George Welcome

Mike, I was going to say the same thing about Bienville, but after reviewing their site, I found that they are now stating that their is no unaccompanied fishing. If you don't wish to have a guide you need to pay a lease fee on your lake of choice, which goes as high as $3000, for Purvis.

I don't know about that Istokpoga/Stick Marsh tale. I think that the FWC person making that statement, needs to review creel counts and shocking samples, which are all public knowledge. As for having a guide: You mention wanting to have quality time with your son. You sure don't need a guide for that. You have an abundance of places to choose from for your fishing adventure, however none will guarantee other than a day of fishing.

Go to East Lake Toho: http://www.eastlakefishcamp.net/

No!

Master of the hand pours: Paul Higgins, Worminator!

Get this kind and never worry about injuring the fish. Can be ordered from Cabelas.

Captain Harry Simmons Lake Okeechobee, FL Email Capt. Harry Simmons Phone: 863-467-0039 Cell Phone: 863-634-1321 Toll Free: 877-525-7380

Think about this when holding the fish in the water: A fish opens its mouth letting water in - it then closes its mouth and opens the gill covers to force the water over the gills - it then opens it mouth again and repeats the process. Holding the bass's mouth open with your hand inhibits that mechanics. I hold the bass in the water by the tail until if forcibly pushes it way out. Note I said forcibly because the initial survival reaction of the bass will be to swim away, whether it is alert or not. Look for steady intake of water, mouth and gill cover mechanics, and look for steady movement of the pectoral fins. This will tell you that the fish is doing well. When she is ready she will definitely be strong enough to push her way off.

I've yet to own a vehicle that didn't, in the owners manual, suggest not using cruise control when towing. They also recommend not using cruise control on slippery road conditions. The reasons are simple. If you have a trailer that starts to sway the time taken to disengage the cruise control to alleviate the sway can make the difference of being in the woods or still being on the highway. On a slippery road the application of brakes to disengage the cruise control can exacerbate the existing problem and send you off into the woods. You will however find many that have used cruise control over the years with no problems. You will also find many that drive our highways at 90 and have never had a problem other than the occassional ticket. Of course, the ones you don't hear from are those looking up at the grass instead of down. I use cruise control all the time: exept when I am towing something. Over my 40 some years of towing trailers, I can recall where immediate response was needed to correct an errant trailer reaction to outside influences.

Top three in no particular order - Boat US, Progressive, Allstate. Commercial $1,000,00 Liability, boat replacement, Agreed Value insurance costs me less than you are paying TLBassin. I pay $1200 a year to Charter Marine, which also includes offshore coverage. If I could I would use one of the above three, but they don't sell commercial coverage. If you do comparison shopping be sure you are comparing apples to apples, and not apples to oranges. When thinking liability limits think what an accident involving someone else could mean. If you are the loser in the liability case and you have inadequate coverage they are going to get their money elsewhere. For example, your home.

If "a" bass were to think about what it was placing in its mouth, it would never eat, as the one next to it would have already swallowed it. Bass feed one of two ways - opportunity and hunger. During their hunger mode what goes in their mouth goes down their throat. During the opportunity mode if it comes close and looks like a possible meal it goes in their mouth for testing. During an autopsy, the stomach contents in a bass range from pop-tops off beverage cans to shells. No, bass are not living in a world were conditioning can be a factor in the eating process. On a daily basis I go out on the same lake with the same baits and many of the same bass are caught from day to day. Bait conditioning is the bait manufacturers model of behavior, not the bass's.

http://www.scottrmartin.com/ Can't get any easier than that.

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 you Owlet is a Great Horned Owl. 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. See you out there. Say hi if you get the chance.

Let's see! One enters a tournament and uses a bait that gets them a win! What a novel idea!

Take it to dealer. Minn Kota and Motor Guide are two different animals.

"It's not so much a matter of them not liking them as much as the folks not wanting to be caught using the bait ANYONE can catch with. There's not much talent needed to catch fish with these and some feel it reflects on their skill to still be in the running but not because of the trick stick because they are versatile enough to still compete WITHOUT it. Many people have won tourny's on Trick sticks and think they are good when in fact they are very limited, closed minded anglers, I think these guys want to avoid being lumped in with that class." Now that kind of thinking is a pile of BS.

Amazing responses.

If your group has e-mailed a booked "guide" and that "guide" fails to get back to you, then you need to find another "guide". I would think that his "guiding" skills are probably even less than his communication skills.

Spawning Habits - Spawning occurs from December through May, but usually begins in February and March in most of Florida when water temperatures reach 58 to 65 degrees and continues as temperatures rise into the 70s. What I fail to understand with this post is the possible reasons for not asking the guy that your group will be paying to fish with. Don't you think that your parties "guide" would be the best equipped to answer these questions?

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.

Cut either positive or negative trolling motor cable. One wire from big foot to one end and other wire to other end. As previously mentioned, when you step on the pedal you now complete the circuit.

Yes - Because the material is tougher than a regular Senko we Tex-pose and skin hook. Weight varies by depth wanted.

The balance of March, from the 23rd on saw moderately successful trips, with all our time being spent on the Stick Marsh. March went out with winds roaring like a lion, so we plied the waters of the back lot casting more often than not the now first line bait, Gary Yamamoto's venerable SwimSenko. I closed out the month with old friends Dave Wasdahl and Randy Bergman. Fishing for three days produced enough action to satisfy the yearning after being locked out with the frigid days of winter. Dave hails from Portland, Maine, and soft water hasn't been seen up there for quite some time now. Randy hails from Arizona and although they have soft water there, his last fishing ventures there hadn't produced much to talk about. Both guys headed home with yet more good memories from the lake that time and again produces both quantity and quality bass. Dave with a gal that fell for the allure of the SwimSenko Randy answers back to the challenge of big fish with one of his own Joe O'Brien made the drive from Columbus, Ohio with a stop in Atlanta to pick up his ex-fishing partner Karen in Atlanta. Joe and Karen have been out several times with me and each time is for me a pleasure. Joe worked with SwimSenkos as Karen worked shiners off the back of the boat. Their trip with me was to be followed by a week of fishing on their own. Unfortunately the shiner bite was tough as the bass are quite spread out during this period of spawn activity. However Karen did manage several bass to the boat. Primarily our fishing location has been dictated by the winds that have whipped the Marsh/Farm into a choppy mess most days of the month. Working the back lot has produced a lot of action however and proved to be and good place to be. Our primary producer has been the SwimSenko Texas rigged, with a 1/4 ounce weight to get to the depth we wanted with the retrieval speed the bass wanted. Rigging this bait is a bit different than the normal Senko. When threading the worm we Tex-pose and skin hook the point. It pulls through the brush we were fishing with minimal times getting stuck in the wood. If you haven't tried this bait you certainly need to. The upcoming month is going to be the beginning of that magical top-water period we see each year. Give us a shout. We have a few openings left in April and would be glad to show you this fantastic fishery. See you out there - swing by and say hi if you get the chance.

Most success in quantity and quality comes when there are no witnesses.