I finally was able to get in my boat and medicate myself this week. Older men and ladders don’t get along well, I have figured out. On the way to the Stick Marsh on Friday I had the pleasure to see a Bobcat run across in front of me driving down the Fellsmere Grade road. Don’t get to see that very often. Usually it’s a pig or even deer that show themselves.

I started off in a spot that usually gives up a fish but nothing wanted my topwater offering. I then moved to the SW corner area and the same thing happened there too. Already an hour had passed and nothing fishy was happening. My third choice played off for my first and best fish of the day. This time I put my topwater up and decided to slow it way down. I grabbed the rod with a Wacky Worm and started to fish the area. It only took a few casts to catch the only fish in this spot but my day wasn’t skunked though. I made two more moves in the morning with no luck. My last spot gave me 6 more fish. Using a Lipless Crankbait I caught some smaller size bass then I hooked into something real big. I never got a chance to see it, but by the way it was pulling my 22’ boat around and taking drag enough for me to give chase a couple of times. It never came off the bottom. My line finally gave way with me losing my lure. More than likely, I snagged a gator laying on the bottom. By now it was 11 and getting hotter so I headed home feeling good about getting the much-needed water time. Water temperatures were 84 degrees.

I’ll be glad to get through this September and finally see more comfortable weather to fish in.