Jim Porter Stick Marsh Fishing Report

[Tpayneful]

Jim Porter has weighed in on Stick Marsh and sayes that you need to go somewhere else.  Do you guys agree?

7 December 2009

We started up our 2009-2010 guide season on 1 November, hoping to take up with the same great fishing we finished up with last April. Boy, what a rude welcome Mother Nature gave us!! 14 straight days of 20-30 MPH winds just shut everything down. The waters dirtied up badly and it was another few days after the winds subsided until it cleared sufficiently.

Our first trip out was with Dave Culler and his old friend, Lance Herrin. I was somewhat apprehensive about the trip, since I had not had a chance to check the fishing conditions. I explained the prior weather events and that we might be taking the trip a little early, but it was the only time Lance could go. So, with a boat full of expensive shiners, we headed out onto the Farm 13/Stick Marsh impoundment not knowing what we'd find.

And, what we found was absolutely nothing. The water was sufficiently clean, the winds were light and the weather was warm. In the seven hours we fished, I cannot say we even had a bass strike. In fact, we had one gar and one catfish roll at a shiner and that was all the action, all day. Totally devastating.

We later went to the impoundment and found the shell beds void of fish, as well as negative results out in the open water drifting for the big crappie. However, we went to Garcia Reservoir and did well on crappie with both minnows and jigs.

What you should know: Since the late 2004 hurricanes killed all the open water grass in the impoundment, the fishing has steadily gone downhill. We were able to compensate each successive year after that simply by knowing the water so intimately. I can still catch fish, but the quantities are not as high. But, somehow, I am lucky and catch a big bass (8 lbs +) most every trip. The Stick Marsh/Farm 13 crappie quantities sizes are also down, but Garcia is still good for 10-12 inch fish. Bluegills in Garcia remain tremendous.

Without grass, there is a lack of basic food chain and protective zones for the new spawns and the small baitfish. There is also a significant decrease in oxygen levels in the waters. Grass normally filters the water, knocking down suspended sediments and absorbing pollutants, such as pesticides and fertilizers inflowing from the surrounding farms and ranches. All this would appear to have a negative impact on water quality and habitat. There are still fish in the impoundment, but I think the populations are way down and the spawns have done poorly.

That's my best shot at excuses for the poor fishing. So far, I have canceled four bass trips to the Farm 13/Stick Marsh impoundment and I will not recommend the place until I see improvement. However, with people still fishing the place, I am sure someone will stumble upon a way to catch fish. I hope I am one of them.

[FD.]

Let's just wait and see what GW has to say.

[George Welcome]

What I have to say: A part time guide is going to have difficulties no matter what lake he attempts to try. There are times when one of the sister lakes to the Marsh will perform even better such as right now, however the Stick Marsh is a lake where any cast can get you a bass over 10-pounds.

Fish and Game keeps a close watch on the conditions at the Marsh and their shocking surveys do not agree with Mr. Porter. First: Oxygen levels are not down. Yes, the hydrilla is missing. However, we that fish the lake full time don't need that to lead us to fish locations.

On my last trip to the Marsh with clients we went through 10-dozen shiners by 1:00. Although I prefer to fish artificials there are times when live bait is the answer if you have traveled a long distance. This lake as any other can be quite difficult if weather decides to hand you a sloppy day.

Mr. Porter has been crying about the lake for some time now, but then not fishing the lake from May to November just might have something to do with that. Claiming to be a guru with a fancy web page doesn't make one so.

I have cut down considerably on fishing reports, as have others that know how to fish this lake: that's not for lack of fish, but rather to allow those such as Mr. Porter to stumble around on his own talents or lack thereof.

For those wishing to fish the Marsh: This lake, like any lake in the world will have great days of production and some not so great days of production. This is fishing after all. However for the most part the fishing on this lake will outshine any place that I have fished in my 45+ years of fishing.

As mentioned above: there are times when one of the four sister lakes that make up this conservation area will outperform. Take a look at December reports in my outings above to see what I mean. Fishing here full time lets me keep abreast of such things, rather that putting up a report of how I can't find fish.

Sorry if this seems like a rant: this "wannabe guru" needs to stick to his crappie and bream fishing. Read his report again - he's trying to get you to pay him to go after some crappie and bream instead of the bass you traveled all the way here for.

[GLADES]

Has the state tried to restore the hydrilla and grasses to the SM/F13? If not, are there any plans to do some restoration?

[George Welcome]

Fish and Game is communicating with botanists on this issue, however nothing is concrete at this time. Experience says that the most important thing is to get some sunlight to the bottom and this would require lowering of the water levels. Hydrilla seed is known to stay viable for 7 years or longer in suspension. However, it needs sunlight to germinate, and the high levels of water that have been maintained, the dark staining of tannic, and the mixing of particulates from windy conditions all work to keep this from occurring.

This is not the only lake in south Florida that this is occurring.

[roadwarrior]

Geez...The "fishing report" kinda tickled me as I read it.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1262521710

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[arul]

Not sure what this Porter guy is talking about.  I caught this hog in my signature photo

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along with a few other +5 lbers, my first time ever on that lake, out of my geenoe this summer.  Haven't had the chance to go back, and don't know the history to compare it to,  but if I lived in Melbourne (not Orlando as I do now) and actually had a boat, I would be out on the Farm all the time.

Sounds like Mr. Porter needs to spend more time reading this forum to brush up on his fishing skills if you ask me...

[Tpayneful]

Good to hear that the fish have not "disappeared" from Stick Marsh!  I have already scheduled my annual fishing trip there for the first week of March and am bringing new friends this year.  They start to doubt my selection when they read fishing reports from the likes of Jim Porter.

I have talked to George Welcome on the water and he is extremely pleasent and helpful!  Watching him weave his large boat through the stump fields is like watching a master paint a fine piece of art!  Though he will rib you all day if you get bed bugs at your hotel of choice!    

Stick Marsh can cost you money to fish though.  I broke the ubolts holding the axle to my leaf springs on my trailer.  The next day we lost the fender and the bolts fell out of the bunks.  On the fourth day we had to retighten a bunch of bolts.  Have a bag of tools and a bag of nuts and bolts handy.  The road in is the roughest six miles of dirt road and can play havoc on your trailer!  The lake itself can destroy a prop or a lower unit.  It think it is my favorite place to fish but you should hire George Welcome or Randy Sanders to take you on your first trip.  It will give you an idea of how rough the way in is but also get the lay of the lake and where you can or cannot run your boat on plane idle or even trolling.   

I can't wait to go and start catching fish again because we are frozen out around here!

[avid]

Porter writes an article like that at the end of every one of his seasons,....then he comes back down and will take yer money with a grin.

[Randall]

Porter writes an article like that at the end of every one of his seasons,....then he comes back down and will take yer money with a grin.

I don't know if he still does but Porter used to spend time in my home town of Waynesville NC (I believe he has a house there) and fish some of the mountain lakes that I fished growing up and still do when I get a chance. I have seen some of his reports from those lakes and they don't reflect the size or numbers of the fish the lakes hold and I have caught on a regular basis with the exception of the crappie.