Imagination Bassin Company Information

As many of my days off start, 4/18/08 was no exception. I had the boat ready before daylight, made a call to Don Willis, and agreed to meet Don at Ansin/Garcia. Five minutes into the drive I called Don again and after a short chat it was decided that today we would go to Blue Cypress Lake. We hadn't been out there in a while and I really enjoy the peace and solitude that is found on this absolutely gorgeous body of water.

Within the first fifteen minutes on the water we had already boated 4 bass and the day promised to be a fantastic one. However, we had no idea just how fantastic a day it would turn out to be. When I go fishing, many times it is not the fish that I truly seek, but rather the whole experience of the commune with nature. The peace and solitude offered on a weekday with little if not any boat traffic, and the abundant activity of the wildlife that we find on our Florida lakes, is truly what I venture out onto the water. Don and I make such good fishing partners because his appreciation of our surroundings is the same as mine.

We fished our way southward from the ramp canal entrance and as is typical of this lake, we found the fish in and around the mix of Kissimmee grass, bulrush, and maiden cane. Nothing too big mind you but certainly big enough that in the grass they put up quite a fight. After nailing down fourteen bass we headed NE to the opposite of the lake as the wind coming out of the southeast was becoming a pain. Working our way southward we only managed one bass through the stretch we were on, and with the wind switching to the south we moved to the south end to get a bit of protection in the Cypress. Working our way westward along the south end we found what made our day one of the best in my lifetime of fishing on Florida waters.

This is the closest I have ever gotten to an Owl nest and the encounter made Don and my day. It's nice to catch fish, but not near the excitement of encountering such a magnificent bird.

Unseen in these photos is the owlets sibling. Unlike this owlet its brother/sister was much more timid and kept bobbing up and down to observe us taking pictures.

I actually shot thirteen photos of these two, but these two were the clearest. With the excellent camouflage of the down covering these youngsters it was difficult to get good clear pictures. I have been on several owl nesting observation trips during my college days, but this is definitely my closest encounter in my lifetime, and one that I will remember always.

On the eighteenth I had Justin Wilson and his son Justin Jr. up from Pembroke Pines, Florida, and we had a fantastic day on the water. Unfortunately my camera sat at home next to my computer and Justin's didn't do a very good job. However, here's a shot of Justin Jr. holding a nice seven pound lady.

As you can see, if with the haze, the fish was a good one, and the weather was fantastic. Justin Sr., not to be left out in the cold managed this bass in addition to many others.

Forty fish to the boat all on Swimming Senkos made for an exciting and satisfying day.

Yesterday I went out for a one half day venture with Steve P and friend Don (Avid). Working the same area as I have been for a while now we had twenty bass by noon. Dropping me at the ramp Steve and Don went back out. Swimming Senkos, and speed worms accounted for the fish.

It takes a bit of knowledge and Mother-Nature cooperation to catch the numbers that we do, and the size of fish that we do on the Stick Marsh. If you plan on coming to this fantastic body of water and are going to hire a guide, it would be prudent to check out the guides references prior to booking. A web page that is well developed doesn't make a guide successful, nor does articles written make for a knowledgeable guide. For the record: I have heard it said that this winter was one of particular windy weather, and yes it was. However, we only had to cancel three days this winter for safety and comfort reasons, and always found areas that were fishable on the Marsh without running to Garcia. The big fish are on the Marsh, and with that in mind we always strive to get our clients out on this, the lake that they booked the trip to go on. We have had some great days and some not so great days with the great days definitely being the majority.

The lack of grass also seems to be an issue for those less knowledgeable of the Marsh, however for those that truly know the lake and get out there on a regular basis, grass as a indicator of where to fish is not needed. If you find a guide that is crying the blues because of weather and lake conditions perhaps you should be questioning his ability as a guide. There is obviously those times where no one could put together a successful trip, that's fishing, but for the most part you should expect honest effort, not crying the blues. For those that want to lay the blame of his deficiencies on the lake's conditions and weather, perhaps they should be looking in mirror at what their true shortcomings are.

What is it about fishing for bass that keeps fishermen coming back? Is it the challenge of finding the bass, or the challenge of once found, finding a bait that they will react to? Could it be the sharing and experiencing of the many wonders of our natural world? Perhaps it could be all of the above and even more.

My last trip on the Marsh was with a couple of guys that really enjoyed one another's company, enjoyed the challenge of searching for that just right bait, and noticed every bit of natures wonders as we studiously worked a bit of the waters that I had staked our on previous trips. It was obvious from the first moment of meeting up with Rene and Julio that today would be another special day on Stick Marsh/Farm 13

Early on the wind was calm and it was hoped for a bit of top water bite but it didn't happen. However, it took but a moment to rig a Gary Yamamoto Swimming Senko which quickly produced this gal.

The color of these fish can be attributed to the dark tannic stained water they come from.

It wasn't a day a great numbers as we only managed 15 bass to the boat. However as you can see from the pictures, quality wasn't lacking. It's never ceases to amaze me that we consider a day of 15 caught and boated bass to be a slow day, when on the majority of our lakes in North America this would be considered a banner day.

Each day now is one to try top water. My favorite this time of the year is the Storm Chug Bug:

Either of the two selections are good but I prefer the CB08. Mix up the retrieves with this bait to find what the bass want on a particular day. Some days it dead-sticking it, some a chug-chug-chug and hesitate, and some it is a steady pop, pop, pop all the way back to the boat. I mention all the way back to the boat as I see too many anglers pulling the bait from the water 15-20 feet from the boat. I have caught a 13 pound lady 6" from the side of the boat. Don't rush to make that next cast. Finish out the one your working on first.

I mention Gary Yamamoto's Swimming Senko in just about every report lately. Its consistent production of bites and quality fish make this a must-have-bait in anyone's tackle bag. Rigging it is easy and not only will it produce, but it will produce multiple fish per bait. Depending on whether you want it tail high, or tail low will dictate tail up, or tail down. Fishing it in emergent grasses, or with grass just below the surface rig it with the tail down. This will cause the bait to lift and work better on the surface. For submerged cover, rig the bait tail up. This will help keep the bait deeper. Also for deeper applications we add a 1/4 ounce or better bullet weight to the nose. Depth desired will dictate the amount of weight used. In all applications this bait works best on a steady slow retrieve.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance, and yes, we do have some openings in April.

There are times when we have the opportunity to share our fishing experience with the younger members of our families. I had such an opportunity this last week, sharing two mornings of fishing with my 12-year old grand-daughter Caitlyn.

Caitlyn caught her first big bass at the age of 8, and that 12.6 pound lady hooked her completely. These two mornings of last week didn't get her anything to compare with that catch, but we had a great time.

Jeff Zeitz and Allen Rind of Marlton, NJ joined me on the 5th and 6th. The first fish of the day proved quickly that the Stick Marsh can provide some quality fish, as this 8-pound lady hammered Jeff's SwimSenko.

Allen was not about to stand by on the low end of the day's catching and responded back in short order with this rod-bending lady of the Marsh.

We had a great two days and I look forward to there return to the Marsh.

Did I mention? Don't move to quickly through the town of Fellsmere as they like to hand out tickets for attending there wonderful court sessions.

Next up on the 7th were Will Harrod of Frankfort, KY, his son Chase, friend Mike, and his son Rick. With four fishermen we utilized two boats, with Don Willis pitching in with the assist on the second boat. The night before we had some very strong t-storms rip through and it definitely slowed the bite considerably.

The big fish of the day was caught by Chase. At 7-pounds even she produced quite the excitement for the youngster and gave Dad a moment to remember.

The nights wild weather kept things a bit quiet but the Yamamoto SwimSenko came through again and provided some moments of excitement for the gang.

Getting out of the wind's main force has been key for us this last week and perseverance paid off. When you have days like this keeping the bait wet is most important. Again, as it has lately the SwimSenko lightly weighted with a 1/4 ounce torpedo has proved to be the biggest producer. We did have one day of really good top water last week as the bass jumped all over a Chug Bug, but it didn't continue. However, don't hesitate to throw that top water bait out there as it is going to turn on big time any day now.

I have noted of late some rather bogus comments being made about events that take place on the Marsh/Farm.

Spillway openings and closings: Controlled by St John's Water Management and is directly related to rain fall activity. Heavy rain fall, (usually 3" or more) build up water levels south of us in the Ft Drum Conservation area. This build up is lowered by opening the entrance spillway in the SE corner of Farm 13. As levels reach normality south of us, the spillway is closed. There are also flow pipes located next to the spillway and they can be used in the control of water levels. At no time is the opening or closing of these flow structures publicized, so the only way to know what is going on is to go there. There are four lakes plus the Ft Drum area that are part of the Blue Cypress Conservation Area, and they are: Blue Cypress Lake, a natural lake - Ansin/Garcia, a man-made lake - Stick Marsh/Farm 13, a single man-made lake with two names - Kenansville Lake, a man-made lake. The primary function for all of the man-made lakes is filtration of run-off from adjacent farms and ranches. Both Ansin/Garcia, and Stick Marsh/Farm 13 supply a secondary function of supplying irrigation water for adjoining farms. Fishing is nothing more than a by-product on these bodies of waters. All of these structures provide the headwater source for the St John's River, which means all waters from these structures flow north.

Various weeds, there growth, control, and loss: Foremost on the control list is Hyacinth. This noxious weed if give free rein will quick block out navigation on the waters it inhabits. This weed is controlled using what is known as a contact spray. It's potency is only that in which it comes into contact with and dilutes very quickly in the water. The second weed of importance to these water structures and to the fisherman is Hydrilla. This weed was heavily present in both the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and Ansin/Garcia. On the Marsh/Farm Hydrilla was completely devastated in the 2004 hurricanes and has yet to return. Not only is this weed an excellent water cleanser as well as a place for bass forage to hide. Its biggest function for the bass fisherman is to provide if you will, a finger pointing to the likelihood of bass presence. Its lack of return on the Marsh/Farm is a bit of mystery to all, however it "is not" a function of any treatment as this would be absolutely contrary to any of the main mission of this lake.

This last year Ansin/Garcia saw a drastic reduction of Hydrilla, however its comeback is strong which should dispel any latent rumors of treatment over there.

There is a lack of fishing reports on these lakes and very limited creel count data available, and because of this there is some chatter about a drop in production of catches. Let me assure you, that if you know these waters and what cover truly held the bass you will have mostly good days out here. However, if you don't this lake, it as any lake can slip you some tough fishing conditions. There's lots of structure and lots of cover on this lake, and definitely lots of bass to be had. With a staunch catch and release policy on the Marsh/Farm the fishing remains extremely dynamic, and provides the opportunity for that illusive 10-pound bass plus.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.