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Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Capt. George Welcome
March 9, 2002
Stick Marsh-Farm 13 - Freshwater Fishing Report
Keeping up with the reports at this time of the year is difficult. So far this year and by this day’s end Scott and I have done 77 trips on the Marsh and most have been quite successful. In the last week there have been good days, and days not so good. Weather has played an important part in this as fronts continue to flow through here on an almost continuous basis. Hopefully with the one coming the beginning of this week will be the last until next winter.
One of the most asked questions that we hear: “Do you get many non-fisherperson types, and how would they handle a bad day on the water?” My answer is really very simple. “We only get fantastic people, (which is the only kind that bass fish anyway), so there is never a problem. This week was no exception as there were a couple of pretty stinky days out there.
The areas we have been fishing haven’t changed much unless the wind has forced us to adjust for protection. The NW area of the Stick Marsh is holding a goodly amount of bass and getting them to bite on artificial has been easy on some days, and not so easy on others. When we have had the bite there it has been on plastics and spinner baits, however we have had at least one on top water each time that I have been there. We have not been able to find a consistent top water bit. The most consistent plastic has been a weightless Senko and spinner bait colors have ranged through the spectrum. Top water has been on both buzz bait and Chug Bugs. The best location in the NW has been along the tree line on the north, (but not in the trees!). Water temperatures have been up in down drastically with the changes in weather but the average would be in the mid-sixties.
The SW area of the Farm is also holding fish but the wind has made it a difficult place for artificial and the water is highly stained and there is a lot of floating grass. Areas along the south wall are about the same. The only bait we have had any success in the Farm with has been plastic and that success has been limited for us.
John Starling and his buddy fished with Scott on the 2nd and 3rd and as you have probably seen by John’s report they had a good trip using shiners. They fished in the SW area of the Farm, and in the Spillway, with most time spent in the spillway as the wind howled for both days out there.
George & Gail Dailey spent the 2nd with me and they also opted for shiners as bait. We started out in the SW area of the Farm and did well until the wind pushed a bit too much. We then moved to the spillway and then to the Stick. Just before quitting time Gail latched onto a nice 7-3/4 pound fish, which made the wind seem far less.
Mark Lee from NY and his dad Fred spent the 4th and with me and opted to go with artificial. We never left the NW end of the Marsh and boated 17 fish by days end. Fish came on a combination of plastics and spinner baits and the catch was pretty much divided equally between the two baits. Big fish came to Mark for the day on spinner bait as it came across a lay down. Hiding under the log was a 6.5-pound lady. The 5th saw Mark and I heading out again and although the wind wasn’t blowing any stronger than the day before it was a lot colder. This guys a trooper however and kept plugging away although the fish weren’t cooperating. We worked all the ground we covered the day before and then some but by quitting time, (we did quit at 1:00) we had only boated one or two bass.
On the 6th, 7th, and 8th Brian Graves and his buddy were back for another trip on the Marsh with Scott and opted for shiners. Most of their time was spent in the spillway but they also got some in the SW area of the Farm. Each day got progressively better with 10 being caught on the 6th, they doubled that on the 7th, and yesterday they landed 32. Big fish for Brian was a 9.25-pound lunker. We will see Brian again in June.
Yesterday I went out with Don, (The World’s you Know What), and his Son, Don Jr. and we checked out some different areas to see what we could find. You name the bait and we probably threw it. By day’s end the catch ratio was figured out to be .125 fish per man-hour. Don upheld his title by coming in with a squeaky clean .000 fish per man-hour.
For those coming in the next few days: check out the east side of the Marsh – SE – cleaner water and they are hitting rattletraps there. I went out this morning and ran into a fair amount. See you on the water.
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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