Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Capt. George Welcome
April 23, 2001
Stick Marsh-Farm 13 - Freshwater Fishing Report
Fishing the waters of Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is not much different than fishing any other lake with only one small difference. Within the boundaries of this body of water are more bass per acre than any other lake in the state of Florida, or for that matter the USA, and within these waters are more large bass per acre than any other lake in Florida or the US. Your chances are outstanding for catching a lot of bass and that bass of a lifetime.
Your chances for success do have some limiting factors however with the biggest factor being knowledge of the structure and cover of the lake and how the bass relate to these items. These factors and your knowledge of them will in most cases decide if you will have a good day or a bad day. At your fingertips are the tools needed to increase your knowledge of this lake and it’s associated cover, structure and relative bass hangouts. There are maps available from several sources that fully illustrate this lakes features and likely places to find bass. A map can be ordered from Hugh Crumpler at [email protected]. There are maps of lesser content that can be gotten at most of the bait and tackle stores in the area. You can go to my page for an aerial view of the Marsh. You can also go to Jim Porter’s page at www.stickmarsh.com to see an interactive map. Armed with any and all of the above your chances are greatly enhanced for success on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. In addition we all have e-mail and most questions would be gladly answered. If you are coming to the Stick Marsh for the first time you can really enhance your possibilities by hiring a guide. The information they have is invaluable as it relates to the where, when and how to catch lots of bass and big bass on this lake. In addition the information that they can give you that will ensure safe navigation for your trip can only be gotten first-hand. The charts of this lake, like most lake charts are intended to show you places to fish, not to give you navigation information.
The next piece of information that you need is the knowledge of the baits and techniques that are working during your visit. These can be gotten directly from these reports and again from e-mail inquiries. Basically, water levels are such that the arsenal of baits that you will need is far less than most of the lakes in this country. Much of the year our fishing is top water. The baits that will work well are; chug bugs buzz baits, soft jerk baits and stick baits. This is the type of fishing that we are coming into and it won’t be changing in any big hurry. As the summer moves in the baitfish get very active and you can anticipate top water action from sun-up to sundown. Shiners will on most days produce good catches and on some of the days can be a very wise decision.
Presently the top water action is sporadic but one that is worth checking out several times a day. If you see bait moving about the surface pick up the chug bug or some other top water and give it a try. What is working presently and with a strong measure of success is the spinner bait. Casting to targets such as hydrilla or sticks and then retrieving the bait slowly will on most days bring you bass after bass. Another bait that is working very well right now is soft plastic. Whether it be a worm, crawdad, tube or jerk bait, when thrown next to hydrilla or sticks or stumps, the bass have been jumping all over it. On the Stick Marsh side there are bass relating to all that cover that you can now see. On the Farm 13 side the hydrilla edges are virtual gold mines of bass.
Thursday of last week Scott worked the Stick Marsh with his clients. The fish were there, hitting worms and spinner baits. Patience and line sensitivity were the keys with the worms and the wind that was kicking didn’t help. However 19 fish were boated with one 10.5 beauty coming on board for her picture taking session. Friday and Saturday were disaster days for us. Our clients opted to use shiners and to put it simply we did not have great success. In a day and a half of fishing not more than 10 bass made it top side.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking a regular customer (Friend and fishing companion) out for his monthly trek. Jack Goldsmith is a very experienced fisherman so even thought the wind was forecast to blow we headed into the sticks and stumps of the Stick Marsh. We each had rods pre-baited with chug bugs, soft plastics, buzz baits, and spinner baits. Jack started with top water and I started with a worm. I rigged the worm with a swivel and short leader and cast it right in the middle of the sticks. I broke the ice first with the worm and then switched to a chug bug. Jack switched from his top water to spinner bait and the day became historical for Jack. I have posted 5 pictures on my page: http://www.imaginationbassin.com of Jack’s bass. These five are representative of the day he had: 7 bass over 7 pounds with his big kicker being 11.54 pounds. Jack’s last fish of the day came from the Farm 13 side and weighed in at a hefty 8.84 pounds. Over 50 bass visited us yesterday. Jack has fished all around the world and his feeling about this home lake of his is that it is by far the best lake he has ever fished. Jack will usually start the day out with the usual fishing camaraderie banter of chop busting, and will usually close out the day with the same, an act that I am not unfamiliar with, so our fishing trips are always fantastic. Today this younger oldster learned the awesomeness that fishing the Stick Marsh can hold and after many years of seeking that evasive 10-pound plus fish, Jack fulfilled a dream of a lifetime. A note to Jack: The first one is hard! Now that you have filled that goal you will catch so many over 10 pounds that everything under 10 pounds will take on dink status.
The Stick Marsh side is awesome right now. You need only a few things to be successful there: A light wind or less, good fishing skills, stamina as these fish will wear you down, lots of water to drink, and protection from the sun for your eyes and your body. You need to react quickly to the bite and you need to water ski the fish from their cover. Good fishing and tight lines. See you out there.
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