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Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Capt. George Welcome
November 28, 2002
Stick Marsh-Farm 13 - Freshwater Fishing Report
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 11/26/02
Water Temperature: 60
Water Clarity: 2-3 feet
Over the last couple of days, and many times in the past, a common question that we hear is: why is the water so dirty?
The water on the Marsh is not near as dirty as it appears to our poor vision. Tannic acid, a product that leeches out of cypress stains the waters in Florida giving them a brown to blackish appearance. That combined with the black/gray bottom on the Marsh gives the waters here a dirty appearance, but in reality the clarity is pretty good. Right now, in a lot of the lake, clarity is running 2-3 feet and more, and these areas are where you will probably do best with artificial baits.
On the 26th in the morning I went and checked some areas of the Marsh and then proceeded to the south end of the Farm. The rattletrap bite is pretty good down there as long as you don't go too deep. Within three hours I had boated 22 bass to 4 pounds even with the wind blowing 15-20 MPH. The wind has been ideal, coming out of the north quadrants, giving us a drift that yielded 1-3 fish per drift. The key to getting the bigger yields down here is paying attention to exactly where you catch, marking the spot, and then working that area over and over. Patience and persistence will make you a winner. I had a trip in the afternoon. The wind dropped off quite a bit, and the bite went right along with it. The rattletrap bite disappeared pretty much, but we did pick up some using a Senko weightless and working our way down the grass on the west wall. We were able to muster 16 fish with some misses, but size was down in this area except for one 5-pounder.
Yesterday I had Bill O’Keefe, a local Floridian out, and we did both artificial and shiners. Starting out in the south end of the Farm again with rattletrap we boated several rather quickly and then things quieted down a bit. Big fish in this area to the boat was just a bit over 4 pounds, but one heart stopping big gal gave us a play for a few moments before she found a way to nestle into a pile of brush, leaving the rattletrap to rest there forever. Ah well, that's why we use Bill Lewis traps, they aren't terribly expensive and losing them here is a much too often experience.
With the slowdown in bite it was time to try some of the shiners, which turned out to be an outstanding move. Putting us deeper in the SW area of the Farm I set the anchor and put out three poles. Bill could barely keep up with them as the bass wanted these tasty tidbits and hit them with a vengeance. 3-dozen shiners disappeared quickly. We had a couple of monster shiners out and Bill worked weightless Senkos waiting for the "big" bite on those shiners. About 10 more bass got to the boat hitting the Senkos that he fished right in there with the shiners.
The heart stopper for the day came on a medium sized shiner right after it hit the water. First there was a smash and the shiner flew 2 feet into the air and then there was a giant flush and this 11-pound bass smashed and inhaled this hapless shiner. I handed the pole to Bill and he set the hook and the fight was on. This bass had done this one before and used all her tricks. Into grass, around a stump, back out and into the air, her aerobatics were a sight to see, but at the skilled and patience hands of Bill she had met her match. With chest heaving and a grin from ear to ear, Bill yelled, "get the camera!” and that's where woedom set in. Frantically we searched, but to no avail, as cameras, Bill and mine's sat back in the truck at the ramp. Oh well, this wasn't the first and definitely won't be the last time for Bill.
See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
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!
George & Scott
Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Days: (772)370-1606/1607
Evenings: (772)370-1606/1607
Toll Free: (877)890-6809
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