The fishing on Lake “O” has improved some over the past week and I have been catching a fair number of bass on most guide trips. The grass is making it a little tough to fish in most areas but the fish are there you just have to talk them into biting and then get them out of the heavy cover. There have been bass from the Monkey Box to Pelican Bay but you will have to look for them. The water level is at 13.97 above sea level and still dropping slowly which has started to make some areas a little to shallow to run your boat in, just be careful when shutting down or getting on plane in some areas. The main lake still remains muddy at best but you don’t have to go to far back into the grass to get to clean water. I have seen beds from Moonshine to Bay Bottom, some are from last month but some are new and I have seen fry and fingerlings in a number of areas. This lake will be the most awesome fishing lake in the future.

   Most of the bass my clients and I have been catching have come from the thick grass and clean water. This is some of the hardest fishing since the vegetation is so thick that we are limited to what lures that you can fish in it. I have had the best success on a Gambler Flappin Shad, Zoom Super Fluke, and a Lake Fork Hyper Freak. The Flappin Shad has been the best lure to get these bass to come up out of the thick weeds and eat. I rig it on a 5/0 wide gap super line hook and attach it to fifty pound test PowerPro braided line. I like to throw it on a Deep South 7’ 2” Frog Rod that has a lot of backbone to get the fish out of the weeds, I use a high speed Abu-Garcia Revo STX reel to finish out this combo. The Lake Fork Hyper Freak is a new bait by Lake Fork and has really good action as a flipping and pitching bait, the flat tail really moves when it drops in the water. I fish the Hyper Freak on a Deep South Flipping Rod that is 7’11” and extra heavy action with fifty pound test PowerPro braided line. I’m sure other lures will work but this is what has been working for my clients and me.

   Bay Bottom, around Ritta Island, the West Wall, and from Uncle Joe’s Cut to Moonshine are all areas that I have caught fish in the past couple weeks. No the fish are not everywhere but if you cover some water throwing the Flappin Shad you will catch some fish and usually there are more than one fish in the area. Some days I go out and catch a good number of bass and than some times I don’t catch as many, but the look on a clients face when a bass comes up and grabs the Flappin Shad and leaves a hole in the water is worth all the time you spend locating these bass.

   The crappie fishing is improving a little but it is still slow at best. Try up around Bird Island as this is where the best chance to catch them now. The bluegills are still biting and a cricket fished under a float in Uncle Joe’s Cut is a good place to start. I would like to let everyone know that the FLW Series tournament will be held on Lake Okeechobee out of Clewiston on 28^th to the 31^st of January. Bring the kids over for the daily weigh in at Roland Martin’s Marina on the first three days with the final weigh in being held at Wal-Mart on the 31^st.

Product of the Month

I would like to let you know about a new product called BTS (Bow to Stern). BTS is an all surface protectant that you can use from one end of your boat to the other. It works great on the outside to keep water stains, scum lines and road grime from sticking to your boat. It works equally as well on the seats and dash to keep mold and mildew from starting. Spray it in your storage lockers to keep them from getting mildew. It has the highest UV protection that you can get and it does not leave you boat oily feeling like some other products. Another use is to use it on your vehicle and bugs and road grime just hose right off. I’m not usually impressed with many products but I am with this one. Check this product out at www.btsproducts.com or contact me if you want to try a bottle of this amazing protectant.

Wow the bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee has improved almost overnight and seems to be getting better every day. We are still getting some cold fronts moving through the area and it does affect the fishing but it only seems to make it tough for a day. The bass are moving in off the main lake toward the shallow clean water to spawn and we have been catching some bass off the beds. The water level is at 14.03 feet above sea level and still slowly dropping from the farms pulling water out of the lake for irrigation. As slow as this fall started out I was a bit worried about the bass fishing this year but if the past couple weeks is an indication as to what the winter will bring the fishing should be great.

   Fishing with artificial lures has been as good as if not better than fishing with wild shiners, I have been suggesting both for my clients and we end up throwing artificial lures more than we shiner fish. I have been catching bass on a variety of different lures but something that you can fish overtop of the vegetation has been the key to more bites. I have been using a Gambler Flappin Shad and a Gary Yamamoto Swimming Senko to get the most bites, but you can also flip a Lake Fork Hyper Freak or throw a weightless Senko and get bites. The next hardest thing to do is to get the bass out of this thick vegetation and into the boat, I try to go to the fish once we have it hooked and usually we get them in the boat before we lose the bass. I have been covering a lot of water and fishing kind of fast until I locate a bass and than I will fish this area very thoroughly because I will usually catch a few more bass in the same general area. I have been catching more fish on the Flappin Shad and Swimming Senko but I have had bigger fish on the Lake Fork Hyper Freak. You will want to use heavy line like the PowerPro braid that I use or the new fluorocarbon line that Lake Fork is now selling that you can get in heavy thirty three and thirty nine pound test.

   The areas that I have been fishing are scattered from the Monkey Box to South Bay with clean water being the only thing that I really have had to have. Bay Bottom has been producing tournament winning sacks of bass the past couple weeks but fish are being caught up on the shoal and the East and West Walls. The key is to look for clean water and to fish areas that have been traditional spawning areas in the past. Even though we are off the full moon I have been seeing and catching bass off the beds. This is very encouraging to see that the lake is healthy enough that we are seeing lots of bass beds this early in the year. The crappies are still a little tough to catch here at the south end of the lake but we are catching good numbers of bluegills.

   I would like to thanks everyone who has followed my column for the past couple years. I really appreciate the e-mails and kind words at the marina, boat ramps, and out on the water. I hope everyone has happy and prosperous New Year.

Bite of the Week

I would look for clear to slightly stained water at the south end of Okeechobee and cover a lot of water until I located some fish. I would throw a Gambler Flappin Shad or Swimming Senko until I found the bass and than work the area good with a Lake Fork Hyper Freak. For bluegill try crickets in Uncle Joe’s Cut.

The bass fishing has been a little tough the past couple weeks here on the Big “O” as cold front after cold front moves through South Florida. The lake level has been slowly dropping and has the lake level at 14.18 feet above sea level. I know we all wanted to see water back in Lake Okeechobee but the fishing has been tough since the water has filled the lake back up and no one seems to know why it has been so tough to catch bass. But that is why we call it fishing, it seems like we were so use to catching big numbers of bass the past couple years with the water being so low that now when we do catch a few bass it isn’t enough.

   Some of the bass that we have been catching have been in areas that have very clean water but the main lake and the outside grass line has very dirty water and the wind has kept it that way. Some of the areas that do have clean water are around Ritta Island, the East Wall, West Wall, and from Cochran’s Pass to the Blue Hole. Most of these areas have clean water back in from the outside grass line. Look for areas that look healthy with some green on the vegetation and any signs of bait fish moving around. You will not be able to go into any of these areas at any given time and catch bass, you will have to cover lots of water and look for them.

   My bait selection has been pretty small the last couple weeks with a swimming Senko, Zoom U-Vibe Speed Worm, and a Zoom Horny Toad being my main baits. I have been fishing the Swimming Senko and the Zoom U-Vibe Speed Worm with a one sixteenth ounce screw in sinker, 4/0 hook, and on twenty pound test fluorocarbon line. I fish the Zoom Horny Toad on a Deep South heavy action frog rod rigged with fifty pound test PowerPro braided line. The key the last couple weeks seem to be to cover as much water as possible and keep your bait in the water. Another lure that my clients have caught a few bass on is a Gambler Flappin’ Shad fished over top of the grass. Most all of the areas that I have been fishing have pretty thick vegetation and it limits you to the type of lure that you can use. Be sure to use a good heavy action rod like the Deep South Rods that I use or you will have a hard time getting the bass out of the heavy grass.

   I have also been fishing at the Sawgrass Recreational area and have been catching bass but most of them are small. It is a little different scenery than fishing the lake and is a little easier to catch bass which is great for the kids. Try fishing a Senko wacky style and Zoom Flukes in green pumpkin and watermelon colors and you should be able to catch a good number of bass in the canals. A few crappies are being caught on the lake at Bird Island and around Uncle Joe’s Cut. The numbers of crappies have not come in off the lake yet but if you just want a few to eat it shouldn’t be any trouble to catch enough on some minnows. If you are still looking for that perfect Christmas gift I do have some of the Deep South “Mark King” Shakey Head Rods and gift certificates available, just contact me at www.markkingfishing.com. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and try not to forget what the true meaning of Christmas really is about.

Bite of the Week

With the bite being slow I would start fishing around Ritta Island and work my way toward Cochran’s Pass fishing any water that looks good and also covering as much water as possible. I would rig a frog, swimming Senko and Zoom U-Vibe Speed Worm and just go fishing. For a few crappies to eat try Uncle Joe’s Cut with minnows.

Lake Okeechobee is a mysterious lake these days; the bass are here one day and darn hard to find the next. The water level is right, the water color is right, the water temperature is getting right, yet the bass seem to be a little hard to locate on a consistent basis. I had a couple good days last week where we caught some nice fish but we had to work for them. But with the full moon just around the corner we should have bass in on the beds like we did last month. The water level is at 14.66 feet above sea level and that is just about right going into winter here on Lake Okeechobee. We have some great grass growing almost everywhere on the lake, from pepper grass, eel grass, to hydrilla and it is keeping the water clean in most areas.

   Some areas that have been producing the bass that my clients and I have been catching are the East Wall, West Wall, Ritta Island, Long Point, and Coots Bay. The wind has been blowing a lot here so fishing out on the lake side of these areas is almost impossible. The water color back in the grass has been really good with it being clear in most areas. Out on the lake the water looks muddy from the wind blowing almost everyday, but it is fishable in some areas. With the bass being so unpredictable from day to day I’m not sure that the majority of the bass have moved in from out in the lake yet. There is some larger shad moving around out in open water and these bass may be chasing them around and not moving into the grass yet. The only problem is that with the wind blowing so much the lake is muddy and it will be hard to locate these bass that are off the grass in open water. You might be able to find some fishable water out in the open water if the wind slows down some and a Spro Aruka Shad would be the perfect bait to locate these bass. This outside grass will also be a great place to catch bass on wild shiners as they move toward the inside grass from out on the lake.

   For most of the areas back in the grass I have been using a Lake Fork Hyper Worm rigged weightless, I just throw it out and slowly swim it across the grass. I have also been pitching a Lake Fork Hyper Freak rigged with a half ounce weight in to the holes in the grass. Junebug and green pumpkin have been the best colors for me the past few weeks. I have been throwing both of these baits on Gamma Edge 100% Fluorocarbon line in 20 pound test. The grass that I have been fishing is pretty thick and I have been going to the fish when you catch them not even trying to pull them through the grass, it is just too thick. The new line of “Hyper” soft plastic lures by Lake Fork are awesome baits to add to your bass fishing arsenal, they have a wide tail that has great action in the water and are loaded with garlic and salt to make the bass want to hold on. And of course I have been throwing all my lures on the new line of Deep South Rods (www.deepsouthfishingrods.com) that were designed by fishermen for fishermen. They are the most sensitive rods I have ever used and are assembled with quality Fuji components. Try one of my signature series shakey head rods that I helped design to fish a shakey head rig with a baitcasting reel not a spinning reel.

   The  brim are still biting good and most reports that I have been receiving are that you can go out almost any day and catch all you want. Be sure to check out my new site at www.mybassclass.com for all the newest bass fishing information.

Bite of the Week

I would start fishing the open water off Long Point or Ritta Island and move into the grass looking for bass. Throw a Spro Aruka Shad as a search bait to locate the bass in the open water and than switch to a Lake Fork Hyper worm in green pumpkin color fished weightless over top the grass and let it sink into the holes in the grass.

September has proven to be somewhat a tough month fishing here on the Big “O”. For most to go out and catch a couple fish a day has been good. The bass have been really scattered out, you may catch one or two fish in an area and than you have to find another area to catch them in, this is true even with wild shiners for bait. The water has slowed down flowing into Lake Okeechobee and has even gone down some in the past couple weeks to 14.95 feet above sea level. I believe that the water just needs to cool down a little and the water needs to clean up in some areas from the dead and dieing vegetation. As long as the wind isn’t blowing too hard to dirty up the water I have had good success on the outside grass line but when the wind blows and dirties up the water on the outside you need to move back in the grass. And this is where the trouble locating fish starts, I have found a few open water holes back in the grass and you can sometimes catch a bass or two out of them but for the most part you will put some time in to catch a few bass back in the grass.

   The bass that my clients and I have been catching have been on worms and craws fished along the grass. A ten inch worm like the ones I use from Lake Fork Trophy Lures in junebug color fished with a 3/16 ounce weight on twenty pound test fluorocarbon line has been one of my best producing lures. A Swimming Senko would be my next choice for lures, fished weightless on a 4/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hook also attached to the twenty pound test fluorocarbon line. I swim the Senko through the grass till I get to an open hole in the grass and then just stop it and let it fall in the hole, if no bites just continue swimming it. The frog bite has slowed down but I’m still catching a few and most of them are really good fish. The Snag-Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog in black has been the best color and frog for me to use back in the real thick grass like almost all of the grass is. The fishing has been slow so you will want to really slow down and fish real slow to get the bites.

   Some of the areas that have been good are Long Point, Ritta Island, Coots Bay, West Wall, and around Observation Island. It depends on the wind as to which areas will be the better ones. Try to fish the outside grass line first and move in grass farther as you try to locate the fish. I have heard of a few bass being caught back in the grass all the way against the hard line but the water quality is not very good back in with the dieing vegetation. There does seem to be a lot of bait back in the grass moving around so it is just a matter of time before the bass will be there also. By mid October the bass should really be moving in to the grass and feeding for the fall migration into the spawning areas.

   In tournament news the Wal-Mart BFL was held last weekend out of Okeechobee with Alex Picos from Davie Florida winning with a two day total of 38.14 pounds, second place was Brandon McMillan from Belle Glade Florida with 38.08 pound for two day. The bass are out there as the tournament results show but they are a little bit hard to find for now.

   The bluegill fishing has still been great with most of the bluegill being caught in the rim canal and dynamite holes. My neighbor and fishing guide Joe Payne has been catching a limit of bluegill on almost every trip out. A cricket fished under a cork is the best bet to catch some nice bluegill but a Bettle Spin will also work.

Bite of the Week

I would start fishing the outside grass line at Observation Island, Ritta Island, or Long Point and than slowly work my way back in the grass. Throw ten inch worm, swimming Senkos, or frogs and really fish areas thoroughly. Look for water that is not to dirty and does have a little wind blowing on it. For bluegill try some of the dynamite holes south of Clewiston with crickets.

September is flying by here on Lake Okeechobee and the fishing has been really good as the water level continues to rise. For some though the fishing has been a little tough as they learn to fish in the grass of Okeechobee all over again. The bass are not everywhere and you will not catch a lot in one area but when you do find them you will be able to catch a fair number in the general area. With the water level at 15.15 feet above sea level it is no problem to go almost anywhere as long as you can get through the grass. I have been catching bass from above Cochran’s Pass to Kramer Island. The wind seems to have a lot of affect on where the bass are positioning themselves. If the wind blows pretty hard the bass are back in the grass more but when the wind lays down or just blows a little the bass are more toward the outside grass line. Most of this depends on if the wind is pushing the bait back into the grass or if they are hanging out on the edge of the grass.

   Some areas that have been good the past couple weeks are both sides of Ritta Island, Long Point, Coots Bay, and around Observation Island area. Where I go depends on the direction of the wind, I like it to blow straight in against the grass if possible. Another thing to watch for is the dirty water, the harder the wind blows from out on the lake the dirtier the water on the outside of the grass is going to be but as you move farther back into the grass the water will clean up and almost get to clear. I know everyone hates to fish in the wind but this is where the bass will be waiting to ambush bait that the wind pushes in to them. I use my Power-Pole to hold the boat on the outside of the grass and cast back into the grass a couple feet and work my bait out toward open water. Without a Power-Pole you could use an anchor but it would be a long day fishing a grass line for a couple miles if you have to pull the anchor all day, with the Power-Pole all I have to do is use the trolling motor to move me down the grass line and hit the remote to deploy the Power-Pole and I’m fishing. They are expensive but it is one piece of equipment that is on my boat that I couldn’t do without.

   I have been catching bass on both artificial lures and wild shiners. The wild shiner fishing has been really good and all you need to do is find an area that the wind is blowing straight into the grass and anchor out a casting distance away and throw the shiners just of the grass line and give it some time and you will catch some nice bass. As for artificial lures I have been using topwater frogs and 10” worms for the most part. The Bobby’s Perfect Frog made by Snag-Proof has been producing better than any other top water baits I have been using and black seems to be the color to use. The other lure that has been working best is a 10” worm made by Lake Fork Trophy Lures in junebug color. Remember we are now fishing in the grass again and you will need to use braided line like PowerPro, I use thirty pound test for worms and fifty pound test for frogs. Some other lures that have been working are a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon, Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad, and Heddon Zara Super Spook. Most of the bass that we have been catching are from two to six pounds but I have heard about some bass over eight pounds being caught this past week. Don’t be afraid to keep trying different areas till you find the one that is holding fish that you can catch.

Bite of the Week

I would start at Long Point throwing a 10” worm on the outside of the grass and than work my way back in the grass throwing a Snag-Proof frog. I would than move to Ritta Island or Coots Bay and do the same thing till I found some bass. If you want to throw wild shiners fish the outside of Coots or Long Point depending on which way the wind is blowing. Move back in the grass only if the wind is blowing to hard to fish the outside edge of the grass line.

I’m writing this as tropical storm Fay is approaching the Lake Okeechobee region and everyone has their fingers crossed for lots of rain. The lake level has already come up to 11.34 feet above sea level before this storm so with Gods grace we will get a good amount of rain from this storm. The fishing on Lake Okeechobee has been improving the last couple weeks as some eel and pepper grass has stated to pop up in some areas. The grass is just in patches but for now that is great and it should spread quickly with the clear water that is in most areas that I write about on the south end of the lake. The bass are relating to the small patches of eel grass and my clients have been able to catch a couple bass out of each patch before you need to move on to the next patch of grass. Also with the water level getting up high enough to once again get back into the main grass line in most areas the bass seem to be also heading to these areas.

   Most of the areas from Kramer Island to above Observation Island have some type of grass starting to grow and a few fish to be caught in most of these areas. A shakey head rig and Carolina rigged worm have been the most productive techniques as of lately. But I have been getting my frog rod and heavy flippin rod ready as these bass will be in the grass real soon. I have been fishing a shakey head rig in the eel grass patches with great success, my shakey head rig consist of a Giggy Head jig made by Gambler Lures and a new worm made by Lake Fork Tackle called a Hyper Worm that has great action. On the Carolina rig I have been using a Gambler Ace and a Lake Fork Ring Fry. Darker colored worms like junebug, black-blue, blue bruiser seem to be the best colors to use. I’m still catching a few fish on a swim bait and they are usually bigger bass but you may throw a swim bait all day for just a few bites.

    I really excited about the amount of rain that we are receiving from tropical storm Fay and can’t wait to get out on the lake and see how far back in the grass that we will be able to get. I will be getting a frog rod ready to use along with a heavy flippin stick to fish back in the grass. My rig for fishing frogs consists of a Deep South 7’2” heavy rod, an Abu-Garcia Revo reel spooled with fifty pound test Power-Pro line. The Abu-Garcia Revo reel that I use for fishing a frog has a high 7.1 gear ratio so that I can get a Gambler Cane Toad up on top of the water and can keep it there. I use two types of frogs a soft plastic Cane Toad made by Gambler baits and my favorite type of frog made by Snag Proof that will not sink and can be worked very slow over vegetation. I like to use the Bobby’s Perfect Frog made by Snag Proof Lures when I want a frog that will not sink and that I can add a rattle when I fish over heavy cover, when you stop this frog the legs will pulsate. But if you want to fish a frog fast over top vegetation than a Gambler Cane Toad is the bait I turn to.

Bite of the Week

There will be a lot more area accessible after tropical storm Fay passes by and you should be able to fish areas like the East Wall, West Wall, and around Observation Island. There has been a good deal of eel grass popping up in various areas, you just have to get out and look for it. I would fish a shakey head rig, Carolina rig, frog, and a texas rigged worm to search out these bass. Look for areas that have clean water that does not have too much of the tea colored water in it.

As the dirty water continues to flow into Lake Okeechobee from the farms surrounding the lake the fishing has gotten a little tough if you can’t find clean water. Yes we needed water in the lake but this red or tea stained water that is flowing and being pumped into the lake does not have much oxygen in it and has the bass scrambling for good water. The lake level is at 10.34 feet above sea level and still rising everyday. It seems to be one of those deals where do you want dirty water or no water! The key to finding bass the past couple weeks is to find clean water and bait, the clean water is a little easier to find than the bait fish.

   Some of the areas that the water still seams to be ok are the shoal north of Uncle Joe’s cut, Norman’s channel, and the pipeline area. The shoal does have more water on it than it did a couple weeks ago but it is still very shall to fishing it in a bass boat. Norman’s channel and the pipe line that runs from the water tank that is out the Clewiston channel to an area between Coots Bay and the East Wall. The water in the pipe line area is clear and you just need to look for the rocks that cover the pipe. On a weekend it is easy to find the pipe line because there is a string of boats on it, but even then they are still catching bass. At Norman’s channel you want to fish the edge of the channel and up in the shallower water also, you should find the fish if you keep looking around in this area.

   My bait selection has changed some from past months to where I’m throwing a swim bait a lot more especially if I see bait jumping or bass trying to eat them. For soft plastic swim baits try a Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad in both the 4.5 and 5.5 sizes. For hard plastic swim baits I have been using the King Shad made by Strike King. As for what color to use I have been using shad colored soft and hard plastic swim baits. The other thing about fishing swim baits is the fact that the strike is viscous and braided line and a rod with a lot of back bone is needed. I have been using thirty to fifty pound test Power Pro braided line and a 7’11” Deep South Flipping rod.  My next lure of choice would be an shaky head jig, I use a Gambler Lures ¼ ounce Giggy Head jig but there is a great variety of different jig head on the market now. Just try different ones until you find the one that works best for you, the one made by Gambler Lures has been a great jig for my clients and I to use. One the best feature is the fact you can get it with a 5/0 hook so that you can use large soft plastics with it and still get a good hook set without the worm being in the way and the fact that the hook is bigger and stronger it won’t bend when you get one of these trophy Lake Okeechobee bass hooked up. I have been using a variety of different soft plastics the past few weeks from 10” worms to 4” tube baits, but the straight tailed 6” worm is still the best producer by far. The bite on wild shiners has been very slow with it being tough to use up a couple dozen. My suggestion to clients is to use artificial lures and save the money that they would spend on the wild shiners.

   The bluegill bite has been good as we come off the full moon and the bluegills are on the beds. The key here is the same as the bass fishing, find fish and you will catch them. The shoal has a good number of active bluegill beds on it and would be my choice, just remember that the water is still very shallow and this area is dangerous. Crickets are still producing best but a Beatle Spin will work almost as well. Good luck and hope to see you on the water this week. Now is a great time to pick up some of that trash we all see on the water, lets all help clean up Lake Okeechobee.

Bite of the Week

For bass I would concentrate on areas that are safe to get to and have clean water, Norman’s channel and the pipe line would be my choice. I would take three lure a swim bait, a shaky head rig, and a top water lure. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different soft plastic worms on a shaky head jig, the bass will let you know what they want by the way they bite. For bluegill just drift the shoal area till you find some active beds and then throw a cricket under a cork over the bed. If you prefer not to use crickets throw a Battle Spin with a black trailer. Please don’t keep more bluegill then you plan on eating, save some for others and for next year.

The water level is dropping fast on Lake Okeechobee with the level at 9.44 feet above sea level and the fish are starting to move out of the shallow water areas just as fast. Fishing this past week has been a hit and miss deal, one day you catch the fire out of them and the next you struggle to catch just a few. As the water drops the bass will move to deeper water areas and then they will be easier to pinpoint but for now they are roaming around between the shallow water and the deeper water. If you get out early in the morning the bass are up on the shallow flats till the sun gets up and then they disappear. After the sun gets up the rim canal and channels have been holding enough fish to keep your interest. I was even able to catch a few good bass this week on wild shiners in the dynamite holes.

   Some of the areas that are producing well for bass are the Clewiston channel, Norman’s channel, the pipeline from Coots Bay out to the water tank, the rim canal, and the dynamite holes. As this water continues to drop the bass will move to deep water areas like the channels. A great area to fish is the shallow water next to the deeper water as long as the water is not too dirty. As I mentioned earlier the bass have been eating wild shiners in the dynamite holes and out on the lake, try sitting in the shallow water and throwing the shiners in the deeper water. I have been using both shiners fished with a cork float and free runners without a cork. For now the smaller shiners seem to be working better than the big ones. As for artificial lures topwater and soft plastic worms are the way to go. A Lil’ Zip made by local lure maker Sam Griffin or a Bomber Torpedo in a small size are working great for topwater, and like I have said before they work just as good all day as they do in the early morning hours. As for soft plastics the shaky head rig with a straight tailed worm and a Zoom Super Fluke fished with a 1/16 ounce screw in sinker will both catch some nice bass. I have been using a 3/16 ounce Gambler Giggy Head jig instead of the 1/4 ounce now that the wind has slowed down and as to what color worm, try any dark colors. Some of my favorite colored worms are black, junebug, black-grape, and black-blue. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different worms like a 10’ worm or a Senko, both will work at certain times. When I fish a Zoom Super Fluke I like to fish it on a 4/0 wide gap hook and a 1/16 ounce screw in bullet weight. My favorite colors for Flukes are watermelon-red, baby bass and green pumpkin. Another thing to consider is the water color where you are fishing, if it is clear and the wind isn’t putting much of a ripple on the water than you may want to move out toward deeper water and on windy or cloudy days the bass will be up on the clear shallow flats. Also consider your fishing line and use fluorocarbon line in the clear water as these bass can get line shy in the shallow water. If you like to use braided line then just tie a fluorocarbon leader about 24” in length to the braided line and you shouldn’t have any trouble.

   I have been seeing a good number of bluegill beds out on the lake in the shallow water areas I mentioned above. There are bluegills on some and others seem to not have any bluegill even around them, you just have to look for the active beds. Crickets under a cork would be my bait choice but a Beetle Spin with a black and yellow trailer will also get the job done.

   With summer here you want to remember to take lots of water out on the lake and drink it throughout the day not just when you are thirsty. Sunscreen should be applied before you even leave the dock in the morning and reapplied throughout the day, even on cloudy days you will get burnt without sunscreen. I like to use a sunscreen made by Smartshield that is oil free and eco-friendly so I don’t worry about getting it on my fishing line or in the water. One other item is sunglasses; wear them all the while you are out on the water. I have wore cheap glasses in the past and my eyes would hurt like a tooth ache all night but since I started wearing a good quality pair of sunglasses like Costa Del Mar glasses my eyes feel as good after a day on the water as they did in the morning.

Bite of the Week

I would start out fishing the pipeline in the morning with topwater and a shaky head rig and move toward the Clewiston channel as the sun got up overhead. If you want to throw some wild shiners than I would head to one of the deeper dynamite holes and sit in the shallow water and throw the shiners to deeper water. For bluegill try the pipeline area and also out Bear Beach channel. There are still a few bass in the rim canal but they seem to be scattered out so don’t expect to sit in one spot and catch a lot of bass.

You want to catch up to 30 plus bass a day?  Then Lake Okeechobee is the place to be now if you like catching bass on artificial lures. The main lake is clearing up daily as the wind has finally giving us a break and the bass are almost everywhere in the shallow water flats looking for something to eat. My clients have enjoyed a great couple weeks fishing out on the lake from the pipeline area to the shoal. Most of the bass are in the two to four pound range but we have had a fair number of fish over seven pounds. I’m fishing in water that is two feet deep or less and these bass are fighting like they are monster bass, this is what makes this so much fun to see the rod bent double and these bass out of the water like they are tarpon. The lake level is at 9.78 feet above sea level and has stayed pretty steady this week with the rain we received. It hasn’t been enough rain to fill the lake but enough to keep the farmers fields wet so they don’t take our water.

   If you’re going to be out on these flats areas fishing for bass you will not need too many different kinds of lures. Most all the fish that we have caught the past week or two have been on a shaky head rig or a lipless crankbait. Everyone gets tired me talking about a shakey head rig but when you take out two clients for six hours and they catch over fifty bass with a 7.12 pound bass to anchor the catch why would I want to use anything else. On windy days a lipless crankbait does work pretty well, I have been throwing a Spro Aruka Shad in both the 75 and junior size. The blue and green shiner colors seem to be the better colors, but any color with a shiny chrome finish should work. Spro has gone the extra mile on the finishes they are putting on the Aruka Shad, they are comparable with the high dollar Japanese lures at a fraction of the cost. My shakey head rig hasn’t changed much for the past six months, a Gambler � ounce Giggy Head jig and a dark colored straight tailed worm like a Gambler Sweebo or a Zoom Trick worm. On days when the wind doesn’t blow at all then a 3/16 ounce Giggy Head may work better. A few other lures that work from day to day for me are a 10” worm and swimbaits both hard and soft plastic.

   The areas out on the lake that I have talked about are very shallow water areas and for the most part you can not run your boat into these areas on plane. You should plan on doing a lot of idling and running your trolling motor most of the day while you fish these areas. The pipe line that runs from the water tank to an area off Coots Bay, the outside of Bare Beach channel, the area from the outside of Uncle Joe’s cut up to where the mouth of Cochran’s all have fish but are also very shallow and dangerous areas to be right now. There are lots of bluegill beds in these areas and the bass are roaming around eating till they look like little footballs, some are as big around as they are long. There are still fish in the rim canal and a few in the Clewiston channel from the locks at Clewiston out to the water tank.

   The bluegill bite has been good for some and not so good for others. There are lots of beds in all the shallow water areas that I talked about bass fishing above. Crickets would be my bait choice with Beetle Spins being my second choice. A lot of the airboat folks are getting out and wading around in the shallow water catching good numbers of bluegill.

Bite of the Week

My first choice for bass would be the pipeline area and I would throw a Gambler Giggy Head jig in � ounce size and a dark colored Gambler Sweebo worm attached. My next choice would be the shoal as long as the wind isn’t blowing too hard. But if you want to be safe with your boat that stick to the rim canal and you should be able to catch a good number of bass. For bluegill try the flat in front of Coots Bay or the rim canal and dynamite holes with a cricket under a cork float.

Picture of Mike Squillace from the Ft. Lauderdale Florida area with a bass that weighed 7.12 pounds caught on a shakey head. Picture by Mark King

The wild shiner bite for bass slows down a bit on Lake Okeechobee but the artificial bite is still on. And by on I mean that you can catch bass on topwater to shakey heads and anything in between. The bass have not really wanted to eat wild shiners since the record setting cold front came through two weeks ago, but they will still eat an artificial lure like it’s their last meal. The lake level has drop slightly to 10.35 feet above sea level but that is still over six inches more than it was last year at this time. The rim canal and dynamite holes are still getting a lot of attention but the main lake has started producing bass and bluegills in good numbers. As long as the wind doesn’t blow to hard the main lake should continue to clean up more everyday.

   Some of the areas that are starting to see clean water out on the main lake is out from Coots Bay, East Wall, West Wall and up on the shoal. I’m not telling you can run into these areas with your boat I’m just saying that the water is clean and very fishable if you want to idle in on the big motor or use your trolling motor. As you are in these areas you will notice vegetation growing on the bottom, please treat this as if you were fishing a saltwater flat and don’t tear it up with your props. We need all the vegetation to grow on the bottom of Lake Okeechobee as we can get, as this is what will keep our waters clean and filter out the dirty water. The rim canal and dynamite holes are also getting clearer by the day and should continue to do so as we head into summer. My clients and I have been mostly concentrating on the humps and ridges in the middle part of the rim canal.

   The shakey head rig is still my number one choice to catch both numbers and big bass. That’s not to say that we are not catching our fair share on topwater and crankbaits also. As the wind slows down I have started to use a 3/16 ounce Gambler Giggy Head jig in place of the 1/4 ounce size, the key is to maintain contact with the bottom and the 3/16 works great when the wind isn’t blowing to hard. My worm colors for the shakey head have not changed with darker colors like junebug, black, black-blue being my favorites. As far as crankbaits are concerned a lipless crankbait like the Spro Aruka Shad in blue shiner or wild shiner would be my choice. The blue shiner color on sunny days and the wild shiner color on cloudy overcast days. For topwater I’m using a small pop-r type lure and either a Lil’ Zip or Lil’ Richard both are a prop type bait made by local lure maker Sam Griffin. The topwater lures and Spro Aruka Shad will work great out on the flats areas like out from Coots Bay and the East Wall. I have also had some success on these flats with swimbaits both hard plastic and soft plastic.

   The bluegill bite has also been picking up since the cold front came through and good sized ones are being caught both in the rim canal and out on the lake if you can find clean water. If you like to use live bait than crickets will work best and if artificial lures are your choice than Beetle Spins and Rooster Tails would be my choice. There have bluegill beds out in front of Coots Bay and in the rim canal that I have seen but I’m sure there are a lot of other places to find them also.

Bite of the Week

I know I keep telling you rim canal every week but that is the place to be and my clients keep catching big fish and good numbers of bass. Artificial lures would be my choice this week as they seem to be working better than wild shiners. Target the humps and ridges in the middle of the rim canal with a Gambler Giggy Head jig and a straight tailed junebug worm. For bluegills try out in front of Coots Bay if the wind isn’t blowing and if it is than head to the edges of the rim canal.

Picture of Jake Bension with a 9.7# bass caught on a wild shiner. Picture by Mark King

The water level in big Lake Okeechobee continues to rise and the fishing also keeps getting better. The lake level is 10.50 above sea level and that is six inches higher then it was last year at this time. Everyone keeps talking and reporting about how bad Lake Okeechobee is well I’m here to tell you that the fishing is great and the Good Lord has provided us with enough water to maintain a good lake level for the vegetation to grow back and for the fishing to continue to be great. All anyone wants to report about is the bad news, how about coming over and reporting about some of the good things. I know enough about the press we know that all they are going to report about are the negative things.

   My clients have been catching around twenty five bass on most outings and some real nice ones over seven pounds are also being caught. Oh did I mention that the artificial lure bite is as good if not better than the wild shiner fishing. I’m still catching most of my bass on a shakey head rig but topwater and crankbaits have also been accounting for a good number of fish. My shakey head rig has not changed for the last four months it consists of a Gambler Giggy Head jig fished on twelve pound Berkley fluorocarbon line with a straight tailed worm like a Gambler Sweebo worm, darker colors have been working best. For topwater I prefer to use small Poppers and small prop type baits like the ones I use that are made by local lure make Sam Griffin. Sam’s baits are all wooden plugs that sit in the water just right and have great action. Sam also does a great job of custom painting his lures. As far as what crankbaits that I have been using the past few weeks both are made by Spro lures. The Spro Aruka Shad lipless crankbait has been bait that I have been using to crank the humps and ridges in the rim canal. And the Spro Little John crankbait has been what I have been using to work along the rip rap on the levy side of the rim canal. The only other bait that has been working for my clients and I is a Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad fished real slowly over the humps and ridges in the rim canal, this swimbait has great action that can really get the bass fired up. Try some of the 4.5” or 5.5” size in golden shiner color and you will see why I like these baits. They have also been working great for inshore saltwater fishing; Bass Pro Shops can’t keep them in stock.

   The areas that I have been fishing have not changed much in the past few months. The humps, ridges, and rip rap in the rim canal has been the better places to be, but don’t count out the dynamite holes or out on the shoal north of Uncle Joe’s if the wind allows you to get there. Remember the lake is still low and you will want to be very careful running around anywhere out on the lake itself. The bluegill bite has real turned on the past couple weeks and some real nice ones are being caught. The rim canal seems to be the place to be and crickets are the bait of choice.

I fished my first IFA Redfish tournament last weekend in Jacksonville and just wanted to say that the IFA is a class act. I have fished a lot of bass tournaments around the country and they don’t even compare to how the IFA runs a tournament. Everyone is friendly from the tournament officials to the anglers and the meeting, boat launching and weigh in just runs real smooth. Now if I could just figure out how to catch some redfish!

Bite of the Week

For bass the rim canal is where you should be fishing, anywhere for Moorehaven to Belle Glade you should be able to catch fish. Look for humps and ridges in the rim canal and if that doesn’t work for you try fishing along the levy side with both soft plastics and crankbaits. If bluegills are your fish of choice get some crickets and fish them under a cork in the rim canal and you should be able to get a limit.

What a great couple weeks it has been here for fishing on the Big “O”. With Christmas over the folks from up north are making the trip to sunny south Florida to catch some nice bass. And Lake Okeechobee has been producing some nice ones for sure and the number of bass being caught on almost every guide trip has been great. Most of my clients are enjoying a day of catching at least twenty bass with most catching more. Oh did I mention that we are also catching some nice ones from the five to nine pound range!  Yes the crappie fishing here on the south end of the lake has been good also, with good numbers of big crappie being caught almost daily.

   The bass the past month have been eating artificial lures as well as they have been eating wild shiners. On a typical guide trip we will use five dozen shiners in about three hours and then go catch just as many fish on artificial lures. Most of the bass that I have been catching are on soft plastic lures. I have been using a shakey head rig which consists of a 1/4 ounce Gambler Giggy Head jig with a Gambler Sweebo worm on it. The other soft plastic lures that I have been using are a Texas rigged Lake Fork Lures “Ring Fry” with a 3/16 ounce sinker. I use tungsten sinkers made by Lake Fork Trophy Lures for the simple fact that they are smaller than lead sinkers and they are harder then lead so you are able to feel any contact that they make with rocks or other structure. The colors that I have been using on my soft plastics are darker colors like junebug or black-blue. If fishing a worm is to slow for you than you might try throwing a Little John crankbait or an Aruka Shad lipless crankbait, both are made by Spro Lures and have been working good for me and my clients. Crankbait colors need to be natural colors or something with a gold finish. When the wind doesn’t blow we have had a topwater bite on a Pop-R and a small prop bait like the one I use called a Lil’ Zip made by local custom lure maker Sam Griffin. The topwater bite seems to be all day on cloudy days and early morning or late afternoon on sunny days.

  The areas that I have been fishing mostly have been the rim canal both ways from Clewiston and the dynamite holes from Clewiston to Belle Glade. On days when the wind doesn’t blow too hard the area out in front of Coots Bay and the East Wall has been good. Try throwing a swimbait on this flat area like a Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad or a Strike King “King Shad”. The rim canal has been the best place to catch good numbers as well as bigger fish. A client from the Atlanta Georgia area last week had two seven pound bass within two casts of one another on soft plastics in the rim canal. You will need to key in on deeper water and steep banks in the rim canal with the soft plastics and look for shallow humps and ridges to throw crankbaits and topwater on.

   The crappie bite has really turned on since the cold fronts that South Florida has been receiving the past few weeks. Most are being caught in the rim canal both directions from Clewiston and out around Bird Island when the wind isn’t blowing too hard. Minnows and jigs are both working great. The ones that they are catching in the rim canal are coming from the lake side not the dyke side. The FLW Series tournament will be in Clewiston the week of the 21^st of January and there should be some awesome bags of bass weighed in. With the water level at 10.09 feet above sea level there won’t be a lot of boats fishing out on the main lake but there are still some big fish being caught in the rim canal

Picture of Zachery Taylor from Wauchula Florida with a 6.15 pound bass. Zachery won a donated trip from me by catching the biggest fish at the Bass Pro Shops kids day at Ft Myers store. The Ft. Myers store has kids day the first Sat. of every month, come out and win a free trip guided by me.

The first cold front of the year for south Florida had everyone scrambling for coats and gloves this past week, but the bass fishing continues to be awesome. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Year. The past couple weeks has been great bass fishing here on the south end of Lake Okeechobee with most of the bass coming from the rim canal. And the rim canal has been busy with the guides, pleasure fishermen and the FLW Series anglers who are here practicing. Even with all this pressure the fishing has been great. Most of my clients are enjoying days catching around twenty to thirty bass with at least one good one over six pounds.

   Wild shiners have been the bait of choice for both numbers and larger bass but that’s not to say that the artificial bite isn’t almost as good. Even with the cold front coming through the area we were still able to catch a few nice fish on shiners. The rim canal and dynamite holes are still the better areas to catch bass from Moorehaven to Belle Glade. Areas to key in are the points especially if the have rocks on them, and any other drop offs or structure in the rim canal. The dynamite holes and the other cuts that that go to the lake from the rim canal are also good spots to try. Some of the artificial lures that have been working the best for myself and my clients have been texas rigged Senkos, shakey head jigs (Gambler Giggy Head) rigged with a four to six inch straight tailed worm, Lake Fork swim bait, and a small Pop-R type topwater bait. It seems to take a day with cloud cover to get a topwater bite but when you do it last all day long. The Lake Fork Trophy Lures swim bait called a “Live” Magic Shad has been working great in the rim canal around any structure you can find. Color choices for the Senkos and worms are junebug and black-blue, watermelon-red was working good till this cold front came through and muddied the water up. The key after this cold front has been to fish slow and in the deeper water.   

   The lake level is at 10.20 feet above sea level and has been holding its own for the past couple weeks. We have been getting a few rain showers that have been keeping the fields around Lake Okeechobee moist and this is good news for the lake, the farmers won’t need as much from the lake right now. The water temperature has been in the fifties since the cold front but it is slowly warming back up. One good thing about the colder water temperatures is the crappie bite will really turn on. Not that the crappie bite hasn’t been good but it will surely improve with this cooler water. Most of the crappies are being caught in the rim canal and some in the dynamite holes. The size of the crappies being caught is making up for the small numbers that most are catching.

BITE OF THE WEEK

The bite of the week would be in the rim canal from Moorehaven to Belle Glade. I would look for ridges and humps in the rim canal and I don’t just mean along the edges. Try idling down the rim canal and watching your fish finder looking for drop offs and humps, these are the areas to key in on. Soft plastics would be my bait of choice with Senkos and straight tailed worms on a jig head. Try along the edges of the rim canal if you’re looking to catch a few crappies, minnows would be my bait of choice

Clewiston----- what a great couple weeks my clients and I have enjoyed on the south end of Lake Okeechobee. We have been catching bass from seven to ten pounds on almost every guide trip with a good number of three to five pound fish also being caught. One trip last week produced five bass over nine pounds with the biggest one weighing in at 10.2 pounds. Wild shiners are the bait of choice if you want to catch one of these big bass or if you are out to just catch a good number of bass. On most guide trips I can go through ten dozen shiners if the client is willing to pay for that many shiners at $20.00 a dozen. The artificial lure bite is almost as good with one over eleven pounds and two over ten pounds caught during the toys for kids tournament a week ago. If you do find bass in an area you can stay there and catch them till you’re tired of catching them. And the media says that Lake Okeechobee is low and in such bad shape environmentally that it is hardly worth fishing here, my clients would be more than happy to tell them how wrong they are. John and Cindy Venable from the Lake Amistad area said that they thought Lake Amistad was the best lake that they had ever fished on till they came to the world famous Lake Okeechobee and caught five over nine pounds in one day.

   The rim canal, dynamite holes, and the flat in front of Coots Bay and the East Wall are the areas that are producing the best here on the southern end of the lake. As far as what artificial lures that have been working best all I can tell you is what I have been using and what has been working for me and my clients. A lipless crankbait like the Spro Aruka Shad that I throw most of the time has been working great out on the flats in front of the East Wall and out toward the fish attractor that is marked with an orange barrel. In the rim canal and dynamite holes a worm like a Gambler Ace or a Lake Fork worm in a darker color. Both of these I have been fishing on ten pound test line and with an 1/8 ounce sinker also made by Lake Fork Trophy Lures. There have also been some bass caught on swim baits, I use a “Live” Magic Shad made by Lake Fork but there are many different ones being made at the present time. The water in the rim canal and the dynamite holes has been very clean and with the water level slowly dropping most of the areas will remain clean all winter long. The lake level is at 10.18 feet above sea level and dropping ever so slowly. Most of the areas that we have been fishing are still accessible at this time but you will still want to be careful running your boat in some areas of the lake.

   The snowbirds are catching some crappies everyday either in the rim canal or in the dynamite holes. There should also be a few crappies in Uncle Joe’s Cut and out the Clewiston channel. Minnows and jigs are the way to go if you’re looking to catch a few crappies. I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Wow what a great week on Lake Okeechobee this past week. The bass fishing has really improved by the day with good numbers and bigger bass being caught almost every day. How does three bass over seven pounds caught in one day and then a nine and seven and a half pound bass caught the next day sound. And as the press reports how low the water level is and how bad the fishing is on Lake Okeechobee, my clients have a different opinion.

   The lake level has been at 10.3 feet above sea level for the last few weeks and with little change expected for the next few weeks. Most of the bass that we have been catching have been in the rim canal or close to the rim canal. The water in the rim canal has been very clear and has been loaded with bait fish. This is the reason that the rim canal has been the place to catch bass and the wind doesn’t really affect it one way or the other. Wild shiners have been bait of choice to catch the bigger bass that the Big “O” is famous for. I have been using from five to eight dozen shiners on most guide trips so you do the math on how many bass we been catching. The artificial lure fishing has also been good, but most of the bass caught on artificial lures have been in the two to three pound range. A straight tailed worm like a Gambler Sweebo or Gary Yamamoto Senko have been the baits that have been working best for my clients and myself. They can be fished on a Gambler Giggy head jig or texas rigged with as smallest weight as possible. But the real key to fishing the rim canal is to use small eight to ten pound test line, preferable fluorocarbon line. With the water in the rim canal being so clear these bass are pretty spooky of fishing line and trolling motor noise. I have also been catching a few bass on topwater lures like a the Hydro-Pop made by Spro Lures, it’s a great little popper type lure. I have also had some good luck the last couple weeks on the swim baits made by Lake Fork Lures, the “Live” Magic Shad is great to fish along the rocks and on points. The smaller Magic Shad in the 3.5 size have been working better than the larger ones, try the golden shiner or magic shad color. I have also caught a few bass on a Rapala Shad Rap in the SR7 size and the natural colors.

   The water is cooling off and the fishing has improved as we head into the winter season. Yes the bass may be a little harder for some to locate and getting out to traditional areas on the lake to fish may be impossible but the bass haven’t left the lake for better waters, they are still here and looking healthier than ever. The crappie bite has also been improving on a daily basis. I see crappie fishermen catching a few almost everywhere from Uncle Joe’s Cut to South Bay area of the rim canal and most of the dynamite holes. Minnows and jig are working best according to what the marina at Roland Martin’s Resort has been selling to customers.

As we’re heading toward the Thanksgiving holiday the fishing on the Big “O” continues to improve. The water temperature has been dropping with the cool weather that we have been having for the last couple weeks. And the water level has been staying around 10.35 feet above sea level without much change. The wind has let up a little from what it was the past few weeks and most areas have clean water in them.

   The rim canal has been the place to be for the past week or so if you want to catch bass. I don’t mean just good numbers of bass but also big bass like the 10.4 pound bass caught in the HT3 tournament over the weekend. My clients have enjoyed catching a good number of bass with a few bigger ones over six pound on most trips. Wild shiners and artificial lure are still working equally well, but most of my client’s larger bass have been on shiners. When I say the rim canal I mean most of the rim canal, from above Moorehaven to Belle Glade. The water is very clean in the rim canal and will stay that way even when the wind blows as it always does here on Lake Okeechobee during the winter months. Some key things that you should look for when fishing the rim canal are drop offs, rocky points and rock banks. There has also been bass around some of the cuts that go from the rim canal to the lake or at least used to go to the lake before the lake level got so low. Another thing to keep in mind is to slow down while fishing these areas and if fishing with shiners stay in an area and let the shiners work around for a while, don’t get in a hurry to move to another area to quick.

   Some of the artificial lures that have been working well the past week or so have been mostly soft plastic baits. A Gambler Lures Giggy Head jig in 3/16 or 1/4 ounce size with a Gambler Ace, Senko, or any kind of a straight tailed worm has been working best for me. A Carolina rigged Senko has also been catching a few bass. But the key to fishing artificial lures now seems to be to use as light a line as you can. Eight and ten pound test line will get you twice as many hits then if you were using heavier line. I know that sound light for line size for Lake Okeechobee but you are fishing open water in the rim canal and if you check your line for bad spots often you shouldn’t have any problems. There have been a few bass schooling in different areas, but it just hasn’t been very often that you find them. If you are fortunate enough to be close when they do come up schooling, throw a Rat-L-Trap or a Lake Fork Magic Shad swim bait. You will enjoy catching these bass till they quit schooling usually about ten to fifteen minutes. Most of the bass that the tournament anglers and guides have been catching the past few weeks have come out of the rim canal. There is some adjusting to do to fish the rim canal compared to the main lake and grass that so many are familiar with, but the rewards are well worth it. A few crappies are starting to be caught at this end of the lake with Uncle Joe’s Cut being the best place that I have heard of.

   In local tournament news HT3 Outdoors held there American Series tournament on November 11^th and 12^th in Clewiston. Jeff Edgerly won 1^st place with 21.02 pound with a three fish limit per day. Jeff also had big bass that was 10.43 pounds. Troy Olivier was second with 20.07 pounds with a three fish limit both days. Congratulations to all that participated in this tournament. Bass Busters will be hosting the 17^th annual Toys for Kids tournament December 2^nd in Clewiston. The entry fee is $50.00 per team plus two new unwrapped toys. For more information on this event go to www.bassbusterflorida.com or call Chris Fickey at 941-232-9539.

BITE OF THE WEEK

I would definitely concentrate on fishing the rim canal because that is where most of the bass are being caught. As for bait wild shiners would be my first choice but artificial lures have been working just as well. If the wind isn’t affecting the area that you are fishing try a Gambler Ace rigged texas style with a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce bullet sinker. My color choices would be junebug or blue shadow. A Gambler Giggy Head jig in 3/16 ounce size with a straight tailed worm would be my next choice fished on eight or ten pound test line. For schooling bass make sure you have a swim bait like a Lake Fork Magic shad in the color they call magic shad. If you are targeting crappies try Uncle Joe’s Cut with minnows.

Cooler water temperatures and fall approaching have the bass on Lake Okeechobee starting to move in toward traditional spawning areas. Now will they be able to get to these areas will be the question. But not to worry they will still find places to spawn even if the have to stay out a little from the grass they will still spawn. But that’s not for a month or so right now they are just on the move hunting bait to eat and get ready for the winter months. My clients this past couple weeks have enjoyed some good days catching bass on both wild shiners and artificial lures. We were able to catch an 8 ½ pound bass on shiners and a couple around six pounds on soft plastic lures.

   The lake water level has been steady at around ten feet above sea level for the past two weeks and looks like it may stay there for awhile. We all need to quit looking at this drawdown of Lake Okeechobee as being such a bad think. The lake bottom has started growing some good vegetation up to two miles offshore and there are areas that the water is crystal clear that were nothing but muddy water last year. The bass are still here they just aren’t in the tradition areas that we are all so used to catching them in. Try fishing out in the open water and looking for little differences in the bottom contour. On some lakes a drop off or hump could be many feet of difference but here on Okeechobee with such shallow water a drop off could be six inches. Try looking for small rock piles or piece of wood that hurricane Wilma put in the lake. These are the things that hold bass out in the open water where most anglers don’t fish. This drawdown that Lake Okeechobee is going through is a positive thing and when the water does return to normal level our lake will be better than ever. Some of the key things that you should look for when fishing open water is where you have a color change in water color. Look for water that is clean or just stained a little, muddy dirty water is not the place to be when looking for bass on Okeechobee. Before you jump on the press bandwagon and badmouth our lake try fishing in the open water, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

   Last week I had the pleasure of guiding Lanier and Elizabeth Bryant from Adairsville Georgia and she told me when I met her at the marina that all she wanted to do was catch an eight pound bass. Now I knew this was going to be a challenge with the conditions we were faced with but as lady luck would have it she put an eight and a half pound bass in the boat on the second day. They were a wonder couple to fish with and I’m glad that I could help make Elizabeth’s dream come true. Wild shiners and artificial lures have both been working good but I think if you are looking to catch a trophy shiners are the way to go. Soft plastics are my choice for artificial lures with the shaky head jig still working the best for me and my clients. Swimming Senkos have been working in the shallow clear water along with topwater lures when the wind isn’t blowing to hard. Some of the better areas to try are the rim canal, the ship channel out from Clewiston, Bear Beach channel, the Airport Hole, and the dynamite holes south of Clewiston. Try to keep in mind that you want to fish where the water is clear to slightly stained in color.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or at www.markkingfishing.com

BITE OF THE WEEK

The bass have been biting good out the ship channel from Clewiston on wild shiners and shaky head jigs with a junebug Gambler Ace on it. My next choice would be the rim canal both north and south of Clewiston, fish the rocks with a Zoom Fluke and a wacky rigged Senko. You can also catch a few on topwater and jerkbaits along these rocks. Bear Beach channel has been producing quite a few bass on Flukes, Swimming Senkos, and topwater lures. If the wind isn’t blowing to hard there have been a good number of bass in the Airport Hole that have been hitting topwater lures and swim baits like the Lake Fork “Magic Shad” that I use. The bluegill bite has been slow but a few are still being caught but most are being tight lipped about where they are catching them. 

The fishing continues to improve as we head into our fall pattern here on Okeechobee. We have been having some better days catching bass, but there seems to be no rime or reason to what works best. One day you can take out some wild shiners and catch a boat load of fish, and the next day you can’t even catch a single bass in the same spot. I guess this is why they call it fishing not catching. The water level is still slowly rising with it at 9.85 feet above sea level as of October 1^st. The water continues to remain clear out into the lake for miles and we are still seeing some vegetation growing on the bottom. As the water temperature drops a little into the mid 80’s the bass fishing should get better every day.

   Some of my clients enjoyed some great bass fishing last week catching a good number of fish in the two to five pound range. Wild shiners were working best but we did catch some on topwater lures, crankbaits, and soft plastics. The key seems to be in the right place at the right time. I have not been seeing many schooling bass like we should be seeing this time of the year, but there is plenty of bait swimming around for this to happen. I have still been catching bass out the main channel about two miles out from Clewiston. Wild shiners are working best but a 10” worm rigged texas style or a Gambler Sweebo worm rigged on a jig head will catch you some bass. Try to fish along the channel throwing your bait up in the shallower water and drag it into the deeper channel.  Another place to try in this same area is around the islands with deeper water on the ends, the bass have been holding here especially when the wind is blowing across them. Around these islands a Carolina rigged Senko or crankbait would be my choice.

   The Airport Hole and Norman’s channel at the south end of the lake have been producing a fair number of fish. Topwater lures like a Lil’ Richard made by local lure maker Sam Griffin or a Heddon's Tiny Torpedo have been working good all day long. I have been catching bass in these areas using a swim bait by Lake Fork Trophy lures called a “Live” Magic Shad in the 3 ½ inch size. The fish in this area seem to want a smaller bait that is closer to the size of the live bait swimming around in this area. A few bass have been being caught in the dynamite holes south of Clewiston but it has been slow in these areas. The bass that are holding in the Bear Beach channel have been receiving a lot of fishing pressure lately and the bite has slowed down. This seems to be a good area to go to during the week but come the weekend there are to many boats in here to catch fish like we were. One of the things that I do when fishing in here is not run the trolling motor to much, even though my Minn Kota trolling motor is very quiet I try to run it on a low speed and not turn it on and off to much. Topwater, small crankbaits, and Swimming Senkos would be my choice in the Bear Beach channel.

   The Rim canal has been holding bass all summer but they seem to be on the small side, with most being two pounds at best. But these bass are a lot of fun to catch and you don’t have to worry about the shallow water like you do out in the lake. A Gambler Giggy Head jig in ¼ ounce size has been my go to bait to fish this area. You can put any kind of soft plastics on it that works good for you some of my favorites are a Berkley Gulp 5” Sinking Minnow and a Big Stick by Gambler Baits. Dark colors like black, junebug and black-blue have been my go to colors in this darker colored water. Don’t pass up any of the cement pumping station in the rim canal as they usually hold bass and they are normally a little bigger fish.

   Some of the recent tournaments on the lake have been tough for some but nice bass are being caught. The Super Bucks tournament held on September 22^nd and 23^rd resulted in a $10,000.00 check for John Burke and Jim Hurlock with a winning to day total of 42.64 pounds. Brad Sievert had big bass of the tournament that tipped the scales at 9.64 pounds. The BFL Super tournament held on September 29^th and 30^th was won by Brian Prowant from Moorehaven Florida with a winning two day total of 22.03 pounds good for a check worth $3,967.00. On the co-angler side John Guttuso from Delray Beach Florida walked away with the winning check worth $2,334.00 for a two day total of 17.07 pounds of bass.

   The brim fishing continues to be good here around Clewiston. Local angler Bob Frieg reported catching a five gallon bucket full of nice sized brim more than once last week. Crickets fished under a cork float are the bait of choice. Some of the areas that you may want to try are the dynamite holes, the rim canal, and out in open water around the water tank and the islands along the main channel from Clewiston.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or at www.markkingfishing.com

Bite Of The Week- If you want to fish with live bait I would concentrate on the main channel out of Clewiston. Go out a mile and a half and anchor up and throw shiners into the channel itself. Don’t be afraid to move further out or in if you don’t get bit. For an artificial bite I would try the Airport Hole, and the dynamite holes with deeper water. For bait choices topwater lures with a propeller on them, Lake Fork swim bait in the smaller size and a shakey worm rig with a darker colored worm. The islands closest to the water tank on wind days with a Carolina rigged Senko or Lake Fork Ring Fry. For brim get some crickets and fish the rim canal and out around the water tank.

Clewiston-----As we head into September we could sure use some water in the big Lake Okeechobee. The water level is staying steady at around nine and a half feet above sea level and only goes up or down a very little on a daily basis with the little amount of rain we are getting. The bass are still biting it has just not been all that easy to go out and catch a boat load of them. My clients and I have been catching more bass on artificial lures than on wild shiners the past couple weeks, even though Kay Donnely of Nashville Tennessee did catch a nice eight pound bass on a shiner last week. Most of the bass that I have been catching are in the one to three pound range, just haven’t been getting a lot of them at any one time. I have still been catching most of my bass on a Giggy Head jig with a Lake Fork Ring Fry in watermelon-red and blue bruiser colors. Some of the other lures that have been working are a Gambler Ace and Sweebo worm rigged wacky style with the hook in the middle of the worm, a Pop-R topwater bait and a jerkbait like a Rapala Husky Jerk or a Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow. While the wild shiner bite has been extremely slow at best, there are still a few places to catch some bass on them as long as you are patient enough. The main channel from Clewiston out to the water tank is still holding a few fish but not like it was, I believe these bass have scattered out looking for bait. The islands along this main channel have been holding some bass in between them early in the morning and then they just disappear. The rim canal around Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp has been producing some smaller bass along the rocks, this is a place that works all day long and if you use a Giggy Head jig and a new Gambler Big Stick in junebug you shouldn’t have any trouble catching some. The Football Field and the other dynamite holes south of Clewiston have a few bass roaming around in them, the key is to try and find the some bait moving around.

   The HT3 Executive Bass Tour made its final stop in Clewiston last week and local angler Harlan Griggs walked away with a cool $6000.00 for a two day total of 17.40 pounds and second place went to Tim Fellers with 15.76 pounds for a $3500.00 check. The HT3 Tour is a great tournament trail with good paybacks and is run like most of the larger tournament trails but is affordable for most to fish. Another tournament that is coming to Clewiston is the Super Bucks Tournament on September 22^nd and 23^rd with a guaranteed $10,000.00 for first place. More information on these tournaments and others coming to the area can be found at Roland Martin’s Marine Center in Clewiston.

   My best bets for this week would be the islands along the Clewiston channel early in the morning, I would start with topwater and than move on to a jerkbait and finish up with a Lake Fork Ring Fry on a Giggy Head jig as the sun got up overhead. I would then move to the Rim canal and fish the rocks on the dyke side from Uncle Joe’s toward Clewiston with a Gambler Giggy Head and Big Stick. From here I would try the dynamite holes and the mouth of any cuts that go from the rim canal to the lake, try a Carolina rigged worm or Rat-L-Trap. Good luck and tight lines.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or at www.markkingfishing.com       

The water continues to rise and the bass are scattering everywhere on the Big “O”. The water is coming up slowly from the rain and what water they are letting in the Kissimmee river, Harney Pond canal, and Fisheating creek, the level is at 9.54 feet above sea level as of August 20^th. The fishing has been a lot tougher the last week as the bass are moving around more chasing bait into new areas that did not have much water in them two or three weeks ago. The shoal islands along the main channel going out of Clewiston have been holding a few bass that can be caught on topwater early in the morning, I have been using a LIL’ RICHARD made by Sam Griffin and a Japanese pop-r type bait called a Rico made by Lobina Lures. Some of my clients have also been catching them on jerkbaits like a Lucky Craft Pointer or Rapala Husky Jerk. After the sun gets up some of these bass move back to the channel and can be caught on a worm, I have had good results on a Lake Fork Trophy Lures “Baby Ring Fry” and a Gambler Ace both in watermelon-red or green pumpkin color. The key to fishing this area is to try and find the bait and that is where you will find the bass and with the water level coming up a little the bait is moving out of the channels and roaming around more. The rim canal from Clewiston up to Moorehaven is looking real good and clients that I had last week did pretty good throwing a Gambler Ace on a ¼ ounce Giggy head jig and a Lake Fork “Baby Ring Fry” rigged texas style with an 1/8 ounce sinker. One thing that I will suggest that you do is to use a good quality fluorocarbon line like the new Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line that I’m using. Fluorocarbon line is almost invisible underwater and with the strength of fluorocarbon line you can drop back in line size so that the fish will not be able to see it in the clear water. Since we are not fishing in the grass at the present time you should be able to back down in line size to ten pound test and not have any trouble landing most bass. The Football Field and the other dynamite holes south of Clewiston have been producing some two and three pound bass on worms, the Giggy Head jig has been working best for me with either the Gambler Ace or the new Gambler Big Stick that is a larger version of the Giggy Stick.

   Fishing with wild shiners has also slowed down some, but is still worth your while to try. Most of the bass that we have been catching on the wild shiners have been in the two to four pound range with an occasional five pound fish being caught. I have still been doing my best on shiners in the main channel between Clewiston and the water tank. Just anchor your boat about a casting length distance from the channel and cast a shiner under a cork to the edge of the channel and let the shiner swim around till a bass decides to grab them, be patient it has been slow. Another area that I have had reports of some of the guides from the north end of the lake fishing is the rim canal from Moorehaven up to sportsman’s cut, this part of the rim canal has a rocky bank in many areas and the water has been fairly clear. I would try a 7A Bomber in firetiger color, Lucky Craft jerkbait, Spro Aruka Shad in blue shiner color, and if none of these work switch to a worm like a Gambler Ace or a Lake Fork Baby Ring Fry in watermelon-red color. Some of the better areas will be the points especially if the have rocks on them.

   The bluegill are still being caught around the Clewiston area, but most of the bluegill fishermen are being pretty tight lipped about where they are getting them. I do know they are catching some in the dynamite holes and the rim canal but I think that there is a better concentration out in the lake around the water tank and toward the lakeside of Uncle Joe’s Cut. Crickets and Beetlespins are both working. It summer time and extremely hot out there on the water so don’t forget to bring and use a good quality sunscreen like the brand I use called Smartshield and bring and drink lots of cool water throughout the day.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com

Clewiston-----Finally the water is starting to flow into Lake Okeechobee and the water level has rose to 9.45 above sea level and still rising. With the water coming up and the water temperature at near 90 degrees everyday the fishing has gotten a little tough. Even though the water has only come up about six inches it has the fish swimming for areas that they previously could not get to. Some of my clients are still catching them good on wild shiners in the main channel out from the locks at Clewiston but the fish have been a little smaller with two to three pound bass being the norm. There is still some schooling fish out here swimming around and if you happen to be close enough when the come up feeding almost any topwater or crankbait will catch them. I have been using the Lake Fork Trophy Lures new 3 ½”  “Live” Magic Shad in the golden shiner and magic shad color, the new 3 ½” size is close to the size bait that these bass are chasing and these baits have so much action that they really do look like they are live. I’m still catching a some bass on the Spro Aruka Shad and a 200 series Bandit crankbait in the Clewiston channel when the wind blows and gets the bait fish stirred up. Now that the water level is rising the bass seem to be spreading out and are not so concentrated in the channels. Faster moving baits will cover more water to locate these bass and then you can slow down and catch them on worms and other soft plastics. I have also been catching a few bass in the Football Field and the other dynamite holes south of Clewiston, a Gambler Ace rigged on a ¼ ounce Giggy Head jig has been working great for me in bluegrass and watermelon-red color. One of the keys to fishing soft plastics this time of the year when the water temperatures get so hot is to fish as slow as you can and then fish even slower, the bite will be real subtle with most times you will just see your line moving off slowly.

   If this water continues to rise and we do pray for that the bass will continue to move toward areas that now have grass growing in them, when this happens the fishing will continue to improve daily. Even though a lot of the water that is flowing into Lake Okeechobee is the water that we refer to as black water or water that is run off water from the agricultural industry at this point it is better than no water at all and if it flows in slowly the lake should be able to withstand this inflow of highly nutrient water without getting a bad algae bloom. The bluegill are still biting in a lot of different areas including the rim canal, Bare Beach, and many other areas south of Clewiston, with most being caught on crickets and Beetle Spins. My next door neighbor who is also a guide, Joe Payne reported a great day catching a good number of bluegill and crappies yes I said crappies last week.

   I just returned from Hot Springs Arkansas where the FLW Championship was held last week, winner Scott Suggs from Bryant Arkansas pocketed one million dollars for first place. This is the first bass tournament in history to pay out one million dollars to the winner and you could really tell from the intensity from both the anglers and the fans in the stands. FLW Outdoors named after Ranger Boat founder Forrest L Woods said that they would be stepping it up even more next year, can you even imagine fishing for over a million dollars. There were a number of new products at the FLW outdoor show that I will be reviewing for you in the next few weeks.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or 863-677-0983 or at mark@markkingfishing.com

Clewiston----- The summer rains are finally starting to put some water into Lake Okeechobee even if it is just a little at a time. The lake level is at 9.19 feet above sea level and ever so slowly creeping up. The fishing here at the south end of the lake continues to be good for both bass and bluegills, with early morning being the best time to be out on the lake. The wild shiners are still your best bet to catch bass in the two to five pound range and a few bigger ones up to ten pounds still being caught from day to day. My suggestion to catch a few bass on wild shiners would be to get a couple dozen at least and go out the Clewiston channel toward the water tank and anchor your boat just out of the channel and throw a shiner about two and a half feet under a cork float out into the channel. One of the keys to catching these bass is to be patient as they are just moving around from the flats to the channel looking for bait and they will find your shiners if you just wait for them. We have been keeping plenty of good healthy shiners at Roland Martin’s Marina along with any other fishing supplies you might need. As far as catching these bass on artificial lures it has slowed down some with the water temperature up over 85 degrees, but if you get out early there has been some schooling bass chasing bait in the Clewiston channel. My clients have enjoyed catching some of these schooling bass on topwater baits like a Heddon Torpedo and a Spro Dawg, crankbaits have also been working great on these schooling fish. As far as plastic baits that have been producing for me the last couple weeks the Magic Shad swim bait made by Lake Fork Trophy Lures in any of the natural colors and a Gambler Ace in watermelon-red color. Clients have also been catching a few bass on 8” worms like a Charlie Worm in red shad color and a Lake Fork worm in blue bruiser color, both of which are fished with an 1/8 ounce bullet sinker and a 4/0 Owner “J” hook. Be sure to fish the plastic worms as slow as you can and then slow down some more, the bite will be real subtle and most times you will just see your line moving off in a different direction slowly. Some other areas that you might want to try are the dynamite holes and the mouth of any of the cuts that go into the lake south of Clewiston. The Rim canal north of Clewiston has also been producing some bass on a regular basis, try running a crankbait like a Bomber 7A in firetiger color along the rock ledges toward Moorehaven and north of there, this is also a great place to fish a Gambler Giggy head jig with a small straight tailed worm.

   The bluegill have been being caught from the dynamite holes south of Clewiston, the rim canal and out on the lake around the Bare Beach channel and on the pipe line that runs from the water tank to Clewiston. Crickets would still be your bait of choice but Beetle spins have also been working well. I would like to congratulate Jim Medlin and John Supley on there win in the Bass Busters Gold Tournament on July 22 with a winning weight of 17.20 second place went to some good friend of mine Kenny McAuther and Mark Baldel with 16.33 pounds, good job to all. Bass Busters will host a two day tournament in September on the 22^nd and 23^rd that will pay the winner $10,000.00 for more information contact Chris Fickey at 941-232-9539. The condition of the lake continues to improve daily with water slowly rising, the water conditions real good, vegetation growing and some of the lake being dredged to get rid of the muck that is on the bottom. As long as we keep getting some rain and the lake keeps rising I believe that Lake Okeechobee will be back at the top of the list for Best Bass Lakes in the United States soon.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com

Clewiston-----Well were finally getting some of the desperately needed rain to the Lake Okeechobee region and the lake level is slowly going up with the level at 9.03 feet above sea level. The other great news is that with the low water level and the water clearing up so good that we are starting to see some shrimp grass growing here on the south end of the lake and hopefully the eel and pepper grass will follow. Mother nature has started the healing processes here on the Lake and hopefully it will fill back up slowly and let the habitat for the fish grow back slowly and the water quality will continue to improve. The bass fishing continues to be great with twenty to thirty fish days being the norm especially on wild shiners. With the water being so clear an early start in the morning is a must if you want to have a better chance to catch some bigger bass. Most of the guides have been using up five dozen shiners in about four hours and than you can still catch a few on artificial lures until the sun gets up overhead and then the fishing slows down fast. Most are still fishing the same areas like the main channel from the locks at Clewiston out onto the lake, the rim canal both north and south of Clewiston and the dynamite holes. The main channel has been the best area to catch some nice bass, only we are fishing farther out from Clewiston as the water continues to get clearer. Some of the lures that have been working good for me the past couple weeks are a Spro Dawg topwater lure, Gambler Super Stud in watermelon-red color, and a Gambler Ace in both watermelon-red and bluegrass color. I have been rigging the Super Stud and the Ace on 4/0 Owner “J” hook and an 1/8 ounce bullet sinker. Another lure that has been working good for me is the Lake Fork Tackle “Live” Magic Shad swimbait, just throw it up in the shallow water and reel it slowly back toward the channel and hold on. Try them in a couple different colors and I think you will see why I like them so well. The Rat-L-Trap bite has slowed down quite a bit, but I think this will change and they will start hitting them again soon. I have seen a lot of baitfish swimming around me the last couple weeks and this just reinforces what I’m saying about mother nature taking care of the lake in her own way. I have also been catching some schooling bass that have been feeding on this bait, if you see them feeding on the baitfish just throw a topwater close to them and it won’t be long before you will catch a bass. The key to fishing the main channel out to the water tank is to work your baits along the edge of the channel, once the sun gets up high in the sky most of the bass will position themselves in the deeper water right at the edge of the drop off.

   I would like to congratulate Val Osinski and Byron Childers on there win in the Bass Busters Super Bucks Tournament out of Clewiston where there two day total of 38.01 pounds was good enough for a check worth $5000.00. Val is the owner of Gambler Lures and Byron is the national sales rep. It’s no surprise that they used Gamblers new Giggy Head jig with a black Sweebo worm. Till next time good luck and tight lines.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or at www.markkingfishing.com    

Clewiston-----Summer and the fishing continue to heat up on the Big “O”. With temperatures in the 90’s and the water temperature almost the same, the bass fishing is heating up almost daily. On most guide trips the past two weeks the bass have been eating wild shiners as fast as you can throw them in the water, and the artificial bite has been equally as good. Most bass have been in the three to five pound range with a few big one mixed in like the 9.1 caught Saturday by Scott Gallerani from Boston Mass. With the rain that we have been getting the lake level has been staying steady around 8.91 feet above sea level, which is great to not have the lake going down more everyday. Most are still fishing out the main channel from Clewiston toward the water tank, one thing to keep in mind is with the wind not blowing as much the water is cleaning up more each day. And as you go out toward the water tank you will want to key in on water that is a little stained. Usually the farther out you go toward the middle of the lake the dirtier the water is so look for the areas where the dirty water is mixing with the clear water. The channel has been working so well because these bass can lay in the deeper water then go up on the flat to chase bait when they are hungry. My choices for artificial baits for a couple weeks now have been a Berkley 7” worm in tequila sunrise color and a Gambler Ace in bluegrass color both fished on a 4/0 Owner wide gap hook and a 3/16 ounce tungsten weight. The key to fishing these worms is to fish slow and I mean real slow. My next lure choice would be a Spro Aruka shad in blue shiner color and a Lake Fork Tackle “Live” Magic Shad swimbait, both of these lures have been producing great when the bass are up on the flats feeding. I have been very impressed and pleased with the results from the Lake Fork swimbait, it is about as real looking and swimming as you can get and the bass have been eating them up here on Okeechobee and at the Everglades. Some other areas that you might also want to try are the dynamite holes south of Clewiston, the Football Field, the Bare Beach channel and the rim canal north of Moorehaven. Some baits other than the ones I have already mentioned that you may want to try in these other areas are a crankbait, Carolina rigged worm, a shaky worm rig and a topwater like a Zara Super Spook or a Heddon Torpedo. If you decide you want to fish with wild shiners take at least five dozen and that will only last a couple hours. Whether fishing with live bait or artificial lures you will want to try and get out as early as possible because by noon the fishing slows down and the heat is more than most can bear. The bluegill fishing has still been pretty good around the Bare Beach channel and around the shoal islands along the Clewiston channel, be sure to take along lots of crickets. Remember during these hot summer months to be sure and take lots of cold water to drink and a good sunscreen like Smartshield Sunscreen to avoid that nasty sunburn. Yes the ramps in Clewiston are very usable since they dredged out the canal to the locks. Tight lines and hope to see you on the lake.

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or at www.markkingfishing.com .   

Clewiston-----I have a lot of good news to report on the conditions of Lake Okeechobee at Clewiston, first we have been getting enough rain almost everyday that they are not pumping much water out of the lake for the surrounding agriculture. The lake level is at 8.96 feet above sea level and has been staying close to this level on a daily basis the next good news is that the city of Clewiston has dumped some stone on the ramp that is on the inside of the dike and have made it good to use for now and the South Florida Water Management District has dredged the channel from the main ramps in Clewiston out to the locks to a depth of five or six feet. Now everyone should be able to get there boats in the water to take advantage of some of the great fishing that the few of us that have been able to get our boats in the water have been enjoying. I know I have said some things in the past about South Florida Water Management but my hat is off to them for getting in here and taking care of this channel that was in desperate need of some dredging.

   The wind has finally let up and the areas that we were fishing a month ago are starting to clean up great, another week of little to no wind and the water will be back to being clear again. Some areas to concentrate on are the main channel from Clewiston out to the water tank, the rim canal south to South Bay and north up to Moorehaven. When fishing the rim canal some of the key areas that I look for are rocks and where the rocks end and it turns to sand, this change in structure will usually hold bass. These areas are great areas to throw a crankbait, some of the ones that have been working for me and my clients are a Bomber 7A in firetiger color and a Spro Aruka Shad lipless crankbait in gold shiner color. A couple other places that have been good are the football field and the dynamite holes south of Clewiston, these have been great areas to get out the wind and still catch good sized bass all day long on both wild shiners and artificial lures. A few other baits that I have been using are Zoom Super Flukes in watermelon-red color and the Gambler Ace in bluegrass and watermelon-red color. I have been fishing both of these lure weightless with a 4/0 wide gap hook and the key is to fish them as slow as you can stand it. I do have another lure that I want to mention and that is a new custom crankbait by Gambler lures, I have been catching some nice bass since I received a few of these baits from Val Osinski owner of Gambler Lures and was very impressed with the fact that they are hand made and hand painted from balsa wood with a bill made from circuit board material. You need to get a couple of these crankbaits and give them a try. The bluegill fishing has been still going strong both here on the lake and down at Holiday Park in the Everglades. The Bare Beach channel and the rim canal around the cut that goes out the Bare Beach channel are the areas that I am hearing that have been pretty good and don’t forget to take lots of cricket for bait.

   Bass Busters will hold it’s Silver and Gold Series team bass tournaments on June 16 and 17 with the Super Bucks tournament being held on June 30 and July 1 and this tournament has a guaranteed $5000.00 1^st place. You can contact Chris Fickey for more info at (941) 232-9539.  

Capt. Mark King can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston----- What a great couple weeks we have had here on Lake Okeechobee. The fishing has been the best it has been for over six months, and the lake level just continues to go down. With the water level being so low it has concentrated the bass in areas that have deeper water such as channels and dynamite holes. I have been using up to ten dozen wild shiners and still coming in early on guide trips this past two weeks and the artificial bite has been just as good. Most of the bass have been good sized with three to five pound fish being the norm and quite a few seven and eight pound bass being landed  all week long. Most of the bass that clients have been catching on artificial lures have been caught on chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps, Gambler Super Studs in watermelon-red color and a Gambler Ace rigged on a jig head like the ones I use from Gambler Lures called a Giggy Head. This is called a shakey head rig and has been winning tournaments all over the United States, the key to this rig is to let it settle to the bottom and move it real slow and just shake the rod ever so slightly and the bass will pick it up and swim off with it, most strikes are light and you will just see the line moving. Another key to fishing this shakey head rig is to fish it in clear water it doesn’t work real well in stained or dirty water. Some of the areas that you will want to concentrate on are the dynamite holes south of Clewiston and the main channel from Clewiston out to the water tank. Try to fish the drop offs in both the dynamite holes and the channels and if you can find any structure you will want to concentrate on these areas. The channel out to the water tank has also been the place to throw shiners, try to find a drop off along the channel and look for anything different like rocks or a small cut and these will be the best areas to set up and shiner fish for bass, try to use floater rigs if the wind allows. The water on most of the lake including the areas that I have mentioned has been clear to slightly stained when the wind blows, which is perfect for shiner fishing.

   Now on to the biggest problem we have right now and that is with the water level at 9.34 feet above sea level and still dropping we are running out of places to launch our boats fast. The main ramp at Clewiston has just enough water to get your boat in and idle out to the locks, that is if the wind isn’t out of the south or they are not pulling water out of the lake through this channel at a fast rate or you may not get through this channel with your boat. The city of Clewiston started to dig this channel out two weeks ago but were told to stop by the South Florida Water Management District. We need help to try and get this channel dug out so that we can use these boat ramps, this not only effects the guides and our clients but also there will not be any tournament in town which will affect all businesses in town including gas stations, restraints, motels, marinas and tackle shops. If anyone has any suggestions on how we can get South Florida Water Management to let us fix our ramps and canals out to the lake this would be a great help to the community and everyone who enjoys beautiful Lake Okeechobee and it’s waterway. Most all of the guides including myself are still working and catching good numbers of bass almost everyday, if you want to fish the lake and are afraid to bring your boat let one of us take you out for an enjoyable day on Lake Okeechobee.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler working out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. You can contact me at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston----- The water keeps getting lower and the fishing keeps getting better here on the Big “O”. With the lake level at 9.66 feet above sea level almost every area that you can get into has pretty clean water and lots of bass. The bass seem to be getting use to the water being low and have moved to the channels and deeper water and if you can find some structure in the deeper water you will have a ball catching bass till you get tired of catching them. Some of the cuts and dynamite holes south of Clewiston are still producing some nice bass along with the Football Field. It’s easy to see now with the water low that this dynamite hole looks like a football field. I’m still catching most of the bass that I catch on artificial lures on Rat-L-Traps and Gambler Super Studs a bait that resembles a Zoom Super Fluke, chrome with a blue back color for the Rat-L-Trap and watermelon-red color for the Super Stud. Some of the better fishing this past week for me has been out the main channel from Clewiston out to the water tank. You should try to fish the drop off on either side of the channel where it drops from two feet down to deeper part of the channel. Most of the hits are right on the edge of the drop off. These areas have also been great places to throw wild shiners and if you can find some structure along this channel you can sit there and catch dozens of bass with some real nice ones being caught almost daily. Uncle Joe’s Cut is also still producing a few quality bass the only trouble up here is that the fishing pressure has been great and the bass are a little harder to come by than they were. Overall I would say the fishing the past couple weeks has been better than it has been all winter and it seems to be getting better every day. Another area that deserve some attention is the rim canal I have had reports from guides and  a few local anglers that I have talked to say that they have been catching bass from Moorehaven to Southbay . I know the low water level has been scaring off a lot of folks but as long as you stay in the channels and rim canal when you are running the outboard motor you shouldn’t have any trouble. I did talk to Sam Griffin a lure maker from Moorehaven and he said that the ramp at Moorehaven has plenty of water to get your boat in and he also said that the middle ramp will be the one to use through the drought.  The only thing that you really should be mindful of is the wind, if we get a strong south wind it pushes the water north and can drop the water level in the Clewiston area up to six inches. The bluegill fishing here on the south end of the lake has been good with good numbers coming in every day. Most are being caught in the rim canal on crickets.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Mark can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com      

Clewiston-----This week we are going to concentrate on the low water level on Lake Okeechobee, with the current level at 9.85 feet above sea level. The low water conditions are not a bad thing like I keep hearing from outside sources that are not around the lake on a daily basis. With the water low it is letting the lake bottom recover from the past high water levels and from hurricane Wilma’s damage. The water is getting clearer every day and the lake bottom will start to grow back some of the grasses that this lake so desperately needs. I have talked to some of the locals including former guide Jim Wells that were around back in 2001 when the water level was low and tried to get a little insight to pass on about how the lake was, where you could fish and how it helped the lake. Everyone I talked to said that the fishing was great and this only stands to reason that the bass will be more concentrated in deeper areas that are accessible to fish. Some of these areas will be the main channel running across the lake, the rim canal and any of the dynamite holes. I have also been told that the fishing was great in 2001 out from shoal around Turners Cove area but out in the lake at least a mile from the grass line, this will be a tricky place to get to but I have been told the rewards are well worth it. The Clewiston channel has already been giving up some big bass and the water is still pretty dirty this will only get better with the water level going down and the wind should also slow up a bit which will help this water to clean up also. I’m sure the low water level will affect the guide and tourism business in the Lake Okeechobee region and I wish there was a way to let everyone know it’s not a bad thing that is happening to the lake and the fishing will continue to be great and get even better in years to come after the water level comes back up. Some of the tournament associations will be apprehensive about having tournaments here with the low water level but give this some thought, for the last month and a half it has taken over thirty pounds to win tournaments on the Big “O” and that is a five bass limit. I can’t see anyone saying the fishing is bad with the water being low and weights like that coming in. Our biggest problem is going to be places to launch our boats, the main ramp at Clewiston has plenty of water but the canal from the ramp to the locks is getting real shallow and the ramp on the inside of the hurricane dike at Clewiston is not in very good shape. If we could get the Army Corp of Engineers to let the city try and fix some of these issues I don’t think we would have trouble fishing right through this low water time, but they don’t seem to want to cooperate and give us the break we need.

   The fishing this past week has been great and getting better each day, my client had thirty and fifty fish days and some good ones from five to eight pound thrown in to make a great fishing trip even better. Both artificial lures and wild shiners are working equally well. My pick this week for artificial lures would be lipless crankbaits with my favorite being the Spro Aruka Shad but the Rat-L-Trap brand is also working well. Shaky head jigs with finesse worms are also catching some good bass, my favorite being the Gambler Giggy Head jig and the Giggy Stick worm this worm is has a hollow inside and floats upright from the jig head and really entices the bass to bite. The wild shiner bite this past week has also been great with most full day trips using six to eight dozen wild shiners, I have been catching most of my bass on floater rigs. Some of the areas you might give a try are the dynamite holes and all of the cuts onto the lake south of Clewiston, the Clewiston channel from the locks to the water tank, and Uncle Joe’s Cut out as far as the clean to stained water allows. My advice this week on running on the lake is if you are not sure about the water depth or the bottom just idle, a bass is not worth destroying a boat or motor.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Contact Mark at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com    

Clewiston-----Wow the Big “O” is back to producing good numbers of bass on almost every guide trip, Thank God. The weather has been great this past week and the fishing has really reflected on this, with bass being caught on wild shiners and artificial lures just as well. All of the areas that we have been fishing the past few weeks are the places to be like the Football Field, the 94 Hole, Uncle Joe’s Cut and the main channel from the Clewiston locks out onto the lake. Don’t leave home without a Rat-L-Trap or my favorite the Spro Aruka Shad which seems to produce better for me and my clients. Another bait that is working good is a shallow running crankbait made by local angler Sam Griffin called a Lil’ Katie, they are working great to crankbait the edges of the channels and dynamite holes. As far as plastic baits a Gambler Super Stud in watermelon-red and just plain watermelon has been working good to fish slower than the crankbaits when the bite slows down some, I have been fishing them on a 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus hook and Berkley 15# Big Game line. The bass have been eating up the wild shiners as fast as you can throw them in the water, with most of them being good solid three to four pound fish with an occasional one around seven pounds. Something else I would like to share with my reader is that I have started using circle hooks for shiner fishing the last couple weeks and have not deep hooked but a couple bass. I would suggest anyone bass fishing with wild shiners give them a try, I have been using Owner 4/0 Mutu Light Wire hooks and love them. Just think how many bass that we have all deep hooked in the past and wondered if the would live, give these hooks a fair try I think they will work for you to.

   A few words on the lake level, it is still going down but not as fast with the level at 9.99 feet above sea level as of yesterday and most of the area that I talk about are getting smaller but most are deep enough that the bass are holding in these areas. The only problem is that they are getting a lot of fishing pressure since there are so few places to fish. Please be courteous to other anglers fishing close to you, I’m sure they wouldn’t be fishing so close to you if there was somewhere else to go and if everyone can give just a little there are plenty of bass to catch. There has been a few bluegills and Oscars being caught on Okeechobee but if you really want to catch them you will want to head down to Holiday Park area of the Everglades where most are catching all they want. The bass fishing has also been good out of Holiday Park I was down with clients a couple times last week and caught over seventy five bass each time, most are small from one to three pounds but they are sure a lot of fun for kids to catch. Take lots of Gambler Super Studs and Aces both in watermelon-red color. Next week will be doing a special edition on the low lake level on Lake Okeechobee, if anyone has any info they would like to share about the last time the lake was low please e-mail me.

Till next week God Bless and good fishin.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martins Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Contact Mark at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston-----It’s been a good week on the Big Lake with the bass hitting both artificial lures and wild shiners. I know I’ve been reporting about the lake not being all that good but it has changed a lot in the past week, the water is cleaning up as the wind has calmed down some and with the lake level dropping the bass are really starting to move into the areas with deeper water. The lake level is down to 10.09 above sea level and if you have not been on the lake for a while it will really surprise you with the way it looks, there are rocks and shallow mud flats in most areas. The channels and dynamite holes are your best bet if you want to catch some nice bass. I have had several bass over six pounds this week on guide trips and several three to five pound bass both on shiners and artificial lures. On several trips this week we caught bass all day long on Spro Aruka Shad  lipless crankbaits and Zara Super Spook topwater lures. Some of the areas that were producing best were the channels like Uncle Joe’s Cut and the Clewiston channel, the key was to fish in the clear and stained water not dirty water so you will have to keep an eye on the wind and fish accordingly. A few area that you may want to try with wild shiners are cuts and dynamite holes south of Clewiston off the rim canal. With the water temperature in the mid to upper 70s you will have to weed through the mud fish and gar but you will catch some nice bass in between. There are also some good sized bass out in the open water, you will want to be careful fishing out in the lake try to key in on water that is clear to stained and throw out a couple free swimming shiners on floats behind the boat and start throwing Rat-L-Traps or Spro Aruka Shads in a gold color in front of the boat.

   I also guided a couple days at Holiday Park last week and caught over fifty bass a day on artificial lures up to five pounds. Gambler Super Stud in watermelon-red color and Zara Super Spooks accounted for most of my clients fish but we also did good on Senkos. The key is fish the cuts that go out onto the flats and lily pads on the side of the canal that is closest to the Sawgrass  or Everglades side. The Bluegills and Oscars have been hitting great on crickets in most areas of the Everglades.

   I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who reads my weekly article to everyone who has taken the time to say hey at the boat ramps, marinas, and boat and sports shows. Thanks for all the e-mails and kind words, I will try to continue to give you the best and most accurate information on Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades as possible. Any comments will be greatly appreciated and answered.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martins Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Mark can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com      

Clewiston-----The lake has continued to improve this past week even though the water level is still dropping to a level of 10.39 feet above sea level. The wind has given us a little reprieve and the water is cleaning up in most areas if you can get to them. The great South Florida weather has been showing itself this past week with warm temperatures and no rain, I have had numerous families the past couple weeks enjoying spring break and the fishing on the Big “O”. The bass fishing with wild shiners has been good all week with most all of the guides reporting that the bite has improved throughout the week. Some of the places that you may want to try and catch bass with wild shiners are Uncle Joe’s Cut, the Football Field, and most of the dynamite holes south of Clewiston. Another area that should start to be good is the Clewiston channel from the locks out to the water tank, although this will depend a lot on the wind and water clarity. We are still getting some good shiners at Roland Martins Marina and George plans to keep bait all summer long for us. The bass bite on artificial lures has improved a lot over the past few weeks with Rat-L-Traps and Carolina rigs being the main players. The cuts that go from the rim canal out onto the lake are some of the better places to start and than you will want to work on any canals or main channels out to the lake. Crankbaits like the 200 series Bandits and Rat-L-Traps in chrome and black color are great search baits to locate bass and than you can slow down and probe the area with a Carolina rig or a Senko to catch more fish. As the wind slows down and the lake starts to clear up you should be able to drift out in open water up to a mile or more off the grasslines and catch bass on any structure or differences in the bottom contour and on Okeechobee that can be a small ridge a ledge that may only be a six to twelve inch difference in bottom and water depth but these areas will hold the fish, you should also look for any holes in the bottom especially out on the reefs or shoals for they will also hold bass. Another factor that you will want to consider is bait, if you see birds diving on bait out on the lake this will be a great place to possible catch some schooling bass so keep a Rat-L-Trap or swimbait handy for these occasions. The Everglades is still producing some nice bass at both Holiday Park and Sawgrass Recreational areas, try throwing a Super Fluke or Senko and if the bass seem aggressive try a Super Spook topwater lure. The bluegill bite has been on fire at Holiday Park with over a hundred boats a day out catching large numbers of bluegills on crickets.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Mark can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston-----The bass fishing this week has finally started to improve with good catches being reported by both guides and tournament anglers. The wind has been blowing pretty hard most of this past week but the lake has been staying fairly clean in most areas. Most of the same spots are producing for the guides that are out using wild shiners daily they include the Football Field, the 94 hole, Uncle Joe’s Cut and the Clewiston Channel. I have also heard that there are some bass to be caught in the Rim canal south of Clewiston but I have not heard where yet. The Bass Buster tournament this past weekend on the lake showed us all that there are some nice bass to be caught if you can find them, Jimmy McMillan and his son from Belle Glade Florida won the two day tournament with over sixty pounds of bass and that was a five bass limit per day. There are some nice bass being caught offshore in the south end of the lake and also off the shoal. Some baits that are working are Spro Aruka Shad baits, a Gambler Ace if the water is clean enough and a Carolina rig, also another bait that you may want to try is a swim bait like a Lake Fork “Live” Magic Shad, I have had good success this past week on all these baits. Some of the key points to look for when fishing open water on Lake Okeechobee are holes in the offshore reefs, any differences in water depth ( this can be as little as 6” on a shallow lake like Okeechobee ) can hold fish and any structure in the lake whether man made or not. With the lake level at 10.62  feet above sea level and still dropping you will need to be careful going places that you are not familiar with. If you have any questions about where you can and can’t go on the lake please contact me and I will try to help you out. As the lake level continues to drop the water will continue to get cleaner in most areas and when the winds die down a little it will also help the water to clean up and the fishing should get much better on a daily basis. The Clewiston channel will be a great area as the water gets cleaner it offers both deep water in the channel and shallow water up on the flats, you should be able to start fishing at the locks and fish out into the lake till the water gets to dirty. The crappie fishing has slowed down some as being reported by the regulars that are out there everyday, minnows are the bait of choice. I’m still doing a couple trips a week at the Everglades and have been doing great at Holiday Park area catching  bass from two to five pounds on artificial lures and can get out of the wind on those real windy days. I have been using Gambler Aces in watermelon-red color and Gambler Super Studs also in watermelon-red color, top water lures have also been catching the bigger bass all day long.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martins Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Contact Mark at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com     

Clewiston-----Shallow water and hard north winds continue to make the fishing on the Big “O” a little tough. The water level is at 10.79 feet above sea level and still dropping at a fast rate. In another week or two you will want to be extra careful as the water level will start to be at a dangerous level, especially if you like your boat in one piece.  The areas that we are able to still fish for bass are starting to dwindle with a lot of the areas that we were fishing almost inaccessible by boat. You will want to be careful that you have enough water if you go from Uncle Joe’s Cut up to Cochran’s Pass, if you get in close to the grass line there is a good chance that you might get in water too shallow to float your boat. This is the same in most of the areas that I talk about every week like the West Wall , Coots Bay and Pelican Bay, they are for the most part too shallow now to get  into or be able to fish them the way that they should be. If the wind doesn’t have the water churned up in the Football Field, the dynamite hole at the 94 marker and any of the cuts south of Clewiston you can catch some nice sized bass in these areas. Capt. Ron Stevens, Capt. Jerry Wares and Capt. Fred Baraks all had bass over eight pounds with clients last week, they are all guides working out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort.  Wild shiners are still the bait of choice to catch bass even when the fishing is tough.  Rat-L-Traps or Spro Aruka Shad and Carolina rigged worms are a couple artificial lures that are working good on a daily basis and if you can get in close enough to the grass line in most areas a Gambler Cane Toad will produce some real nice bass.  The crappie bite is still fair with good numbers being caught in the Rim canal south of Clewiston and in Uncle Joe’s Cut, minnows are still the bait of choice.

   I took some of my clients to the Everglades last week and had great time catching bass from three to five pounds all day long on artificial lures. We caught them on topwater lures and Gambler Ace’s a Senko type bait and swimbaits. You can also catch them on wild shiners but most of my clients would rather catch them on lures. This is a great option to fishing on Lake Okeechobee since the water level is low and the wind has been blowing hard almost every day. There is a lot of wildlife including alligators, birds and otters that you will get to see while fishing in the Everglades. This is also a good area to catch  Oscars and crappies, you can catch them almost anywhere and in good numbers. Most of my clients find it to be a very enjoyable day fishing in the Everglades.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly.  863-983-9950  www.markkingfishing.com

Clewiston-----As the lake level hovers at just over eleven feet (11.01) above sea level the fishing continues to be tough on some days and good on others. A tournament over the weekend put on by HT3 brought in over seventy anglers to Clewiston with Brain Reeves from north of Atlanta Georgia winning $2250.00 with a winning weight of 18.45 pounds in a three fish limit, congratulations to who participated. So as you can see we still have plenty of nice bass to be caught here on the big lake. With the lake level being low a lot of the areas that myself and most of the other guides have been fishing are now almost impossible to get to, including Coots Bay , the West Wall, and a lot of the shoal up to Cochran’s Pass. Now with just the right amount of wind you can get into some of these area but be careful you might not be able to get back out. I’m still catching some nice bass at Uncle Joe’s Cut, the Football Field the dynamite hole at the 94 mile marker south of Clewiston and if the water cleans up just a little bit more we should be able to fish in the main channel out of Clewiston. Wild shiners are still the bait of choice on most guide trips to catch both the most and usually the bigger bass. As far as catching bass on artificial lures your best bet would be to throw a Rat-L-Trap and a Carolina rigged worm like a Senko or a Gambler 10” worm. Some of the places that you might want to try are the cuts into the lake south of Clewiston on the rim canal, Uncle Joe’s Cut out into the lake as far as you can go and still be in water that is clean, this is also true up on the shoal the fish have started to move out into the lake and seem to be following the clean water out from the grass line. As far as the crappie bite on the lake I know it has slowed down and that the few diehards that are out everyday are still catching some but they aren’t saying to much. Some of the areas that crappies are still being caught are south of Clewiston in the rim canal and in Uncle Joe’s Cut.

   The Everglades has still been going strong with Sawgrass being one of the better areas followed by Holiday Park and Alligator Alley, the Alley has slowed down some but bass can still be caught all day long. Some of the lures that you will want to try are wacky rigged Senkos, Zoom Super Flukes and crankbaits they can also be caught on topwater lures in the morning before the sun gets up to high in the sky. While on the topic of artificial lures I want to tell you about a new craw type bait by Berkley called a Chigger Craw that is 4” long and has the Berkley Powerbait scent and flavor that makes fish hold on. This bait has a nice thick body to hold a hook and claws that are thin enough they wave as you move the bait forward in the water. I used this bait at Lake Eufaula in Alabama last week in the Stren Tournament for both flipping in heavy mats and also on a Carolina rig and was very pleased with the results. Another way that this bait will work good is to use it like a swimming jig rigged with a screw in sinker. I will definitely adding this bait to my fishing arsenal. With the lake levels being low if you have any questions about where you can and can’t go with a boat please e-mail or call me and I will let you know what I’m seeing every day.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler that guides out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly.  863-983-9950  www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston-----The fishing on the Lake Okeechobee is finally improving by the day with catches of good numbers of bass being reported by most guides and larger bass also being caught on a regular basis. However the lake level continues to drop with the current level at 11.16 feet above sea level and getting more dangerous everyday to be out on it running around with a boat. I will caution everyone to be extremely careful on the lake, places that you might have went last week may not have enough water over them to go there this week. A few areas that you will want to be very careful around will be The East Wall, The West Wall, the mouth of Indian Praire, the Shoal, Pelican Bay and anywhere that you are not familiar with. Now to the fishing, bass have been being taken around Uncle Joe’s Cut, Pelican Bay, the cuts and dynamite holes south of Clewiston. Wild shiners are the bait of choice on most guide trips as the artificial bite has been kind of tough for the inexperienced angler. Capt. Scott Martin reported catching some nice bass this week including a couple big bass on shiners. Some of my clients this past week did catch some bass on Rat-L-Traps and Hula Grubs made by Gary Yamamota baits, yea I had some of those western anglers this week that just had to show me they could catch Okeechobee bass on lures they use out west. Some areas that you might want to try catching bass on artificial lures are the outside grass line in Pelican Bay, the Football Field, Uncle Joe’s Cut and the area around Cochran’s Pass. If the wind isn’t blowing to hard you might want to try the area in front of  Coots Bay as this area is getting real shallow and these bass will be moving out toward open water. This is also true with the West Wall and out from Turners Cove as these bass will also be moving out as the lake level continues to drop. I also spent a few day guiding in the Everglades last week and had great time catching bass all day long. We caught most of the bass in the Everglades on Gambler Ace rigged wacky style with the hook in the middle, watermelon-red and black-blue were the best colors. We also used a drop shot rig to catch a good number of bass, this rig has the weight under the hook about eight inches I like to use a ¼ ounce weight. I fished the Sawgrass area, the Holiday Park area and out on the Alley and all were good with catches around fifty bass per day and a couple good ones each day. There is also a lot of wildlife to watch while in the Everglades, including alligators, birds and turtles it’s not uncommon to see thirty or more gators a day. It is a great opportunity to get some photos of a lifetime. The crappie fishing on the lake is still fair with most reporting catching a good number of crappies every day that they go out.  Minnows are still working great as are jigs.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Contact Mark at 863-983-9950  www.markkingfishing.com  

Clewiston-----It was a busy week this past week on Lake Okeechobee with the FLW Series tournament finishing up on Saturday and pro angler David Dudley of  Lynchburg Virginia winning $100,00.00 and $25,000.00 Ranger Boat bonus with a weight of 64 pounds and 2 ounces for four days. The winner on the co-angler side was Ron Fabiszak of South Bend Indiana with a winning weight of 31 pounds and 8 ounces good for $20,000.00 and $5,000.00 Ranger Boat bonus, Florida Fishing Weekly’s own Scott Martin finished fourth with 45 pounds and 9 ounces for a $30,000.00 payday, congratulations to all. With another cold front that moved through the area last week the fishing was tough for most as we know the bass in south Florida do not like cold temperatures and it can make them hard to catch. The bass fishing on wild shiners was good as the week started with a fair number of bass with a couple larger bass over six pounds being caught on most guide trips. The West Wall, Coots Bay and north up to the shoal have been the better areas last week but I also heard that a few good bass were being caught around Ritta Island and in Pelican Bay. The artificial bite was fair early in the week even with two hundred FLW Series professional anglers out practicing for their tournament, but slowed down as the cold front moved through and the tournament started. Some lures that were working was Rat-L-Traps, 10” worms and top water frogs like a Gambler Cane Toads. The outside grass line seems to be the best place to start and work your way to the inside fishing the areas that have sparse grass and the holes in the heavier grass. You will need braided line to get the bass out of the grass and not loose them. The same areas that I have been fishing with wild shiners has also been working good for artificial lures. A few other areas that might work good is the cuts from the rim canal out into the lake from Clewiston to South Bay, these are great Rat-L-Trap places and you might start to look for places on the rim canal to fish that look good like points and areas that there is a good number of large rocks.   The water level is still dropping slowly with the water level at 11.76 above sea level and as I keep stressing every week be very careful going places on the lake that you are not sure about the water level, it’s not worth getting hurt or tearing up a boat and motor. The crappie fishing continues to be good with limits coming in daily and the size of the crappies this year have been large, not to say that there isn’t plenty of smaller ones that you need to throw back in for next year. Minnows and crappie jig are both working good, but the jigs seem to be producing the larger crappies.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martins Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly.  863-983-9950  www.markkingfishing.com  

12-11-06 Okeechobee fishing report

Lake Level 12.07

Clewiston-----The condition of the lake and the fishing continues to improve everyday, with reports of big bass being caught on wild shiners and artificial lures alike. The water level is dropping rapidly and the water in most of the areas that we are fishing is clear to slightly stained. Most all of the guides reported having a good week catching most of there bass on shiners, my clients enjoyed a great week catching bass on both wild shiners and artificial baits. The bass we caught on shiners were from two to nine pounds with the biggest one tipping the scales at nine and a half pounds, most of the bass we caught on lures were from one to three pounds. Gambler Ace’s and Senkos were the bait of choice to catch the most fish last week and green pumpkin and junebug were the colors of choice. I also caught a few fish on a Zoom Super Fluke and lizards, watermelon-red color seemed to work the best, all these artificial lures had to fished slow. The bass seem to be moving in to the shallow water to spawn with the full moon approaching and another cold front that will be passing through our area next week. The East Wall was a hot spot this week with several big bass being caught in this area during tournaments over the weekend. The Senko and the Super Fluke were the baits for this area, the key was to fish them in and around the grass and to deadstick them or fish them as slow as you can stand to fish them. The next good area was from Uncle Joe’s Cut up to Cochran’s Pass, most of the bass are being caught on the outside grass line and on some of the trails that are close to the outside of the grassline and of course you will want to fish all of the grass points. I did catch a few bass on a Rat-L-Trap on these points but they were few and far between, chrome with blue back was the color I throw this time of the year to try and imitate the shad that the bass are feeding on. Another area that you might want to check on is Pelican Bay, I have had reports that the bass are starting to move into this area to spawn and this would be great as this area has not been in the best shape since hurricane Wilma did her deed a year ago. I spent a couple days last week down at the Everglades at Sawgrass recreational park and caught a good number of bass but most were from one to two pounds with a three pound bass being our largest one. I fished the canals mostly but the water is up high enough to go out on the flats and I would guess that is where the bigger bass are at right now. The crappies are still biting well at Harnie Pond Canal and Uncle Joe’s Cut, most of the reports are that the crappies are real thick and heavy this year but seem to be harder to catch. Most of the folks I have been talking to are using minnows to catch these crappies, but a few are jigging for them. Quick update on my Garcia Revo STX reel that I have been using for six months now, still real smooth to cast and retrieve and the finish looks like it is still new, I would recommend this reel to anyone from a tournament pro to the weekend warrior it will get the job done.

Capt. Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and covers the Lake Okeechobee region for Florida Fishing Weekly. Mark can be contacted at 863-983-9950 or www.markkingfishing.com