It’s Christmas time folks! So why not go on down to the most notorious tree farm in the area? Make sure you find them in moving water, you may just find presents under these trees!
So before I go into the usual stuff I report, let me tell you specifically about the 2nd biggest one caught there this past weekend, he measured out at a little over 23 inches on the bump board.
I was gliding past a clump of trees, I saw water ripping past a point where there was a lay down, and a shade pocket. In hindsight, I should have slowed down, re-positioned the kayak and got set for a good cast. Well I made a good sidearm cast and laid the speed worm exactly where I wanted – but I was already past the first tree and was awkwardly retrieving the worm when BAM I was absolutely thumped, I got the hook set and then the fish ran. He ran around one tree, my line got caught in the tree which stopped him, so he ran back through the other – figure 8 style. My braid got stuck on the palm tree, the back end of my kayak got stuck on a stump – holy crap! I broke down my paddle in half so I could try and maneuver with one hand and push myself free, held the rod between my legs, and somehow, someway got unstuck and on a path to go through the trees, over the course of the next few moments I got my kayak nosed in to the trees, braid off the palm trees, and somehow, in some way, that fish was still on. Well now he was unstuck too, and off he ran again, this time into open water, and he didn’t stand a chance, I horsed him in, netted him. Caught my breath, said a prayer of thanks, and took this photo, measured him on my board, kissed his big ugly forehead and then revived him until he got a bad attitude and let him go about his merry way. I have had some memorable moments fighting Snook and Tarpon in a kayak, but this had to be my all time most memorable catch. I don’t know how my 10 pound braid-12 pound fluorocarbon leader combination held on through all of that, all I can say it was a Christmas Miracle at the Stick Marsh.
My 2nd Biggest Bass from The Stick Marsh this weekend. Like any good Christmas gift, I found him tightly nestled under a tree.
Where to Launch: There is a two lane boat ramp at the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area (I launch the kayak in the grass next to it). Word of caution about traveling here, once you turn off of Babcock, there is a 6 mile drive down the Fellsmere Grade Road. This is a sandy gravel road. Put your rods and reels in your vehicle, you do not want that sand getting in your reels!
Where to Fish: This can be a daunting body of water for a kayak angler, it is big, and not super wind protected in most areas. The key is to do your homework prior to arriving! When I am preparing for a fishing outing, I use a combination of Google Maps, USA Fishermap (for depth), and Windy.com (for wind forecasts). I use this combination for inshore and freshwater trips to pick out some spots to fish within a reasonable paddle distance. The tough thing about being in a kayak is that you are your motor, and you know what your limitations are. But even if you are in good shape, you don’t want to spend your whole trip in transit and not fishing. But at the same time you don’t want to sit in one spot and fish a dead zone. So my advice on any trip whether it’s freshwater or inshore; Do your homework, have a plan b, and plan c, and maybe even d – and be prepared to stick and move. I probably say this here a lot, but I’ll say it again. 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. Find that and you will catch fish. Period. I don’t care what you are fishing for, find the feeding zones and you will exponentially increase your chances!
So this past weekend looking at the trends I focused on that set of trees along the north bank that are away from the immediate shoreline. The bank protected most of the wind, but there are some cuts in the bank, where water flows through. Along the way to this area there are 4 bowl shaped lagoons. I worked the wind/current blown points of these as well. Specifically targeting submerged and emergent trees and vegetation where water was pushing through. Once I made it to the middle section of the bank (about 1 ½ miles from the boat ramp) I worked all of the parts of the shoreline where water was being moved by the wind. I fished like this for about another mile and then turned back. On the way back through this area I worked that long section of “offshore trees”. Though I did catch fish along the bank, none of brag worthy size; once I went back through the “offshore trees” I caught fire. I caught them in numbers with a few nice sized ones (20+ inches) sprinkled in. If you’re wondering what I mean by “offshore trees” I put a picture of them on the top of this report.
What Worked for Me: Let me just preface this by saying that the Stick Marsh is hot right now. If you haven’t fished there yet, or it’s been a while. Go!!! It can be a daunting place for the kayak area, but if the fish are active in the trees, it can be like your own private playground in there. No boats are getting in there, so grab your rods and paddle and weave in and out of there and go whack em! The fish are there and they are chewing, but it is vitally important to fish the right areas. I will tell you the 4 baits that I had a big weekend with, but none of them will work if you are not fishing where the fish are feeding, and contrariwise, if you are fishing the right spots, there is probably a hell of a lot more things you could throw that will work that I have not listed. But these are my 4 confidence Bass baits right now.
1) Speed Worm – I prefer the Zoom version, but they all work – I’ve caught them on Speed Worms made by Gambler, Culprit, Bass Assassin, Googan Baits, and Bitters. I typically go with Watermelon Red or Watermelon Candy if it is bright and sunny, or Junebug if it is cloudy. Another color I’ve had success with in that in-between range is a color made by Bitters called “Sprayed Grass” that’s kind of a mardi gras looking deal with green and purple flakes. No matter the color I fish this bait around 75% of the time, and it catches the most fish for me, and usually the biggest fish. Out of the 50+ fish I caught this weekend (2 trips) 30ish of them came off the Speed Worm. I would vary the presentation up. I would slow roll it, jerk it, bounce it, and probably the most effective once the sun got way up in the sky, just drag in by the base of submerged trees. I like rigging these on a Charlie Brewer’s Spider Slider Jig Head. ***If I could only fish one Bass bait for the rest of my life, this would hands down be it!***
2) SwimBait – I really like the Gambler EZ Swimmer in Copperfield on a 3/16 on 5/0 Gamakatsu Twistlock Hook. The beauty of this bait is it is a year round fish catcher, it has a bluegill color scheme with gold flakes. It’s my favorite search bait for Bass.
3) Ribbontail Worm – My favorite is the Culprit Worm. Once the straight retrieve bite slows down, this is my go to. I like them in Watermelon Red, Watermelon Candy or Junebug depending on the weather and conditions. Even on a sunny day, it’s hard to beat Junebug in black, tannic water.
4) Trick/Finesse Worm – I rig these on a shaky head, and slowly bounce them back to me, keeping contact with the bottom, and letting it sit for 5-15 seconds at a time before bouncing it again. When that tail is up, and shimmying it can entice bites when conditions are a little tougher. I really like the Bitters Magic Wand in Candy Bug, and Sprayed Grass. When I’m fishing around more vegetation and shallow cover like over at Headwaters I like rigging these worms on a 4/0 worm hook, Texas style – weightless. Throw it out, let it settle, give it subtle and gentle twitches. This is a patient, let them decide to eat it bait – but it flat out catches them.
Last Word of Wisdom:
I hope this is not too much, or too gross. But since I write these reports for people that are looking to learn, to get out there and explore and get into kayak fishing the space coast, I did want to share a piece of wisdom that I think every kayak angler needs to hear, and heed to whether you are just getting started, or have been at this a while. Bring baby wipes or something of the sort with you. 99% of the time, I only use them to clean fish slime and blood off my hands, but when nature calls and you’re several miles from your launch spot in the middle of nowhere you will be glad you have them. Just saying! I’lll never forget hopping into my buddy Brandon Priest’s truck one time, and asking him why he had baby wipes in the front seat, and he told me every good outdoorsman always has a pack with him!
I hope everyone is enjoying a happy holiday season, 2 weeks to get that angler in your life (or yourself) all the gear, and lures they desire! Until next time, Merry Christmas!
Those trees in early summer will hold good numbers of bluegill too. Baby Wipes, LOL
Haha one of the many perks of having a 1 year old, never run out of those baby wipes.
So back when I fished in the summer out there my numbers bait was a Copperfield Gambler EZ Swimmer, it looks a lot like a small Bluegill, so that makes a lot of sense now.