Tyler Schmidt

Don't run any of the cuts! The lake is really low right now, I was out yesterday. I ran the rim canal to main lake and fished the outer grass lines.

Get a bucket full of shiners and walk the banks near any major canal that has bridges and pitch to the pilings. You'll catch a bunch of peas and some LMs. Lake Osborne is an alright choice to walk around, I've always fished by boat, but you can toss a frog, skinny dipper, senko.

Whats the run down on the lake? What's the vegetation like? I've never been, I suck at finding water on Okeechobee that has anything but 14inchers in it. Thinking Istokpoga being smaller might be easier to locate quality fish..

The majority of them were caught on a Megabass Magdraft Slowl, 5in version Ayu. Then a Savage Gear Shine Glide, in shiner

I do have a net actually but I lose more fish when I am fumbling with it by myself than I do flipping them in. Rod shouldn't of snapped it was a 7ft heavy, I have flipped in at least 2 dozen 5lb+ on that rod. It is what it is though, I'll likely pay to get it replaced as long as the manufacturer doesn't try to charge me an arm and a leg. Looking back I probably should of just scooped her with my hand. Not sure if they were on bed, the water in this cove was stained, in a canal nearby that was clear I saw a handful of small ones bedding. I'd love to come fish the deeper clear lakes if you are willing to show them to me, we can take my boat or yours if you have one.

I've seen on YouTube people fishing some deep clear, lakes (canals/ponds?) for peas...anyone know where I might be able to find said waterways? Where I have been catching them is fairly stained, shallow with a lot of vegetation.

No...that's cheating. All artificial. My best 5 went 21.2lbs. Biggest was 5.8lbs and had another 5.04

Is there such a thing? Sign me up. These fish kick a LM teeth in

Any of yall fishing the Double Ds saloon tournament, on the 11th of march I believe, out on the lox? $2k for big bass, $1k for 1st place

Well the Lox is pretty neat, looks just like Okeechobee. Fished yesterday from safelight to about 330. Only had a couple bites by noon then stumbled upon a couple productive stretches and caught a dozen, nothing huge best 5 went about 13lbs. I'll likely go back at some point soon since there is a BFL then BASS coming to the O.

Water clarity was awesome in there on the 1st...but I suck at fishing so my catch was not impressive. I did see a ton of empty beds, likely pushed off from the last front. They probably have moved back on unless we are about to have another front. Haven't kept up with the weather predictions the last couple days

Interested as well..

That makes sense. How often is water pumped in/out of the rim canal? Is there a site or # to call and find out?

That's interesting and I will have to try it. I know hard bottom, shell and clear water are important for mats and that is one of the few things I actually know about the lake. I honestly haven't even looked at my side imaging since I moved down here, used it all the time fishing offshore humps and brush piles in Georgia. My 4 trips to the O say differently about numbers/size from the O. Unfortunately. I would love to go to the Stick Marsh but I don't want to rip my LU while running somewhere I shouldn't... I think I'm going to give the Lox and the flats a chance sometime next week. I am slightly surprised you didn't see any signs of beds, I saw dozens of empty beds at the O on the 1st. I had a gentlemen tell me that the Lox was no fire several years ago, a lot of big fish being caught but that does not seem to be the case anymore..what happened?

Geo, how is the water level at the flats right now? I've got a couple free days next week and may try the Lox out instead of going back to the O. Do I need an orange flag on a pole to fish the flats and is there any fee to launch down there? When I went to the visitors center they said it was $5 to launch up at the ramp on the same road as the preserve.

Spend some time at the Tiki Bar, beer is reasonably priced and they usually have fishing on a couple TVs. If yall are going to use shiners, hold on you will catch a giant

I was at the weigh in, Taylor won it on a swimjig in Clewiston. There last day was the 1st day of the front, where as I fished in the tail end of the front. High pressure systems like this tend to push the bass to the thickest cover they can find, i.e. mats. Clewiston was muddied up from the wind, I did toss around a chatter bait and swimjig but with the lackof clarity I ran to the monkey box. Perfect water clarity in there, caught a couple small ones and had a giant come off, then I ran the wrong cut and got stuck for 2hrs. After that I went to the Tiki Bar and drank away the pain of defeat

Geo, the south end of lox is a little over an hour from the house unfortunately. I going to head to the O but I'll likely put in at Slims near South/Pelican Bay. Looks like it is time to break out the meat stick and the big 2+oz weights and flip the nastiest mats I can find.

I've only fished South and Pelican Bay thus far with limited success, but it seems like I have caught every dam 12incher in the lake. Pretty solid cold front hit this weekend, lows will be in the 50s, so that will hurt the fishing where ever I go. Wednesday will be sunny with highs in the mid 70s, hopefully that'll help. I went to the FLW Costa series weigh in at Okeechobee today; swimjigs, chatterbaits, bigEZs were the ticket but it was fishing tough for a lot of people. Flip bite was nearly non existent apparently.

I have a free day this coming Wednesday, Feb. 1st where should I fish? I have never been to the Lox, I live about 30 minutes from the ramp at the north end where the Nature preserve and what not is. About 50 minutes from Okeechobee if I launch from Slimms near Pelican Bay and South Bay. I have not been to the O in about 3 weeks, I am considering launching at Harney Pond and fish fisheating bay, which is a 1hr 40min drive. Or last but not least make the 1hr 45min drive to the Stick Marsh, which I have never been to but have heard great things. Someone convince me where to go! There is also an open seat in the boat if anyone would like to to tag along, triton tr-186.

When I still lived in Georgia and fished Clark's Hill, I knew a gentlemen who'd stand on his front deck of his boat and shoot buzzards with a 12ga after he got back from fishing. DNR never hassled him surprisingly.

Thanks G for the heads up about the vultures. I have a roll over rubber truck bed cover that I'm sure they'd destroy. I guess I'll have to take it off whenever I fish there. Do reflective objects scare them off also, i.e. the silver dash protector you put against the windshield?

I appreciate the info, I looked at Earth and saw the flats. That'd be about a 20mile, 35 minute run via boat, or about the same distance via truck but a little longer driving time. I was told there have been semi regular truck break ins down there, any truth to that?

I just moved down to Wellington about a month ago and recently found out I can put the bass boat into the rim canal of the preserve. Which I plan to do so in the near future. I have read about "the flats", where are they located? I plan on putting in at the ramp at the Arthur Marshall entrance off of 441, unless there is a better place to? Any tips on an area where I should focus my efforts? I understand how to fish grass for the most part; flip, swimjig, bigEZ, traps, chatterbaits, etc. I've also fished Okeechobee several times, but haven't caught any over 3lbs. Osborne is the closest and where I have had the most success for LM and peas, but I like to explore and am always open to dragging the boat somewhere else..