Understanding Lake Okeechobee

[Jm526]

Hello guys, I currently live in Margate, South Florida. I have visited Okeechobee several times but need help to understand it. I fishing out of South bay RV boat ramp nearby Slims fish camp. I mainly fish Cuts along the rim canal and flats on the side of trails leading to the big lake. This weekend I fished a small area of grass flats along the big lake. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[SFL BassHunter]

Jack what are you using in those grass flats?

 

Soft plastic swimbaits work real well in that area. Burn them or swim them slower. There are big hydrilla patches in there, you can swim the swimbait into the holes in the hydrilla let them bait sink a little then swim it out.

[geo g]

Punch up a search for Okeechobee on this site.  There is a lot of information present and past.  The O keeps changing so nothing stays the same for long.

[Jm526]

32 minutes ago, SFL BassHunter said:

Jack what are you using in those grass flats?

 

Soft plastic swimbaits work real well in that area. Burn them or swim them slower. There are big hydrilla patches in there, you can swim the swimbait into the holes in the hydrilla let them bait sink a little then swim it out.

I use swimbaits. How do you rig them?

 

30 minutes ago, geo g said:

Punch up a search for Okeechobee on this site.  There is a lot of information present and past.  The O keeps changing so nothing stays the same for long.

Thanks

[BassinLou]

The Lake can seem overwhelming when you first start to fish it. I know it was for me. I know I will spend years learning that lake and still not cover half of it.. lol!! The areas you started fishing around the RV park are productive areas. Me and a buddy of mine fished close to that area last week and boated 25. Like I have probably mentioned before to you in the past. Be patient. Read reports, pick areas and get to know the areas well before you move on to somewhere else. If you can meet up with someone, friend or guide, that know the Lake extremely well, it will be worth your time to go with them and let them teach you where to go and what to look for. Keep at it. Good luck!! 

[SFL BassHunter]

35 minutes ago, Jm526 said:

I use swimbaits. How do you rig them?

 

Thanks

I use a 5/0 or 6/0 swimbait hook. Usually 1/8oz. Because I don't carry heavier hooks if I need to get down to the bottom or near the middle of the water column I will texas rig a 1/16 oz or a 3/16oz bullet weight to the front.

[Jm526]

1 minute ago, SFL BassHunter said:

I use a 5/0 or 6/0 swimbait hook. Usually 1/8oz. Because I don't carry heavier hooks if I need to get down to the bottom or near the middle of the water column I will texas rig a 1/16 oz bullet weight to the front.

Thanks

[DINK WHISPERER]

We were out there about two weeks ago and caught them on all kinds of stuff. Early morning a few came on lipless rattle traps and spinnerbaits. Then flipping and punching big weights with small craw lures. And the biggest of the day a 7lb came on a big swimbait. 

[frogflogger]

Lots of info on the big O - all I can add - if you catch a fish - work the area very thoroughly.

[Jm526]

5 hours ago, frogflogger said:

Lots of info on the big O - all I can add - if you catch a fish - work the area very thoroughly.

Thanks

[RoLo]

There's no reason to be intimidated by its size, just subdivide the lake on your chartplotter,

something you can do at home. The FWC reported that of all things, the most productive plant

for bass in the Big-O has been "cattails". Cattails rarely grow deeper than 3 ft,

which gives you a heads-up as to bass depth.

 

Roger

[Jm526]

14 hours ago, RoLo said:

There's no reason to be intimidated by its size, just subdivide the lake on your chartplotter,

something you can do at home. The FWC reported that of all things, the most productive plant

for bass in the Big-O has been "cattails". Cattails rarely grow deeper than 3 ft,

which gives you a heads-up as to bass depth.

 

Roger

Thanks