March Freshwater Scene for Naples, Marco and the Everglades
Capt. Roan zumFelde
March 5, 2017
Naples - Freshwater Fishing Report
March is here and everyone will be looking for bedding bass this month. Whether on lakes or canals the bass should be hungry for forage to sustain themselves through the spawning time on the new moon and full moon. I am a big believer in not messing with the fish on the spawning beds but if you must disturb them please, catch and release them swiftly and gentile. The pre-spawn and post-spawn fish should be very aggressive and searching out food which means top water baits should be on fire. Great month to fish no excuses!
Lake Okeechobee I would expect roughly the same conditions on the lake to apply from last month. With the exception being an actual increase in the spawning fish this month. Top waters near the spawning areas where the bass are staging or coming off the beds should be excellent. I like noisy baits this time of the year like the Devils Horse. If I was a fly fisherman and I am, this would be the time of the year to try and target Lake-O. The bass will come out of the cover and look to eat after they do their spawning thing which in turn should make them accessible. Poppers and HJB's should be in your arsenal.
Trafford time is now, so put down the crappie poles and pick up your Flipping Sticks. The bass should be on fire this month. This is a good time and place to hone your skills for the tournaments. The fish should hit various types of baits and whether you want worm fishing or top waters there should be great success at finding them. I hear there is a very high number of big bass being caught there last month and this should be the case for this month.
For the Everglades Canals this is the month that everything starts to come into alignment. The canals across I-75 should be excellent for both bass and cichlids. Hopefully for you bass guys there will still be cool water temperatures which will reign in the cichlid onslaught and give you a few more bass especially early in the mornings. If it is warmer, then expect to be releasing 4 to 8 cichlids to each bass you catch. This is not such a bad thing if you are into numbers and cichlids, they do pull hard. The Peacocks will still be a little shy this month they are going to need a little more warmth to the water for them to really turn on. If you want to target the bass and the larger bass try larger flies and worms. This is going to give you less strikes but it might help you put a true lunker on the line.
There is no real spotlight for this month on where to fish if you do not have a boat. Over the past several months I have given you lots of great places to fish by foot and all of which should be great this month. I will leave you with this parting shot. Sometime the best fishing is in your backyard. I am still getting a large number of people who live in these great subdivisions and country clubs asking me where I can go to catch some fish. Check your back yard you might be surprised at what lurks in your pond behind the condo.
Come visit Mike and me at Mike's Bait house and Indian Pass Outfitters on Danford Street, next to Bayview Park in Naples and we can talk fishing. We carry a full line of tackle including: fly fishing needs and both saltwater and freshwater gear, food, drink, and bait. Thanks and good fishing. Roan z
If you want to contact Capt. Roan z for a freshwater fishing trip or ask any fishing questions he can be contacted at the Shop 239-775-2248 or cell number 239-269-4426. Check the Web Site www.indianpassoutfitters.com and www.mikesbaithouse.com
Target Species:
Bass Oscars Peacock Bass Cichlids
More Fishing Reports:
