Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for October 9-16, 2024
Wednesday's Complete Comprehensive Fishing Article for Florida's Freshwater Anglers
Due to the forecasted projected path of the hurricane my area is preparing for a direct hit or a very close near miss. Therefore, I’ve been busy preparing for potential damages and as of today I’m ready for the next twenty-four to thirty hours.
Hurricane Fishing, Before, After, and During the Storm.
The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the second half of the second week of October gives anglers a midweek hurricane to go along with a very weak lunar effect. Therefore, we can expect fishing will be very challenging until bright sunshine returns along with perfect fishing winds this weekend. Note that I did not say the fishing would be bad or poor.
So then for most anglers, it’s time to clean and service the boat, update your riggings, retie knots, sharpen hooks, and service your reels. After the storm easier fishing will return, so time to get prepared to set the hook this weekend. And perhaps you should stop by your local bait and tackle store to stock up, you might be running a little low on essentials.
But just in case you are a diehard in shape angler who happens to not be deterred by hurricane wind and wave action, I’ve provided the best daily fishing times as usual, and will offer this experiential knowledge, having fish prior to, during, and after hurricanes in the past; fish in areas where water returns from the shoreline area, where winds have, and are still pushing water into—the undertow area of the shoreline.
To find these areas, look for the shoreline areas where wave action is the least, you’ll note that your depth finder shows deeper water in that area. It is these locations which have an undertow.
During high-wind days the windy side of the lake is where bigger bass prepare to ambush prey moving out to deeper water using the under flow toward deeper areas. They hold in areas just below the wave action disturbance above and face the flow of water occurring along the lake bottom---face the shoreline. In other words, the ambush points are at depths of six to eight feet under three-to-four-foot waves.
If you do decide to weather the storm, I hope you have enough sense to make sure bilge pumps are in fine working order, and have safety gear on board, along with a plan should the worst-case scenario occur and you need assistance from someone who knows you’re out there tempting fate while looking to hook a monster bass---this plan works if your phone is working.
It is a fact that over three quarters of my largest bass came during extreme weather events, where I was the only boat launching at the ramp that day, because most anglers don’t prefer the fierce winds and a rocking and rolling boat with waves crashing over the front deck, while bilge pumps work overtime.
Once you’ve experienced something like, three bites consisting of two bass at seven to eight pounds and one over ten pounds, during a prime ninety-minute period, you’ll become addicted to the adrenalin rush experienced under such intense adverse conditions. It was a battle well worth the risk…...once upon a time when I was young, strong and able. My sea legs ‘aint’ what they used to be.
As the expression goes, “A good man knows his limitation”. If you do happen to go out there in the thick of it, know that your phone won’t work, and no one but another adrenalin junky will be able to help you…if they happen to see your plight.
If you can handle swimming in gale force winds, through three-to-four-foot waves with a floatation device on, for about a mile or so to shore, I’d say “Ok son, go get’em”. Otherwise go clean your boat and wait to go fishing until this weekend.
Again, if you have any doubts about your abilities, don’t go out into the storm to fish. And do not lie to yourself about your abilities to swim within four-foot waves crashing down on you as you try to make it to the shoreline. It’s been ten years since I had that level of physical ability. Knowing how to survive a strong undertow during high waves crashing on to an ocean shoreline can save you in similar situations fishing for trophy-sized bass on a freshwater shallow Florida lake.
Don’t Go If You Don’t Know!
Major Solar-Lunar Period: Today the moon is overhead at 6:42 p.m. producing a feed rating of six from 5:30-7:45 p.m. Daily the overhead moon occurs later by almost an hour and remains at the same feed rating until this weekend when it becomes a minor period, producing a feed rating of three from 8-10 p.m.
Today the moonrise occurs at 1:37 p.m. producing a feed rating of six from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Daily the moonrise occurs later by fifty-two minutes and remains at the same feed rating.
Minor Solar Lunar Periods: Today the moon is underfoot at 6:14 a.m. producing a feed rating of four to five from 5-7 a.m. Daily the underfoot moon occurs later by almost an hour and improves in feed rating by a half number until the weekend when it tops out at a six or slightly better feed rating during the hours of 8-11 a.m. and becomes a major period.
Best Fishing Days of the Week: The best fishing will certainly occur after the hurricane’s adverse effects, which will most likely be this weekend when sunny conditions and ideal wind speeds return causing fish to hold tight to protective cover as they feed during the underfoot midmorning and moonrise late afternoon periods.
Lake Istokpoga S68 Spillway and Lake Level Status: Note: The following information is from last Sunday which is when this article was written ahead of time due to the hurricane altering the Highlands New-Sun work schedule. To access the current lake level data, use the links for the USACE and SFWM websites provided at HighlandsBassAngler.com.
Last Sunday’s lake level data from SFWMD’s showed the average lake level to be 37.82 NAVD88 with three of four gates open sixteen inches flowing a combined 1100 cfs. (NGVD Offset is + 1.15 feet). The USACE website showed a level of 39.03’ NGVD29 and shows two of four gates open sixteen inches flowing a combined 1634 cfs—website showed N/A malfunctions.
The current rainy season maximum level is 39.25 feet above sea level and the minimum level is 38.75’ above sea level. The lake is two inches below the maximum level in the seasonal schedule which will be at the annual high levels of 39.5’ and 39’by Oct. 15. Links to the USACE and SFWM websites are provided at HighlandsBassAngler.com.
Dave Douglass has been an artificial bait only bass fishing guide since 2005, and writer of the Highlands News-Sun fishing forecast article since Oct. 2016 and previously the writer of the Highlands Today fishing forecast article since Nov. 2005. Contact him by email at DavidPDouglass@hotmail.com or by phone at 863-381-8474; please leave a message for a return call.
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