Lake Okeechobee Bass Fishing Reports

Clewiston----- What a great couple weeks we have had here on Lake Okeechobee. The fishing has been the best it has been for over six months, and the lake level just continues to go down. With the water level being so low it has concentrated the bass in areas that have deeper water such as channels and dynamite holes. We have been using up to ten dozen wild shiners and still coming in early on guide trips this past two weeks and the artificial bite has been just as good. Most of the bass have been good sized with three to five pound fish being the norm and quite a few seven and eight pound bass being landed all week long. Most of the bass that clients have been catching on artificial lures have been caught on chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps, Gambler Super Studs in watermelon-red color and a Gambler Ace rigged on a jig head like the ones I use from Gambler Lures called a Giggy Head. This is called a shakey head rig and has been winning tournaments all over the United States, the key to this rig is to let it settle to the bottom and move it real slow and just shake the rod ever so slightly and the bass will pick it up and swim off with it, most strikes are light and you will just see the line moving. Another key to fishing this shakey head rig is to fish it in clear water it doesn’t work real well in stained or dirty water. Some of the areas that you will want to concentrate on are the dynamite holes south of Clewiston and the main channel from Clewiston out to the water tank. Try to fish the drop offs in both the dynamite holes and the channels and if you can find any structure you will want to concentrate on these areas. The channel out to the water tank has also been the place to throw shiners, try to find a drop off along the channel and look for anything different like rocks or a small cut and these will be the best areas to set up and shiner fish for bass, try to use floater rigs if the wind allows. The water on most of the lake including the areas that I have mentioned has been clear to slightly stained when the wind blows, which is perfect for shiner fishing.

Most all of the guides including myself are still working most every day and catching good numbers of bass, if you want to fish the lake and are afraid to bring your boat let one of us take you out for an enjoyable day on Lake Okeechobee.
Bass Wishes
Capt. Scott Martin / Capt. Mark King