Stick Marsh & Farm 13
Capt. George Welcome
July 9, 2005
Stick Marsh-Farm 13 - Freshwater Fishing Report
Nine days of the month have gone by already with our nation's greatest
holiday right in the middle of it. The 4th is one of the few days during the
year that we don't fish.
Back on the first I had out Steve Levi and friend Jim for a 1/2 day AM trip
and we did okay. We didn't find anything bigger than 5-pounds, but we found
about 35 willing bass to play with, with some top water action to accentuate the
fun. Some of you may know Jim as he represents B.A.S.S. on some of the east
coast areas, and previously was with Zoom Baits.
On the 2nd and 3rd Scott took Sue Laferty and Bill Loges out. With artificial
baits they worked several areas of the Marsh/Farm and managed about 80 bass for
the two days on the water. I had out my oldest son, grandson Chris, and my
daughter-in-law's father Bob on the 3rd, fishing until 10:30. We managed 30 that
morning with 6-pounds topping the day for Bob.
Scott had out Mike Rogers and Danny and fished the spillway area with a
combination of shiners and artificial. Big fish was a 7.25-pound fish caught on
a C-rig for the 2 days, and the fellows caught over 200 bass for their outings.
Scott had out Marc Marine, his father Tony, and Eric Dovale on the 7th. They
opted to give the shiners a try in the spillway area and put over 60 bass in the
boat with a 8.5-pound lady the big fish for the day.
Weather: Conditions for the last few days have been very warm as it is for
most of the country. We had some breeze for most of the time which helped to
make it a bit nicer on the water, and there has been cloud cover, but very
little rain. Late day storms have held off so we have been able to get in full
days. Have plenty of fluid and sunscreen protection when you come. Rain gear is
a must-have anytime out here: ponchos don't make good rain gear. Also remember
eye protection.
Road conditions are fair although the trucks that have been hauling in dirt
to repair the west wall of the Marsh/Farm have made some deeper ruts. Common
sense and reduced speed however make passage a non-problem issue.
Areas that we have found fish: Spillway - although it is flowing, Garcia and
the Marsh are at equal levels and the current is not producing the artificial
bite that it normally does. Over the last 9 days the spillway and the pipes have
been open. Shiners however, both in the spillway and out from the spillway have
been doing very well, and have been producing the best bite.
Pump house - Although the pumps have been running daily and there has been
some current, this has not been a producing area. The current has not been
sufficient to get the bass excited and banging the c-rigs. Minimal catches have
come from this area.
Intersections - we have marked a considerable number of fish at the center
intersection, but getting the bass to hit has been a difficult chore. If the
shad come through it's bonanza time, but as soon as they depart the lunch bell
stops ringing and the bass get pretty tight lipped. We have checked the other
intersections and have nothing much to report on either of them.
The north end of the center ditch has seen some top water action but it is
not sustained. It is widely sporadic at best, and when the shad leave so it
seems do the bass. There is a swale that runs east to west along the north end
of the ditches and we have had some success there with a rattle trap. This bite
has been on and off from day to day and you need to cover quite a distance when
it is on.
Point of the divider levee had some top water activity in the early morning
but this has waned as the water levels increased. Presently the lake is quite
high with adjacent areas of water being at equal height, so the current is quite
a bit reduced. Prior to the increase we saw a lot of top water activity in
several areas but this has dropped off in the last week quite a bit. You can bet
that with the rain coming from the effects of hurricane Dennis will increase
water levels on all areas over the next few days.
I haven't spent much time checking areas on the Marsh side, but what I have
checked hasn't produced anything of significance. Twin Palms will yield some
fish with best results coming directly next to wood. Weightless Senkos pitched
to visible timber will produce anywhere on the Marsh, but with the high water,
finding visible wood is not easy. The same is holding true for the south end of
the Farm.
With the upcoming burst of new water that should occur as a result of Dennis
I would expect to see all areas increase in production. The inflow will be
carrying new food from runoff which should get the bait more active, and we
should experience somewhat of a cool-down in water temperatures.
See you out there. Have a great day on the water.
For the months of July,
August, and September
you can fish what I
consider the best fishing grounds in the USA during what I consider to be
our
best fishing season and save big time. Book a two
day trip and pay 1/2
the full day rate for the 2nd day. That's a savings of
$150.00
for the trip: enough to definitely help with the transportation getting
here, or
to pay for the lodging. Book a four day trip and
bring a 3rd person for
free. Fee for the four days:
$900.00 That's a savings
of $600.00 for the trip.
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