Bass Fishing Florida

World Class Florida Bass Fishing!

Fisher’s Choice Crickets

Fisher's Choice Baits by TimbuktuWith a day of rest what does a bass fishing guide in Florida do? Well today I hit the waters of East Lake Toho with a new bait in hand. Today I was doing things a little different. Instead of chasing the bass around the lake I opted to go after a totally different species of fish. Florida Crappie!

East Lake Toho has been known for a long time to have some pretty good crappie fishing and I decided to target them today with the new bait from Timbuktu. This bait is called Fisher’s Choice and the one I chose to use today was the Crickets. Having used live crickets many times for catching crappie, using crickets from a can was a different twist for sure.

Normally the day would start out trying to get only one cricket out of the carrier or trying to chase down the ones that slipped out before they hit the water or found a hiding spot on the boat. Today was a nice change of pace. Just simply opening up a can and slipping a cricket on the hook. No more crickets scurrying around the boat trying to get away.

I slow trolled them today and got a handful of crappie for my rewards. Casting them was very easy, as the legs stayed intact making the bait much more enticing to the crappie. The crickets are soft and moist and did a get job for me. Spider rigging was the way to go out here with the crickets. Slow trolled they held up great and did what they were supposed to do, and that’s catch the crappie. They also offer Night Crawler, Wax Worms and Super Worms. Check them out at Fisherschoicebait.com

These cans hold over 80 crickets per can and very reasonably priced at Bass Pro Shops for only $9.99 per can. If you don’t use them right away, that is no problem, if the can is unopened it will have a shelf life of up to two years, and once they are opened will be good for up to two weeks. How can you go wrong with that!

Thee Fishermans Soap

Thee Fishermans SoapFolks I have to tell you I see a lot of new product all the time in the fishing industry, but this one really has me excited. I spend a lot of time on the water, which like many of you means taking some kind of snack or even a sandwich out on the water so we can eat during the day. Now you start catching bass and unhooking them to release them back into the water, or worse yet you have to handle live wild shiners, your hands will smell like bait or bass for the rest of the day.

Along comes Thee Fisherman’s Soap. The bottle is only 4 ounces so it will not take up any space on your boat and this soap gets rid of all that odor that comes with bass fishing, or any fishing for that matter. Good friend and professional bass fisherwoman Mary DiVincenti, the 2003 WBFA World Champion sent me a bottle down to try it out and it was awesome. Two small drops on your hands, a little water and you were good to go. That means no more thinking you’re eating a fish sandwich when it really a ham sandwich because the soap has eliminated all that fish smell from your hands.

Thee Fisherman’s Soap is also biodegradable so it is safe for the environment and does a great job of cleaning out the live wells on the boat to make sure the bait or the tournament bass are not in a dirty live well that could cause them to die off. All too often I have heard of guys cleaning their live wells with bleach to get them clean, and then having troubles getting rid of that bleach smell. Well here is the perfect product to solve all those problems.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just on the boat things. If you do fish fries, hopefully crappie and not bass, or you love any kind of sea food and handle it to prepare it for cooking, this is the perfect soap for getting that fish smell off your hands, it even gets that smell of onions out too! With the wide range of options to use this soap, I would have to say the options are unlimited. Get yourself a bottle at www.Fishermanssoap.com and see for yourself, trust me, you won’t regret it.

Crappie USA Super Event

Georgians Howard and Cherry Take Wheeler Lake Super Event 
 
crappie usaFriday and Saturday May 21 and 22, Crappie USA held a $10,000.00 Super Event at Ingall’s Harbor on Wheeler Lake near Decatur, Alabama. These anglers from 11 different states were competing for not only the $10,000.00 cash and prizes, but a chance to advance to the prestigious Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic to be held this Fall on the Pickwick/Wilson Lakes in Alabama.

Teams met with heavy rains and lightning storms from daylight until noon on Friday, day one of the Wheeler Lake super event. Many teams were unable to even weigh in one crappie for the day leaving Saturday to play catch up for many of the top teams.

Semi-Pro Division Results

Taking first place was the team of Rick Howard of Warner Robbins, Georgia and Tommy Cherry of Dublin, Georgia with a total 2-day weight of 15.54 pounds and earning $3,000.00. Rick and Tommy were fishing the west side of the lake pulling two 1/16 ounce red/chartreuse AWD jigs in 10-30 feet of water catching only 12-14 fish each day. Teams are allowed to weigh in 7 keeper fish each day.

Second place went to the Hoosier Team of Dallas Thomas of Elwood, Indiana and Greg Caldwell of Noblesville, Indiana with a weight of 15.16 pounds and earning $1,500.00. Dallas and Greg were fishing Limestone Creek using Roadrunner jigs and Charlie Brewer Sliders with lime and chartreuse bodies in 4-8 feet of water catching a total of 15 fish.

In third place was Alabama’s Aaron Barkley of Hartselle, Alabama and Tommy Edwards of Moulton, Alabama with a weight of 14.81 pounds and earning $1,000.00. Aaron and Tommy were fast trolling crankbaits in Spring Creek with chartreuse being their top color. The team found their fish 16 feet deep in 30 feet of water.

Rod Wall and Braxton Wall of Ninety-Six, South Carolina took fourth place with a weight of 14.65 pounds and earning $600.00. Rod and Braxton were fishing Spring Creek using blue back and chrome colored crankbaits with chartreuse belly’s around points catching only 8 fish on Saturday.

Fifth place went to John Eubanks of Trenton, Tennessee and Shane Moore of Milan, Tennessee with a total weight of 13.41 pounds. John and Shane were fishing the back of Spring Creek in 9-11 feet of water using chartreuse/speckled Southern Pro jigs tipped with minnows and catching 10 fish on Saturday.

In the Ranger Cup Awards Rick Howard and Tommy Cherry took home a check for $500.00.

Amateur Division Results

In first place in the amateur division was Mayfield, Kentucky’s John and Matthew Feagin with a weight of 17.62 pounds and earning $2,000.00. John and Matthew were fishing east of the I-65 bridge in 5-7 feet of water using black/chartreuse Southern Pro jigs slow trolling. The team caught 25 fish on Friday and 30 on Saturday fishing dingy water on Friday before 8 AM prior to the storms with the bite much better on Saturday.

Second place went to Camilla, Georgia’s Beth and Danny Williamson with a weight of 15.88 pounds and earning $1,000.00. Beth and Danny were fishing west end of the lake around Spring Creek using AWD black/chartreuse jigs and Bab Fly. The team caught 7 fish Friday and 10 on Saturday.

Taking third place was Steve Brown of Elmore, Alabama and Scott Rumsey of Millbrook, Alabama with a weight of 15.79 pounds and earning $600.00. Steve and Scott were fishing the west end around Spring Creek in 5-25 feet of water trolling black/blue/chartreuse AWD baits with the team catching 12 fish on Saturday..

In fourth was the team of Roger Milby of Auburn, Alabama and Doyle Milby of Murray, Kentucky with a weight of 12.38 pounds and earning $300.00. Roger and Doyle were fishing east of the I-65 bridge in 5-7 feet of water pushing firecracker colored jigs tipped with crappie nibbles and catching 15 fish on Saturday.

Fifth place went to the team of Brad Reding of Mussel Shoals, Alabama and Ronald Laymon of Danville, Alabama with a weight of 12.32 pounds. Brad and Ronald were fishing the west end of the lake around the mouth of Spring Creek in 25-30 feet of water pulling crankbaits. Both H20 and Lucky baits worked well in chartreuse and white pearl colors.

In the Ranger Cup Award the Amateur team was Michael & Aaron Bowland received $125.00.

A special drawing was held at the weigh in for two (2) $500 cash awards. The winners were Michael Bowland on one $500 check and Wally Litrell on the other.

Congratulations to all the teams fishing this event. For a complete list of tournament standings and downloadable photos for this event visit http://www.crappieusa.com then go to Tournament Results.

Big Fish Award

Taking big fish of the event was the team of John Shultz and Elisa Hopper from Leoma, Tennessee with a 1.85 pound crappie. The team caught their big crappie in Elk River on a Charlie Brewer Slider jig in 10 feet of water and earned a check of $275.00. Second place in the big fish contest was the team of Brad Reding of Mussel Shoals, Alabama and Ronald Laymon of Danville, Alabama with as 1.72 pound crappie and earning $120.00.

Crappie USA Free Kids Fishing Rodeo

In conjunction with the tournament Crappie USA held their Kids Rodeo on Saturday morning with several local children attending the event. All the participants signed up for a chance to win one of 6-$2,000.00 scholarships to be drawn for at the Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic.

Crappie USA and our anglers have contributed nearly $290,000.00 to the “Crappie Kids” Scholarships since 1997. We are very proud to be a part of the education process for the youngsters who participate in our tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Crappie USA “Kids Fishing Rodeos”.

A special thanks to Mayor Don Stanford for attending the seminar and weigh ins and to the Decatur CVB for hosting the event. For more information on the area call: 1-800-524-6181 or visit their website at: www.decaturcvb.org.

Stats for the Tournament:

Weather-Storms and rain all day Friday with winds 6-15 MPH. Saturday light winds and 85 degrees making Saturday a beautiful day.

Tackle, Anglers Unlimited and Ron Gooding Insurance.

 

Media Contact
Larry Crecelius
1002 N. Hayes
Salem, IN 47167
lcrecelius@crappieusa.com

Crappie USA President, CEO
Darrell Van Vactor
125 Ruth Avenue
Benton, KY 42025
dvanvactor@crappeusa.com

Lake Toho Bass Fishing report May 20th 2010

Lake Toho Bass Fishing

East Lake Toho Bass Fishing

Got to spend a few hours out on East Lake Toho first thing this morning.  My plan was to just scout out a few areas and enjoy some time on the water.

Whether I have a guide trip or not,  there is nothing more relaxing than just kicking back on the water and doing some bass fishing. Well that plan failed today, as there was no relaxing. I hit my first spot at 6:55 and had my first bass, on video and to the boat by 7:05.

Tossing Strike King Red Eye Shad kept me very busy out here today. I got in roughly 2 hours of bass fishing and boated 10 bass and a very good size crappie, all of which were caught on the Red Eye Shad.

East Lake Toho CrappieWater levels were definitely much lower than my previous trip out here, maybe one day the state of Florida water Mismanagement will leave a good thing alone, but I highly doubt that. Despite the lower levels the lake is very safe to travel around, and the bass were definitely more than will to play. Great thing being, all the bass caught today were right in the two to three pound range, and very scrappy fighters.

Waters look great, nice and clean and the grasses looked very healthy. Main keys to catching them today was working areas with some good vegetation.  Main area was offshore vegetation, mostly areas where grasses were just below the surface. For those that have been asking how the crappie fishing has been out here, it has been doing good, mostly early morning before the sun pounds down on the water, But as you can see from the picture, if they are willing to slam a red eye shad burned thru the water, they will eat anything.

Videos from today will be up on my web site before the days end, so be sure to come back and check them out.

 

Kreit Lands Lake Murray Record Largemouth

Kreit Lands Lake Murray Record Largemouth 
 
record largemouth bassProfessional angler and Oklahoma resident Jeff Kriet caught both a personal best and a lake record largemouth bass this month at Lake Murray when he reeled in a 12.1 lb. fish from the south end of the dam.

Kriet, who lives in Ardmore, was fishing for smallmouth, and though his party landed more than 50 that day, it was the largemouth that put him in the record books.

“That’s the biggest bass I’d ever caught,” said Kriet, who has been bass fishing full time for the past 15 years. “I’ve fished all over the place.”

Kriet has been fishing Lake Murray for about 35 years, and the lake has not only produced his best largemouth, but he also caught his best smallmouth out of the lake as well. However, unlike the smallmouth, which he said weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz., the largemouth was officially weighed and put in the books for good.

“I think it’s a great deal,” Kriet said about the lake record fish program.

When fishing a lake, he said he often finds himself curious to know what the record for that body of water might be, which is one reason he likes the lake record fish program. Endless stories are told about big fish from various lakes – and there is undoubtedly some truth to many of them – but with no official record, there is an element of legend to it that leaves room for skeptics.

But with the lake record fish program, fish get the recognition they deserve and prove to other anglers just what kind of fish Oklahoma lakes can produce, and Kriet’s Lake Murray largemouth is no exception.

Kriet said the lake record program gives anglers an incentive to have big fish officially weighed, drawing attention to fish that deserve to be recognized and removing any doubt about what kind of fish swim in Oklahoma waters.

“It’s on paper and it was let go,” said Kriet about his fish. “It’s not a rumor anymore.”

The information from Kriet’s bass is in the record books, but the actual fish is back in Lake Murray, only to grow and perhaps break its own record under the name of a future angler.

“It’s a great lake,” said Kriet about Lake Murray. “It’s just full of fish.”

The day Kriet caught his lake record largemouth, he went to a honey-hole on the lake where he knew fish spawned early, and it was there he landed his lake record.

The fish measured 26 inches in length and 20.5 inches in girth.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s lake record fish program was initiated in 2008 to recognize big fish from certain lakes and the anglers who catch them.

The program has grown from about a dozen lakes at its inception to more than 40 lakes today. So anglers all over the state can go fishing just for leisure, but they can also go with a sense of competitive drive in hopes of putting their name in a record book.

Species eligible for spots in the lake records book include blue, channel and flathead catfish and largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass in addition to crappie, paddlefish, striped bass, striped bass hybrids, sunfish (combined) walleye/saugeye and white bass. Minimum weights are set for each species and are detailed on the Wildlife Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com.

Anglers who catch a potential record from a participating lake should contact designated business locations around the lake that are enrolled as lake record keepers. A listing of official lake record keepers is available on wildlifedepartment.com.

Once it has been determined that an angler has landed a record fish, the media is notified and the public will be able to view information about the catch on the Wildlife Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com.

An easily-operated search feature is available on the website that allows those interested to view a wealth of lake record fish information, ranging from the size of record fish caught to what kind of bait or rod and reel was used to catch them.

All past and current state record fish are registered in the lake record fish program as records for their respective lakes.

For more information about the lake record fish program, or for more on bass fishing in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

 

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