Highlands Bass Angler - Central Florida Bass Fishing Guide Service  
 
Fishing Forecast - Nov 20 -26 

For the remainder of this week anglers will see the heat wave of the first part of this week depart as more seasonable weather arrives today and returns the daily high temperature to the mid seventies and the lows in the high fifties—perfect fishing temperatures.

The moon has plenty to say regarding fishing, with its orbit perigee occurring tomorrow at 4:25 a.m. and the start of a new moon on Friday at 1:11 a.m. anglers will have a daytime feeding migration that continually stays strong all day with a slight increase in feeding activity as the day goes on today and perhaps tomorrow. However, Friday and Saturday this progressive feeding activity throughout the day will become three feeding periods about six hours apart—sunrise, midday, and sunset.

The major feeding migration of the day will occur from 6-11 a.m. and will have a peak period from 6-8 a.m. that will reach a one-in-ten scale rating of 8 and then decline to 7 for the rest of the morning. By Friday, this period will move later into the day by about two hours and maintain the rating.

The second feeding migration occurs from 5-7 p.m. and will have a peak period for thirty minutes at 6 p.m. that will rate 5-6. This feeding period also moves later into the evening hours by two or three hours by this weekend.

By Friday and Saturday the third feeding period develops in the sense that as today’s feeding migration moves into the early afternoon hours in the next few days and gains or keeps its current feeding rating and strength, that the early morning feeding migration starts to rebuild without the lunar factor being dominate. The bite returns to following the sunrise as the feeding trigger instead of the moon. This bite starts at 6 a.m. and peaks right away, lasting until the sun is fully insight and then ends thirty minutes later. The rating will be 4-5 and continue to build into next week.

The worst time of the day to fish is from 2-5 a.m. and p.m. when the rating hits the daily low of three. Note that the 2 p.m. mark might move one hour later by the weekend as the midday migration moves into the afternoon and loses strength. 

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.51’ above sea level, with three gates open .5 feet for the past week to maintain a level below the maximum high-pool of 39.5’.

The FWC Lake Istokpoga fall hydrilla treatment event of 1856 total acres weather permitting will happen on November 29-30 A total of four plots and boat trails will be treated with Aquthol Super K by helicopter.

Three target plots of 169, 411, and 62 acres along the south end extending from Cypress Isle Fish Camp west past the Windy Point boat ramp and north on the southwest shoreline for about a mile, stopping just south of Rutledge Canal. The fourth plot of 1214 acres will extend along the middle of the east shoreline, Istokpoga Shores area, south past Trails End Resort, Istokpoga Canal, Mossy Cove Fish Camp, and ends a little less than a mile from the S-68 spillway on the southeast shoreline. Finally, there will be 100 acres of boat trails, 200 feet wide in the form of an “X”, directly south of Bumblebee Island and in front of Cypress Isle, in open water.. There will be maps provided at the boat ramps to assist anglers in where not to fish for at least two weeks.

An FWC Istokpoga Crappie Fishing Rodeo will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the route 98 Istokpoga County Park boat ramp. Friends of Istokpoga Inc. are hosting the event. All crappie anglers are invited to assist the FWC in a Crappie (specks) Tagging Study starting with registration from 6-8 a.m. The FWC biologist need help catching crappie for this study. All crappie will be tagged by FWC officials and released back into the lake. All information collected from this study will aid in the development of a Black Crappie Management Plan for the lake. There will be a free BBQ lunch with drinks and free drawings for prizes. All anglers must bring their own boats (with functioning live wells) as well as their own bait and tackle. For more info contact Bill Pouder at the FWC, 863-648-3805 

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
Fishing Forecast- Nov. 20, 2011 

Anglers this week will enjoy the best fishing of the month with the new moon arriving on Friday, the lunar perigee happening the day before on Thanksgiving, and near-perfect fall weather forecasted to remain stable all week. Truly, a week of Angling Thanksgiving is in order here, for undoubtedly anglers will reap bountiful blessings of the fishy kind.

Today anglers will have a very strong early morning feeding migration that should be strengthened by unstable barometric pressure that is supposed to produce rain this afternoon. Depending on the timing of the approaching weather, the late evening feeding migration could be interrupted or stopped altogether if heavy rains occur. All week the morning bite will be above average as the moon leads more fish to feed during this time.

The best evening fishing of the next three days looks to happen on Tuesday, just prior to the arrival of more potential rainy weather and a temperature drop, which is forecasted for late Tuesday night, Wednesday morning.

Today through Tuesday, the best feeding bite will happen from 6-10 a.m. as the moon arrives overhead and the sunrise starts. The peak period will be from 6:30-8:30 a.m. today and have a one-in-ten scale rating of 8 or 9. Tomorrow and Tuesday move these times later in the morning by about an hour. The rating should remain above 6 until midweek when the midday feeding migration kicks into high gear with a strong new moon.

There is a secondary feeding bite that will occur from 5-9 p.m. and have a peak period for one hour during the sunset. The rating should reach 5 or 6 “if” there isn’t any rain at this time otherwise the ratings will drop to the bottom of the lake—which is exactly where all the fish will be literally.

The worst time to fish over the next three days is from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The second half of this week will give anglers very good midday and midnight feeding migrations to go along with the usual feeding bites centered on the sunrise and sunset.   

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.47’ above sea level, with three gates open .53 feet for the past week to keep below the maximum high-pool of 39.5’.

The FWC has scheduled Lake Istokpoga to have a fall hydrilla treatment event of 1856 total acres. There will be three target plots of 169, 411, and 62 acres along the south end extending from Cypress Isle Fish Camp west past the Windy Point boat ramp and north on the southwest shoreline for about a mile just south of Rutledge Canal. The fourth plot of 1214 acres will extend along the middle of the east shoreline, Istokpoga Shores area, south past Trails End Resort, Istokpoga Canal, Mossy Cove Fish Camp, and ends a little less than a mile from the S-68 spillway on the southeast shoreline. Finally, there will be 100 acres of boat trails, 200 feet wide in the form of an “X”, directly south of Bumblebee Island and in front of Cypress Isle. There will be maps provided at the boat ramps to assist anglers in where not to fish for at least two weeks.

An Istokpoga Crappie Fishing Rodeo will be conducted by the FWC on Saturday Dec. 3 at the route 98 Istokpoga County Park. All crappie anglers are invited to assist the FWC in a Crappie (specks) Tagging Study starting with registration from 6-8 a.m. The FWC biologist need help catching crappie for this study. All crappie will be tagged by FWC officials and released back into the lake. All information collected from this study will aid in the development of a Black Crappie Management Plan for the lake. There will be a free BBQ lunch with drinks and free drawings for prizes. All anglers must bring their own boats (with functioning live wells) as well as their own bait and tackle. For more info contact Bill Pouder at the FWC, 863-648-3805 

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest had one person come within one ounce of the correct weight and six guesses within three ounces. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
Fishing Forecast- Wed 16, 2011 

For the remainder of the week fishing conditions will improve for the early morning anglers while the evening anglers see their success diminish slightly, as the last-quarter moon phase starts to take effect as it arrives Friday at 10:09 a.m.

For the next four days, the moon will be overhead during and immediately after the sunrise. This lunar influence causes fish to migrate toward feeding in the morning hours instead of the evening hours. In fact the later feeding period’s diminish is the former’s augmentation; which is music to the morning angler’s ears, and hopefully, a little chin music for the first trophy bass to come along in the next four mornings.

So then, the primary feeding migration of the day, the best time to fish of the day, is from 6 – 9:30 a.m. The peak period is from 7-8 a.m. and should climb to 9 on the one-in-ten ratings scale today and tomorrow (weather forecasted, will improve feed ratings to above normal rates for this lunar phase), but then decline to 7-8 on Friday and remain at 6-7 through the weekend.

The secondary feeding migration of the day and the second best time to catch fish will be from 4-7 p.m. The peak period is from 5-6 p.m. and will have a rating of 7 today (but this rating too could be higher “if” the approaching weather front arrives prior to the sunset today. If not, it will help the morning bite tomorrow) and drop to 5 by the weekend.

The forecasted weather for the next four days looks good except for Thursday when rain is supposed to develop throughout the day—this could be the best morning to fish “If” the barometric pressure becomes unstable before 9 a.m. the Friday forecast predicts a drop in temperature that shouldn’t be enough to negatively affect fishing results.

The worst time of the day to fish will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the rating bottom’s out at 3-4, but and however, the weather forecast for today and tomorrow might make this a productive fishing period. Watch the local weather conditions, who knows, you might be able to be at your favorite fishing hole just before the weather changes and catch a record number of your favorite fish. Weather Arrival, is the largest wildcard factor in fishing, no fish-bones about it   
 
 
Fishing Forecast - November 13-19

This week anglers can expect traditional fall weather to help fishing conditions with the exception of some rainfall expect on Wednesday. Otherwise, temperatures are expected to return to the upper seventies and winds speeds to slow to tolerable fishable speeds instead of the strong wind speeds of the past few days.

With the full moon phase ending now and the last-quarter phase arriving this Friday anglers can expect fish to feed heaviest during the rising of the moon and then again twelve hours later. But there is normally a midday feeding migration during the full and new moon phases and such will be the case with a bump in the feeding intensity over the next few days.

Anglers are reporting catching all types of fish on all the lakes in Highlands County. Right now, there really is not a bad lake to fish except to note that a few lakes still have not recovered normal depths, such as Lake Jackson, which is forty inches below the normal level and Lake Lotela, which is also very low at near five feet below the norm.

The average lake is up however meaning, plenty of fresh shoreline vegetation has been submerged and this in turn creates perfect feeding areas for fish.

The best fishing time of the day occurs, when the fish start biting—I couldn’t help saying that—no seriously, when the sunset and moonrise occur one after the other; 5:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. respectively. The peak period should occur from 6-8 p.m. and reach a one-in-ten scale rating of 7 today. By midweek, expect this feeding migration to decline somewhat as the early morning migration begins to reap the benefits of the “leading moonlight” toward morning hours.

The next best time of the day to fish will be from sunrise until moonset, which occurs from 6:45 a.m. to 9:07 a.m. The peak period occurs from 6:30-8 a.m. and will have a rating of 5-6 at best. This feeding migration will strengthen in both duration and intensity during this week. As the moonlight moves later into the night, so too does the feeding activity. When the moon sets during midmorning hours, the feeding intensity really increases. Such will be the case by midweek.

The worst time to fish for the next three days will be from 10 a.m. to noon when the rating drops to 4. 

Fishing Flash

Friends of Istokpoga Lake Association Inc. will be holding their annual General FOI Membership Meeting on November 17 at the Lorida Community Center in Lorida Florida. Guest speakers: Daniel Noah Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service and Bill Pounder of Fish and Wildlife Association. The start time is 6:45 p.m. for refreshments, and 7-8:30 p.m. for the membership meeting.

The Annual Friends of Istokpoga Bass Tournament will be held on November 19 at the route 98 Istokpoga Park in Sebring. In association with the Human Society of Highlands County this second event will have a Silent Auction after the weigh-in. The launch is at safe-light with the weigh-in at 3 p.m. For Friends of Istokpoga (FOI) members the entry fee is $80, for non-members the entry fee is $125. Join FOI for $7 yearly membership and save $45 on the entry fee. Pre-register before November 17 and be entered for a $100 drawing. If you’re one of the first twenty to pre-register you’ll receive a spinning reel compliments of Lorida Fish and Tackle and John Woods. For complete info call John Woods, 655-5510.

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.45’ above sea level, with three gates open .60 feet for the past week to keep below the yearly maximum high-pool schedule of 39.5’.

The FWC has scheduled Lake Istokpoga to have the fall hydrilla treatment event of 1800 acres between November 28 and December 9, of shorelines areas where spawning has traditionally occurred. This time slot also is in between bird hunting seasons and will not disrupt duck migrations.

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest had one person come within one ounce of the correct weight and six guesses within three ounces. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
Fishing Forecast 

As the end of the first-quarter moon phase finishes today, it sets the base upon which this week’s full moon and lunar apogee will affect both anglers and fish. Not only did the “turning back” affect change the time we fish today—hopefully at safelight this morning your clock said 6 a.m. and not 7 a.m.—it also can be said of the way fish are migrating toward feeding at night and during midday hours.

As the first-quarter moon waxes toward full this Thursday, it will have already turned past the apogee on Tuesday, and be causing fish to feed in the light of the full moon and conversely twelve hours later during the midday hours. With clear nighttime skies forecasted for this week, expect the nighttime feeding session to be much stronger than its daytime counterpart can produce.

Today anglers can expect the best feeding period of the day to occur from 5-9 p.m. The peak period will occur from 6-8:30 p.m. and have a one-in-ten scale rating of 6-7 at best with a 5 being more the norm. This feeding bite will build in duration and intensity over the next week as it moves later into the evening by about an hour per day.

The second best time of the day to fish will be from 6-10 a.m. The peak period should occur from 7-9 a.m. with a rating of 5 today that should remain until midweek when it drops to 4 as the nighttime feeding bite really reaches its peak rating. This feeding migration moves later into the morning hours by about an hour per day and by midweek becomes the midday feeding bite.

This is the week to go nighttime fishing. The water temperatures are ideal with temps in the lower seventies, the weather forecast is ideal with no nighttime cloud cover, and the feeding habits of fish this time of year, is ideal as well, as fish return to feeding primarily at night when oxygen levels and temperatures are ideal for food digestion.

This week there really isn’t a bad time to go fishing per say with the approaching full moon and steady weather conditions predicted to continue. However there won’t be exceptional feeding activity either, so don’t be expecting the moon if you’re shooting that high. The average daily rating over the next three days should be in the 4-5 range at best. That is a 4 for the daily low, and a 5 for the daily high. It won’t be better or worse.

Yes, it is that good, or bad, depending on how you want to say it. I just say, “blah”, and plan instead to do some reel maintenance and a little boat cleaning and envision better fishing days ahead. Like November 17 through the end of the month when fishing will be so hot anglers will be sweating through the heat of success, I guarantee it.    

Fishing Flash

Friends of Istokpoga Lake Association Inc. will be holding their annual General FOI Membership Meeting on November 17 at the Lorida Community Center in Lorida Florida. Guest speakers: Daniel Noah Warning Coorgination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service and Bill Pounder of Fish and Wildlife Association. The start time is 6:45 p.m. for refreshments, and 7-8:30 p.m. for the membership meeting.

The Annual Friends of Istokpoga Bass Tournament will be held on November 19 at the route 98 Istokpoga Park in Sebring. In association with the Human Society of Highlands County this second event will have a Silent Auction after the weigh-in. The launch is at safe-light with the weigh-in at 3 p.m. For Friends of Istokpoga (FOI) members the entry fee is $80, for non-members the entry fee is $125. Join FOI for $7 yearly membership and save $45 on the entry fee. Pre-register before November 17 and be entered for a $100 drawing. If you’re one of the first twenty to pre-register you’ll receive a spinning reel compliments of Lorida Fish and Tackle and John Woods. For complete info call John Woods, 655-5510.

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.53’ above sea level, with three gates open .70 feet to maintain the yearly maximum high-pool schedule of 39.5’.

The FWC has scheduled Lake Istokpoga to have the fall hydrilla treatment event of 1800 acres between November 28 and December 9, of shorelines and residential areas where spawning has traditionally occurred. Then two months later on February 13-14, 4000 acres of open water growth will be targeted, comprised of several large-scale treatment blocks in the middle of the lake.

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest had one person come within one ounce of the correct weight and six guesses within three ounces. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
Fishing Forecast 

The first-quarter moon arrives today at 11:38 a.m. and because of its lunar influence anglers can expect to enjoy a developing early morning feeding migration that should equal its counterpart, the late evening feeding migration, in intensity and duration.

The normal level of influence and intensity on feeding activity during this lunar phase won’t be a strong one due to the lunar apogee being six days away—as the moon heads away from earth so too does the feeding-influence intensity. How this phenomenon plays out in real-time is that less numbers of fish migrate at the same time of day to one dominate feeding period. But instead, more numbers of fish migrate to feed during one or more of the three prime feeding periods that occur normally at about six-hour intervals, which is what happens no matter what lunar phase is occurring. .

Therefore, there might not be as many strikes during the feeding migration due to lower numbers of feeding fish but there will be feeding fish during the three normally popular fishing times for anglers—early morning, midday, and late evening periods.

The major feeding migration of the day will occur from 5-10 a.m. and will have a one-in-ten scale rating of 7 today but will gain duration daily over the next four days to remain the strongest feed period of the day heading into the weekend—same rating of seven. The peak period should be from 7-8:30 a.m. but by Friday expect a period of 6:30-9:30 a.m.

The secondary feeding migration of the day will occur from 5-9 p.m. and have a rating of 7, and a peak period from 6-8 p.m. that will diminish daily in duration but keep the rating at 7 until Friday when it should drop to 5-6.

The worst time of the day to fish is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the rating sinks to 3 but has a slight bump between noon and 1 p.m.—six hours since the last feeding migration. The increase in feeding activity will not be much but maybe enough to make it worthwhile “if” you know where to fish. My guess is the rating rises to five at the noon hour but all bets are off. I’d rather put my effort forth in the morning or evening feeding periods.

With winds now predominately coming out of the north and west, anglers should expect fish to move toward traditional winter feeding and spawning areas. The cooling temperatures and predominate-wind direction change will certainly signal to our finny friends that a seasonal migration is necessary. So be prepared to adjust your strategy when planning how to approach inside shoreline feeding areas. Most fish will be in transitional phases; in between the fall/summer depths and cover, and winter shallows and cover, establishing winter homes.

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.57’ above sea level, with three gates open 1.5 feet to maintain a yearly maximum high-pool of 39.5’.

The FWC has scheduled Lake Istokpoga to have the fall hydrilla treatment event of 1800 acres between November 28 and December 9. Then two months later on February 13-14, 4000 acres will be targeted, comprised of several large-scale treatment blocks.  This will be ok if the water levels are higher than seasonal norms--this strategy will not interrupt spawning bass since their first preference is to inhabit healthy shoreline vegetative cover. However, if levels are lower, bass will spawn out in the hydrilla fields in more suitable protective cover and mass treatment events in this case will displace and end spawning efforts.       

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest had one person come within one ounce of the correct weight and six guesses within three ounces. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
NOTE: Starting in November,  I will be posting at least Sunday's article and Wednesday's if the forecast changes significantly during the week.

Fishing Forecast 

Anglers will enjoy fishing evenings for the first part of this week as the affects of last week’s new moon move later into the late afternoon and evening and therefore strengthen the sunset feeding migration--nothing scary about that for this Halloween fishing weekend although a “One that Got Away” story might haunt several anglers for the rest of their lives. But then again, I’m sure some anglers will be doing the “Monster Bass Mash”, hopefully the later will be your frightful fate.

The development of the first-quarter moon will enhance the evening feeding migration the most over the next three days. This is due to the moon being directly overhead from 4-7 p.m. while the sun is setting. The combined effects will make this period the major feeding migration of the day, for the next three days.

The major feeding migration occurs from 5-9 p.m. and will have a peak period for two hours centered on the sunset that reaches a one-in-ten rating of 6-7. However, expect this feeding bite to diminish slightly if rainy weather arrives, currently forecasted for tonight into tomorrow—although Monday night does look to be the best evening for fishing over the next three evenings.

The secondary feeding migration of the day occurs from 6:30-9:30 a.m. and will have a peak period from 7-8 a.m. that will have a rating of 5-6 over the next two days, but will increase by one number by midweek and expand in duration by another hour.

The “Horror House” fishing hours of the day will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the average low rating of the day drops to 3-4, and from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. The total lack of strikes could be downright scary.

Looking ahead to the second half of this week anglers will have a developing early morning bite that will overtake the current stronger evening bite by Thursday. But after that weather will be the dominate factor as the moon head toward apogee which arrives a week from this Tuesday.

With water temperatures stabilized in the middle to lower seventies, fish can feed at will at all times of the day. For this reason, daily feeding patterns that fish naturally form will be easy to locate and determine. Additionally, anglers will also have to “match the hatch” with their bait selection. Fish this time of year have such a rich food chain to feast on that tricking them will not be easy—like trying to get you to eat a cheap hot dog at a surf-n-turf smorgasbord.

Fishing Flash

Email me your “Halloween Fish” and I will feature it in an upcoming article. If you catch a fish that looks scary, weird, monstrous, or just a real trick or treat, email it to me at davidpdouglass@hotmail.com. Let me know why you think it’s a Halloween Fish.

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.55’ above sea level, which is down from last week’s level of 39.68’ but above the maximum high-pool of 39.5’. With more rain in the forecast, the gates of the S-68 spillway should remain open—as of Saturday morning, three gates were open at 1.7 feet each.    

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest had one person come within one ounce of the correct weight and six guesses within three ounces. Try your luck and guess the weight of the trophy bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip.
 
 
Note: Highlands Today editors shortened my article today because of space constraints, so here is the complete article--162 words were edited-out of two sections. Plus the title was completely changed to detract from my intent indirectly.

 In the currrent state of politics in America and the world, where conservative Christian capitolists (WASP) are considered the enemy of the "people" and therefore not viable in the real world, I voice my contempt in satire.

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Anglers can expect this week to produce excellent fishing conditions for early morning anglers and very good conditions for early evening anglers as the last-quarter lunar phase arrives Wednesday. However, the high-pressure system and wind speeds today and tomorrow will interrupt the normal feeding patterns established over the past few days since the rains stopped. This weather factor will slow the feeding activity for two days, which means that midweek fishing success will be that much better as fish return to normal patterns. 

This is the time of year where anglers can catch their limit in the early morning, and then go out later in the day as the sun sets and repeat the same fishing success, again—assuming catch and release as the norm, as in bass angling. (Most pan-fish anglers eat their catch limits and do not break the law, but some are not so ethical.)  

Yes, freshwater fishing is this good, right now, here in Central Florida. Anglers can recreationally fish for large trophy bass in the early morning and during the evenings; catch a pan-fish dinner for four. What better ways to unwind, unhinge, and forget temporarily, all the insanity disrupting our nation right now.  

I say, “Occupy your boats” anglers, and “Help spread the fish around”. Most anglers I have met like to catch their own fish—after the spirit of “the audacity of hope”. They would considered it an insult to have a successful, accomplished--and therefore a “rich”—angler, suggest that he could provide the unsuccessful anglers with what they cannot provide for themselves. To be a fishermen, one must catch their own fish, otherwise that person holding the fish is nothing more than a consumer, a buyer, right?.  

Anglers like to catch their own fish, period. Imagine in your angling-community-imagination that there are twenty anglers fishing the same lake. At the end of the day, they all come to the dock to compare results. The rule is, the anglers with the largest amount of fish must allow their catches to be redistributed to those who did not succeed as well.  

(Edited-out)
In this utopian angler’s world scenario, the successful angler must be satisfied redefining his real catch as an "exchange",  for the average catch rate that the unsuccessful anglers arrive at once the equal distribution is finalized. (Edit end)  

In this world of “angling equality”, there is just fishing luck and redistributive gatherers. In the end, the art of angling is no longer and the gatherers will need to form an angling government to create fishermen to catch fish for everyone who wants a “caught fish”, for what ever reason.  

Therefore, in the spirit of occupying fishing boats and spreading the fish around, let me tell you when to go fishing first in order to obtain the audacity of hope. 

Today through Tuesday, the best time to go fishing is from 4-8 a.m. The peak period is from 6-7:30 a.m. and will have a one-in-ten scale rating of 5 today and 7 by midweek. This feeding migration will strengthen all week in duration and intensity. 

The second best time to fish will be from 5-9 p.m. The peak period is from 7-8 p.m. and will have a rating of 4 today but strengthen slightly to 5-6 by midweek. 

The worst time to go fishing over the next three days will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the rating drops to the daily low of 3-4.

(Edited-out)  Although if you want to fish at this time I would suggest bringing plenty of gatherers, or I mean fishermen. One out of a dozen afternoon anglers one could catch one fish for all—ah, the unity. 

Now, if you want to know where to catch fish, let me provide the exact location where all fish are caught … wait for it--in their mouth. You were not expecting a GPS coordinance were you? Ha, all you anglers stop your capitalist smiles and give me your best fishing-hole locations so I can publish them. Think of how good you’ll feel afterward.  

Now get out there and occupy your boats until you can spread the fish around creating the audacity of hope for anglers and non-anglers alike. Yippee for socialist fishing! 

Fishing Flash 

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.68’ above sea level, which is up from last week’s level of 39.61’. The three S-68 spillway gates are open 3.5’ in order to keep below or near the maximum level of 39.5 feet. .  

5 Comments
 
 
NOTE: The editors of the Highlands Today newspaper and/or the Tampa Tribune significantly "changed" my article as to not offend Muslims radicals by mentioning that the events of 911 were in fact attacks by Muslim radicals just as we remember December 7 as the day Japan attacked the US.

I am not concerned about offending a Muslim who is offended by the truth. Shariah Law and Mohammad is a fraud which explains why they use DEATH of the unbeliever as the reasoning for enhancing their life on earth. The true God, Jesus of Nazareth, who was and is Jehovah God of Israel, never attacks unbelievers but instead offers TRUTH through his people of peace and love.

And, beside those facts, a true American Patriot never omits the name of his ememy when declaring the state of the current battle for the right to exist in a state of peace and love, which the Muslim religious extremist is determined to take away through his death and mine. It is treasonist for any American who attempts to silence a Patriot because he names his enemy for what they themselves call themselves. This new american-ideology embraces the enemy of America. These same Muslims consider these types of americans as a "Weak Horse"--worthy of death.
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On this day when America remembers its great citizens that died in the acts of war committed by radical Muslims soldiers against this great nation ten years ago today, it’s hard to have the mindset in which to consider fishing. I feel the same way on December 7 when America remembers and honors those that were attacked and died at Pearl Harbor.

But what makes this day of remembrance particularly difficult is that those that were attacked and died ten years ago today, were not soldiers but people, fishermen, fellow anglers, common folk, just like you and me.

They were the best of humanity, always getting up everyday to meet the responsibilities they chose for the purpose of contributing to their fellow Americans. These peaceful, God fearing people, represent the very system of humanity that provides for the world the illustration of how humans are to coexist; one government next to another, working through life’s challenges together, yet apart in their national distinctive.

As we consider the art of angling on this day, let us first remember we do so on the lives of past Americans who had a vision of “us” today, enjoying the what they could not at that time. For, they fully understood that one can not relax and take-in life’s pleasures and arts until their chosen responsibilities were accomplished—creating and defending a nation of like peoples.

I talked to an individual in 2002 that had a business in one of the Trade Center towers on a floor above where the planes attacked innocent Americans, and the people he employed. We talked for several hours about how fortunate Americans were, who were not in the path of murder that day. And we both were having a hard time returning to an American’s life, safe behind a defense system Americans before us built.

I will never forget what he said near the end of our discussion, “True Americans understand that life can only be as great as God intended when this nation’s people learn the discipline of serving other Americans as the reason for living today.” He further stated that as we return to this base, core discipline, we will return to the pleasures and arts provided by patriots before us. And most of all, we embrace those privileges as an essential part of the balance of that same discipline.

With this mindset I offer this fishing forecast today, on Patriot Day.

We can go fishing because great Americans who paid the ultimate price of their lives would want us to keep partaking in what they disciplined themselves to achieve—an Americans life lived to the fullest potential helping younger Americans do the same.

The Patriot’s Fishing Forecast – With the full moon occurring tomorrow at 5:27 a.m. and the lunar apogee later in the week on Thursday, the affect of the moon on fishing during the day will be moderate to weak. However during the night, the rule is, the brighter the moon the better the fishing.

The major feeding daytime migration occurs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a peak period from 10:30 – noon that will have a rating of 8 today but will diminish slightly each day this week.

The major feeding nighttime migration occurs from midnight to 2:30 a.m. and will have a peak period from 12:30 to 1:30 a.m. and a rating of 9 today, but diminishing to a 6 by the end of the week.

The worst time to fish will be from 4 to 11 p.m. when the rating drops to 2-3.  

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 38.84’ above sea level which is up from last week’s level of 38.70’

 
 
NOTE:  I should know better than attempting to forecast fishing conditions as hurricanes approach. The Lake Istokpoga hydrilla treatment event won't be affected by Irene as the storm has taken a more east northeast track, away from Florida (Wed. 8:45 am).  The article was written Tuesday morning when tracking models forecasted a direct hit for the State.

UPDATE: Fishing conditions for Thursday and Friday will be excellent in the early morning with a peak period happening from 8 to 11 pm that should have a rating of 7. This feeding migration will move later into the morning hours on Friday, etc. Winds will be no where near as bad as expected with speeds in the middle teens and gusts in the lower twenties. Experienced boaters should have no problems, but anyone else should use great caution while learning to navigate heavy waves.

Fishing Forecast

Anglers have good news and bad new for the remainder of this week. Since I am an optimist I will give you the bad new first.

The bad news is that the best fishing days of August will be interrupted by a category 3 hurricane along the east shoreline of our great State. Now this might not be bad new per say because fishing will be second-to-none “as” the barometer begins to drop when the storm gets close. However the strong winds and the large wave action that will occur might be enough bad news to negate the entire endeavor.

The good news is that by the time the new moon arrives this Sunday and the perigee two days later, the new moon fishing factors will align for three days and should make for better-than-average fishing conditions—albeit the heavy feeding prior to the storm will diminish fishing success after the storm exits our State.

The best times to fish today and tomorrow will be from 6 to 11 a.m. The peak period occurs from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and will have a one-in-ten rating of 7. After 12 noon the rating drops below 5 for a few hours and drops again to 2 by 5 p.m. At sunset there will be a slight increase in fish feeding activity but only a 5 rating is expected.

Fishing conditions on Friday and Saturday will be unpredictable from my vantage point this Tuesday morning, but if you must try your luck (and luck is will be with so many unknown factors) I would suggest playing the angling game on the safest side possible.

Know your boats limitations as well as your boat driving skills in large waves. Keep phones dry and batteries charged and by all means, make sure your motor works to its full potential—nothing spells trouble more than being stranded in hurricane winds in the middle of a lake (And by the way this doesn’t classify under “Bad Luck” but rather just plain stupidity).

My advice for Friday is to clean your boat. Update your tackle and clean your reels. The fish feeding migrations will be completely disrupted anyway so if you do go fishing, you and I both know it wasn’t to catch fish today. But getting away from your wife during the storm might be best—ah the domestic complexities of the angler’s world. 

Fishing Facts

When it comes to good and bad fishing news, the optimist always handles the bad factors first and then plugs the good news into that context. The result will always be “Best News”, and that produces real optimism and therefore real success. 

Fishing Fiction

The fishing optimist always handles the good news first. This might be true since I see so many anglers considering fishing factors such as, old fishing sayings from grandpa and dad, and weather reports, and nothing else, before they head out on the lake.

This might explain why their luck runs out so often and more importantly, why they don’t catch fish.

Perhaps if they knew when fish have not been biting over the past few days, or when the published fishing times suggest fishing will be better today, or even more important, are there any nicks in the fishing line?

The optimistic angler knows and handles all the possible bad news before he leaves his home, thereby allowing the good news to just happen naturally—being able to handle more bad news easily is good news, is it not?.

The majority of the time, the angler’s good news expands. Such as is stated here, “I found several nicks in my fishing line last night and replaced it, so I’m set for the big one now, here fishy-fishy.”

The confidence gained by handling all the bad news first, is in itself, Good News. If not, all that’s left is Bad News.   

Fishing Flash

The Mystery Bass Weight Contest is underway again with a new bass featured on the Mystery Bass page on HighlandsBassAngler.com. Email me the correct weight in pounds and ounces, (Illustration: 17 lb – 4 oz) and win a half-day bass fishing trip on a lake of my choice.

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 38.35’ above sea level which is down from last week due to the approaching hurricane Irene. In August the high-pool mark is raised gradually for thirty days to 38.50’.Yesterday three gates at the S-68 spillway were opened about 7 inches as SFWMD to prepare for substantial rainfall for the last part of this week. 

A Lake Istokpoga Hydrilla Treatment event is scheduled for August 30 and 31.

This date was set months ago but now that a major hurricane is forecasted to drop significant rainfall accompanied by heavy winds; there is reason to rethink treating a shallow muck lake which will have heavy turbidity for several days if not weeks. The more suspended solids in the water column, the more dissolved-oxygen-loss occurs.  

Now add the chemical-induced plant-decomposition factor which will certainly drop the oxygen level even further. Fish Kills are common this time of year to begin with. Should this necessary treatment event be moved back until turbidity returns to average levels?  

For inquires, and complete information and maps, contact Fish & Wildlife Commission’s biologist, Erica Van Horn at 863-534-7074. To download a copy of the map visit my website at HighlandsBassAngler.com or Istokpoga.info and go to the Istokpoga Management Info page.