by Captain Angie Douthit

Fishing Lake Okeechobee with Capt. Angie Douthit,

Fishing from Lake Okeechobee with Capt. Angie Douthit, January, 2012

Although, I am starting another New Year of fishing reports for Lake Okeechobee, it saddens me to say to those of you who may not know of the recent passing of Jimmy McMillan.  I offer my condolences to his Family for their Loss.  You will be missed my Friend and Fellow Angler !! 

Lake Okeechobee water levels have been holding just over 13.50 ft. above sea level.  Fishing on the big O has been great in quantity and quality.  If it’s crappie you’re after try drifting or slow trolling the grass edges using live-minnows or a jig tipped with anything white colored has been working better lately.  If you’re fishing in thick vegetation, the jig works best but be sure you’re getting the jig in their house, not in their yard.  Crappie are still schooled up out in deeper water waiting to move up so try fishing Channels, ditches, etc.  Areas to try for crappie are: North Shore area(s); around the Monkey box area(s); Tree Islands (Belle Glade area); Dynamite Holes on the South-End (Clewiston to Belle Glade); around Kreamer Island; Observation Shoal and some parts of J&S.  Bass fishing has been great lately and like the crappie, we’re dealing with both pre and post spawn finding bass in a little deeper water as well as up shallow, depending on your preference and what Mother Nature will allow you to do to have a productive day.  Colors to try for plastics can be:  June bug; Red shad; Watermelon/Red; Green Pumpkin and Black.  Early morning and late afternoon has been producing some really good top water action using a hard bait such as the East Texas Big Bass Lure (similar to a Devil’s Horse) or soft plastics like a Horney Toad or Flap’n Shad.  The month of January can bring some “mixed bag” so-to-speak type weather, where we have cold temps., wind and etc. one day, and the next, we’re back to warmer temps.  When this happens, the bite gets tough and that’s a good time to down size on plastics.  Try a Senko or something similar, Flukes, and etc.  Most of the time when I use these types of lures, I rig it with a small weight like a 1/32 or 1/16 oz., depending on the current wind conditions.  Areas to try are on the South-End are: Rita Island (West side); Dynamite Holes (Clewiston to Belle Glade area); Pelican Bay; and some areas of both East/West wall and Observation Shoal.  On the North-end try Dyess Ditch area; Monkey Box; Kings Bar and Little Grassy.  For guide trip bookings on beautiful Lake Okeechobee, give Capt. Angie a call at 863-228-7263 or send an email to angie@southfloridabassfishing.com   Need more than one guide boat? Not a problem, arrangements can be made to accommodate groups.  Capt. Angie’s sponsors are: East Texas Big Bass Lures (www.easttexasbigbasslures.com); Gene Larew Soft Plastics (www.genelarew.com); Rapala (www.rapala.com); Navionics (www.navionics.com); Penetrator weights (www.penetratorweights.com); Real Magic  (www.ttiblakemore.com); Mega Strike (www.megastrike.com) and Trilene (www.berkley.com)  

Fishing from Lake Okeechobee with Capt. Angie Douthit, December, 2011

The water level on Lake Okeechobee has been around the 13 .80 ft. above sea level.  Navigating on the big O has been a lot better once the level reached around the 13 ft. mark but still urge boaters to be cautious.  The crappie bite has been real good in both quantity and quality fishing with both live-minnows and jigs.  White jig heads has been the preferred color of choice.   Both drifting along grass edges and anchored on deeper water areas both have been working.  Area’s to try if fishing on the North end are Grassy; King’s Bar; J&S some areas of the North Shore; Kissimmee River and Taylor Creek.  On the South end:  Bird Island; Observation Shoal; East/West wall; Rita/Kreamer Islands; Dynamite Holes (located between Clewiston and Belle Glade); some areas of the Rim canal, Clewiston Channel and Uncle Joe’s cut.  If launching from Belle Glade, try the Tree Island area located in the rim canal on your left as you make your way towards Pahokee.  Also around the rocks at the Pahokee Marina.  Bass fishing has been real good around the entire lake catching both quantity and quality as well. If launching from Clewiston, areas to try are basically the same areas that have been producing the crappie bite and the same applies if fishing from the North end.  In the morning, I would suggest starting on the outside grass edges, then working your way in as the day progresses.  Lures to try for bass fishing the next time you’re out on the big O are hard top water lures such as the East Texas Big Bass lure (similar to the Devil’s Horse), plastic top water lures such as frogs, flapping shads, Horney Toads, bigger cut tail worms, all cranking at a medium steady retrieve.  Also rattle traps and spinner baits have been producing around the grass edges as well.  If throwing a worm is your favorite way to catch bass, then it’s an all-day bite throwing it along grass edges, open pockets, cuts, grass clumps, etc. Plastic lure colors to use are: June bug, Red Shad, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Watermelon/Red and Candy Bug.  Looking for a Bass Fishing Team trail to fish?  Check out the www.floridabass.net website.  There are 7 divisions throughout Florida with the end-of-year Championship to be held on Lake Monroe, located off the St. John’s River. Oh, I almost forgot to mention.  For guide trip bookings on beautiful Lake Okeechobee, give Capt. Angie a call at 863-228-7263 or send an email to angie@southfloridabassfishing.com   Need more than one guide boat? Not a problem, arrangements can be made to accommodate groups.  Capt. Angie’s sponsors are: East Texas Big Bass Lures (www.easttexasbigbasslures.com); Gene Larew Soft Plastics (www.genelarew.com); Rapala (www.rapala.com); Navionics (www.navionics.com); Penetrator weights (www.penetratorweights.com); Real Magic  (www.ttiblakemore.com); Mega Strike (www.megastrike.com) and Trilene (www.berkley.com)  

Fishing from Lake Okeechobee with Capt. Angie Douthit, September, 2011

Lake Okeechobee’s water level has been holding around the 10.3 ft. above sea level.  Fishing for both pan fish and bass has been good.  For the pan fish anglers, some areas to try from the North-end have been, some areas within the Kissimmee River and the flat on the left and right going out into the Lake (around the markers); some areas around the outside of Taylor Creek/Hendry Creek; Buck head Ridge area(s); some areas of the North shore and Monkey Box.  

If fishing from the South, a good area to try, and somewhat easy to get to and fish is the edge of the Clewiston canal going out into the Lake and the flat area in front of Coot Bay.  The Bare Beach ledge that extends out into the lake can be a good place to start as well as the flat on both sides; point of Rita and Kreamer Islands.  Oh, and don’t forget the Shoal and Cross areas, but use extreme caution…It’s all rock bottom out there.  To catch pan fish, I’ve been using both live-minnows and beetle spins for Bluegill and red wigglers for Shell Crackers.

For Bass, areas to try are the same as for Pan fish.  If you’re around the Belle Glade area, you may want to try Norman’s Channel, which leads into the Lake (the Bay of Kreamer Island, which also has some deeper holes.  Also, the Rim Canal itself holds fish all-year long.  Just have to do some sonar looking for bigger rock areas/rock piles.  You can also get a good idea to the bottom contour if you take a minute or two and look at your surroundings on the bank.  Lures to try the next time you’re out on Okeechobee are: Top-water, such as the East Texas Big Bass Lures (similar to a Devil’s Horse) and Zara Spook.  Also, both 8” and 12” Gene Larew worms in colors: Black/Blue; Red Shad; June bug and Watermelon.  Rapala Crank Baits have been producing some nice bass using the 3-4 ft series while fishing the Lake and 10-14 ft. series in the Rim Canal and River areas.  Some colors to try the next time are Chartreuse/Brown back, Chartreuse/Blue back colors, also Baby Bass and Shad patterns. 

Remember to be kind and courteous to your fellow boaters, we all want to enjoy our time on the water !

For guide trip bookings on beautiful Lake Okeechobee, give Capt. Angie a call at 863-228-7263 or send an email to angie@southfloridabassfishing.com  Groups can be accommodated.  Capt. Angie’s sponsors are: East Texas Big Bass Lures; Gene Larew Soft Plastics; Rapala; Navionics; Penetrator weights; Real Magic; MegaStrike and Trilene.  

Lake Okeechobee:

Lake Okeechobee, world renowned bass fishing destination, is the second largest freshwater lake inside the US borders. It cover nearly 750 square miles in south central Florida and is the natural headwaters of the Everglades.