Lake Okeechobee

[Brewtus]

My son is turning 21 in June and wants to fish for some bass in Okeechobee. Anybody know of any good guides?
Thanks in advance.

[Tha' Hat]

Look up Scott Martin. He's Roland Martin's son. He's on the FLW Tour, but I'm pretty sure he guides on the side.

[quackrstackr]

He's not as obnoxious as Roland, is he? :D

[Tha' Hat]

No, Scott's a really good guy. Like I say, I don't know how much time he has to spend guiding anymore.

[mcdenney]

He's not as obnoxious as Roland, is he? :D

No way he could be worse than ole Roland. "Ah son, son...."

[roleksy]

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but Okeechobee is in terrible shape. All FL lakes are low, but Okeechobee is dangerous. I have a place there (leaving tomorrow for 10 days fishing) and we are fishing other lakes in the area and the saltwater. If you want a trip to remember look up George Welcome, Imagination Bassin Guide Service, he guides on the fabled Stick Marsh/Farm 13. It's in South Fl near about an hour from Okeechobee near Vero Beach and Fellsmere. Top water is unbelievable there in June, or Shiners are an option too. Nothing like a 7-8 pounder blowing up on a chug bug, with a real chance of a 9 or 10. Good luck.

[Brewtus]

Thanks Roleksy!

[nitrox28]

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but Okeechobee is in terrible shape. All FL lakes are low, but Okeechobee is dangerous. I have a place there (leaving tomorrow for 10 days fishing) and we are fishing other lakes in the area and the saltwater. If you want a trip to remember look up George Welcome, Imagination Bassin Guide Service, he guides on the fabled Stick Marsh/Farm 13. It's in South Fl near about an hour from Okeechobee near Vero Beach and Fellsmere. Top water is unbelievable there in June, or Shiners are an option too. Nothing like a 7-8 pounder blowing up on a chug bug, with a real chance of a 9 or 10. Good luck.

One of the managers at my factory just got back from Okeechobee and he pretty much said the same thing. Bad bad bad.

[Brewtus]

Other lakes close would be ok. I perfer not to catch and release. Any suggestions?

[roleksy]

Other lakes close would be ok. I perfer not to catch and release. Any suggestions?

George Welcome also guides on Ansin/Garcia. It is adjacant to Stick Marsh and is not catch and release only, like Stick Marsh. There are plenty of 5-7 pound bass in there, but the real hogs seem to be in the Stick Marsh. Also, there are a lot of guides in the Toho, Kissimmee Lakes area. PM if you have any other questions. If you are content on Okeechobee (may get rain by June, but I doubt it) contact Okeechobee Fishing Headquarters or Gerards Bait for a guide.

[Brewtus]

Thanks Roleksy, I'm not married to the Okeechobee idea. We just want to catch some big bass and have the opportunity to keep one or two if they are wallhangers.

[lthomas]

Thanks Roleksy, I'm not married to the Okeechobee idea. We just want to catch some big bass and have the opportunity to keep one or two if they are wallhangers.

All you have to do is take a pic a long with the measurments of length and girth. It is very easy to have a replica made. They look better and last a forever. With every yahoo in the country wanting to come to Fla for a wall hanger I am glad to see more and more lakes down here go to catch and release alternative. I can think of several lakes that used to be a great place to go and catch on average 5 - 8 lb bass. Now your lucky to catch bass in the two lb range on these same chain of lakes all for the sake of somene wanting to hang a fish in the wall.

[killer]

All you have to do is take a pic a long with the measurments of length and girth. It is very easy to have a replica made. They look better and last a forever. With every yahoo in the country wanting to come to Fla for a wall hanger I am glad to see more and more lakes down here go to catch and release alternative. I can think of several lakes that used to be a great place to go and catch on average 5 - 8 lb bass. Now your lucky to catch bass in the two lb range on these same chain of lakes all for the sake of somene wanting to hang a fish in the wall.

It would probably be a safe bet that fish kept for reasons other than mounting is what hurt the population. People spend lots of money and time to try and catch that trophy bass, if you choose to mount the fish of lifetime go for it, I'd say you earned it.

[lthomas]

It would probably be a safe bet that fish kept for reasons other than mounting is what hurt the population. People spend lots of money and time to try and catch that trophy bass, if you choose to mount the fish of lifetime go for it, I'd say you earned it.
And those reasons are?
Oh wait. I know.. Folks who catch fish only to thow them out of the freezer a year later.
Either method I dont condone nor will you find many Fla sporsman that do. Luckly for NR fishermen and fisherwomen, most of the guides down these parts are a bunch of displaced yanks who think that there is some secret to throwing a shiner on a weed line.

I spend a lot of good money on a lot of things but it dont mean I have to be part of the problem....So from my prespective. Keep the money because it costs me a lot more in the long run.
Oh well. Things are changing for the better down here.

On another subject..Have you even looked at a replica mount. Man those things are awesome. Before you nock it, spend some time looking at them. With the ability to have a beautifull mount of the exact same dimensions and lenght and look without killing the fish, It takes a greedy individual to kill a fish for the purpose of a mount. I do understand that there are a lot of folks who have never seen or looked at a replica mount.. Might I suggest a visit to a good taxidermist for more info on replica fish mounts.
Check this article out.. This fellow lives just a few miles from me and dose great work..
http://www.trophybass.com/taxidermy.html

[quackrstackr]

I spend a lot of good money on a lot of things but it dont mean I have to be part of the problem....So from my prespective. Keep the money because it costs me a lot more in the long run.
Oh well. Things are changing for the better down here.


Sort of like OOS'rs that run to KY to hunt our B&C deer and turkeys or lease up huge chunks of land driving the residents out....

whoda' thunk it?

[GSP]

Sort of like OOS'rs that run to KY to hunt our B&C deer and turkeys or lease up huge chunks of land driving the residents out....

whoda' thunk it?


Well a novel idea has struck me. Maybe if the Yahoo OOS'rs that just drive to KY to shoot a wallhanger would just take a picture of the B&C bucks and have a replica made to hang on the wall.......

[trust me]

Seriously, I'm very pleased with my replica mount. It was so simple and easy and no fish had to be harmed for me to get my trophy.
Actually, I didn't even have to even go fishing, just called the number and gave them my credit card info.

http://i13.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/92/07/f52d_1.JPG

It was very affordable, and a lot easier than hauling a boat down to Florida and putting up with the hassle and bother.

[lthomas]

Sort of like OOS'rs that run to KY to hunt our B&C deer and turkeys or lease up huge chunks of land driving the residents out....

whoda' thunk it?
Hey man. That is the same ole song and dance everywhere. The only thing driving up land prices is as simple as greed itself. The greed for bigger horns and the idea that farming deer somehow makes one a better woodsman... Bwhahahaha. What a load of crap.

Well a novel idea has struck me. Maybe if the Yahoo OOS'rs that just drive to KY to shoot a wallhanger would just take a picture of the B&C bucks and have a replica made to hang on the wall.......
I did that once. Was not impressed. Every deer I saw was very comparable to the deer I hunt on my hunting lands. Try to comprehend this.. The idea of hunting is one of now a days.. Selection of harvest.. If I want a wall hanger I will stick to my own hunting areas which produce quality deer.
No not big midwest bruisers but very nice deer for the area in which I hunt. They are no less of a challange than any other deer in any other part of the country. The idea of a trophy is in the mind of the sportsman. So to think Kentucky is anythig special for a NR is overboard...Atleast that is how I see it..Unfortuantely times have chaged and it is less about the hunt and more about the horn. If I ever hunt KY agan, I will do so on federal lands.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/lthomas52/Hunting/IMG_0203.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/lthomas52/Hunting/IMG_0210.jpg

Your comparison of hunting to fishing is one of apples and oranges. Only a couple states hold great bass fishing like Fla. California being one of them..
In regards to deer hunting, hunters have about 30 states to choose from in which to hunt large buriser deer.

note..
I could really care less who visits Fla to fish..Cmon down and have a blast. All I am sugesting is that a little conservation goes a long ways when you have a multitude of fishermen from all over the country on any given lake each and every winter and spring.

Nice to know that some of you folks take conservation seriously and it is nothing more than a joke...The world is not getting any less crowded and it would be nice if our children's children had the same opportunitys that we are blessed with.

Tight lines and heavy blood trails fellars.

[quackrstackr]

The grass is always greener and the consequences always more dire on your own side of the fence.

The remainder of your post is your opinion (based on what, I don't know) coming from very far away.

Crack a magazine or watch a hunting show sometime and listen to the latest 3 or 4 states they tell everyone to go hunt. Come up here and hang out during deer season just to drive around and count OOS license plates. Do a little digging and see how many OOS residents are applying for choice quota hunts on public land here.

We take conservation very seriously... what we find a joke is someone from OOS complaining about others coming to their own state and taking advantage of their natural resources but have no problem whatsoever when the shoe is on the other foot.

same ole song and dance

Pretty well sums it up.

[lthomas]

The grass is always greener and the consequences always more dire on your own side of the fence.

The remainder of your post is your opinion (based on what, I don't know) coming from very far away.

Crack a magazine or watch a hunting show sometime and listen to the latest 3 or 4 states they tell everyone to go hunt. Come up here and hang out during deer season just to drive around and count OOS license plates. Do a little digging and see how many OOS residents are applying for choice quota hunts on public land here.

We take conservation very seriously... what we find a joke is someone from OOS complaining about others coming to their own state and taking advantage of their natural resources but have no problem whatsoever when the shoe is on the other foot.



Pretty well sums it up.
Hog wash.. So anyone from another state trying to promote and advocate conservation by other means other than to say someone is not welcome is not open for your discussion and is a joke. Very closed and shallow minded if ya ask me. Sorry man but that is one rotten apple your bitting into..I never once implyed that anyone was not welcome Nor was I in complaint about the amount of people. The sugestion was in refrence to the methods of conservation while they are here. Sorry for not spelling it out for you. Your ability to read into what was not typed is remarkable.
I am very passionate about conservation thru any means and methods other than ignorance.
I could have the same complaint about folks coming to hunt Osceola turkeys.. The country side is full of NR tags.. Big freaking whoopidy doo. Kill your bird follow the game laws and have a good time. Not to mention...
Heck half of the marinas down here are packed full of boats from NRs.. Once again big whoopidy doo. Cry me a river.
My complaint is not in regards to folks visiting. I welcome everyone to come and have a good time. Its much easeier than pissin an moaning about the fact that they are here.
Just because out of town folks hunt and fish dose not mean one should turn a blind eye to conservation methods. I think your trying to turn this into a us guys Vs you guys. I guess an objective view is more than some are willing to give and or entertain. The typical response is, "it is always its someone elses fault".. When all a long, ignorance has prevailed while constructive debate has been shot down. All the while, the problem only gets worse.


Oh yea..
If anyone wants to put in for permits on fedral lands.. So be it. Their federal tax dollars are just as green as the next guys.

I hope you get your wall hanger Brewtus

[killer]

There are laws and limits in each state for all fish and game legal to pursue in that state. So stay within the law and knock yourself out.

I'm going to Florida next month on vacation myself, and I'm really looking forward to some of that fried Florida strain bass. I heard it was better eat'in

[lthomas]

There are laws and limits in each state for all fish and game legal to pursue in that state. So stay within the law and knock yourself out.

I'm going to Florida next month on vacation myself, and I'm really looking forward to some of that fried Florida strain bass. I heard it was better eat'in

It must be the mercury in the water. The Fla fish and game only recomends one serving of fresh water fish per month here in fla becuse of the high mercury levels in the water.
Have at it.

[quackrstackr]

I'm not pissing and moaning that anyone is here.

The hypocracy of your posts is what I find amusing.

It's okay to come here and kill a B&C deer that someone else may have had a crack at but by gawd don't you come down to Florida and keep a 10 lb bass.

The last time I checked there was no law requiring a replica mount for any fish over X pounds.

Your point of view is not much different than the die hard bass anglers right here on my own lake. They think someone keeping a bass of any size is a sin.

[AteUp]

Well a novel idea has struck me. Maybe if the Yahoo OOS'rs that just drive to KY to shoot a wallhanger would just take a picture of the B&C bucks and have a replica made to hang on the wall.......

Here's mine from an OOS trip to Gawga last year.

http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/images/uploads/talking-buck-2-.jpg

[lthomas]

I'm not pissing and moaning that anyone is here.

The hypocracy of your posts is what I find amusing.

It's okay to come here and kill a B&C deer that someone else may have had a crack at but by gawd don't you come down to Florida and keep a 10 lb bass.

The last time I checked there was no law requiring a replica mount for any fish over X pounds.

Your point of view is not much different than the die hard bass anglers right here on my own lake. They think someone keeping a bass of any size is a sin.

Well find the hypocrisy and laugh your self silly because I made a suggestion on conservation. I was not barking orders.
Might I suggest you actually read what I did type before you go and shove words that I did not type down my throat.

Here let me spell it out for you like I would an elementary student..

It was a conservations suggestion.. Not an order of compliance.

You cannot even get past the fact that folks are hunting your state to have a civil debate on conservation methods. So For you and you only.. Go catch your Ten pounder. It is futile at this point to give you a compatible alternative which is a win win situation. Go ahead, Mount it and do what ever you want. Because the suggestion of any means of conservation is above your ability of comprehension.

[lthomas]

Here's mine from an OOS trip to Gawga last year.

http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/images/uploads/talking-buck-2-.jpg

What site did that pic come from. I would like to get one of those..That would be great around the hunt camp.

[lab]

Here let me spell it out for you like I would an elemantry student..

Yes. Please do.:D

[lthomas]

Yes. Please do.:D
LOL.. I never admited to being much of a speller.

Well you know what they say. You can lead a horse to water but ya cant make him drink.

[trust me]

I got a replica deer but it didn't turn out too well. I think it looks harelipped.

http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/loopy.jpg

[quackrstackr]

I bet you could teach that horse to mount a 10 lb bass in his stall though...:D

Well find the hypocrisy and laugh your self silly because I made a suggestion on conservation. I was not barking orders.
Might I suggest you actually read what I did type before you go and shove words that I did not type down my throat.

Here let me spell it out for you like I would an elementary student..

It was a conservations suggestion.. Not an order of compliance.

You cannot even get past the fact that folks are hunting your state to have a civil debate on conservation methods. So For you and you only.. Go catch your Ten pounder. It is futile at this point to give you a compatible alternative which is a win win situation. Go ahead, Mount it and do what ever you want. Because the suggestion of any means of conservation is above your ability of comprehension.


Oh I read what you typed and I comprehend quite well, thank you.

With every yahoo in the country wanting to come to Fla for a wall hanger I am glad to see more and more lakes down here go to catch and release alternative. I can think of several lakes that used to be a great place to go and catch on average 5 - 8 lb bass. Now your lucky to catch bass in the two lb range on these same chain of lakes all for the sake of somene wanting to hang a fish in the wall.

And those reasons are?
Oh wait. I know.. Folks who catch fish only to thow them out of the freezer a year later.
Either method I dont condone nor will you find many Fla sporsman that do. Luckly for NR fishermen and fisherwomen, most of the guides down these parts are a bunch of displaced yanks who think that there is some secret to throwing a shiner on a weed line.

I spend a lot of good money on a lot of things but it dont mean I have to be part of the problem....So from my prespective. Keep the money because it costs me a lot more in the long run.

There's no need for me to put words in your mouth, you've got plenty of them and some to spare evidently. You just can't hear what you're saying or refuse to read your own posts. Perhaps you are the one on the elementary comprehension level. Your suggestion was wrapped in so much condescension it was barely distinguishable.

It is no different for someone from here to come to your state and drag home a 10lb bass than it is for someone from Florida to come here and drag home a wall hanger deer.

BTW... I know several folks that have fished your hallowed home fishing grounds (including myself) and have never brought one back to mount, replica measurements or otherwise. Matter of fact, I've caught larger fish right here than I ever caught in Florida. What does it take to win the average tournament down there anyway?

[lthomas]

I bet you could teach that horse to mount a 10 lb bass in his stall though...:D




Oh I read what you typed and I comprehend quite well, thank you.





There's no need for me to put words in your mouth, you've got plenty of them and some to spare evidently. You just can't hear what you're saying or refuse to read your own posts. Perhaps you are the one on the elementary comprehension level. Your suggestion was wrapped in so much condescension it was barely distinguishable.

It is no different for someone from here to come to your state and drag home a 10lb bass than it is for someone from Florida to come here and drag home a wall hanger deer.

BTW... I know several folks that have fished your hallowed home fishing grounds (including myself) and have never brought one back to mount, replica measurements or otherwise. Matter of fact, I've caught larger fish right here than I ever caught in Florida. What does it take to win the average tournament down there anyway?
So your gonna keep trying to spin my words.. Good lord. You keep swingin but your striking out.
Funny how your taking bits and pieces of my agrument to spin it how you want to see it and cannot put together the given message... It an old but very liberal tactic for those grasping at straws at some sort of redemption.
Now go back and read it an put it into the proper context it was intended.
Now I suppose your gonna say that I called you a liberal..

[GSP]

I think the intent came very well when a guy started a thread here wanting to take his son on a special birthday outing is attempts to catch a bass. He asked questions on where. He was met with:
With every yahoo in the country wanting to come to Fla for a wall hanger

While I agree there is no need to keep every bass you hook, I really do not think Brewtus was planning on wiping out the entire Florida strain of bass on this trip, that usually takes a minimum of three trips for KY boys.

[Multidigits]

Sort of like OOS'rs that run to KY to hunt our B&C deer and turkeys or lease up huge chunks of land driving the residents out....

whoda' thunk it?


Does that also apply to geese and ducks in MO. ?????

Grouse in Wis. or Mich.????

I've found most hunters in other states all feel the same about most NR's, but they don't mind being NR's thereselves when ever they can.

[quackrstackr]

Did I say I gave two squirts if he came up here and hunted? I think not.

I was attempting to state the same thing that you just did.

I'll kill a MO duck or goose in a heartbeat and catch a 10 lb Florida bass and throw it on the wall if I have a good mind to. He can kill all the KY deer he wants, they're not mine. I quit worrying about the holy grail of the B&C buck a long time ago.

Hunting and fishing to the highest bidder has become the nature of the beast. We're all just as guilty of it as the next guy.

[lthomas]

blah blah blah...
Thank you as well for taking what I said out of context. I sent brewtus a pm. I hope he takes the advise given and saves himself a few dollars. The comment you refered to was not designated for any one particular person. So spin it how you see fit to please yourself.

It was just as in general as someone saying.

Gee they give every yahoo in the world a pasport nowadays..
I guess any yahoo can get a drivers lisence.
They let any yahoo into that school...

But I do appreciate your reading into the comment more than it was intended.

[GSP]

Thank you as well for taking what I said out of context. I sent brewtus a pm. I hope he takes the advise given and saves himself a few dollars. The comment you refered to was not designated for any one particular person. So spin it how you see fit to please yourself.

It was just as in general as someone saying.

Gee they give every yahoo in the world a pasport nowadays..
I guess any yahoo can get a drivers lisence.
They let any yahoo into that school...

But I do appreciate your reading into the comment more than it was intended.



But I do appreciate your reading into the comment more than it was intended

You are welcome.

[H-Digger]

Brewtus, I've been to Okeechobee several times, and If you do decide to go.

Stay in Clewiston, Roland Martin's marina is there and he has several guides that work for him, 3 guides that will put you on fish are Dan Snyder(Kentucky boy) Bobby Livers(another Ky boy)

and Chet Douthit --- http://www.chetdouthit.com/

These are the kind of guys that other guides watch to see where they are going ,so they can pick up their scraps.

Last time I was down there , the fishing was slow on Okeechobee, so we headed up to the stick marsh and caught fish there, but they drove us up there and guided us on the stick marsh.

If you do use Dan, don't crush beer cans with your foot on his boat deck, I wasn't thinking straight that day:eek: