Lake Okeechobee fishing report for June/July 2020
Early June is bringing much needed rain to the lake which gives a reprieve from the early morning heat/humidity. Most of the fishing of late has been taking place in the Kissimmee River and Canals only due to low water levels out in the lake. Despite the much needed rain which will help raise the water, the water will be released back out of the lake which makes boating/fishing safety very hazardous unless you are very familiar with confidently navigating the big O. The bass fishing bite has been sporadic, biting in spurts with the early morning hours seeing some action then experiencing a lull mid-afternoon then picking up again late afternoon to early eve hours. The water temperature has been in the high 80’s which makes for some good top water action at first daylight for a few hours at most, as the morning progresses you may some schooling activity, although very brief can offer some good, fast and fun action, typically anything in your hand at the time will produce some bites, occasionally landing some really nice-size bass. As the late morning/early afternoon time approaches, you may want to slow your presentation down and throw something that can be worked real slow like senkos or big worms and jigs on the bottom. Since the water temperature is hot, the bass will be a little slow to react but usually when they bite they hold onto the bait and swim off with it. Lately I’ve been getting a lot of bites throwing a Rapala DT series ranging in depth from 3-16 ft, bouncing it off rocks, rip-rap and ledges. A good color-choice can be bluegill, shad and crawdad. Some of my customers have been opting to fish with live-bait for bass to help increase the bite, some days its more productive than just artificial lures and some days not, it all depends on the customers and their capabilities as to how they can fish and their comfort /confidence level. Some areas on the lake to try have been Kings Bar; 3rd & 4th point; Indian Praire; the flats out from Dyess Ditch area and the Shoal and some areas on the east side on out a ways from the grass edge around J & S area. The bream bite has been the most consistent lately fishing with live red wriggler worms and crickets on ultra-light spinning tackle normally spooled with 6-8 lb test. A good area to try is along the River and canal edges. If you like to catch fingerling catfish now is a good time to fish for the as they are in the shallows feeding on the bream eggs. You can fish for them the same way you fish for bream, live red worms works best. Remember to always use caution when boating on the lake due to low water levels. If you want to book a trip to fish the lake, I would suggest in waiting until late Summer/early fall when the water levels are up and bass are feeding more consistently, good months to consider are October; November into early Dec.
To book your fun-filled and productive day on the water call or text me at 863-228-7263 or check out my new website www.southfloridabassfishing.com where you’ll find all the information you need to book your trip. Capt. Angie’s sponsors are: G-Loomis rods; Lews; Gill; Maui-Jim; Mercury Marine; Real Magic; Pradco Brands; Mega Strike; BnM Poles; Bullet weights; Mid-South Tackle and Gene Larew.
Lake Okeechobee fishing report for June 2020
Lake Okeechobee’s water level is around the 11ft. mark. Navigating the big O safely has almost become impossible and very time consuming having to idle a ways in/out to get to the grass edges. With that said, fishing the Kissimmee River and canals this time of year is the most productive and safest place to fish. Fishing these areas has been very productive catching bass; bluegill; shell crackers; fingerling catfish; cichlids and Oscars. You can still catch crappie (specks) but it’s best early in the mornings and I’ve been fishing around structure such as bridge pilings; deep water drop-offs and any other cover such as hyacinth mats. For speck fishing I use artificial lures but live-minnows will work too. The choice of bait to use for pan fish and the fingerling catfish is red worms; live-bait (wild shiners) and artificial lures for bass. If you’re fishing for pan fish I rig an ultra-light spinning rod/reel with either 6 or 8 lb. test tipped with a small weight and bobber (depth set accordingly). This type of fishing is popular and provides a lot of fun action for everyone to enjoy. For bass fishing, my guide trips have been mixed using live-bait (shiners) and artificial lures such as crank baits; worms; top water and rattle traps. We are approaching the rainy season (hopefully) which means moving/running water going into/out of the lake via the Kissimmee River which can provide a good starting point to fish. Some of the present boat ramps with low lake water levels has become unsafe to use such as Indian Prairie canal (really steep and broken concrete); Okee-tantie boat ramp (basin is not drenched). The two safest boat ramps to use on the North-end are Scott Driver (both new/old ramps is safe to use) and Harney Pond canal. If you are launching at Harney Pond canal and plan to fish the lake stay in-between the channel markers and on plane, follow the ditch that takes you around to either the mouth of the monkey box or keep heading south down the Shoal area. If you stop anywhere short, you’ll be idling a ways to get back on plane. Again, if you don’t know the lake either hire a guide or fish the canals (J&S and Taylor Creek and the Kissimmee River) !! These places have fish to catch and fish best in the summer. Plastic lure colors for bass can be junebug; redbug; watermelon red; green-pumpkin; crawdad and white, depending on water clarity/color. Hard baits such as crank baits; top water and rattle traps can be the shad; crawdad; bluegill and shiner colors. Live-crickets and red wigglers are best for bluegill and shell crackers; red-worms for fingerling catfish and cichlids. Yes, red wigglers and worms are two different types. I hope this information helps you to have a better, more productive day on the water. To book your fun-filled and productive day on the water call/text me at 863-228-7263 or log onto my newly revised website at where you’ll find past fishing reports; guide trip information; hotel accommodations and etc.
Capt. Angie’s Sponsors are: Mercury marine; G-Loomis; Lews; Pradco Brands; Gill; Maui-Jim; Real Magic; BnM Poles; Mid-South tackle; Bullet Weights; Mega Strike and Gene Larew.