Stick Marsh First Timers

[Stanthebassman]

Please provide some basic info for our first trip to Stick Marsh. My fishing buddy just got back from a deployment to  Afghanistan and this is our first trip time out since he returned. Thanks

[00 mod]

If you do not know what you are doing there, hire a guide!  Best advice I can give you.  It is very dangerous for someone who has not seen the lake drawn down.  Tons of stick ups everywhere!

 

Jeff 

[MCS]

There is better info out there than what is found on this site. check your pm.

[roadwarrior]

If you do not know what you are doing there, hire a guide!  Best advice I can give you.  It is very dangerous for someone who has not seen the lake drawn down.  Tons of stick ups everywhere!

 

Jeff 

I was going to recommend George Welcome, but he may be retired. Perhaps you can still get in touch with him.

At any rate, hiring a guide would be my #1 priority.

[Dwight Hottle]

Sent you  a pm.  

[F14A-B]

I fished it, what 00 mod says it is the truth, so difficult, I never used a guide I lived there, great fishing, lost Buku rattle baits, too many other great places to fish, I never went back. Not to be negative but if that's where you are going, get a well known guide, hopefully you can get one on short notice.

Best Wishes..

[Pz3]

Just be ready to hit submerged sticks. Take it slow. Real slow.

[Shanes7614]

If your a fishermen who likes to read and learn about new lakes... Stick Marsh is the place. Been there a few times with a couple different friends and have caught fish consistently. Most guides are going to bring out shiners and have you bait fish all day. Words of advise. Watch the STUMPS. If you don't see any around.... Watch the stumps. They are everywhere in that place. Storms and wind lick up fast there and move in quickly of the flat land surrounding. I will be heading there again a couple times in the next fees weeks to pick it apart some more. Already have caught multiple fish 5+-8lbs there with no help besides electronics.

[Pz3]

Been taking your canoe Shanes?

[Shanes7614]

Not at the marsh. Mostly in the canals locally and some smaller waters. Was there a couple other times with BBD and going again soon with him and another friend wants to take his boat there.

[Chris at Tech]

As ole' George Welcome told me when I fished with him a few years ago... "Where you see wood, there's wood. Where you don't see wood, there's wood". So as mentioned above, BE CAREFUL!

Baits I remember using we're senkos, chug bugs, rattle traps

[Violinguy]

I have only fished there one time, and it was with a guide.  Best overall day of bass fishing I've ever had.  No PBs for anyone, but lots and lots of 5 pounders all day.  Based on what I remember, I can say I wouldn't go there by myself (no guide) if it were my first time.

[bocabasser]

don't go to stick marsh. hasn't been the same since the hurricane. most of the fish are being caught at the spillway. what fun is that? go to lake o and catch a bunch with the possibilty of a toad.

[Shanes7614]

Bocabasser... Their is fish EVERYWHERE in stick marsh!!!!! And plenty of sizable fish as well.

[bocabasser]

Bocabasser... Their is fish EVERYWHERE in stick marsh!!!!! And plenty of sizable fish as well.

perhaps. every photo i see from a certain guide, show them plopped down right at the spillway. i'm glad to hear there are fish everywhere though.

[geo g]

Been to the stick marsh several times and always with someone that knew his way around. You can get in trouble quick if you just open your boat up without the knowledge. Your chance of a PB is better there then just about anywhere. Good luck if you go, I would hire a guide.

[Osprey39]

I've been there a couple of times with my dad when I was back home visiting.  I don't remember it being full of stumps though.  Most of it seemed pretty nondescript to me.  We fished mostly along the eastern shore both times we went.  Are the stumps located elsewhere?

[Shanes7614]

The stumps are just about everywhere across the entire lake. Water level could have been a bit higher whe. You were there but many are just under the surface. In order to open up your boat you better have a good GPS tracking.

[Osprey39]

Hmm, I'll keep that in mind.  I'm moving back to Florida at the end of the year and will probably be fishing there frequently as it's fairly close to where I'll be living.

[GLADES]

I went to the Stick Mash 1 time. When you enter the Marsh, I can tell you that the areas to the right(west side) re full of stumps. The ones I was bumping into looked like chopped off full grown palm trees. I don't think running at above idle speed is advisable until you have fully explored the place.

There was a crude map with coordinates available for running at plane to get to the farm side, but even with that knowledge, I would not do it until I ran through there slowly. From what I have learned about the place, when the SE farm side spillway is open letting water in, that is the place to be.

Boca is right. The stick marsh is good, but not the same since the hurricanes destroyed the vegetation. Before the hurricane it was amazing.

We fished the Stck march side until noon, and left the marsh then took a ride to Blue Cyprus lake, about 45 minutes away. A beautiful lake indeed.

Caught a few 3-5# bass in about 4 hours, explored the lake. The lake is full of fishy looking areas.

All in all, it was a fun day, checking out some new areas on a road trip.

[Osprey39]

Yeah, when I was there the water was pretty much 8ft deep all over and the only thing you could see on the graph of interest was the old plant rows.  I assume that's what they were as they were very uniform and straight.  We only caught a couple of fish but it was December and the weather was pretty crappy as well.  We did however run across the open area on plane.  If my dad had known there were stumps in there I'm sure he would have idled it because he is cautious to the point of being paranoid about that kind of stuff.  

 

Funny thing is with me, I'm nervous whenever I get in less than 10ft of water because out here in New Mexico with our canyon reservoirs that means you're about to hit something more than likely lol.