Big O this weekend

[Gsmith223]

I am going to be flying down this Friday - Monday 8-11 to stay at Roland Martin resort and Marina. I have a guide trip scheduled for Saturday but I just found out that the guy I planned on fishing with the rest of the time is not going to be down there now. So I am stuck at the resort with out a boat the rest of the time I am down there.

My question is anyone going to be down there and have a back seat open, I will buy your gas? Or know of any tournaments I could get in as a co-angler. I would like to fish more than one day of possible. I know I can bank fish some of the canals but I am not a big fan of bank fishing plus I dont like alligators. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I had planned to ship some rods and tackle but dont see any reason too if I can find something to fish.

Thanks

[kgfishing]

Reschedule with another guide out of Rolands. There are literally 100 guides on that lake. Surely one of them has an opening for you. No draw tournaments this weekend that I am aware of.

[Gsmith223]

Reschedule with another guide out of Rolands. There are literally 100 guides on that lake. Surely one of them has an opening for you. No draw tournaments this weekend that I am aware of.

Sorry maybe I should clarify. The guide did not cancel on me I am still going out with him on Saturday. I am just looking to find someone to fish with on Friday, Sunday and Monday. I can take someone else with me on the guide trip if anyone would like to go swap that for a few days on the boat with them?

I am not seeing any draw style tournaments that weekend either. Maybe I will look into somewhere else in south FL

[Bandwagon]

Roland's also rents bass boats as well.

[Gsmith223]

Roland's also rents bass boats as well.

Yes I saw that but I think it about $300 a day they also have a 14 FT V bottom which might be better than nothing.

[78Staff]

without a guide you'll likely not venture very far away from the rim canal due to water levels right now, so a 14ft would probably work fine :).

[ScottOz]

Update?? How did you do

[Gsmith223]

I ended up fishing one day with the guide, couldnt get anything going in artificial so we switched to shiners and the very first cast in to the same spot with the shiner we caught an 8.5. Ended up catching several more in the 3-5lb range. All the fish came from the monkey box with about 20 boats all around us. No one else seemed to be getting bit.

I fished one more day with someone I met at the ramp and we caught several on crankbaits in the canal but he broke his skeg and went home the next day. So I went to the beach.

[ScottOz]

Sounds like a good time. Yes Okee is fishing very small. Those darn shiners smell and taste good to them bass.

[FishinCustody]

I fished one more day with someone I met at the ramp and we caught several on crankbaits in the canal but he broke his skeg and went home the next day. So I went to the beach.

That's probably going to happen more often as they draw the lake down.

[George]

Mike that was me he fished with and yes I broke the skeg off.. I did more damage it was not a good weekend said to hell with it and pulled out early

[FishinCustody]

Mike that was me he fished with and yes I broke the skeg off.. I did more damage it was not a good weekend said to hell with it and pulled out early

Don't blame you at all

[250bassFL]

Mike that was me he fished with and yes I broke the skeg off.. I did more damage it was not a good weekend said to hell with it and pulled out early

Sorry to read that George.

[Chopper]

That's probably going to happen more often as they draw the lake down.

Does anybody know why they are drawing the lake down so low? We were there all of last week and it was at 12.1' and I heard they are going to draw it down to 9 or 10'. Are they intentionally trying to kill the lake? We've been going there every year since 2000 and this was the worst year we've ever had - fishing wise. Other than the canals, there just is not anywhere to fish. Our normal spots had less than 1.5' of water in them and no fish. We didn't try but I don't think we could even get to the monkey box.

[gatorsin09]

Does anybody know why they are drawing the lake down so low? We were there all of last week and it was at 12.1' and I heard they are going to draw it down to 9 or 10'. Are they intentionally trying to kill the lake? We've been going there every year since 2000 and this was the worst year we've ever had - fishing wise. Other than the canals, there just is not anywhere to fish. Our normal spots had less than 1.5' of water in them and no fish. We didn't try but I don't think we could even get to the monkey box.

No they are trying to save the lake. There isnt a drop of grass. It cant grow until light hits the bottom. It's taken 29lbs to win every tournament this year except 1 which it took 20.

[FishinCustody]

They need to draw it down low if there is any hope of getting the grass to come back.

It can be difficult in the short term...but in the long run it is the best thing for the lake.

All that is contingent upon them leaving the the spray boats on the trailer.....

[Reelsore]

They need to draw it down low if there is any hope of getting the grass to come back.

It can be difficult in the short term...but in the long run it is the best thing for the lake.

All that is contingent upon them leaving the the spray boats on the trailer.....

So why did they also drop the Kissimee chain down 3’?

FWC is Fish Without Cover

[FishinCustody]

So why did they also drop the Kissimee chain down 3’?

FWC is Fish Without Cover

Couldn't tell you.

I just know that in the long run Okeechobee needed a low water season....

[Arethaz]

Does anybody know why they are drawing the lake down so low? We were there all of last week and it was at 12.1' and I heard they are going to draw it down to 9 or 10'. Are they intentionally trying to kill the lake? We've been going there every year since 2000 and this was the worst year we've ever had - fishing wise. Other than the canals, there just is not anywhere to fish. Our normal spots had less than 1.5' of water in them and no fish. We didn't try but I don't think we could even get to the monkey box.

As others have said, the low water will only help the lake recover. Shallow grass filled Florida lakes in general need to go through a cycle of low to high water regularly and with a major draw down every 5-10 years to remain healthy. Yes it makes fishing difficult in the mean time but know that in the long run it will only help the lake.

I may be wrong but I don't believe the monkey box has been great since May of last year but it has been very fishable.

[hermanp]

There wasn,t much grass before the higher water it was killed and not by mother nature.you don r need two to threeft. Of water for aquatic s too grow.