Wild Shiner Safari

Last week I had the pleasure of leading two members of the Safari Club International, Georgia chapter on a two day fishing excursion. Chip Gilbert and Jim Freeman of SCI were the recipients of a full day shiner trip that we donated to an auction earlier this year benefitting the Mule Deer Foundation in Atlanta.



After months of anticipation, their trip dates finally arrived and their timing could not have been better. Early morning fog kept the start of the day a mystery to the anglers but did not deter us from finding our way to our spot and getting bit almost immediately. In fact, both men had landed fish over 6 lbs. inside the first half hour of fishing. The frenzy continued all day long until these two Georgians were just plain tired out. We reluctantly left schooling fish in the 3-4 lb. range after we used up 5 dozen shiners and I gave them a good lesson in topwater catching with a chug bug. By the end of day one, both men produced personal best fish as well as the most bass they had ever caught in one outing. A tought act to follow!



Day two brought somewhat windier conditions and a stingier bit while we tried our luck with artificial baits. After a quick lesson on technique we managed to entice a few nice bites early with the chug bugs and then we pitched our way along the sheltered bank of the back canal and landed a few more decent fish with our El Grande Lures hatch match stick baits. Although the second day was not nearly as exciting as day one, these two experienced outdoorsmen were thoroughly satisfied with their experience and undoubtedly anxious to come back to try again.



More great days are coming and I don't like to waste them so call now and book your wild shiner safari. Also, don't forget that our gift certificates are available for that special holiday gift surprise for the outdoorsman on your gift list.

The Time is Right

I am often asked, "When is the best time to fish the Stick Marsh?" Usually I answer, "Whenever you can find the time to relax and have some fun!" Then I follow it up by saying that my favorite time of the year is the fall.

Several reasons make this time of year the best. Mainly the weather is by far the nicest we have with most days starting with a little coolness in the air followed by a gentle warming from the sun into the low to mid 80's by midday. Early season cold fronts are mostly warmer, drier and less windy than the ones that come later in the winter months. All in all it is just plain nice, especially after enduring the previous few months of unabated heat and frequent thunder storms.

Water temperatures fall back toward the 70's and signals to the fish that it is time to gorge and prepare for mating season. Thus far this year has been no exception as the fishing has picked up recently both in numbers and quality and the enjoyment factor has been high. The fish are more aggressive and don't seem to be all that choosy on what they will eat. I have noticed that live bait has been better for quantity of fish rather than artificial; quality seems to be there no matter the choice with plenty of fish over five lbs. being landed on most every outing.

Lastly, in the fall the fishing pressure at the lake is still quite low. Most days it seems like you have the lake to yourself. There are just a few other anglers out there on a daily basis who know the best time is right now. This special time of year is fleeting though and before you know what happened, it will be over. Don't waste another nice day wishing you were fishing, give me a call toll free and let's go catching!

Autumn at Last

Okay, so it's been a while since I've last been in touch. I apologize to those of you who have been anxiously awaiting an update as to what's happening at the lake. Here is a quick synopsis of what it has been like the last two months. Big surprise, it was HOT. In fact, it was downright uncomfortable. Sure you could still go out and catch a few nice ones either early or late if you were hardcore but there just isn't much shade out there in which to hide.

I did discover that the heat is much easier to deal with over at Blue Cypress. The shade provided by the shoreline trees gives a nice respite from the blazing sun and provides ample places for the fish to hide as well. This natural gem is a wonderful example of nature at its finest and is currently experiencing some of its finest fishing in years according to Joe and Jeanne Middleton. They should know as they have been doing business over there for 48 years now.

Abundant shoreline grass and tree cover makes this lake a paradise for those anglers who like to pitch and flip. There must be a million targets out there and very little pressure. If you have not tried this lake you are missing out. If you want to rectify that send me a line to set up a date and I will take you out to see what you have been missing.

The good news is autumn has arrived. The changes are subtle but this is the beginning of my favorite time of the year to fish. The weather moderates and the fish feed consistently. In short, it's time to fish so choose a day and don't delay because your big bass is one cast away.

Getting Hotter

Things are heating up these days at the Stick Marsh. As the weather and the water temps continue to rise so has the appetite of the bass. The water temps have broken 80 and this has signaled the fish to begin rising for the topwater baits offered in the early mornings. Soft plastics continue to produce nice numbers of fish with some very impressive size as well. I have recently become a field staff member for El Grande Lures and am happy to report that these plastics are really nice. The thing that impresses me most so far is their durablity. I was able to catch several fish per bait last weekend and actually could have had more but I broke off before they gave up. Give me a shout if you want to try them out and I'll get you hooked up (get it?).

Talk at the dock has most anglers having no problem landing plentiful numbers of fish and stories of the big ones give bragging rights to someone on most every boat out there. Good news for the "no grass" whiners: I pulled out a few clumps of green hydrilla off the bottom so maybe, just maybe, some mats will return this summer. Provided that this does not prompt the return of the herbicidal helicopter attacks or (dare I say?) another howling hurricane.

One other word of note, fish and game officers have been out a lot lately checking everyone for proper safety equipment, licenses, and doing livewell checks so be sure you are legal or you may have to pay the man a little extra. Also, it's always prudent to watch your speed when passing through Fellsmere city limits as Barney Fife is often looking for the anxious early morning angler with a shiny bass boat on the back of his rig to donate a little $ to the city coffers.

Finally, don't forget dear old Dad this year for Father's Day. Why not give him a gift certificate for a good time. Let him come out with us and play for a day because a fish like this is just one cast away!

Finally Spring Has Sprung

Ah, at long last some enjoyable weather. After a particularly lengthy and cold winter season we have settled in to some nicer days. Water temps are now into the 70’s, daytime temps are regularly reaching into the 80’s and the scent of citrus blossoms fills the air.

The bass bite has improved, especially on days when the wind has cooperated. Good concentrations of bass have been biting in the stumps on the south shore of the farm. These areas can be a bit difficult to withstand when the wind blows like it did last week but I would expect that it will only be getting better with abating winds and warming waters. Soft plastic creature type baits and jerks have produced nicely as well as the always popular senko type worm. I’m hoping that the topwater bite will soon be on here as well.



Wild shiner anglers are finding some nice fish but it seems that plenty of patience is needed at times and the mudfish have been hungrier than the bass as of late. Still, it’s fun and relaxing fishing and as always the scenic natural beauty and serenity of this lake is unrivaled.







The boat is running great after some minor maintenance issues were corrected and I have begun to restock my tackle bag with a new assortment of quality baits after a burglary forced me to start over. Hoping to see some old friends come out of hiding and fish soon and as always I’m looking forward to meeting new ones who are excited to see if the Stick Marsh can produce a new personal best for them like it did for our new buddy Bill.

The Seed

February, 6 marks an important anniversary in my bass fishing career. It was on this day in 2002 that I landed the first of many largemouth bass. I never expected that day just how much of an impact that small fish would have on my future. Sure I fished a lot as a kid but I had lived my life on the ocean and had never really been exposed to fresh water fishing much. However we had just purchased a house on Lake Griffin and it was high time I got out there and explored the world of bass fishing.

Tony Kob, Sr. had long been telling me of the story behind the Stick Marsh and the day had come for us to hire a guide and check it out. Tony had a friend who had taken him several times before, his name was Hugh Crumpler, so we loaded up the truck and headed to Fellsmere for our day on the lake. In the early morning darkness, Hugh met us at the hotel and led us to the ramp and prepared for a day of wild shiner fishing. Things worked quickly and before you know it I had my first fish in the boat. I proudly displayed fish for the camera and thought to myself that was easy enough and pretty fun too. Fish number two in the boat and I prepared to have another photo taken, when I learned that you don’t need to photograph every fish we catch. Oh OK, I responded and dutifully returned the fish to the water. When fish number 3 came over the rail we measured and weighed it and I quickly returned her to the lake, nothing to this I thought. Hugh and Tony were all over me as to why I didn’t wait for pictures. “You told me we don’t take pictures of them all”, I exclaimed. Turns out I had just released a 25 “, 9.5 lb. trophy without the benefit of photographic proof. Who knew? I would $pend the next several years trying to match that catch on day one. Bass fishing became a serious obsession with me that day which would eventually lead to me actually living the life of a bass professional and purchasing that guide service from Hugh Crumpler when he decided to retire several years later.

A whole lot has happened between that day and the present but one thing has not changed and that is the fact that a day on the Stick Marsh fishing with friends can be one of the most exciting and fun ways to spend your leisure time. I have learned so much since that day and I really enjoy being able to share the experience with others. Fate or destiny? I don’t know for sure but the seed was planted that day and the tree has grown rapidly and strong. Eight years ago I could not spell Bass Professional Guide now I are one.

I invite you all to come out and enjoy the scenery and experience for yourself the thrill of a guided tour of the famous Stick Marsh Farm 13. There are plenty of good days still available so check your calendar and send me an e-mail to arrange your trip. Oh and when you catch that trophy fish of a lifetime I will be sure to get it photographed before you send it back to bite again.

Another Trip Around the Sun

Once again we mark another years passing with renewed hopes that this next year will be better than the last. For many that will not be hard to achieve as 2009 was not exactly a year to remember. Economic woes, health care debates, war on terrorism continued, etc. there is a whole host of things to be bothered by out there. My small piece of advice to anyone who cares is to be sure to take time to relax and enjoy life’s simpler pleasures. Appreciate nature more, get out and enjoy life before it passes you by. Have no regrets.

That being said I encourage any of you who have been contemplating a guided fishing trip to go ahead and book your date now. I still have a number of available days for you and yours to get out there and catch some nice bass. Florida winter weather is upon us but for most of you that means NICE. The arrival of cold fronts have brought the water temps down to the high 50's and those brisk and breezy bluebird days following the front can make the fishing a bit difficult. Nevertheless, it is still nicer here than most anywhere else in the country. The don't call it the Sunshine State for nothing you know.



Last week brought a mixed bag of fishing conditions. In general, I would sum it up as challenging. The cooler temps and NW winds tended to slow the bite and limit the fishable areas but as the temps warmed and wind direction changed the prespawn conditions improved. Wild shiner live bait seemed to be working best as I witnessed a number of good sized bass, 5lbs. and better fought to sumbission in the SE corner of the impoundment. Artificial bait catches were less active but a few fish did fall prey to plastic worms and the spinnerbait bite worked in the windier conditions. The baitfishes are plentiful and the bass are fattening in preparation for spawing so with some patience and a bit of favorable weather you will catch some nice fish.



I have high hopes for some double digit bass this year. A 10 in 10 so to speak and you can help me reach that goal, please contact me by e-mail dean@onecastaway.com to ask questions or arrange a date to fish. Best of luck to you in 2010 and I hope to see you at
the lake.