Looking Forward to Winter 2014-2015

Bass catching during the winter of 2013-14 was awesome. I just went through my pictures trying to find some for this article. I had no problems locating photos of the Biggest of the Big bass. I did have problems with too many photos. That is a problem all bass anglers like; too many big bass caught. I can not put 28 giant bass photos in this article so what ever is here please know that there were great numbers of large bass caught at Stick Marsh and all indications are that the bass catching will continue at a highly successful rate.

With 28 of the biggest of the big I look back at days when six over 8 lbs each were caught and look forward to my clients topping those numbers; both in size and quantity. A couple of days when bass catching was supposed to be tough; wind at 35 mph plus, a temperature drop of 40 degree, and high blue skies; the bass came in by the numbers and the size. The best way to put this: Stick Marsh Rules!

The grasses continue to expand across the Southern portion of the Farm. They are also spreading into the Stick Marsh. There is an increase in floating vegetation as well. The hydrilla is taking a good hold. The grass in the Farm is now taking about three times as much hold as it did this past winter season. Water levels have been about normal all summer. The bass are nice, fat, healthy, and eating bait like they like it. All good signs for the coming winter season.

Of special interest to me is the massive increase of eel grass in the Back Lot. This is the area North of the boat ramp. The Back Lot is mostly a channel with a very shallow flat off to the South of the channel. The new grass growth is very likely to draw spawning bass into the flat this coming winter season. This will make an awesome area for anglers to fish when the North winds limit access to other portions of the lakes. I look for the Bass Pro Shops Humpin Toad to be highly successful. Also, the eel grass will draw wild shiners into the flat. Oh boy, oh boy, this could be some really awesome bass catching this coming winter season. Many anglers fished the Back Lot this past Winter season with success. That success can only get better with the addition of more and better cover.

Fifty, sixty, seventy bass days were common this past winter season. I look for the numbers to be greater. With all the feeding the bass have been doing this summer I look for the numbers and size to increase this coming winter season. One of the guide抯 sayings in the early days of Stick Marsh was: 揧ou can抰 buy enough shiners!? The fact was the bass ate them so fast. That saying may be true again this coming winter season.

The bass begin the winter season in late October by starting a feeding frenzy. This feeding continues through April. Each full moon and dark of the moon bass will go on the bed. Just before they go on the bed, say for several weeks, the females pig out. The female bass instinctively know that they will not eat for a couple of weeks once they go on the bed. To account for this they store up weight for the two weeks of bed work. Right before the females go on the bed they are the fattest.

The first group of bedding bass will start sometime in November. It all depends upon the weather. Then every couple of weeks we will have a new group getting involved. It is big, fat bass eating and bedding for several months. They are shallow. Once an angler locates a bedding area he knows where the bass are located. The bass are not going to move. They will be in that area. When one is done; here comes another. Holy cow! I can抰 wait!

Stick Marsh and Farm 13 have numerous spawning areas. The Spillway was a prime feeding up for the spawn area this past winter season. Look for that to continue. There were other areas as well. Look for the Back Lot to be a prime area this coming winter season. The Stick Marsh has been over looked for fishing the past several years. Look for areas of the Stick Marsh to be targeted. After all, the bass in there may not have ever seen a lure or a wild shiner on a hook.

The South end of the Farm is shallow and therefore a spawning prime area. The old irrigation canals that run both North and South and East and West have hard tops on their levies. These too are prime spawning area. These are often over looked by anglers. The levies that contain the Farm are also prime spawning areas that are over looked.

In the Stick Marsh there are several areas that are shallower than other portions. Take a good look at a contour map of Stick Marsh and you will find those areas. Those areas, along with the levies that contain the Stick Marsh are excellent spawning areas. They have held bass for many, many years. And like I said earlier, they have been over looked and the bass may not have ever seen a lure or a wild shiner with a hook.