bass fishing calendar

bass fishing calendar

Saturday, May 24, 2008

bass fishing west

The Lake Okeechobee, Bass Fishing Paradise




Okeechobee is a Seminole Indian word meaning "great water cannot see other side". True to its name, Lake Okeechobee is 748 square miles in size. It is the greatest provider of drinking water for south Florida, averaging 13-19 feet in depth.

Lake Okeechobee is renowned internationally for its fishing for bass and other species. It is located northeast of Naples, less than 2 hours away, and is heavily ringed with tackle shops, marinas, motels, restaurants, etc. You can find rental boats, gears and lodging to make your bass fishing trip more convenient and comfortable.
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Lake Okeechobee also means 'big water' to the Seminole Indians, it is the second largest freshwater lake in the United States after Lake Michigan and its fishing reputation matches its size. Much of the lake's 730 square miles or 450,000 acres are hidden from view by dyke, levee, or trees which screen the shore.

Lake Okeechobee has a 150 mile circumference and its invisible opposite shore is more than 30 miles away. The best fishing and more than half of the action, takes place along the lake's western shore where Calhoun's Guide Service is based.

Lake Okeechobee comprises a 730 square-mile area in Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry Counties its average depth is 9 feet with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Recharge comes from precipitation and southward flow of water from the Kissimmee River. Historically, hydro pattern flowed southward over millions of acres.

Lake Okeechobee offers all types of waterway structures to fish - from open water to narrow canals surrounded by hundreds of different vegetations and grasses.

Lake Okeechobee is located in central southern Florida, north of the Everglades and south of Orlando. Lake Okeechobee links the Atlantic and Gulf sides of Florida via the Port Mayaca Lock on the east side of the lake and the Moore Haven Lock on the lake's western side.

Drainage canals lower the lake and drain adjacent lands for farming. Agricultural activities around the Lake Okeechobee area include cattle ranching, dairy farming, and crop production of sugarcane, winter vegetables, citrus, sod, sweet corn and rice.

Lake Okeechobee fishing is well-known not only throughout the U.S. but the whole world. Haw hunter guide service has clients who come from all over the world, including Japan and Europe, just to fish Lake Okeechobee with the best of them.

The lake is approximately 37 miles long by 30 miles wide, with an average depth of only 10 feet. To fishermen nationwide, it's renowned for the number of bass it contains per acre and that it also produces more bass over 7 pounds than any lake in Florida and the United States.

Lake Okeechobee, located in Central Florida, is the most famous big bass fishing lake in the country. For many years, Lake Okeechobee has produced the best largemouth bass, blue gill and speck fishing in the world.

Hoover Dike was constructed along the southern regions of Lake Okeechobee to prevent flooding while also yielding year-round crop production. Tory mucks of the region contain 50 per cent or more mineral matter by weight and have considerably more native fertility than saw grass mucks, which were formed under logographic conditions. The 1950s was a period of technological ambition and construction, a system of canals, dikes, and pumping stations were installed to distribute water to the Everglades Agricultural Areas from Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee provides trips and tours all conducted by highly trained and efficient guides. They know the movement of the fish and their feeding patterns which gives you the best advantage over the fish and landing the lanker of a lifetime. Their cordial manner and willingness to help you enjoy your day on the water is genuine. Whether you want to book a corporate trip, take a youngster fishing for the first time, or have special needs, they there to help.

Fishing at Lake Okeechobee for Bass from late fall to early spring is when Crappie and Bass Fishing at Lake Okeechobee is at its best. Success comes when using large wild shiners or artificial lures of all types. If you want to target a true monster size bass, fishing at Lake Okeechobee is certainly the way to go.
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bass fishing texas

The Exciting Environment of Bass Fishing Tournaments in Ocala Florida




It really feels great to talk about things that could stimulate your imagination and excitement. After the hectic stress of doing your activities for the whole week, you can no longer wait for the weekend to come. You start packing up your things and simply waiting for the wee hours in the morning and get ready for your trip to Ocala Florida.

While on the trip, everybody in the vehicle is sharing the enthusiasm in their journey to a land of big bass and warm weather.

There's no place like Ocala Florida. If you want to make your fishing vacation more pleasant by remembering that it is a fishing vacation, make it a point that you are prepared to enjoy the whole experience, which includes kicking back and enjoying your friends, your surroundings, and your brief respite from the daily cares of your life. But some of the people who spend their vacation do it not simply to relax themselves from their stressful days but they go for bass fishing for a purpose. There enters the tournament, the competition of big bass fish fever caught by many anglers.

Before entering any Bass fishing tournament in Ocala, Florida try to remind some of these things:

The first step is to be sure that you have established your actual fishing goals and then ensure that they are in fact realistic, based on the amount of time you plan to spend seeking those goals.

The majority of bass fishermen will tell you that they are going to Florida seeking that elusive goal of catching a bass over ten pounds. If this is your goal have you considered how much time you will be able to spend in this endeavor? Fishing for a bass that size is what you have been doing since you started bass fishing; will eight hours on the water really give you that chance you are looking for?

Your decisions to hit the waters of Florida are a step in the right direction, but remember, fishing is fishing: can you realistically expect to get it done in an eight hour day? Sounds easy but the truth is, it's not.

The Florida Game and Fish commission makes a list each year of what they consider to be among the top ten bass lakes which will give you a starting point. This list is based on both shock surveys and creel counts that are reported by fishermen during creel surveys. You now need to narrow the list down to your selection and the only way to do this realistically is to get several references based on other people's experiences. This is where they usually hold the tournaments. Ocala, Florida rarely leaves that list.

Most noted lakes and reservoirs in or near Ocala Florida are:

LAKE GEORGE

Lake George is one of the premier largemouth bass fishing lakes in Florida. It is the second largest lake in the state (46,000 acres), and is 18 miles northwest of Deland and 29 miles east of Ocala.

Lake George is one of the many natural lakes on the St. John's River. It has extensive vegetation that provides excellent habitat for bass. Wade fishing in eelgrass with plastic worms fished on the surface, and other top water artificial lures, is productive. Fishing with live shiners is an excellent method for catching trophy bass during the spring spawning season.

Hot spots on the lake include Juniper, Salt and Silver Glen spring runs on the western shoreline. In winter and early spring, look for bass to congregate at the jetties on the south end of the lake. Casting deep-diving crank baits near old dock structures along the northeast shore and off Drayton Island can also be productive.

STICK MARSH/FARM 13 RESERVOIR

Created in 1987, the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir is synonymous with trophy bass fishing. This 6,500-acre reservoir near Fellsmere, west of Vero Beach, became one of the hottest bass lakes in the country during the past decade. FWC biologists predict a continuation of excellent largemouth bass fishing in upcoming years. Electrofishing samples continue to indicate good reproduction and growth of bass in the reservoir.

Anglers can locate bass throughout the reservoir among a variety of habitats including woody stump fields, submerged canals and hydrilla. Summer 2004 hurricanes drastically reduced levels of hydrilla throughout the reservoir, however, which can affect where the bass are located. Anglers should keep this in mind when trying to pattern fish. Plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits, soft jerk baits, and top water propeller baits are effective. Wild golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to catch a trophy fish.

The recreational harvest regulation for largemouth bass anglers is catch-and-release. There is a two-lane boat ramp, paved parking lot, picnic pavilions and rest rooms. No gasoline, food, ice or other facilities are available on site. This area is part of the St. Johns Blue Cypress Management Unit, see here for a recreational map of that unit.

These are some of the lakes where tournaments have been held and could be the place where future tournaments can be done. Try to practice and study the area so that when tournament time comes, you have an edge over the competition.