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From: "Hugh Crumpler" <[email protected]>
To: "Hugh Crumpler" <[email protected]>
Subject: Du-In Good at Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Date: Sunday, December 07, 2003 9:33 AM
The bass are biting very well at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. Despite constantly changing weather conditions the bass continue to bite well. The bass are in a prespawn feeding frenzy. Wild Shiners are the most consistent bait. Some of my clients had success with Wacky rigged worms after diminishing the shiner supply of the live well.
A family member went into the hospital and my Monday trip had to cancel. Tuesday I had what most folks call a day off. For me it was a day to catch up on maintaince.
On Wednesday David Miller came down for a half day of bass catching. We started with a little more than four dozen shiners and they just barley lasted the morning. The bite was very good. David landed several bass and several pickerel. David's day did not produce a 24 inch bass. David's day did have alot of very nice sized bass.
On Thursday the action was hot and heavy. Another half day trip produced a bunch of nice bass. Again, some pickerel, catfish and a crappie. No monsters over 24 inches. Some very, very, nice bass!!
On Friday Cliff Budd, one of the finest saltwater guides from the Jupiter area had one of his clients bring him over for some freshwater bass fishing. Cliff and his client adapted their saltwater skills to the feshwater bass fishing very quickly. Hardly a strike was missed. It was music to my ears when they said things like "Never had a day like this Okeechobee". "Never caught this many nice sized bass in one day!". Thirty bass is a bunch of bass in one day is a bunch when you mix in fifteen to twenty chain pickerel and a catfish or two.
There are lots of stories of bass catching in the hundreds and seventies at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. Some of them are true. The stories are hard to believe. The catch rate at Stick Marsh and Farm 13 is the best in Florida. That has been true for 15 years running. Each year the catch rate is double what ever was in second place. Even when a cold front hits, even when the wind blows, the opportunity to catch a nice bunch of fish exists at Stick Marsh and Farm 13.
Saturday morning I got up late to avoid getting cold. It was almost down to 50 outside. I switched out starters in my Tahoe. Just as I was washing my hands and planning a trip shopping the phone rang. It was Cliff Budd. His clients had struggled in the Saltwater and wondered if they could go out for a half day at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. I assured them they could and made arrangements to meet them at Middletons for bait at 2:00 PM.
Randy and Mike showed up a little early. I opted for three dozen live shiners and off we went. I elected to fish the spillway at the NorthWest corner of Stick Marsh. It was close and the wind was going to be out of the North. Dad gum it was cold when I got the Bass Cat up on plane!
I parked the Bass Cat on the North side. (So the wind was at my back.) Made a long cast with a shiner. Put one in right beside each side of the boat. Before I could say "got one" they had one. The best place to catch bass was from next to the side of the boat to ten feet on either side. Between the three of us we saw AT LEAST fifteen bass come up from the depths and attempt to hit our shiners. Some were successful! That is something that few anglers get to see! We were blessed that it happened so many times. Most bass logic dictates that the day after a cold front hits the bass will not bite. Not true this day!
It did not take me long to figure out that I had not opted for enough shiners. Randy and mike had a bunch of nice bass. I mean a bunch. With two shiners left they had a double. Randy saw a shiner swimming by the boat and quickly netted it. Randy fished the shiner awhile and then passed the rod to Mike. Mike caught his second or third very nice bass (4 lbs) of the afternoon.
The sun was going down. Randy was using a Wacky rigged worm on light ling. Randy missed one. I took them from the depths to the Back Lot. Randy caught two on the Wacky rigged worm. Randy and Mike would still be there. It got dark and I got really cold and called an end to a great afternoon.
There are several photos attached. None of the bass are over 24 inches long. Several will show you the size of the "average" size bass caught at this time of year on wild shiners. Good Luck with your bass catching.
To: "Hugh Crumpler" <[email protected]>
Subject: Du-In Good at Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Date: Sunday, December 07, 2003 9:33 AM
The bass are biting very well at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. Despite constantly changing weather conditions the bass continue to bite well. The bass are in a prespawn feeding frenzy. Wild Shiners are the most consistent bait. Some of my clients had success with Wacky rigged worms after diminishing the shiner supply of the live well.
A family member went into the hospital and my Monday trip had to cancel. Tuesday I had what most folks call a day off. For me it was a day to catch up on maintaince.
On Wednesday David Miller came down for a half day of bass catching. We started with a little more than four dozen shiners and they just barley lasted the morning. The bite was very good. David landed several bass and several pickerel. David's day did not produce a 24 inch bass. David's day did have alot of very nice sized bass.
On Thursday the action was hot and heavy. Another half day trip produced a bunch of nice bass. Again, some pickerel, catfish and a crappie. No monsters over 24 inches. Some very, very, nice bass!!
On Friday Cliff Budd, one of the finest saltwater guides from the Jupiter area had one of his clients bring him over for some freshwater bass fishing. Cliff and his client adapted their saltwater skills to the feshwater bass fishing very quickly. Hardly a strike was missed. It was music to my ears when they said things like "Never had a day like this Okeechobee". "Never caught this many nice sized bass in one day!". Thirty bass is a bunch of bass in one day is a bunch when you mix in fifteen to twenty chain pickerel and a catfish or two.
There are lots of stories of bass catching in the hundreds and seventies at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. Some of them are true. The stories are hard to believe. The catch rate at Stick Marsh and Farm 13 is the best in Florida. That has been true for 15 years running. Each year the catch rate is double what ever was in second place. Even when a cold front hits, even when the wind blows, the opportunity to catch a nice bunch of fish exists at Stick Marsh and Farm 13.
Saturday morning I got up late to avoid getting cold. It was almost down to 50 outside. I switched out starters in my Tahoe. Just as I was washing my hands and planning a trip shopping the phone rang. It was Cliff Budd. His clients had struggled in the Saltwater and wondered if they could go out for a half day at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. I assured them they could and made arrangements to meet them at Middletons for bait at 2:00 PM.
Randy and Mike showed up a little early. I opted for three dozen live shiners and off we went. I elected to fish the spillway at the NorthWest corner of Stick Marsh. It was close and the wind was going to be out of the North. Dad gum it was cold when I got the Bass Cat up on plane!
I parked the Bass Cat on the North side. (So the wind was at my back.) Made a long cast with a shiner. Put one in right beside each side of the boat. Before I could say "got one" they had one. The best place to catch bass was from next to the side of the boat to ten feet on either side. Between the three of us we saw AT LEAST fifteen bass come up from the depths and attempt to hit our shiners. Some were successful! That is something that few anglers get to see! We were blessed that it happened so many times. Most bass logic dictates that the day after a cold front hits the bass will not bite. Not true this day!
It did not take me long to figure out that I had not opted for enough shiners. Randy and mike had a bunch of nice bass. I mean a bunch. With two shiners left they had a double. Randy saw a shiner swimming by the boat and quickly netted it. Randy fished the shiner awhile and then passed the rod to Mike. Mike caught his second or third very nice bass (4 lbs) of the afternoon.
The sun was going down. Randy was using a Wacky rigged worm on light ling. Randy missed one. I took them from the depths to the Back Lot. Randy caught two on the Wacky rigged worm. Randy and Mike would still be there. It got dark and I got really cold and called an end to a great afternoon.
There are several photos attached. None of the bass are over 24 inches long. Several will show you the size of the "average" size bass caught at this time of year on wild shiners. Good Luck with your bass catching.
