Florida

Bluegill Beds on Okeechobee

Published: 28 May 2013
Written by Bait Bro
2 Comments
Categories: 3:16 Lure Company, Bluegill/Sunfish Baits, Florida, Owner Hooks, Shimano

I DO NOT have this bite figured out and by no means can speak as an authority.  Something is always bedding on Okeechobee….bass, bluegill, talapia/goggle-eyes, and Asian armored catfish.   There is a cycle and way of life in the lake, in all lakes I suppose, that mirrors this to some level.  You notice bass beds become bluegill beds or talapia/goggle-eye beds.  The beds get re-used.  Sometime I’ll share what I do with the 3:16 Rising Son around bedding bass, but for now, just wanted to share a nice one I got on Okeechobee over the weekend.  It’s NOT easy out there for me.  Okeechobee is on a fickle cycle for a swimbait guy.  Lots of algae bloom, weird color water, bad wind, overgrown and choked out.  The good black clear water I like to fish is really hard to come by.  The fish are more ‘outside’ grass edge oriented and ideally, I’d have nice black clear water, or inside grass pools with enough depth and life to hold fish.    The bite right now, as usual, is a flipping and punching bite.  That is how you will win on Okeechobee.  If tide and time completely come together and you make the right moves during a 4 day event to pull it off, I think a sight fish/swimbait bite could beat a pure punching bite.  I missed my opportunity, twice, at the Tour level to prove and show that.   I have nightmares about it. It haunts me, and that is no joke.

See the light spots on the bottom? Those are the 'beds' that get recycled during the year, bass>bluegill>talapia>etc
See the light spots on the bottom int he bottom 1/3rd of this photo? Those are the ‘beds’ that get recycled during the year, bass>bluegill>talapia>etc

I am fishing in and around the Monkey Box, Harney Pond, North Shore area and I found some big hydrilla beds with clean water and bedding bluegill, that is all I can tell you.  Hydrilla seems to be key for me, and I know was key for Brent Ehrler when the Tour was here and he finished 2nd.   And Lord knows I could/should be punching, I just love the challenge of finding swimbait fish.   The bite is way more a flipping bite and pitching jigs at the reeds.  Anyway, I’ve found some bluegill beds (I think) in some thick hydrilla fields, and the water is by far the best black water I have found,  and the water is fishable.  The grass is not topped out  in some pools and you can swim a bait thru it quite nicely.    The 3:16 Sunfish (the Bluegill color is killer too) is a favorite bait of mine. I fish it with a 1/0 ST-36 Owner Stinger Hook, and 65# Braid, M Action 8 footer,  and a Curado 300.  It has a very down the line, nose down swim, which is amazing for a line thru bait with a 45 degree angle of attack between hook and line thru insert in the bait, that you’d think would bias more upward.   The bait does not swim up or plane up, it really keeps its depth and drive ‘right’ on the straight grind.  You don’t have to be overly technical to get the right down the line swim out of the bait, and can stall, snatch and buzz/burn it along too.  It’s just a great bait, and I’m learning that May/June is bed time for bluegill all over the South, including Florida.  You need to be throwing bluegill baits, and the post-spawn time of the bass tends to lead into the bluegill/brim spawn, which tends to be when the heat is setting in, mid Spring style.   I catch fish on the 3:16 Sunfish and 22nd Century Bluegill right now.

Notice the round and honeycomb nature of the bluegill beds.
Notice the round and honeycomb nature of the bluegill beds.

 

The Florida sun has been quite nice lately. Mid to Low 80s, but the wind has been relentless. Keeping it simple and setting my boat down 2 minutes from the launch ramp was a good decision. I 'live' in Lakeport on weekends.
The Florida sun has been quite nice lately. Mid to Low 80s, but the wind has been relentless. Keeping it simple and setting my boat down 2 minutes from the launch ramp was a good decision. I ‘live’ in Lakeport on weekends.
Blood sweat and tears, literally.
Blood sweat and tears, literally.
I have been working hard out there, glad to get a good bite
I have been working hard out there, glad to get a good bite

 

XL Nezumaa Rat from Okeechobee

Published: 19 May 2013
Written by Bait Bro
3 Comments
Categories: 3:16 Lure Company, Florida, MS Slammer, Nezumaa Rat, Owner Hooks, Rate of Stall, Rods, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD

It’s getting really hot, really muggy, and the grass is getting way thick. I always look for the cleanest/blackest water I can find with the most beautiful hydrilla, and usually the fish are there.  I found a few instances where I could fish the XL Nezumaa around isolated clumps of reeds and buggy whips.  The bottom is just carpeted with wonderful hydrilla, that really good green hard and crisp hydrilla, and the water is by far the deepest and clearest water   I’m fishing the XL Nezumaa along walls of reeds too, and just trying to get a big bite where I can.  As the heat sets in, I highly suggest rats and big wakebaits, like MS Slammers or 3:16 Hardbaits.   Big topwater baits basically, the can catch a big one at high noon, blaring heat in the right conditions.  And rat baits are super fun to fish-my favorite.  Just super fun fishing and helps endure brutal conditions and heat.

Enjoy:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAT9aeiE-FU]

I do like fishing certain bigbaits on snaps. I really find the Owner Hyper Cross Locks fit this bait, and my application beautifully.   I like to walk and stall my rats.  I do like to slow reel and wake them too, but man, I just can’t help but make that bait look alive and struggling out there.   I only have small pockets of fishable water, I don’t usually have long runs of clean swim lanes to bring a top water bait thru, a bait like the XL Nezumaa, I can throw it right on the ‘point’ of a good isolated clump of reeds and usually there will be a hole in the hydrilla around the reeds enough to fish it out a few feet or more.  You just don’t get 15-30 feet of swim most times, you only get 2-6 feet at times to work with, so you need a stallable bait, and a topwater is the bait, the ultimate stall bait.   So around grass, or isolated layown trees, or around shade pockets, you want a bait that hangs in the little ‘pool’ you have to work with, and where too, you can get maximum action out of your bait when you do decide to walk it and really jerk it.  The XL Nezumaa is violent and raucous, and you get a lot of action and noise and the bait only moved 4-6″ toward you.  And with the right wind or bow in your line, you can float a bait like the XL Nezumaa rat in place.  I am fishing 80# straight braid on my XL Nezumaa and recommend a Low Down Custom Rods 8′ XH  if you haven’t ever tried one of those rods for lobbing a BIG bait like the XL Nezumaa or Slide Swimmer 250.

 

 

Gallery:

The Jackall Clone Gill: Bed Fishing Anyone?

Published: 14 March 2013
Written by Bait Bro
No comments
Categories: Bluegill/Sunfish Baits, Florida, Sight Fishing, Small Bait Fishing, Swim Signatures

The Jackall Clone Gill

 

I’m certainly not here to have a discussion about ethics and catching fish on beds.  You have to sight fish to be competitive in tournaments, and if you are like me, you enjoy watching fish, fish behavior, and looking at fish while you fish for them.  Bass have a lot of guts, gusto and balls, but most times, they can be very finicky and fickle.    Bed fishing is an art, and I will tell you, drop shotting for bed fish is killer.  The bait literally sits in the fish’s face and they sorta tend to suck it in.   The Jackall Clone Gill is a little morsel  at 2.5″ long–perfect size because its tall too, so its bulky but really slim and finessy too.  When I saw these baits, I was said WOW.  They are really bite sized baits that rig up nicely on a nose hook.  I rigged the Jackall Clone Gill with a #1 Owner Mosquito Hook and a 3/8 lead drop shot weight with about a 10″ Leader.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBSiRvQCDUA]

 

You get great bait control, with a heavy/bulky bait on a drop shot rig.  Especially at close range, you can give you bait slack and drop it, swim it, make it dart, etc.   The side rig is just nutty.  The bait will do 360 degree wounded/teasing  bluegill death spirals around the drop shot weight.   I enjoy watching how I’m working my bait, and watching how a fish reacts to it.  That is what I really enjoy.  Watching fish and watching fishing lures in action and seeing how fish react is why I love bed fishing so much.   Bluegill are great baits around the spawn.  Heck, they are great baits anytime, but you add bluegill/brim/sunfish family of fish around a bedding bass, and watch what happens.   The fish really get fired up, and it’s  can be the little edge you need to get her to eat.   Give the Jackall Clone Gill a try when fishing for bedding bass.  Bigger the fish, the better!

Nose Rigged
Nose Rigged
Side Rigged Jackall Clone Gill on a #1 Owner Mosquito Hook
Side Rigged Jackall Clone Gill on a #1 Owner Mosquito Hook

 

flat sided bluegill

 

From the Backside Top View

 

Tackle:

Jackall Clone Gill:  

#1 Owner Mosquito Hook

Casey Martin Weighs In: 2013 FLW Everstart Series Lake Okeechobee

Published: 6 March 2013
Written by Bait Bro
No comments
Categories: 2013 Tournament Fishing, Florida, Grass Punching

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8fOOTHEb-w]

Congrats to our boy Casey Martin, with a 6th place finish at the 2013 Lake Okeechobee FLW Everstart Series.  Casey is just off the hook good.  Follow him in 2013 on the FLW Tour, he’s gonna crush it:  caseymartinfishing.com

And here is Casey at the FLW Tour, where he again took 6th place!  Can you imagine a Top 10 in your rookie event as a boater?  Sick:

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4PX4Ky_WwU]

Keys to Casey’s success:

Picasso Tungsten

Casey Martin Signature Series Swim Jig from Omega

Z-Man Chatter bait

 

 

Trevor Fitzgerald Weighs In 2013 Lake Okeechobee FLW Everstart Series

Published: 6 March 2013
Written by Bait Bro
No comments
Categories: 2013 Tournament Fishing, Florida, Grass Punching, Rods

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwOv7G4AVWs]

Trevor Fitzgerald is lethal around grass.  He is a Florida native and gets it done around grass.  He weighed in 25 pounds this day, and gives you some insights into his gear.  Trevor and his wife operate Fitzgerald Rods and they are known as a solid, well built, quality rod, that are tested and designed (among other things) to handle heavy braided lines, big fish, and grass.

Trevor’s Tackle:

Gambler Jig Zilla

Gambler Mega Daddy (Green Pumpkin)

80 Pound Sunline FX

Fitzgerald 7’10” Big Jig/Mat Punching Rod

Keep an eye on Trevor.  He finished 2nd place in this event, and actually tied the guy weight wise, but lost the tie breaker.  I have the entire weigh in on film (most of it) and plan on sharing some highlights from the guys who were in the Top.  Okeechobee is a wonderful fishery, and it’s interesting to hear how guys catch ’em and the gear they use.  That Gambler Jig Zillais off the hook.  The jig bite on Okeechobee is there, and this just adds another dimension.   Adding your own creature/craw bait to a unskirted jig head, in the >1 ounce range.