Stick Marsh/Farm 13

[George_Welcome]

Can you believe that the end of October is already here? Tonight the goblins will howl, Ichabod will wander about Sleep Hollow, and the Mad Pumpkin will lead the Peanuts gang on a frightfully fun evening as they venture forth for Trick or Treat.

I, on the other hand will be preparing for tomorrow's trip to the Stick Marsh. Cleaning the boat, re-spooling reels, getting fuel, and checking oil levels are all part of this fantastic job that I have.

Recapping the fishing forays for the month of October, I am reminded of some great trips on both the Marsh and Blue Cypress Lake. The fishing was up and down, with down being the predominate feature, but the friendships developed and the camaraderie were absolutely fantastic. The month started really slow and certainly like no October that I can remember. Heat levels were sustained in the low to mid-nineties. Water temperatures stayed in the mid to upper eighties and for most of the month the bass were difficult to find or provoke into biting a lure. Those that reported using shiners fared poorly as the bass rejected even this, their favorite candy.

As we neared the end of the month things started to change. A cold front came sweeping in and water temperatures starting dropping. Immediately following the first day of the front bass were found to be moving southward toward areas of previous spawns. While traveling the old irrigation ditches, more and more bass were being noted on the graph, and fish that were being caught were getting bigger.

The end of the month saw a definite increase in size. Numbers were still off, but size is on the increase.

Moving into November will bring forth an increase in both numbers and quality. Typically November is an outstanding month for us as the bass start increasing food intake and the females start egging up. You can expect to see activity in the bedding areas as the males start cleaning house in preparation for the upcoming spawns. You can expect to find the females outside with the occasional gal touring the spawning grounds.

Get out the rattle traps, spinner baits, plastics, and Long A's. Magic time is coming and the bass are going to be out in force.

See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance. I am ready to take your booking and will help you in any way that I can.