A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Use this area to post freshwater fishing reports from the area lakes and rivers. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.
My freind Wil and I went over to the dam this morning and met my dad with the hopes of catching some of the nice stripers we'd been hearing about.
At the dam just before after daylight, we started jigging bucktails with only a few short strikes to show for it. Decided it was time for some live bait and went up to the powerhouse to cast net some live shad. No sooner did we get there and a guy at the top of the catwalk bows up on a good fish. 10 minutes later he's hauling a 25 pound striper to his truck. We found out he was using live eels and already had a fish break him off that he couldn't turn.
Back to fishing in the river we put out the live shad on the bottom and for the next few hours commence to catching some of the strangest looking stripers I've ever seen.
Here are a few pics...
My dad with the big "striper" of the day.
Wil with another nice "striper".
The stringer for the day, which we found out later were channel catfish.
Fun day, just hoped for one of the hoss stripers like we saw caught.
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Tom Keels
Owner, Webmaster
BigBendFishing.Net
Tom, have you ever had any luck casting bucktail jigs, or other artificials off of the catwalk? I am thinking of over there in the morning, any suggestions are appreciated.
I haven't done much with bucktails off the catwalk, but out in the river has been productive. Mostly drifting live shad along the bottom from the catwalk.
If you want to throw bucktails go to the lock side of the river and drive down to the lock and walk down onto the riprap and cast into the deeper water out in front of the lock.
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Tom Keels
Owner, Webmaster
BigBendFishing.Net
Tom, see if this sounds like a workable battle plan. If you know a better way let me know.
1)drive to the power house and net shad for bait.
2)drive with shad to landing and use boat to fish above the bridge.
I have to drive the boat I have several weeks of cabin fever to work out!
That's what we did last week. It's looking more and more like I will be over there tomorrow as well. Fish Hawk wants to go and the weather my be too rough to go offshore so we may be over there. I'll let you know later this afternoon.
How early can you start netting the shad?
I know at the Talquin dam they don't school at the dam until the sun hits the dam.
I will be taking Gray Fins jr. with me as well.
He is eager to catch some more stripers.
Hey also you have a new membership packet for me and Gray Fins jr that We can get from you if you decide to go and don't mind.(We joined at the last meeting)
Gray Fins
Tom We will miss seeing you out there.
We will catch a few for you. :idea:
whether we catch em up or not we will have a good time and learn a new spot.
