Stick Marsh/Farm 13 - Fla.

[George Welcome]

It was just a matter of time before things really broke loose on the Marsh/Farm and as is usual April is turning into a banner month. Yesterday Joe Felice and his father Jim arrived for a day of artificial bait tossing and big bass catching. You never know when you throw a bait on this lake just when a big gal might hit, so being ready at all times is very important.

With the spillway still open and a bit of rain I thought we should go in and check the action. After spending an hour with only a few smaller bass it was decided that the open waters would offer more opportunity. Heading for a spot that I had found a small school a couple of days ago proved to be quite beneficial as Joe scored in short order with the lady pictured below.


Jim followed up not too much later with one of his own.


We worked the area thoroughly and picked up several more which gave a good start to the morning, but it was nothing to what the day would bring as we moved into a "bump the stump" situation. Bass after bass like the one pictured below were picked off and brought to the boat. It was a simple as hit the stump and catch a bass.


By day's end we had over sixty bass to the boat. The bite was 100% on plastics, with weightless Senkos carrying the honors as the most productive bait.

This morning Ed Borges came to spend the day. With the results of yesterday there was no decision to make as we headed straight to the stump fields. Over the next six hours we would land fish after fish with only a few lulls in between.


Eight pounds - he was in shock


Six pounds - typical of many that were caught


Eight pounds - No wind in the stumps was a big factor


Seven and three quarter pounds - Last cast of the day as we got ready to head for home.

There were several factors that contributed to the catch of over seventy five bass. The first was the bait needed to be weightless in the heavy wood, and even with that there were plenty of hooks contributed to the Farm. The second was the boat needed to be right in the middle of the heaviest area of stumps. The third was the right equipment on the bow in order to move around in the stump field. It took every bit of power in many instances to move over submerged wood. It was kind of like doing a delicate dance as I maneuvered through, over, and around stump after stump.

The comments for both trips were that the participants had never seen the quality as they had here, nor had they seen such quantity of quality. That's the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 for you. A lake that not only produces lots of bass, but lots of big bass also.

Everyone asks me when the top water bite starts. This morning it began. However in an area such as this the casts have to be perfect, and winding them around the stumps takes some experience. We opted for a less precise approach for catching, but the top water is there if you can manage it. The bite that we had is going to get better and better as the big gals are up and feeding after the spawn. Give us a call and get in on the action.

See you out there. Say hi if you are passing by.