Tournament dates - Bream fishing...

Happy Monday morning to you all!!! We have a few tournaments this week including one on Tuesday! so you better get ready! As I've said before I like to post tournament schedules on monday to give preparation time to anyone interested in participating in them so here they are but I also have another topic I'd like to talk about today.

Touenament dates:

Aug 28 - Tuesday Night Shoot-out - Deerpoint Lake, Highpoint Landing

Sept 1 - MHS Fund Raiser - Deerpoint Lake, High Point Landing

This is a type of panfish locally known as a "bream" as I'm sure you're probably familiar with. The most common are bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish (stumpknocker) and warmouth. Although black bass are technically in the sunfish family, they are not considered to be bream. Almost any body of water in Florida, regardless of size or location, contains the popular bluegill and, probably to a lesser extent, redear sunfish.
Just due to the abundance of these fish in florida they have very high bag limits allowing for long, eventful fishing trips, and even with a limit of 100 more often then one may think you can leave the water with your limit. Sunfish bed in shallow water and will become more concentrated in these areas in preparation for the spawning season. They will likely begin to concentrate in the panhandle of Florida in early May. Shellcracker will bed well into August, while bluegill will periodically spawn throughout the summer months. Water depths for bedding bream may range anywhere from three to ten feet but are usually toward the shallower end of this range. Bluegill seem to opt for slightly shallower areas, but it's not unusual to see shellcracker and bluegill intermingle, using the same bedding areas at the same time.
Anglers in the Tallahassee area should break out their fly rods, limber bream poles, or light spinning tackle, because shellcrackers and bluegill provide a excellent chance to get out on the water and have a great time. Even though it's late for bedding both species should continue biting well throughout the summer months. I recommend lake Talquin as a good place to start and since I've not had a chance to scout it out myself I'll tell you that local biologists recommend working the upper end of the reservoir and in the back of various creeks in depths ranging from three to seven feet. The standard fare-live worms and crickets, small jigs, Beetle Spins, and fly gear-will all provide good results...

I really hope you find the information usefull and I hope to inspire people to get out and enjoy the water every chance they get. Remember to check with http://myfwc.com/fishing/ for all current local fishing regulations..

To all tournament fishers..

I just want to take a minute this morning to wish all the men and women fishing in todays tournaments the best of luck! My prayers are out to you all, that you may have a safe, fun and exciting fishing trip! Not only to those in tournaments but also to all who took the day to enjoy the great outdoors may all of you have a safe joyfull day!
Remember to keep an eye on your local radar from your moble device as often as possible. You never know what storms may developing or blowing in while you're miles from the boat ramp..

Lol

I found this amusing, some of you may not... Sorry.

Standing at the edge of the lake, a man saw a woman flailing about in the deep water. Unable to swim, the man screamed for help. A trout fisherman ran up. The man said, "My wife is drowning and I can't swim. Please save her. I'll give you a hundred dollars."
The fisherman dove into the water. In ten powerful strokes, he reached the woman, put his arm around her, and swam back to shore. Depositing her at the feet of the man, the fisherman said, "Okay, where's my hundred dollars?"

The man said, "Look, when I saw her going down for the third time, I thought it was my wife. But this is my mother-in-law."

The fisherman reached into his pocket and said, "Just my luck. How much do I owe you?"

Upcoming Tournament Information.

Good afternoon! I had a great weekend as I hope you did also. We have some tournaments coming up this weekend that I hope some of you will have time to catch.
With the amount of cool rain coming down and the low pressure systems that go along with it gives us a great chance to catch a nice bass. I generally focus on shallower water as the front moves in and fish it all the way through the rain (Yas I said fish in the rain)and then as the front moves through follow the pressure to deeper water. Remember "deep" water can be anything from 6' to 30' depending on the over all depth of where you're fishing.
River fishing with fluctuating water levels can be hard also. What I like to do is think of Current and Ambush points when trying to find where the bass may be staging. Remember bass are preditors and need to conserve energy to advance upon their prey. (hopefully your lure!) So any place that there is obstruction of current is a good idea to cast. For example, behind logs or bushes where the current tends to swirel, where coves form along the river and the water forems a nice calm excape from moving water. Also creek mouths are always good. I like to watch during rising and falling water for mud to form around creek mouths and fish the clearer water at the edge of it because sometimes bass hold in the murk waiting on smaller baitfish to travel either from the river to the creek or vice versa. A lot of times A flashy or noisy bait is preferred to get the fish's attention in murky water conditions.
One last thing I like to do is, when the surface is calm, like early in the morning or right before the rain as the pressure is dropping I make my noise in the calm surface. With top water lures. As the wind moves in I start moving under the surface where I'm more likely to grab attention. and in extreme conditions I always move to a safer place all together like the shore or any covering avaliable. Personal safety is always first. Fishing in the rein can be great but also dangerous. So be sure to keep a eye on weather and know the current forcast for your area.

This weekends Tournaments.

Aug 25 - Two Rivers Bass Club - Ochlocknee River, State Park Landing

Aug 25 - Anglers Warehouse Team Trail - Lake Seminole, Wingates Lodge

Aug 25 - Deerpoint Team Trail - Deerpoint Lake, Highpoint Landing

Aug 25 - Tri State Bass Slayers - Apalachicola River, Bristol Landing

Aug 28 - Tuesday Night Shoot-out - Deerpoint Lake, Highpoint Landing

Get out and do some pre-fishing, get a strategy together and have fun but always check with the host for tournament rules. Check when you are and aren't allowed to pre-fish the tournament and fees and such. Have all your safety gear onboard and be safe!!

Flathead catfish.

Flathead Catfish in Florida

The flathead catfish is a invasive species to our area, slowly moving into your own backyard. Local anglers have found that these monsters of the waterways (getting up to 5' in size) make a excellent candidate for tournament fishing as well as a delicious supper!

One of our readers is a local tournament fisher as well as a all around amazing angler. She has sent us a photo of her BEAUTIFUL catch!!!

CHECK OUT THAT CATCH!!! We dont have a exact weight because that amazing fish was caught for recreation and not in a tournament. I bet it ate good though! be sure to check out FreshwaterFavorites.com at the link above or to the right of your screen for some delicious ideas on how to prepare these fish for your family to enjoy.

The following is the upcoming flathead tournaments for our area and some info on this species to help you better target thhem in the upcoming events.

Aug 24 & 25 - Gator Classic Flathead Catfish Tournament
Gaskin Park Landing, Wewahitchka, Florida

The following is courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

Appearance: A flat head, tiny eyes, squarish tail and protruding lower jaw distinguish flathead from other. They are yellow-brown, usually mottled above, with a creamy colored belly.

Habitat: Flathead are found in the Apalachicola and Escambia rivers, where they recently arrived from Georgia and Alabama. Flatheads prefer long, slow-flowing, moderately-turbid rivers.

Behavior: Spawning occurs in late spring. One or both parents excavate the nest that is usually made in a natural cavity or near a large submerged object. Females lay a golden-yellow mass of up to 100,000 eggs. The nest is guarded and the eggs are agitated by the male to keep them clean and aerated. They feed on other fish, especially catfish and sunfish.

State Record: 49.39 pounds, and 42.50 inches total length (girth 36.25").

Thank you to the FWC for the useful information on appearance, habitat and behavior to help us better prepare for the fishing trips ahead! And to our local reader for some visual encouragment to get us out there on the water. Good luck and as allways be cautious of all submerged and floating debris on waterways and always comply with FWCs current regulations and guidelines at.http://myfwc.com/fishing/

Upcoming tournaments

In the future I'll try and post upcoming events on monday to give everyone a heads up on the weeks tournaments.

Aug 14 - Tuesday Night Shoot-out - Deerpoint Lake, Highpoint Landing

Aug 18 - Hub City Bassmasters - Apalachicola River, Below the Dam

Aug 18 - Gulf Coast Bass Anglers

Aug 18 - Seminole Bassmasters - Lake Seminole, Seminole Lodge

Aug 18 - Liberty Co. Anglers Bass Club - Ochlocknee River

Aug 18 - Xtreme Bass Series - Lake Seminole, Wingates Lodge

Good luck to anyone fishing in the upcoming tournaments!

A Fishing Lure

Just something funny I found :) A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the Game Warden jumped out of the bushes. Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods like a bat out of hell. The Game Warden was hot on his heels. After about a half mile, the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, so the Game Warden finally caught up to him. "Let's see yer fishin' license, Boy!" the Warden gasped. With that, the boy pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license. "Well, son," said the Game Warden. "You must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!" "Yes, sir," replied the young guy. "But my friend back there, well, he don't have one."

Today seemed to be a great day for fishing, although I wasn't out on a boat where i wanted to be..  :( 
    During these predictable, rainy Florida summer days we have a natural tendency to want to stay indoors. When in reality we should be getting out and taking advantage of the cooler weather and low pressure systems. What these rainy days are really doing is giving us more prime fishing time! See, we get the early morning hours before the heat is unbearable, then a lunch break and voila at 3:00pm the clouds move in and the heat dies down. Time for round two, and the evening bite is the one I always like!

    For anyone wondering about when to fish. I say it's always a good time to fish!! but if some scientific research and a chart will make you feel better then go check out (http://www.outdoorlife.com/weather/fishing) They have a chart based on the previous ten or so years of fishermen feedback. So if you need someone to tell you when is a good time to fish theres a start. Good luck out there and even if every fishing chart in the world says its a bad time to go fishing, I'd still go. Theres always a chance. I've caught some of my nicest bass on days when nothing was biting. You just never know where and when that lunker is going to alialate that lure on the end of your line!! So be sure to be there when he's ready!!

    I am more than interested to hear any ones feedback, input or advice on what to include in my posts and I will do all I can to improve upon. I would love for people to share their experiences and photos of their latest florida fishing trips.

    Thanks for reading my work in progress and remember to always be safe and if fishing during the summer showers always be cautious of lightning, rises in water level and debris floating down rivers.
    
   Happy Angling!!!!
   
   

   Tallahassee has some great bass fishin', although summer heat can make daytime fishing more of a chore than a recreational activity. So to counter act that I reccomend finhing the wee hours of the mornings and the late evenings or even nights. Yes nights I have caught some nice bass at midnight fishing the shallows with dark soft plastics of att things.
Top Baits: Crankbaits, Jigs and plastic worms.
Fish shallow in the mornings and evenings and move deeper as the sun rises. "Deep" depends on the overall depth of the lake you are fishing. In some lakes you may need to go as deep as 60 feet while others seldom hold fish below 35 feet. Largemouth's often feed at night during the hot summer months.
  
  In these unpredictable Florida summer months it's best to just be prepared and have your suntan lotion and your umbrella readily available. Watch all weather reports and be safe as possible at all times!

And as always please make sure to comply with all current FWC guidelines and regulations!!

Ochlockonee river
   Fishin' for red-bellies and bluegill should be excellent. Your best bet is with a cane pole or bream buster using live wigglers or crickets. Try fishing around fallen trees or brush piles for the best results.
 
Catfish of decent size and numbers are plentiful near the dam as well as the area near Pine Creek. I like cat fishing with earth worms and a medium size circle hook but you can also use stink bait, livers and cut baits.

 Bass tend to hold to cooler water this time of year so pay more attention to steep drop offs (shelfs) and around any structure that could provide shade or shelter from current.

 Always be careful on the river. Low water conditions expose more stumps and log jams, which pose problems for navigation.

Sorry for the extreme delay, I'm back up an' runnin' now!

Lake Talquin reservoir
Crappie have had some pretty good catches for the temp to be so hot!  They're being caught in 10 - 12 feet of water in the early mornin'. Most reports are coming from Rocky Comfort creek. Best colors to stick with are bubblegum, Acid Rain and blue/black chart. Litewire hooks..orange, red and white.

Limits of bream and shellcrackers are still being caught all over the lake. Best bait red worms and green worms.

Bass- No Reports at this time.

Catfish - Lots of catfish still being caught with stink bait.

Lake water level is good.

Crappie season is right around the corner so get your boats an' rods and reels ready!

Safe fishing and remember to always make sure to comply with all current FWC regulations!