Moving Water, Biting Bass

Summer patterns continue to produce some excellent days at Stick Marsh Farm 13. These days the heat and afternoon thunderstorms will force most anglers to start at dawn and finish up early. Some searching will be needed to find the fish but once located its all good. If you are fortunate enough to be out there on a day when the water authority is moving water the bite is tremendous.

On a recent outing we found the spillway at the SE corner wide open and we proceeded to latch on to over 50 fish in a matter of 4 hours. These fish, mostly in the 3-5 lb. range were just inhaling senko type baits on seemingly every cast for a while until the flow slowed and the pipes to the left of the spillway were opened. This dirtied the water and shut them down but not before we had a plenty of action. For Stick Marsh first timer, Mike Krokrich, this was a day he will not soon forget and is excited that he has chosen to move to the Vero Beach area and will get to fish the lake a lot.

We also had good success with rattle traps and shallow cranks in various locations around the lake. A 75 fish day on your first time out there will spoil you fast but will also indicate that the reports of a dying fishery are greatly exaggerated. Give me a call toll free to book your day of fishing: 1-866-BASS-066 or email me at: deanherdman@yahoo.com.

Gators Galore

I will begin this report by apologizing for the length of time elapsed since my last update.

Computer problems have plagued my ability to utilize some of the photos on file and to be honest it has been slow. The fishing has not been that slow it is a shortage of anglers of late that has kept things quiet. In early May the Palm Bay area had a series of wild fires that all but shut down access to the lake and made for some uncomfortable conditions, hampering our ability to get out on the lake. That is behind us now and the fishing is very steady.


On Tuesday I took out two generations of the Pitts family for a half day trip that was very enjoyable. The nature on the lake was very active with an over abundance of gators plying the waters of the Stick Marsh. At times we could count at least 15- 20 all within a few hundred yards of the boat and witnessed some very aggressive feeding. It has been mentioned by some that these gators are eating all the big bass. As if this is something new and unusual. Let me just say that it was quite exciting to see a 10 foot alligator 3 feet from the boat munch a 5 pound catfish that was floating dead. We also watched in amazement as another large gator crashed the bank only to see a big bass jump several feet into the air to escape the jaws of this awesome predator and live a little longer.


All this gator action was a bit annoying to the senior Mr. Pitts who is a native of Tallahasee and a life long Noles fan! Undeterred the father and son fished 3 dozen wild shiners with good success and landed plenty of nice bass as well as a few other species. Once the shiners were exhausted we switched over to faster moving crankbaits and rattletraps and caught them equally as well.


Summer season is upon us and the crowds have left the ramp. The fishing is still great and the lake is basically yours. It is a bit warm out there but the breeze helps and you can always let the motor run to induce a cooling effect. As always the show that Mother Nature gives you at the Stick Marsh is well worth the price of admission. Come see for yourself, you won’t be disappointed. To book a trip, call me toll free at: 1-866-BASS-066 or email me at: deanherdman@yahoo.com

12 Hour Drive

Danny Paxton, of Richmond Virginia, loaded up a rental car and drove 12 hours with his son Chad and friends Bill and Marty to fish for two days at the Stick Marsh. It was a long drive but well worth the effort as these anglers boated nearly a hundred fish in two days. The weather was much nicer here than what they missed in Va. which was reported to be 35 degrees and sleet. All the fish caught were nice quality with a good number of them over five pounds including at least a couple in the eight pound range.





Danny and Bill were in my boat both days and had a real nice time pulling in fish after fish and just relaxing. Two days in two boats, this foursome had no problem finding enough fish to eat up 24 dozen wild shiners. All four knew how to set the hook which helped give them a success rate of better than 60% bite to catch ratio. They had a real good time and I look forward to seeing them again.

The fishing continues to improve as does the weather as of late. The post spawn fish are hungry for shiners and there still seem to be a few fish that have not yet spawned. The outside area of the SW corner of the farm has been doing well if the wind stays calm and the back lot area has produced lots of quality bites. Live bait or artificial does not seem to matter when the bite is on. If you have been wondering if the time is right, I would say yes it is. C’mon out and see for yourself. To book a trip, call me toll free: 1-866-BASS-066 or email me: deanherdman@yahoo.com . See you soon!

Jim and Steve

Last week on successive days the boat was loaded with Jims and Steves. On Wednesday Jim and Steve Bahrke, brothers from Wisconsin, came out for a half day of shiner fishing and enjoyed some nice conditions and good fun. After spending the previous day with his family at Disney, Jim was ready for a relaxing and enjoyable day on the lake. After an exhilarating ride across the lake in the Bullet Jim stated “that was better than any ride at Disney.”

The next day found Jim Nelan, his wife Charla, and their friend Steve Eckert, who was visiting from Ohio . The goal for the day was to simply have fun. That was easily accomplished as the weather was fine and the fish bite was steady. It was a real pleasure to have these friends out on the lake for the day, and help provide them with a quality experience and an enjoyable day of relaxation and nature appreciation.

The fishing has steadily improved as of late. Most days have seen plenty of hungry fish falling for our shiner offerings and the weather has been for the most part very enjoyable. If you’re ready to have a great day on the lake give a call to 1-866-BASS-066 toll free or send an e-mail to deanherdman@yahoo.com and set a date for a day of catching.

Dear Old Dad

I got the chance to give my Dad and his buddy Bob a day on the lake last week. We had a nice day to go fishing with warm weather and light winds. It’s always a pleasure to have Dad out for a day even if his fishing skills are not that of his boys. Bob was a true novice as he stated that he had never been fresh water fishing before. That being said, I believe that Bob now has a skewed idea of what bass fishing is all about. On his first outing he managed to boat two over 4 lbs. and a nice 7.5 lb that shot 3 ft. out of the water to inhale his shiner that just touched down. Nothing to it!

Kent Shortz and his buddy Pete, nicknamed the Admiral, also had a chance for a half day of fishing on the Stick Marsh. After a cool start the weather warmed nicely and these two friends landed a few quality fish to complete an enjoyable morning.

Continuing winds have made for some tougher days out there but the persistent and patient anglers will still manage to find quality bites. I am excited that the topwater bite is now just a short time away and I look forward to this with eager anticipation. Stay tuned for further updates on when this action gets going. Better yet check your calendar and choose an upcoming date to book your trip. When you are ready contact me by e-mailing to deanherdman@yahoo.com or call 1-866-BASS-066 toll free.

Hot and Cold

Up and down weather conditions during the past two weeks have yielded a mixed bag of fishing days. For the most part it has been warm and pleasant but we have not been able to get past the regular passing of cold fronts that push the temps back into the 40’s at night and highs in the 60’s during the day. Those up and down temps coupled with breezy days with winds from the north, which dirty the water, can shut down the aggressive bite for days and leave anglers scratching their heads as to what to try next.

Despite the occasional adverse weather days we still managed to feed several nice fish a day during the last couple weeks. The quality of the fish caught remains nice even if the numbers landed are down on occasion.



The fish remain in all stages of spawn at this time with more seeming to be heading into post spawn positions. Shiners are working well, with the local supply at times getting spotty, especially on the weekends which have been busy. The artificial bite has been working with darker colored worms and lipless cranks in the wooded cover. Keep in mind the cleaner the water, the better the bite.


The boat rested for a couple days this week to get a few minor repairs taken care of and now is ready to get back out there and chase down some fish. If you’re ready to get out there, contact me by phone toll free at: 1-866-BASS-066 or e-mail deanherdman@yahoo.com

New Gear

Last week I eagerly awaited the UPS man to visit me. He arrived with an 8 ft. PVC tube filled with new rods. Xmas in Feb.! I am pleased to announce that I have reached an agreement with Allpro rods of McMinnville, TN to become a member of their pro staff. The people at Allpro have been terrific, very courteous with prompt delivery and attention to detail. The quality of the rods is top notch and I look forward to enjoying their products for years to come. Check them out by going to www.allprorods.com. If you see something you like let me know and I will help save you 20%.

With new rods in tow it was off to the lake to give them a try. It was a dreary morning but Julie and I were not to be denied. We put on our Frogg Toggs and set out on our way. On the very first cast Julie caught a nice 3lb. largemouth. Nice start for Allpro! These rods are great, very light and responsive; the rod does all the work.

As the morning progressed we had a few more bites but the weather failed to improve causing my mate to want to bail. I took her home and returned after lunch to improving conditions and another half dozen bass up to 5 lbs boated on my new rods. The following two days saw increasing wind velocity from the north stirring up the water on Stick Marsh so I decided to have a look at Garcia. I convinced the staff at Stick Marsh Bait and Tackle to come out with me for the afternoon. We searched around and found some small fish in several places around the lake. It was a pleasant and enjoyable afternoon. The next morning I joined the locals in their weekly club tourney at Garcia. I only managed one keeper out of several fish caught on black and blue tiki sticks as the wind limited my ability to find much to work with. Garcia is a good alternative to fish when the Stick Marsh becomes difficult, with abundant cover and varied depths available it is a nice way to mix it up a bit.


The end of winter as we know it in Florida is near. Most of the spawning is now likely coming to an end for us here at the Marsh. The fish are hungry and the action is great. This is the time for you to get out there and find the catch you have been waiting for. Send us a line or give me a call toll free at deanherdman@yahoo.com or 1-866-BASS-066 and set up a date to catch.