It feels like we TOTALLY skipped Spring this year and Mother Nature decided to jump right into Summer. The Florida heat has been blazing, but so has the bite!
For whatever reason, the Bluegill on Lake Okeechobee have been very difficult to locate. Typically this time of year, 50 yard stretches on beds with giant Bluegill on them are easy to see in the shallow water. This year that is not the case. It could be that the higher Lake water is making the beds harder to see, or maybe the Bluegill spawn will just be a bit late this year, who knows.
One thing is for sure, the big Bass which feed on these Bluegill are in place, aggressive, and hungry. Bass fishing has been “Slow” until you run into them. When the big Bass are feeding on Bluegill, they tend to get into tight wolf packs to try and better their odds at ambushing them. Which means you may flip or frog for hundreds of yards without a bite. But when you get one, its a good idea to pole down and dissect the area. The plus side to this, is typically when you get bit shallow this time of year, it’s usually over 5lbs.
Throw anything that imitates a Bluegill. A Spro Poppin Frog, flipping a big jig, a Chatterbait or a Swim Jig are some of the most popular options!
Something else that is going on down here in the Sunshine State, is Peacock Bass fishing down in the Everglades. If you like light tackle top water fishing for fish that pull like crazy, than you need to get down here. A lot of our guides are fishing their customers two days. One on Okeechobee, and the other down in the swamp catching up to 100-150 Peacocks a day. Yes, you read that right. Along with Peacock Bass you would also be pulling on Largemouth, Mudfish, Oscars, Cichlids, and the possible Snook and Tarpon. This is a GREAT way to get the kids into the sport. No live bait is needed and they will have a bite EVERY SINGLE CAST!
Come on down and see us, grab some of our performance long sleeve sun shirts and book a trip of a lifetime!
– Capt. Cody Davis