Lake Okeechobee Help?

[RangerAndBass]

My brother bought a used Ranger on Ebay which he will be hauling back home to Canada but before he does we want to fish Okeechobee! We will be going out of Clewiston.

Any help on areas near Clewiston would be great. We will want to test the boat out a little but not knowing the water we won't get too adventurous. Also we won't fish live bait so any thoughts on how deep the bass might be or the type of structure or what they may be likely to be biting would be great.

What about fishing the channels around Clewiston, is that any good this time of year?

I promise to post our results with pictures after!

Would you be ok if I called you? Any time or day best?

Thanks for your help!

R&B

[LgMouthGambler]

You can fish the rim ditch that goes around the lake. Also, when you get out of the channel from Clewiston to go out to the lake, you can go right to Coot Bay, or left to the West Wall. Either way, be careful where you go because there are some real shallow areas, and you can get stuck out there. Fish the ditch if you wanna play it safe, there are plenty of fish in there too.

[gar-tracker]

Not a good time to be ventureing out in the lake with a new boat right now , the channal and rim ditch is loaded with fish pouring in off that lake, your best bet would be to go to mile marker 92 and fish the cuts south of Clewiston.

Traps, worms off the edge coming from the lake.

Jjust imagine the canal bank continueing across the opening and slowly drag baits out toward the canal.

[RangerAndBass]

Thanks for the replies guys!

If you could clarify a bit if possible. You are both suggesting there is no need to go out in the lake & to stay the ditch / channel (that is the same thing right?). So if I am looking at Google Maps we would launch at Clewiston & go south? Is Mile Marker 92 along the ditch? (I can't find any maps online with mile markers on it )

Are you saying to not go out on the lake because levels are down?

I really appreciate the help.

R&B

[LgMouthGambler]

Yes, water levels are low right now. When you launch in Clewiston, most likely you are going by the Roland Martin Marina, once you get out of the loche, go right or left, that is the rim ditch. Google map it and look at the lake from a whole view. That canal that runs on the outside of the actual lake itself is called "The rim ditch".

[gar-tracker]

The markers are marked. The cuts start about a 1/4 mile south of Clewiston.

Once your there you can ease out the cuts into the lake via trolling motor, and go as far as you can with the trolling motor.

The lake at this level is treacherous because a lot of stuff is just hidden by being slightly submerged.

Good luck.

[RangerAndBass]

We ended up launching at Roland Martins. We ran the Rim ditch north. We got to test out the top speed of his boat (or at least as close as we wanted to get!). We turned out in to the lake & fished along some grass throwing senkos, rattletraps & flukes. We caught about 8 fish in 2 hours, but in hindsight we wasted time fishing cloudy water, when one of the guys had told me to look for clear water. That was where we caught fish. near the buggy whip grass & over top of the hydrilla (?) in 3FOW. We fished the Rim Ditch too but didn't have as much luck there. There were a ton of Gators & Gar Pike in the water. I even caught a bowfin!

Here is the best…

Thanks for all the help guys. I will definitely get back there next winter!

[South FLA]

Nothing like fishing out of new boat on The Lake, great!