Stick Marsh & Farm 13

The weatherman said that there was a 30% chance of rain and winds would be from the north at 10-15. During the course of the morning we got all of the rain I guess, and wind gusts to 25+ MPH. However, weather aside the fishing, the bass were willing to play and that's what really counts. A windsock, raingear, and a good trolling motor kept all the distractions in check and allowed us to concentrate on what we had to do. Scott and I will go out and check locations so that we can stay as current as possible on the lake. Today we were only able to check a couple of spots but the payoff was there. The gal below is similar to what you will be exposed to as you fish with us. Scott and I do these fishing finding forays on an almost daily basis. Days off give us the opportunity to explore all of the many areas that historically hold fish on the Marsh/Farm. That is how we gather our information on this lake. We do not gather our information from someone who fishes the lake less than we do. Today's trip we tried rattletraps, Chug Bugs, spinner baits, hard jerk baits, Zoom plastic, and Senkos. As during the previous days, the Senko and plastics ruled. We found bass in two out of the three areas we hit with all bass holding close to cover. A lightly weighted T-rig and weightless worked well enough to land us 28 bass by 10:00, and with the rain falling and wind howling we decided tomorrow would be a better day. The pump house was running full tilt and a quick run to the spillway found it closed with some in that area working it with shiners. Shiners can be a good option if the weather isn't nice, and the spillway can be an excellent place to work them. A little instruction in the use of shiners can go a long way, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to call. We will be glad to help if we can. If you are going shiner fishing you don't need any special equipment. A good rod, reel, and stout line is all that is needed. Someone asked me about special shiner equipment in an e-mail yesterday, but I am not aware of any equipment that is sold as "special shiner equipment". We use MH  rods with Shimano Chronarch reels, 20 pound line and 4/0 Kahle hooks. All of our fish caught are weighed on a Boga Grip. However, if you don't have a scale on board and want to guesstimate your fishes weight, a typical Florida Largemouth according to Florida Fish and Game would measure approximately 27 inches long with a girth of 17 inches. You can obtain measured guesses by formula at: weight. When weighing, measuring, and photographing fish please handle them carefully and get them back into the water as quickly as possible. In closing, for bigger fish and more fish look for wood, and stay well away from the shore. See you out there.