Stick Marsh & Farm 13

Capt. George Welcome
December 18, 2001
Stick Marsh-Farm 13 - Freshwater Fishing Report

Stick Mars/Farm 13

Date Fished: 12/15/01

Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

Date Fished 12-15-01 Time Fished: 7:00 till 3:00pm – Weather Mostly clear with a late afternoon breeze.

Area Fished: SW area of Stick Marsh and NW area of Stick Marsh Bait used: 6-Dozen Shiners

Had the pleasure today of fishing with Patrick Baynes and Father Willie. Departing the ramp at 6:30am we headed to the shack to meet Joe Middelton to pick up our shiners. The fog was extremely thick this morning and using caution was a must. Please remember navigational lights are a must. I noticed a few boats on the lake without lights, which could lead to disaster. We setup in the SW area of the Stick Marsh were we have been having good success. The first shiner hit the water and didn’t last 5 seconds when a huge bass ate the shiner and ran, Wille set the hook and the fight was on, unfortunately the bass won the fight breaking the line. We through another shiner in the same spot and within 5 seconds the bass was back on and this time Willies hook set missed. I couldn’t imagine lighting would strike for a third time but it did and everything went right for Willie this time. After a brilliant fight by Wille he landed a beautiful 10lbs Lunker for his first Stick Marsh bass. We fished the edge of a scattered hydrilla matt allowing are shiners ample time to work there magic. They managed to land quite a few nice fish in this area and practiced some long distance catch and release too. All the other fish caught were between 3lbs and 6.5lbs. With Willie in the lead and the bite slowing down I decide to move to the NW area of the Stick Marsh where we have been catching a lot of Bass. Anchoring up we through out our shiners. This time the bite did not happen as quick. One of the keys to being successful with shiners is having patience’s. After 30 minutes the fish finally started to bite and lasted for 1.5hrs. The fish in this area have been hungry and are fattening up for the spawn. No monster fish in this area, but plenty of fish from three to five pounds. The key in this area was the same find scattered hydrilla and clean water and you will find fish. We were anchored approximately 100 feet from shore and ½ mile East of the West shore. Patrick and his father will be fishing for the next couple of days so at 1:00pm we ran around showing them some other areas to try. At 1:45 we ran back to our original spot in the SW area of the Marsh to see if we could pickup a few more fish before the end of the day. With one long distance catch and release and time running out things were not looking good for them. I told them that many of my trips biggest fish have come at the end of the trip so be ready. At 2:45 the last shiner got slammed and Willie was in for the fight of a lifetime. Masterfully working the fish Willie landed yet another Stick Marsh Lunker weighing in at 11.2lbs. You know it’s a good day fishing when both your first and last fish weigh over 10lbs. With the bite today being a little off compared to normal it was very important to be patience and not move just because you don’t get a bite every 5min. With 20 fish making their way into the boat and 25 long distance catch and releases it turned into a good day for all. With many laughs and 2 new friends it is definitely safe to say I have the best job in the world. Say hi if you see us on the water and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Tight Lines!! Scott P.S. Don if you’re out there tomorrow there could be $20.00 dollars waiting for you.

George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!

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