FRESHWATER FISHING
HEADWATERS & STICK MARSH BASS FISHING
LATEST BASS FISHING REPORTS
Big Crowd @ Stick Marsh
Only one day of fishing for me last week. I chose to head to the Stick Marsh thinking that the crowd would be less than that at Headwaters but boy was I wrong. By the time the boat was put in the water there were only 3 spots left in the main parking lot. Many of the pros were out with their fully wrapped rigs getting in some Florida sunshine before heading to the Harris Chain or Palaka for their tournaments.
We headed to the SW corner of the Farm side of the lake known as “The Nursery.” This area is known for a great spawning site but I was surprised to see that there were already 18 boats in this small area. We didn’t see much caught including us so we made a change of areas to less pressured water. Still the bite was slow in waters of 2-3 feet. We moved out in the 4-6 foot waters and immediately started to get bit by throwing suspending Jerkbaits catching 3-5 pound size fish. This makes me believe the fish are staging up to make their move to the shallower waters soon, possibly on the next full and new moons. This week’s cold fronts might or might not have a slow down of catches only. The only way to find out is get on the waters and have a fun fishing adventure.
Lake Toho
Fished a tournament on Toho Wednesday morning and didn’t do as well as I had hoped to. Started fishing where I thought that they should have been, shallow spawning around docks, seawalls and pads and reeds with only a few bites but no hook ups. Then moved down into Shingle Creek and did much better. Only got the one pictured in the boat, 3.14lbs, but lost 3 others on the way in and got a lot of bites. Caught the one on a Willow Vibe jig head with a Rapala Mooch minnow. Also used a Yum Swim n Dinger in watermelon pearl and a Rapala Crush City Mayor in Black and Blue flake Texas rigged on a weighted hook. I did manage to get a Bluegill on the Willow Vibe as well.
American Shad on the St. John’s River
American Shad with Paul
Happy Monday Spacefish!
Today I am going to give a report on a really awesome fishing trip I went on last week, with local angling legend, and outdoor writer extraordinaire, Paul MacInnis. For me, on a personal level, this fishing trip was pretty special. Here are 3 reasons.
#1 – I got a chance to tag along with Paul, who is someone I admire and look up to, not just for being a fantastic angler, but a great writer. I have been reading Paul’s work since I moved here 5 years ago. Google him, and you will know what I mean. He has some awesome content not just on Spacefish, but on other platforms as well.
#2 – My toxic trait is that I have an unhealthy obsession with the life, and Travels of William Bartram. If you’ve never heard of Bartram, you are really missing out on a cool piece of American & Florida History. When the British gained control of Florida from the British, William Bartram was commissioned to go on a journey through the new Florida territory, he traveled down the St. John’s River, drawing and journaling along the way. Many believe Bartram was the first to write about catching Largemouth Bass in the St. John’s. His encounters with Alligators, Native Americans, and his journey through a wild & untamed Florida makes for a truly epic read. It is both entertaining, and educational.
#3 – I got a chance to scratch a new species off the bucket list, and got a chance to learn some new tricks & techniques in the process! Not only that, but I got a chance to do it in one of the most beautiful fisheries imaginable. The St. John’s River from Lake Poinsett in Cocoa up to Lake Harney truly is a wild and scenic river. As I experienced on this trip, it can be an area that provides exciting fishing action to go along with the natural beauty and aesthetic
Shad Techniques
Out of respect to Paul, who graciously took me to his spots and helped me to get on a lot of fish, I am not going to share a launch spot, or go into particular detail on spots today. But I am going to talk a little bit about the techniques used. Following his recent written piece for Spacefish, we used tandem rigs, each one with 2 different baits. I used a tandem rig with a white & chartreuse jig; and another rig with an orange/pink jig and a small silver spoon.
We trolled in our pedal kayaks up and down a particular stretch of the river, once we got a hit or two, we would stop and fish that area. Even getting out at certain spots and fishing from the bank. Which offered a nice changeup from the pedal driven kayaks.
Pictured below is me with one of the bigger Shad caught that day, this one came off the orange/white curly tail jig. However most of the fish were caught on the silver spoon on this trip.
American Shad I
Fishing the “Flush”
As Paul wrote on Spacefish a few weeks ago, there is a phenomenon currently happening called the “big flush.” To summarize…the minnow population explodes with the excess of water at the end of the rainy season. When the water recedes in the winter, the minnows are pushed back into the main channel of the river, which ignites a feeding frenzy.
The cool thing about that is when you are using the smaller baits, and covering a lot of water, you will come across some interesting species via by-catch. Paul, and I both caught Crappie/Specks, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redbreast, and Catfish.
Another thing you can do, if you bring along the necessary tools, & equipment is to sacrifice one of your panfish, and put out chunks of natural cut bait, and you have a great chance of catching some large & prehistoric species of River Monster. Here is one of the first written reports I remember reading from Paul – https://spacefish.com/st-johns-river-monsters/
Paul M on the SJR
American Shad
Ok, so I will be honest. I never really allowed myself to buy into the hype that these fish were like smaller, freshwater Tarpon. I mean nothing can be like a Tarpon right? Well, I will say, the hype is deserved. They do not have the stamina of a Tarpon, but they have the Tarpon colors, aerial ability, and even have shocking resemblance in the face/mouth to a Tarpon. They are much easier to subdue, but they have all of the cool fighting ability and are a beautiful fish to catch and see how the sunlight can reflect a plethora of colors across their scales.
They also have their place in American History! According to the Outdoor Writer Alice Jones Webb, “there is no fish more American than the humble shad.” While Shad may not be our first choice of fish to eat today, this species was a crucial part of the early North American culinary traditions. The late winter/early spring migration of millions of spawning fish into coastal Atlantic rivers made the shad a staple food for North America’s inhabitants long before Europeans arrived in North America.
Once the Europeans arrived, they began to harvest these fish, and would preserve them by salting/brining them in barrels. George Washington was regarded as one of America’s first Shad fisherman, and there is even a famous book called The Founding Fish, written by John McPhee where he goes into the history of Shad fishing in America. The Black Rifle Coffee Company even has a “Beware The Delaware” coffee flavor featuring an iconic image of George Washington riding an American Shad across the Delaware River. Historians will say it’s fabricated, but we can all agree that none of us were there for that monumental moment in history, I can neither confirm nor deny whether he crossed by boat, or by Shad.
Beware the Delaware
The Clock is Ticking
If American Shad fishing is something you have an interest in, now is the time to do it. With the springtime rapidly approaching, these fish will leave the area once they are done spawning, so get in, while the getting is good! I promise you will not want to miss out on an exciting fish, in a really beautiful fishery!
American Shad II
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read the report today! If you are in the market for a kayak that would allow you to do some effective trolling for Shad, and Specks on the St. John’s River make sure to stop in at Kayaks By Bo in Cocoa and look at their full line up of top-notch fishing kayaks!
Stay safe, be happy, and go catch some fish! Until next time!
The Spawn is HAPPENING!
It was all about the Jerk bait bite this week. Cabin fever is done for the year for me as I fished 4 out of seven days. I remember when I was young that was nothing for me but now I have to say I’m tired! I fished 2 days on the lagoon and 2 days on freshwater. I was quite surprised by the low waters on the lagoon but when fishing mangroves it was simpler as the bush was on dry land now. The fish can’t get to them so hang ups in the trees were none. Several nice trout, a few small snook and even a black drum all ate my little suspended jerk bait lure (Yo Zuri 3 D Fingerling).
The freshwater bite, on the other hand, was epic for me with the number of fish caught. Mostly all buck bass and they were all peeing. So the spawn is happening folks. This is a special couple of months in our freshwater fisheries as we are now in a situation of pre-spawn and post-spawn time frame. And I always do well throwing the same lure as I did in the salt. Everyone has a confidence lure for certain times of the year but that Fingerling is a 365 day best bet for me to have a catching day. I think 24 years of having it tied on my line shows for itself. We have a full moon this Wednesday so we should see some big females moving up to spawn. Water temperatures are creeping up to the mid to high seventies so the bite will be more aggressive as the weeks go on.
Lake Headwaters Bass Report
The water temp is 71 degrees when we started this morning and 74 when we finished up. The S canal is clear as of noon today.
Top baits this week for me were the Bass Assassin RSB worms, and the Mike Bucca 5″ Trick Shad in Bone color.
I’m fishing the Green Pumpkin Jackhammers on wind blown points. I only use a 1/2oz with a Zako trailer to match or a Bass Assassin Whoopa Craw to match. I have been messing around with the Bruiser Bait Sidekick trailer for a week or so and it holds up better than the Zakos. It swims great too.
The new 5″ Mike Bucca Trick Shad in Bone color is my go to swimbait this week. I’m fishing these along thick grass edges near deep sharp drops or cuts near main canals. It is a fish catcher and it will work all over Headwaters.Swim these just under the surface for best results. Get on the Bullshad email mailing list so you can get the bait drop info.
I’m fishing the Bass Assassin RSB worms (Gooseberry) with a 1/8oz weight. The fish are in the hydrilla near spawning flats. I’m using a 5/0 VMC Redline EWG hook.
If you want to catch a bunch of fish pick up some shiners and free line them in deep water grass lined areas.
Check out this giant my buddy Kevin Gillispie caught on February 6th. She was almost 12lbs and full of eggs!!
Call or text me at 304-610-6066 to book a trip of a lifetime. I have some outstanding guides that work for me that have availability as well.
Tight lines!
Goodbye, January!
I finally came out of my winter bundle-up and fished last week. It was really nice to see blue skies once again and warmer weather. Mind you the early morning boat ride was full of winter feelings and quite brisk but as the day got later the layers of clothing slowly peeled off. Three lure choices that provided a bite for me on Headwaters and 3 Forks were a Yo Zuri prop topwater lure, my small suspending jerk bait and a Zoom trick worm in black.
This month will be a big push for the bass to start moving shallow to start the spawning ritual. Look for areas with hard bottom for fish to make their beds. The full and new moons will be important to fish around for possibly a big female to catch. Please handle these girls carefully. The next couple of months will be fun!
Fishing the Big Flush
I’ve always called it the big flush. It’s also called the squeegee, the drain and other such names. They all refer to the same phenomenon that leads to fantastic light tackle fishing on the St Johns River.
We all know Florida gets a lot of rain in the summer. Those almost daily afternoon thunderstorms raise water levels on the St Johns River. In the stretch of river near Brevard County, rising waters breach the banks and flood into the surrounding pasture lands. Add in a tropical system or two, like hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, and the flooding spreads even more.
Thousands of acres of newly flooded shallows create a haven for minnows and grass shrimp where they can feed and breed with minimal interference from predators. Populations explode. Then comes winter and spring, the dry season in Florida. Water levels on the St Johns drop. Eventually all those flooded shallows drain into the main river channels, flushing in immense numbers of minnows and shrimp.
This sets up a buffet for just about every predatory fish in the St Johns. Feeding frenzies ensue. Time it right and you can enjoy insane light tackle fishing with gaudy numbers of fish. Crappie, bluegill and other panfish are the main players. Plenty of largemouth bass join it. Most are smaller specimens, averaging about a foot long, but bigger ones are occasionally caught. American and hickory shad will feast on the minnows along with channel catfish, bowfin and gar.
Fishing this phenomenon is not complicated. Just look for fish busting schools of minnows and shrimp on the surface. Diving terns and wading birds along the bank can also be a tipoff.
An ultralight spinning rod and a handful of panfish jigs will catch a ton of fish. Jig color usually isn’t important, but occasionally the fish can be picky. I like to throw tandem jigs, each one a different color to increase my chances of zeroing in on the hot color should the fish be selective that day.
This is also a great time to break out the lightest fly rod you own. Small streamers will produce the greatest numbers of bites, but a little popper, gurgler or other surface pattern can be more fun. I usually bring two fly rods, one with a floating line and a surface fly and another with a sink tip line and a Clouser Minnow or other weighted streamer to get down deep where the bigger fish often lurk.
Although there are days when fish will bust any lure you throw, most of the time this fishery is a classic case of match the hatch. The minnows and grass shrimp are about an inch long so jigs and flies should also be about an inch long. Inch and a half may also work but when you get up to two inches you are getting too big.
The trickiest part of this fishery is figuring out the timing which is different year to year. I’ll spare you the mystery. It is happening right now and could be good for another month or two. If ultralight fun and 50+ fish days sounds appealing to you, now is the time to give the St Johns River a try.
Fellsmere area
Boy is it cold windy and rainy! Water temperature reached 65 now is 55. Bass are wanting to spawn but it will wait till temps are over 60 for several days
Shiner dunkers are catching a lot, and some bigs are showing up. Artificial bite is fair. Yesterday we caught over 30 on worms flukes and spinnerbaits biggest around 4 lbs. Fish were grouping near first dropouts near spawning flats.
Today we had 5 or 6 over 4lbs and several piggies. Time to set a date with big girls in mind
Shiner Bite Going Strong @ Headwaters
The shiner bite is still going strong and is producing the most bites on Headwaters at this time. The artificial bite still produced bites for me this past week but having to change out lure choices time and again makes it frustrating. We did manage over 25 bass but none were over 2 pounds. I’m cool with that because for me it’s all about the bites and size to me is nice when it happens but floating in a boat getting bit is what is all about. We saw several empty beds this day but I think the spawn might be starting on the next full moon if the weather is right. This week will give us much colder temperatures with rain so I think I’ll sit at my desk and tie some flies for better weather days ahead.
Chilli Temps on Headwaters
The water temp is 58 degrees when we started this morning and 61 when we finished up. The S canal is clear as of noon today. I moved an island that blew up against the dock so with this southwest wind it should stay clear of the boat ramp until we get a northeast or east wind.
Top baits this week for me were the Bass Assassin RSB worms, Jackhammers, Lure Concept Spinnerbaits and the Mike Bucca 6″ Trick Shad in Gizzard Shad color.
I’m fishing the Green Pumpkin Jackhammers on wind blown points. I only use a 1/2oz with a Zako trailer to match or a Bass Assassin Whoopa Craw to match. I have been messing around with the Bruiser Bait Sidekick trailer for a week or so and it holds up better than the Zakos. It swims great too.
The 6” Mike Bucca Trick Shad in Gizzard Shad color is my go to swimbait this week. I’m fishing these along thick grass edges near deep sharp drops or cuts near main canals. It is a fish catcher and it will work all over Headwaters. Swim these just under the surface for best results. Get on the Bullshad email mailing list so you can get the bait drop info.
I’m fishing the Bass Assassin RSB worms (Gooseberry) with a 1/8oz weight. The fish are in the hydrilla near spawning flats. I’m using a 5/0 VMC Redline EWG hook. From what I’m being told the punch bite is pretty good. Personally I’ve not done any punching this week but when I do I like the Bass Assassin Skunk Ape in Okeechobee Craw one Blueberry.
I’m chucking a Lure Concept 1/2oz white with gold blade spinnerbait with no trailer. Fish these along hydrilla lined ditches and fish them as slow as you can. With the water temps being so low these fish aren’t running the baits down as they usually do.
If you want to catch a bunch of fish pick up some shiners and free line them in deep water grass lined areas.
Check out this giant my buddy Gerald Bramlett put his customers on from South Carolina. She was almost 10lbs and full of eggs!
Call or text me at 304-610-6066 to book a trip of a lifetime. I have some outstanding guides that work for me that have availability as well.
Tight lines!
Fellsmere report
Water temps have dipped to 52
Now up to 60 in sheltered spots
Shiner fishing is good near catails
Dropoffs and spatterdocks bite is finicky but good numbers alot of fish with eggs
This week’s warmup with front on weekend could trigger spawn. Alot of males peeing
Artificial bite dragging baits or sight fishing is gonna be 1st big spawn
Still have dates in January available
Call for opportunity
214 490 8638
Strategic Locations Key @ Headwaters
This week’s report will be short for me this week. With a family member passing away and having to go through all the procedures and everything, I never had any time for fishing myself. All I know is what a few friends that have filled me in on the bite is all I can really report on.
Headwaters is still the main producer of fish but with that said, it’s all about wild shiners being used. Setting yourself up in strategic locations where there is deep water next to the shallow water ledges is the key for many bites. Water temperatures are now in the mid 50’s and will remain this way until we have our warming trends and lesser fronts passing through. The Speckled Perch action is getting better and better with these colder conditions. Our coldest temperatures of the year are just a few days away so I’m sure all will be the same or really slow down once this front passes.
