N/S and working southward and west into the grass and stumps we were able to pick a couple here and there, but nothing to rave about. We then headed east to the south end of the center N/S ditch and worked our way north towards the intersection. Again, as in the west area we managed to land a few, but no concentrations and not much in the way of size.

The intersection was being worked so we swung to the east and met up with Don Ling and Bill Loges part way to the pump house. They had found a group of bass and were working them with plastics and rattle traps. We compared notes, fished a bit, and then headed north to the north end of the center N/S ditch. A few casts and we assured ourselves that this was another school. If you are fishing shiners the spillway is still your best bet, and if you’re using artificial baits then the ditches on the farm is were you need to be. There are fish being caught in the spillway on artificial baits, but if you’re willing to do some searching on the ditches you can really catch a bunch of bass. When working the ditches try Carolina rigged Senkos, and crank baits. The bass have been moving around quite a bit so keep working until you find them.

The past two days I had David Slobodkin of Oak Park, IL out for his 4^th trip this year with me. Thursday we started out in the spillway with 8-dozen shiners in the live well. I beached the boat on the west shoreline and we began throwing free lined shiners up towards the spillway and to the right of the fence. The bass started biting almost immediately and did not quit until David ran out of shiners at 10:10am. David caught a total of 61 bass on the shiners and was ready to try some Carolina rigged Senkos. We spent until 11:30am working hard for only four more bass so it was time to make a move. I headed to the East/West ditch and anchored the boat. The wind was blowing 20+mph which makes it very difficult to fish the ditches unless you anchor your boat. We began catching bass right away and other than a few slow periods we caught fish until the time we left. Over 40 bass up to 7lbs where brought into the boat on a combination of Carolina rigged Senkos and lipless crank baits.

7-pounds caught with a 3/4 ounce rattle trap.

Today the weather man was calling for 25-30mph winds, and with the cold front moving in we decided to take 8 dozen shiners and head to the spill way. Today was a repeat of yesterday except David had a much better hook up ratio and landed 75 bass by 10:30am. We switched over to artificial baits and managed another 30 bass up to 6lbs by 2:30pm. 

This was another outstanding trip and David’s best trip to date. On his next trip he will get his 10+ pounder. 

Scott

Submitted by Scott and George: 12/7/04

When analyzing the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and choosing where to fish during December it is necessary to look back at history to come up with a solution. Fortunately for us, we have that history. First, it is ingrained with the experience we gather by staying current and getting out there regularly. Second, we maintain our old reports and are able to look back through the past several years, with gives us tremendous insight for our fishing forays.

First on our list of things to check is the weather history. The end of November and December in Florida for the most part tends to be a rather unpredictable period of mixed bags of wind, rain, and cold fronts. This year has been one of warmer temperatures, and almost no rain, however the wind has had its way with us and definitely narrowed the options of fishing location considerably.

When the wind howls on this wide open 6700 acre impoundment there is not many places to get protection. The spillway in the SE area of the Farm offers the most protection but productive areas are limited to the first few boats there unless the current is flowing and flowing strong. This year the spillway has been the number one choice for many but with either slight current from a partially open gate, to no current when closed, the area that is productive is definitely small and only those first boats there will reap the benefit of the location.

If the wind blows from the eastern quadrant another option is the pump house area located about midway on the east wall of the Farm. This is also a current area, with current being produced if the Fellsmere Farm group is either pulling water or lowering their canals back into the Farm impoundment. There can also be current caused by gravity flow, so the running pump is not the only indication of current.

In both locations the choice bait when the current is slight or even less the bait of choice is going to be wild golden shiners. However, being on location and in the choice spots, and having shiners on board is not going to be the answer if you don't know what to do with those shiners. How the shiners are hooked and presented makes the difference between success and not so successful.

When the wind is non-restrictive the rest of the lake opens up and although shiners are always a good option, artificial baits can and do present as many fish, if not more, and plenty of big fish opportunities. However, on the Stick Marsh and Farm, knowing where the structure is, and knowing locations of available cover are as important as having good equipment on board. There is structure on both sides, and there is cover on both sides that are there no matter what kind of conditions seem to have altered the face of our fantastic lake. Having equipment on board that allows an underwater view on this lake is extremely important and knowing how to use that equipment is a must. With a solid performing piece of sonar equipment and the knowledge to use it, you will be able to unlock all the structure and cover out here. Remember, bass like cover, and they like structure, and they really like cover that is related to structure with emphasis on structural changes. With the Farm being dissected with several old irrigation canals with road beds alongside, and the accompanying intersections, you have lots of locations to try. Remember that structural change is most often more important so a deepening or lessening of water depth along a piece of structure will most often be the best area on that structure.

If the structure, (the ditches and road bed), are missing cover, (hydrilla) or other grasses, and you don't find fish at the intersections, move to some of the permanent cover the the Farm abounds with. We have heard some cries of lack of grass on the Farm lately and this is correct, but grass is but a small part of the cover available to the bass on Farm 13. There is enough wood under the water on the south end of the Farm for Noah to build 12 Arks, and for a few thousand bass to hole up and wait for your proper presentation of bait.

Over on the Marsh side, the structure choices are not as obvious, however they are there. This area, once very popular with hunters has several areas of roadbed. In addition there is the divider ditch, and its adjoining levees. Cover is everywhere in the form of wood and the wood that adjoins the structure can be a hotbed of activity. However, unlike the Farm 13 side, the structure is not near as easy to find, and the cover is so abundant that choices are a bit more difficult. The way we handle this puzzle is through the experience of history, and historically this puts the fish most often at Twin Palms, (which is greatly changed in appearance this year), the NW area where the trees dot the watery landscape, the cut from ditch 7 back into the Marsh, and the SW corner of the Marsh. This makes for a lot of water to cover, and presence on the water  on a regular basis makes for an easier time of locating fish on the Marsh side.

What all of this boils down to is our report of success fishing n the Marsh/Farm. Except for one blustery day of fishing with Jim Reto and 6-year old Trevor from Cooper City, Florida, we have had good days each and every time out there. Dr. Teel and his son Connor from Vero Beach, loaded the boat with bass using wild shiners while fishing the pump house area and the exit spillway area. Mike Waden and his wife Jennifer went though 8-dozen shiners before 9 AM on their day out there. Bill Mahaffey loaded the boat with Carolina rigged shiners once settled at the pump house area even though there was no current being produced. Mike Jones and Greg Paige had another banner day as a result of another foray on this famous fishery with fish such as Greg's 7-pound lady.

So if you are of the mind to head this way to ply these waters that are teeming with bass, don't hesitate. Hone your skills, do your homework, or better yet give us a call.

The road is in good shape, the ramp has been restored, the fish are waiting for you, and it has to be warmer here than any area north of the Florida line. To learn more about the Marsh/Farm, or to just get in a good day on the water, give us a call. Perhaps you just might hook one of those huge bass the lake is famous for, but at the very least you will have a great time, and a great experience. Remember, you can't predict the weather, but you can predict the outcome, as any day on the water is a great day as nature is a wondrous place to play. The gators, ospreys, and myriad of other birds and wildlife will fill in those moments between fish to make your trip to the Marsh one you will remember for a long time.

See you on the water. Stop and say hi if you get the chance.