Stick Marsh & Farm 13

Date fished: 10/27/03 Water Temps: 76 degrees/stained Water clarity: 2-3 feet in heavy hydrilla areas Baits used: Senkos, Zoom Flukes, Buzz Baits, Spinner Baits, Storm Chug Bug Every away from home fishing trip starts with a planning session. Dates have to be set, lodging has to be considered, transportation arranged, and if a guide is going to be used then reservations have to be made. Robert Magee of Carrollton, Georgia, and his friend Cleve have done this many times in their fishing past but with one twist that most of us would love to have. Upon arrival of the departure date, Robert heads to the airport, climbs aboard his Cessna Citation, and flies himself and his friend to wherever the fishing whim has led them. This time they were headed to Stick Marsh/Farm 13 for 2 1/2 days of intense fishing. They departed the ramp with Scott, my son and partner, at 12:40 and fished until 5:30 in the SW area of the Farm with one quick trip to the center N/S ditch. South of the intersection on that ditch we have found some nice fish with rattletraps but not this afternoon. The fish were hitting up on top and down the bottom but the majority of the fish were one to two pounds. The conditions are pre-spawn and these bass are busy with the chore of trying to select a suitable location for the females to come to. The females will come in and out of this area and perseverance will usually get you something really nice but this afternoon trip only yielded quantity and no big fish.  Date fished: 10/28/03 Water temps: 76 degrees/stained Weather forecast: winds SSE 15 to 20 Weatherman - absolutely correct Scott's trip today was with David Fletcher of Tallahassee, FL, his wife Gina, and his son Eric. This was David's second trip and to be a memory trip for Eric who is off to basic training very soon in the USMC. They opted for shiners and it was a decision they would be delighted with. Starting the morning with 8 dozen shiners, Scott took them directly to the spillway area. Fishing the shiners free-lined they ran out of shiners by 10:AM. The decision was made to get more shiners and another 6-dozen were ordered from Middleton's Bait and Tackle. Jeanne delivered them to the ramp and it was back to fishing. As you can see, Mom was not to be outdone. This was another fantastically successful trip as the 14 dozen shiners produced bass after bass and memories never to be forgotten. One good piece of preparation was this group remembered the camera so these fish will be remembered for a lifetime. Robert, Cleve, and I headed to the SW area of the Farm. With the impending low front sweeping across the state from the Gulf anticipations ran high as we plied the waters with soft jerk baits and Senkos. It was breezy from the beginning but not so bad that managing the boat was a problem. The catching was good early on with fish to 5-6 pounds coming on Senkos. However, as promised the winds came and as they got stronger the bite got weaker. Tomorrow's forecast called for a repeat of the winds and after hearing of Scott's success with shiners the guys did an about face and ordered up shiners for the day. Date fished: 10/29/03 Forecast: Clear with winds NNE 15-20 Starting with 10-dozen shiners in the spillway proved to be as successful today as it was yesterday for Scott and the Fletchers. Fishing with shiners can be a challenge when it comes to actually getting the fish hooked. Getting them hit is a lot easier than getting them hooked. Success comes by having a taut straight line connection to the fish when you strike and it took no time before Robert and Cleve had the rhythm. The morning hours flew and by 10:30 the shiner tank was empty. The decision was made to get another 6-dozen. Within an hour we had the new shiners and they lasted until 2:15. 16-dozen shiners - 2-dozen died - hookup ratio was about 70% - estimated catch over 100 bass. We were free-lining the shiners and hooking them in the back. Many hits were on top as the shiners ran across the surface. Although the artificial bite is really good right now, the wind made the decision to go to shiners a "right move". See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.