The Florida Fishing Experts
Specializing in Florida Bass Fishing on all of the Florida Freshwater Lakes.

Evan’s mom called and wanted to get a him a fishing trip for Summer vacation, we thought that was so cool. The whole summer and lot of stuff for a kid like Even to do and he wants to go on a bass fishing trip. Lone behold we had no idea that he didn’t want to fish with us for one day, but he wanted to fish for a week!

What a great kid. Evan is or I should say, was primarily a saltwater or bank fisherman and a good one.  but after fishing with us for a week, I think he found a new favorite bass fishing!

Even caught this beauty above on Lake Okeechobee, he also fishing the canals for peacock bass as well as spending a few days in the Everglades. Overall his trip was a good one, unfortunately he did have a lot of bad weather but didn’t stop us from going fishing when we could.

Below, are a few comments from Even and picture he sent;

Hello, this is Evan from last week, I was the kid who bought the 5 day trip. On the last day of the trip on Okeechobee I caught two good bass, one 5lbs and the other slightly larger, maybe 5 and a half. Captain Brett told me to send the picture of the larger bass because he only got a shot of the first one. Also, while they both seemed the same size at first, the second one is noticeably larger after review. He also said that you were interested in putting the photo in the gallery you have on your site, so here’s the picture.

Do whatever you want with it.
Thanks,
Evan Dean

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer Capt Brett Isackson (bretti@bassonline.com)
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

We just wanted to say thank you so much for the most wonderful experience we had fishing with Captain Tony last weekend.  My dad and I fished a full day for Peacock bass and had an amazing time.  Captain Tony is the best.  We boated over 30 fish; 20 of them Peacock’s; the largest just over 3.5 lbs, and most around 2.5 lbs. We caught 5 different species of fish and created a lifetime of memories!

It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken!

Thanks again!

Scott and Marvin
Arcadia, IN

BOL Responce: Thank you Scott & Marvin  for this letter and awesome picture.  Captain Tony is honored as we are to have given you guys such awesome memories. We looks forward to you coming back for more!

To our readers, we hope this helps you make a decisions to come fish one of these great rated Florida fisheries.

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline) fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

What a great bunch of guys they were, all here in Miami from all over the great state of Texas. Friends because of there daughters, that’s right they were all here for a volley ball tournament being held in the Miami convention center. The group of volleyball dads took time out between games to go fishing for the world famous Peacock bass in Miami.

While the day had many up and downs, starting with there team in the morning beating the #2 seeded team, only to be beaten by a lower ranked team right before heading out to go fishing. Neverless, the group still emotional about the win and lost showed up and was ready to fish.

The second hurtle of the day was the weather as you may be able to tell by the pictures, was quite wet. Once all the boats were loaded, we all headed in different directions not knowing how long we had to fish with the weather approaching all the guides agreed we needed to get on our best stuff right away.

We fish a area close that had been producing some bigger fish, I figured if we didn’t have much time the least I could do is try for a big fish. We fish hard for a while with nothing, I know the fish were there. I kept moving shallow then deep again, trying to trigger a strike. Looking over my shoulder I could see the weather rolling in and the barometer changing, I thought for sure these fish would start eating.

I had to make a decision and quickly, one that all guides are faced with…do I stay or do I go?

I decided to make a move, the fish were not cooperating and we needed to run from the weather. Once we ran to the next location, it wasn’t a couple of minutes of working the fishing spot and we hooked into a peacock bass, not a big one in no means but a peacock. I noticed from the first bite, that the fish seem to be very lethargic to say the least. Staying with the pattern, working it slowly I started to get calls from the others guides that the rain was coming down in buckets I know we only had minutes.  I turned to my guys and I offer to run from the rain, they elected not too.

We continued in that area for an hour are so while the rain drenched everything, despite the rain these guys were picking the peacock off one by one.  The rain settled for a moment, so I then decided to make another move leaving that spot with about eight fish, one of which was about around three pounds. I still know these guys were better then that, I just need to put them around the fish and they would be able to catch them.

Getting further away from the ramp and the weather, we came off plane in one of my favorite locations. It was only a couple of cast into the location and they hooked up on a nice 3-1/2 pound peacock bass, I know right then it was a good move. Still taken in consideration that the bite has been slow, I worked my areas slower then normal. By the end of one pass we had another dozen or so fish with two peacock bass right at five pounds a piece.

With only a few minutes left, I decided to give my “big fish” spot one more chance on the way back to the dock. The rain was coming again and the trip coming to a close, I said “five more cast.” Everyone was still tring to make the most of these last cast, not knowing if they ever would be fishing for peacock bass again. With two out of the three anglers already finishing up, the last one makes his last cast at the same time I started trolling the boat to the middle of the lake to prepare for the ride back to the ramp.

Who would of guessed, if I had a dime for every time this has happened I would be a very wealthy man. Yes, the last angler, last cast, last line in the water. I seen his line going side ways, I yelled “reel, reel.” This fish was heading right for us, he caught up with it nicly. Thank goodness for circle hooks!

I ask, is it a good one, is a good one?…he replied, no I don’t think so. Knowing this was the same angler that just earlier caught both of the five pound peacock bass and had on a 12 to 15 pound snook on, I took his word on it. 

Then the tell tail sign for me, the drag screaming. I then realized he may have under estimated this one, with it being overcast and never getting a look at the fish I was still hesitant to scream trophy peacock bass when there are so many other big species in these water. So I patiently watched and comanned, “reel, reel. “No stop, reel as the fish pleasently tested his skill and the back bone of the gloomis rod and the drag of the shimano reel!” Simply put, “these are the times to have great equipent in your hands”.

After a few minutes of wonderful light tackle action with a 8 pound flourcabon leader and very good angling we got the fish to the net. The high five’s were flying, everyone know it was a good fish. With everyone else and the other guides waiting I put the fish safely in the live-well and proceed to the dock. The whole ride their, the smile from everyone on the boat could have been seen on Google earth they were so big. We pulled out the fish to shear amazement from everyone, got together a few of the guys for a group shot pictured above and one of the big fish below that.

The only thing left to do was weight the fish, with the help of the Florida Fish & Wildlife officer that was at the ramp we used my boga grip. With everyone staring, we watched the scale max out right at seven pounds. The state record only being nine and three quarters, we came pretty close on a four hour day of  fishing with bad weather. The FWC office was all smiles to see them catch that fish, ”he said, I see a lot of anglers and guides fishing here and this is the biggest peacock bass I have seen in a long time that has been weighted and verified.”

I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as we did!

From Staff Writer Capt Todd Kersey (todd@bassonline.com )
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

Source:  Copyright 2009, National Public Radio
Date:  June 23, 2009
Byline:  Greg Allen
Original URL:Audio

 Residents of the towns that line the southern rim of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee know about the benefits and risks of living next to one of the nation’s largest freshwater lakes.

Many have relatives who survived the massive flood of 1926 — and another, two years later, when a Category 4 hurricane blew through the area. Old mud dikes failed, killing at least 2,500 people.

In 2005, the failure of levees in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit led authorities to re-evaluate the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The results were alarming. The report uncovered erosion problems that, if left uncorrected, could lead to a failure of the old earthen levee.

Stuart Appelbaum with the Army Corps of Engineers says the corps moved quickly to address the problem.

“Best thing we’ve done is manage the risk by lowering the lake a bit,” he says.

For the past three years, the corps has made sure the lake’s water level reaches no higher than 15 feet, well below capacity. At the same time, the corps is working to strengthen the 80-year-old levee that 40,000 local residents depend on for safety.

‘The Dike Is Eroding Itself From The Inside’

On a few sections of the dike, rehabilitation work is well under way. A key portion is on Lake Okeechobee’s southeast rim, near Belle Glade, the town hit hardest by the 1928 flood. This area is still considered the highest risk, and the corps is working here first to strengthen the levee.

Huge shovels, trucks and other heavy equipment dig a deep trench 70 feet down through the center of the dike. They then fill the trench with a concrete mixture to create what’s called a “cutoff wall.”

Mike Rogalski, who’s in charge of the project, says that when the lake level rises, water seeps through the levee, washing away material.

“It’s essentially that the dike is eroding itself from the inside,” he says. “What this cutoff wall does is cuts off all those paths of erosion.”

The massive project is expected to cost $1 billion and take at least 20 years to complete. After a year of work, just about two-and-a-half miles have been strengthened.

To ensure that the dike remains safe while the work is being carried out, a team of inspectors constantly monitors the dike, shoring up sections that it finds weakened by erosion.

“When the lake levels reach a certain point during the wet season, you’re going to do daily inspections,” Rogalski says.

Boosting Morale For The Residents Of Pahokee

On the southeast rim of Lake Okeechobee, Pahokee’s several thousand residents sit in the levee’s shadow. It’s literally in their backyard.

Pahokee Mayor Wayne Whitaker says the work under way has already helped restore confidence in the dike and his community.

“There was some industry back in the day that wouldn’t come to Pahokee or the Glades area because they were scared of the dike,” Whitaker says. “People actually thought the dike was going to break at any time. But this rehab is really going to help the morale of everybody.”

The concerns surrounding the lake and the dike now are less about safety and more about something that up until now has been plentiful: water. For decades, water seeping under Lake Okeechobee’s levee has kept irrigation ditches full and the water table high. That’s been a boon to farmers in the area.

If the corps is successful in stopping that seepage, farmers are concerned that a safer levee may come at a cost — leaving them with drier and less productive fields.

Till next time tight lines and good fishing…..

From Staff Writer BASSonline / fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

 Wow what a month of fishing on the big O (Lake Okeechobee) with huge numbers fish of all sizes some on the beds during the full moon phases,  some schooling bass and cruising bass every were. This month started with my friend Allen of Hilton head, SC… he fished 6 days in a row and has fished with me for many years. Allen has been on many adventures with me and tells me often that Lake Okeechobee is the best he has ever seen it in the many years he has been fishing it. We averaged 50 to 100 plus fish a day on top water baits,  crank baits, frogs and plastics of all kinds. We also were flipping and site fishing on days that permitted it. This years spawn was awesome, with all the new grass on the lake, it has kept the water very clear and you can see fish all over and of all kinds.

This month has made fishing fun for everybody of all ages and skill levels. We  have used no live bait, 100% artificial lures on our guide trips. It has made for some good opportunities to teach the basics to many, while it has let others learn new techniques to add to there angling talent. I would like to thank the Alderman family Pete Scilla and friends Ed Romanoz and all the others for having the opportunity be part of there fishing adventures.

Good fishing and God bless,

From Staff Writer Capt Mark Shepard (marks@bassonline.com )
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS