Istokpoga Anyone?

[james 14]

Will probably be out there sometime next week. Has anyone been lately? I've never been there this time of year and don't have a lot of experience on the lake period. My guess is that some fish will be starting to bed with the warming trend and recent passing of the full moon.

[FD.]

was there yesterday and this morning. I found some chunks up shallow in the areas where the muck was scraped a decade ago. You can see the big piles of it on the shore line on the NW and NE sides of the lake. Where I found a hard bottom with a mix of maidencane, arrow heads and buggy whips, I found fish. Mostly aggressive bucks but I did catch a few 2-3 lb females. Naked swimmers and Buzzn Toads. Boated a total of 7 keepers and a handful of dinks.

I just posted some pics on another thread. Look for that mix of vegetation and you will be on them for the next few months.

[james 14]

Thanks, Lee. I was out there last year for the first time for our club's two-day classic during mid-late March and we fishing it pretty much exactly as you did except that we didn't get on the Skinny Dippers as much as we should've. The frog bite was on during pre-fishing but slowed down come tourney time and we didn't adjust well. We spent a lot of time in the backwaters (where the muck scrapings occur) but I think we were too late to be in that far and most of the fish were out around the outer edges. I'm planning on taking some more time in and around those bulrush edges moving a little slower with the SD's and Speedworms weightless and even with a splitshot. I imagine that's where they're staging pre and post spawn. We also had a HUGE issue with wind at that time last year. For two guys in a 14' jon it was not fun and even somewhat dangerous.

 

I was originally planning on being there tomorrow but my wife's family went and planned a New Year's lunch so I'll be at Pierce instead since it's closer and that's where our next tourney is. I'll try to get down there later this week. Hopefully the weather will hold up.

[FD.]

You must be fishing Brandon Bassmasters - I will practicing at Pierce tomorrow as well.

 

Tstone and I are Team H3 in the white and red Triton 20X2

[james 14]

Did you ever figure anything out? It was a SLOW day for us...not impressed with that lake at all. We need to get it off the schedule next year. There are plenty of other lakes out there that are much better.

[FD.]

I finally got a decent one flipping the outside lines but that was it.  I was hoping we would not go back.

[james 14]

Went again today. Fog didn't lift until noon so my hopes of warming water throughout the morning were dashed. Had to leave right about the time things got warm but action was still slow. Won't be back before the tourney so I hope something changes and we don't have another month where it takes 5lbs to win. Going to Istokpoga Saturday.

 

What lake(s) do you think would be a good option for replacing Pierce next season?

[FD.]

Johns Lake in Clermont would be my first choice.  We could fish the Winter Haven chain twice a year.  Kissimmee (south end) out of Grape Hammock or the new county ramp.

[james 14]

Hit the lake Saturday. Started off in a place I knew held fish and within an hour and a half had almost 10 fish in the boat with the biggest 5 going over 15lbs. Almost all fish were plump and ready to spawn. Several of the smaller ones were actually "peeing" like bream do when you catch them off the bed. We could've milked that area and probably wore em out but we had several other spots to check out. None of them panned out quite as well but we did manage a few more here and there.

 

Here's Robert with the biggest...complete with the cig hanging out his mouth.