Sunday Feb 7th started the week off with a bang. I guided a very good client Bill S of Orlando FL for a full day trip. From the first shiner to hit the water it was steady action all day. I'm really not sure how many fish Bill caught on this trip but a good guess would be 20 with a BUNCH of 4 to 6 pounders.
The fish were eating good but many just didn't want the shiners around the bedding area and would carry the shiner 15 feet or so and drop them Bill tried setting the hook early and it still didn't work as these spawning fish were just holding the shiner by the side and moving a way slowly.
Monday Feb 8th started a 4 day artificial trip with another great longtime client Jack G of Tennessee. Monday we were greeted with water temps in the high 40's and the bite was Slow getting started but as the sun came up and the water temps made there way to the mid 50's the fish started getting active and my noon the fishing became good.
The afternoon water temps made it to 62.5 degrees and Jack and I both knew that today would be the day to catch a lot of fish. The morning started of with a lot of 2 to 3 LB male bass that were around the beds and then about 10 am the big females started to show up. Jack made a perfect cast to a small pad patch with his spinning rod and a Bitters Junebug Bluetail worm and it was game on. This big fish was doing just about anything it wanted as Jack was trying to get this big fish out of the pads without breaking the 12 LB mono he was using on his spinning outfit. After a long battle I was able to lip this beautiful 11 LB St Johns River Trophy Bass. The rain came in and we called it a day at 1 pm after catching somewhere around 20 bass with many in the 3 to 5 pound range. The action was steady all morning and most fish were caught casting a White Bitters Skip Shad in the pad fields off the main river.
I am booked everyday from today Feb 9th until March 5th then I have some day's open for March and days open in April. With all the cold weather we are having I fully expect the spawn to last until early April just like last year. Please don't think that you have to come to Florida in Jan and Feb to catch Trophy Bass. Fact is last year we caught just as many Trophy Bass here on the St Johns River during March and April as we did in Jan and Feb and most of the Trophy Bass Caught in Late March and April were caught on Artificial Baits. Take a look at the 2009 Trophy page and you will see this.
Thanks From Capt Ed Bussard and Bass Challenger Guide Service Guiding
Clients To Trophy Bass In Central Florida For Over 30 Years
www.basschallenger.com
