High waters in South Florida fishing the WCA's

[253flo]

Hey partner, I'm just starting to learn to fish the WCA's. With all the rain we've had (and going to have), how does this affect the fishing when the water rises? I'm trying to understand where I should be targeting fish as the water rises. Is the marsh access areas a good area to taget when the waters are high? Any other areas anyone suggests?

Freshwater_WCAbrochure (1).pdf

[Wurming67]

It's gonna be bad for a while high water levels is bad in Florida they will pumping tons of water so you will have find areas that the water is clear cause most of it's gonna be all.muddied up, generally speaking summer is a tough time in South Florida for bass fishing due to high water levels from all the rain and high water temperatures.

 

 

Ps-Im not an expert but this is from my own personal experience 

[soflabasser]

I tend to catch some of my largest numbers of +5 pound bass in high water conditions so its definitely a good time to fish for bass now if you are willing to change the way you normally fish. Lots of rain means the spillways are open in many locations, and these areas are loaded with quality sized fish that most people do not catch since they don't put the effort to fish these locations.

[geo g]

Water is going way up all over the place.  They are turning on the big pumps and pulling water out of the neighborhoods and into the conservation areas.  Water in the glades will be climbing fast.  The canal fishing will get worse and those that fish the flats will like this.  They will be scattered way back in the flats.

 

Also look for areas with current, like culverts, flood gates, pumping areas.  Fish the SLACK areas around the moving water.  Big bass hang in these areas in ambush mode.  

 

A good area would be the cuts from the flats, to the canal.  Water flows through the cut.  Fish the areas on the sides of the cut where water is not in the direct flow.  You know fish have positioned close to these choke areas.

[253flo]

7 hours ago, geo g said:

Water is going way up all over the place.  They are turning on the big pumps and pulling water out of the neighborhoods and into the conservation areas.  Water in the glades will be climbing fast.  The canal fishing will get worse and those that fish the flats will like this.  They will be scattered way back in the flats.

 

Also look for areas with current, like culverts, flood gates, pumping areas.  Fish the SLACK areas around the moving water.  Big bass hang in these areas in ambush mode.  

 

A good area would be the cuts from the flats, to the canal.  Water flows through the cut.  Fish the areas on the sides of the cut where water is not in the direct flow.  You know fish have positioned close to these choke areas.

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to make sure I understand you correctly. Do I have this image labeled correctly with the cuts and flats? I'm not exactly sure what a cut and a flat is. I'm guessing a flat is a large area where shallow water exist and a cut is water that feeds into the flat. Is that correct? Appreciate the help.  

[geo g]

11 hours ago, 253flo said:

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to make sure I understand you correctly. Do I have this image labeled correctly with the cuts and flats? I'm not exactly sure what a cut and a flat is. I'm guessing a flat is a large area where shallow water exist and a cut is water that feeds into the flat. Is that correct? Appreciate the help.  

The canals are anywhere from 6 to 12 feet deep, the flats are huge areas a uniform 3 to 5 feet deep depending on how much water there is.  Much of the flats are just too full of vegetation and weeds to move around in.  There are trails in the flats that you can maneuver around in, but just make sure you don;t lose your way on how to get out.  They can become a maze with lots of dead ends, especially for the beginners.  When they are pumping water you will get a flow out of the flats, into the canals, and then to the pump stations, and flood gates.  The cuts to the canals usually become magnets for feeding bass during these periods.  If you venture deep into the flats just be aware of how to get out.  It can become confusing if you don't pay attention.  Good luck!

[Wurming67]

Mark waypoints when you go into the flats, you don't want to spend the night out there?

[253flo]

On 5/26/2018 at 11:48 AM, geo g said:

The canals are anywhere from 6 to 12 feet deep, the flats are huge areas a uniform 3 to 5 feet deep depending on how much water there is.  Much of the flats are just too full of vegetation and weeds to move around in.  There are trails in the flats that you can maneuver around in, but just make sure you don;t lose your way on how to get out.  They can become a maze with lots of dead ends, especially for the beginners.  When they are pumping water you will get a flow out of the flats, into the canals, and then to the pump stations, and flood gates.  The cuts to the canals usually become magnets for feeding bass during these periods.  If you venture deep into the flats just be aware of how to get out.  It can become confusing if you don't pay attention.  Good luck!

 

Got it...the cuts feeds the canals from the flats. I'll definitely mark way points into the flats, sounds like my first couple of times I'll need to stay in visual range of the cut or canal in the flats. I won't get to froggy.