July 1, 2010

We are set up for a banner 4th of July weekend! The water level is perfect and the bass are biting. It has been an incredible spring and early summer on Okeechobee. Average catch rates vary daily for anglers using artificial baits with some anglers reporting catches of 75 to 90 bass! Our guide trips have been very enjoyable, even anglers that are not experienced with artificial baits have been able to catch good numbers of bass. Top water baits, swimming flukes, senkos, 12 to 16 inch worms and spinner baits have all worked for us at different times. We have gotten into schools of bass chasing bait several times and have been able to catch 20 to 30 fish in a short time. Bass to 9 pounds have been caught by anglers in recent tournaments, with 30 pound bags being required to take the money in some events. Shiner fishing is still the more productive way to go for anglers looking for that one fish of a liftime.

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
863-357-0892


May 22, 2010

It has been a great spring on Lake Okeechobee. The water is up and the fishing is superb. The average catch rate is 25 to 40 bass per trip. We are still catching big bass, most being caught on shiners. For sheer numbers of bass we are using artificial baits. There is a tremendous amount of bait and small bass in the lake, the bass are starting to school and reports of 100 fish catches have been reported. Lake Okeechobee is in great shape at this time with abundant native vegetation growing everywhere.

March 13, 2010

March is traditionally a great month on Lake Okeechobee.
The are still some Bass spawning, while others have already spawned and are looking to feed and regain the energy they expended while spawning. Shiner fishing is getting better as the weather continues to improve as we head into springtime. Artificial baits fishing has been very good, some days we have caught as many bass on artificial baits as we have on shiners. Top water baits, flukes, senkos, spinner baits, skinny dippers and a number of other baits have all proven successful for our clients. We are starting to see blue gill and shell cracker move shallow and the full moon period should provide a great catch of pan fish for those interested. Versatile is the word for Okeechobee right now, Bass Blue Gill or other species can all be taken in the shallow water while they are spawning.

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
863-357-0892



February 10, 2010

Bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is peaking, big bass are moving shallow to spawn and fishing will get better & better over the next few months. Shiners are catching the bigger bass , but artificial baits are also accounting for good numbers of fish. Our guided shiner fishing trips are averaging 20 to 30 bass per trip. We have had streaks of three to four days in a row when our customers have caught bass over 7 pounds each day. The lake is in good shape, with plenty of water, native vegetation is growing in many areas of the lake, creating desirable bass habitat.


December 16, 2009
Bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is still very good, we have had one of the better fall seasons in recent memory. Our guided bass fishing trips have been averaging 25 to 40 bass per outing. Big bass have been coming with regularity in our daily trips with live wild shiners. Okeechobee is in great shape at this time with plenty of water, which makes the whole lake fishable all the way back into the marsh. We are expecting a very good winter season for both big bass and numbers of bass. It has been several years since the lake has been fishable, and the bass fishing has been this good. This year looks as if it is going to be a great, and the next few years should even be better. Fishermen may stretch the truth but pictures do not lie. To Check our daily blog entries and pictures of the bass that our clients are catching each day, go to: www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.blogspot.com

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
863-357-0892


November 23, 2009
Bass fishing has really taken off on Lake Okeechobee, Shiner fishing has gotten better each week as more and more big female Bass move into the shallow water where they are more prone to being caught by a lucky, or skilled angler. We are catching 35 to 50 Bass per day with big Bass in the 7 pound range and over being caught by our clients daily. If you are skeptical check out or website and blog that is attached to it, pictures don't lie. We put pictures of our clients on the web almost daily. It is looking like it could be the best season in many years on Okeechobee. If you are an avid angler don't miss your chance to experience the beauty of Lake Okeechobee. The lake is ripe with healthy fish attracting vegetation like hydrilla, pepper grass, eel grass and numerous other native plants.

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassfishing.com
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.blogspot.com
863-357-0892





November 10, 2009

The Okeechobee fish factory is back in business! The Bass bite has been very good, whether you are pursuing your favorite game fish with artificial baits or shiner fishing with one of Okeechobee’s many talented fishing guides, the catching has been great.

Many different types of bait are drawing strikes, top water baits; skinny dippers and flukes are among the baits that can be worked rather quickly drawing reaction type bites. Casting a top water bait into the many holes in the grass have resulted in some startling strikes lately, although some of the pre-spawn bass will make a vicious pass at the bait without ever touching it, which can be exciting, but disappointing at the same time. If you are a patient methodical angler that likes to flip or pitch heavier cover, try a 10 inch worm or a soft plastic creature bait, they can be the hot ticket. There are many styles and types of flipping baits that can fill the bill; I prefer flipping a large Gambler tube, for the simple reason that I have caught a lot of big bass on a tube over the years. The paca craw, sweet beaver and the brush hog have all accounted for many big bass from Okeechobee as well.

The North end of the lake is producing big numbers of bass for those anglers that are on the lake daily. From Eagle Bay to the Monkey Box, anglers are finding groups of Bass that are willing to bite. On more than one occasion we have seen great numbers of baitfish, particularly small shad in the areas we were fishing. The shad had been steered or pushed by the wind and the current it created into a funnel type area. Fortunately the bass had found the bass too, and were eagerly feeding on the shad, as well as the shiners we were using for bait. We have one particular shiner fishing spot that we have been fishing daily for a month or so that produces bass nearly every time we fish it. Very rarely is the bite the same, some days we catch the very small year class size fish first and eventually may catch some of the bigger bass. The next day we will catch more quality size bass, with most of the bass being larger mature fish. We have been lucky enough to catch several bass over 7 pounds from this spot and two other bass over 8 pounds as well. It will be interesting to see how long this spot continues to produce for our clients. One particular section of this spot seems is an area that the bass are always on or around, from above it looks like open water, but just below the water’s surface there is hydrilla and eel grass and the fish are drawn to it.

The speck fishing bite is really just starting to materialize. As the water continues to cool the bite will get better. As this time most of the specks being caught are under the 10 inch size limit set for the lake. The Kissimmee River will be the first spot on the lake to take off and then later in then season there should be large numbers of speck move into the shallow Kissimmee grass lines where jig anglers will have a heyday catching them.

Blue gill and cichlids are being caught along the banks of the Kissimmee and local canals. Worms will catch the cichlids; these fish will continue to bite as long as the water stays warm. Blue gill will bite on crickets or red worms, Fish the crickets under a small bobber, and try the red worms right on the bottom to see which works best for that day.

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.blogspot.com
863-357-0892
email: SJMike7@aol.com





October 18, 2009

Bass fishing is getting better as the weeks pass, The water has cooled and we are catching bigger fish with each trip it seems. We are averaging 25 to 40 Bass per trip fishing wild shiners. The bass have steadily gotten larger as the water has cooled down, the lake is in great shape and we are looking forward to a terrific season of catching good numbers of bass as well as many big Okeechobee giants.
Artificial baits are still taking good numbers of bass, skinny dippers, flukes, senkos and top water baits are all putting fish in the boat for us.

Captain Mike Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
863-357-0892




October 3, 2009

Okeechobee Bass Fishing is still very good, there are so many small fish in the system right now that the future of Okeechobee looks incredibly bright! We are catching 35 to 50 Bass per day on artificial baits, mostly plastics. Flukes,trick worms, speed worms and senkos are taking fish daily. We are still catching Bass very early morning on top water baits and spinner baits, although the amount of time that particular bite last has been very brief as of late. We are coming into the time of year when we are looking for a wave of large pre-spawn bass to appear out of nowhere. With a full moon around the first of November it is a distinct possibility that we could see some spawning Bass.

September 21, 2009

Bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is still very good, this week we have caught between 40 and 50 bass each trip. We are catching some bass in the 5 to 6 pound range. There is still a good early morning topwater bite that usually ends around 8:30 to 9am. Once the topwater action ceases we are using soft plastics, swimbaits, flukes and speed worms. We are also catching fish flipping into the heavy cover, but there are a lot of fish in the scattered grass areas.

August 30, 2009

We have had one of the better summers bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee that I can remember. The lake was left alone to rise slowly as mother nature intended and with the daily rains the native vegetation has flourished, Hydrilla is present all around the lake and the fish are flocking to it. Eel grass has proliferated along the Western and Norther shores, in some areas growing as far as 100 feet out into the lake. It has been an exceptional summer for small year class size bass which are fish from the last spawn. With the huge number of 12 inch fish in the system and a great amount of 3 to 4 pound fish as well it should be a great season. Everyone knows that Okeechobee is famous for it's large bass, many bass in the 7 to 10 pound range are caught in lake Okeechobee every year. With the incredible spawn last year and the release of another 1/2 million bass by the GFC Okeechobee will remain the Bass fishing Capitol of the World. Whether you are fishing for sheer numbers of bass or just want to have a shot at catching a wall hanger the odds are getting better each month. The lake is going into the fall months in the best condition it has been in for quite a few years. The lake is beautuful, the water is clear the bass are abundant, for a true bass fisherman it's a dream come true.

To book a trip or if you need some info: call me.

Captain Michael Shellen
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
863-357-0892
email: SJMike7@aol.com


August 16, 2009
The lake level is very near 14 feet. Bass fishing is very good with an incredible mix of big and small bass being caught on each trip. I received a report from one of the other guides on the lake that he had caught a 10 lb 14 ounce bass while he was out practice fishing, there have also been reports of 7 and 8 pound fish being caught. We are catching 20 to 30 fish per trip on artificial baits using top water baits, spinner bait, flukes and other plastics. We are approaching early fall on Okeechobee, a time when the bass start going on a feeding binge to prepare for the upcoming spawn. We are just now starting to get back into shiner fishing after using only artificials all summer, we caught 15 fish today on a half day trip on shiners, we had 6 fish in the 5 pound class.


July 7, 2009

Okeechobee has had a tremendous resurgence over the summer! We have had a great summer catching bass on artificial baits, many of our customers have never used artificial baits like a plastic worm before but every one of them caught bass and expressed how great it was catching bass on a plastic worm. There are millions of very small bass in the lake right now, which bodes well for the nations number 1 bass fishery. Our guide trips have all been with artificial baits and our success rate has been much higher than those that are using live bait. The lake level is nearing 13 feet and the fishing is still terrific, come visit us at lake Okeechobee and enjoy the beauty of the nations largest inland lake and the worlds best bass fishing.


June 11, 2009

Bass fishing continues to be red hot on Okeechobee, today I fished with two inexperienced anglers from Ohio and we caught over 75 bass in six hours of fishing artificial baits. This is better than normal but we are averaging 40 to 50 per day lately. The water where we are fishing is aquarium clear and there are so many bass there you can literally see them swimming ahead of the boat. It has been quite some time since Okeechobee has been this hot for this long! Don't miss some of the best artficial bait fishing for bass you will ever find
anywhere, fishing Okeechobee now!


Bass fishing has been tremendous for the last month and continues to get even better as schooling bass are being found roaming shallow water schooling on small newly hatched shad. We have been lucky enough to catch these schoolies on several ocassions recently putting 25 to 30 bass in the boat in a relatively short time. Memorial day weekend I fished with 11 year old Lorenso Fuller, his father and his grandfather, we caught approximatley 35 bass on artificial baits and Lorensos caught an 8 pound bass on a plastic worm. Blue gill fishing is still spectacular we are catching them on Fly Rod with popping bugs and also on crickets using a bream buster pole.

May 8, 2009

Okeechobee is at it's fishing peak right now, we are catching 25 to 40 Bass per day on artificial baits. Every year at this time the same thing occurs, just as most of our visitors from the North head home the fishing gets really good! We have been catching Bass in the morning on many occasions and then loading up on big Blue Gill in the afternoon. We fished two full days for Blue Gill last week and caught between 250 to 300 large Blue Gills. The Blue Gill we are catching are 9 to 10 inches long and weigh close to a pound. They can be caught on a cricket or a Fly Rod. Fishing on Lake Okeechobee is as good as it gets right now!

April 24, 2009

We had what was probably the best shiner fishing trip of the year this week, we found what we thought were a bunch of school fish that we could catch on artificial or shiners. It turned out that the fish we found were a bunch of post spawn females that were on a feeding binge. We caught Bass for the first 2 1/2 hours of the morning on every shiner we cast out, it was incredible. The Bass averaged 3 to 4 pounds but there were many much larger, we had several 5 and 6 pound Bass, the big Bass for the morning was an 8 1/2 pound spawned out female that was very long and skinny, had she been carrying her roe still she would have weighed well over 10, we had a couple other big fish on that jumped off, but one Bass for sure that we all knew was bigger than the 8 1/2 pound fish we landed. It is a great time to be fishing Okeechobee.

April 14, 2009

Bass fishing is getting better each day as the water levels drop on Okeechobee, forcing the Bass toward the outside edges of the grass lines. Anglers are catching 25 to 40 fish per day on artificial baits with an occasional big fish showing up in the mix. We are starting to see some schooling action from the bass but so far it has been limited. Most of the bass have spawned and are looking to feed up to regain the energy they expended while spawning.

Blue Gill and Shell Cracker are spawning everywhere you look in the lake and in the local canals, good numbers of these hefty pan fish are being caught daily, crickets and grass shrimp are the go to baits at this time.

March 15, 2009

We finally got the warm weather we haver been asking for and the fishing this week was incredible! We are catching between 30 and 40 Bass per trip with big Bass in the mix every day. We had two fish over 8 pounds this week and 2 over 7 pounds. The number of 5 and 6 pound fish we are catching every day is incredible. The water has warmed into the low 70's and the Bass are on a major feed. Not all of the Bass have spawned yet so the new moon period should see another wave of fish move in to spawn.


March 9, 2009
Bass fishing is taking off exactly as it does every March! Artificial baits are working in nearly every area on the north end of the lake. Spinner baits, senkos, 10 inch worms, and skinny dippers are all producing some very nice Bass. It is possible to catch 10 to 15 fish per day on artificial baits at this time and the water is just starting to get warm! Shiner fishing has gotten better each day of the present warming trend and should continue to improve, our catch rate numbers have grown daily. We are catching 15 to 25 fish daily and the numbers should continue to grow as the fish complete spawning and move towards the outside edges of the grass It's big Bass time on Okeechobee!




February 28, 2009
What a way to end the month of February! We shiner fished all day and were catching some very nice Bass. We were nearly out of bait when a big Bass slowly pulled one of the baits down and pulled it along the surface for about 50 feet. My client reeled down and set the hook and the fish came off. I immediately hooked the last and largest shiner we had in the live well and threw it right where he had just missed the fish. The shiner went crazy swimming for about 30 seconds then sudddenly a giant Bass ate it leaving a big whirlppol where she took the bait. We let her run with the bait and when he reeled down and set the hook she went wild. After a battle for several minutes we boated a 9 pound 3 ounce sow that was so full of roe that she was weeping eggs out of her anal port. After we weighed her we photographed her and let her go to continue spawning. She is still there for some lucky angler to catch. The full moon is approaching March 10th and the spawning activitiy leading up to it should be eventful.

To see pictures of the big Bass go to www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
and click on fishing reports on the first page of the site.

Captain Michael Shellen
Shellen Guide Service
863-357-0892
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com


2-17-09
We have had great weather for the last couple weeks and the water temperatures have risen into the low 70's. The Bass in Okeechobee and the surrounding area are full of roe and looking for a place to spawn. Our catch rates have been steadily rising with 15 to 30 fish per trip and we are catching some big Bass as well. Yesterday we caught a fish close to 8 pounds and had one on that we thought was bigger. The full moon upcoming should be the prime time spawn for this year. There are a lot of fish that moved off the beds when the cold fronts hit us last month that will be in the shallow water making beds.

1-29-09

The brief cold spell has passed and Bass are moving up shallow to spawn all over South Florida. Okeechobee is hosting the FLW tournament and the pros are catching big Okeechobee Bass as I write this piece. Fishing has improved daily with 3 days in a row near 80 degrees. The water has heated up and so has the Bass fishing. If you are interested in catching big Bass now is the time, full moon is approaching and the fish are on a tear. We caught 25 bass to 5 pounds on our shiner trip this morning.

1-15-09

Bass fishing has been very good and seems to be getting better each week. So far this season our customers have caught 2 Bass over 9 pounds (9 pounds 4 ounces) (9 pounds 10 ounces) and 7 Bass over 8 pounds with many fish in the 6 to 7 pound range mixed in. Numbers have been good almost daily with some days as high as 30 fish. The big Bass are in the shallow water to spawn which puts them in range to be caught on a live wild shiner. The fish are very fat and full of roe and will continue to stay in the shallow water until they have completed spawning.






1-7-09

Bass fishing continues to be good. The weather forecast is for a cold front to move through our area for the next few days. If the water cools considerably the Bass that have moved shallow to spawn may move off of their beds. Some of the Bass in the lake have already spawned but we still have not seen the huge influx of Bass in the lake move inshore to spawn. Fishing with shiners is the most productive way to catch Bass right now for numbers and size. Artificial bait fishermen are struggling to catch big numbers consistently, although somewhere on the lake each day there are anglers that are having success. As is usually the case during this time period a live wild shiner is the ticket to catching Okeechobee Bass.


12-28-08

Today was the best fishing day for big Bass we have had since last years spawn. We fished with Tom Orr from Ontario today and used wild shiners. Lucky Tom caught 25 bass on the trip, there were three big Bass in the mix though that really made the day special, first Tom caught an 8 pound Bass, then an 8 pound 8 ounce Bass and then to top off the day he caught a 9 pound 10 ounce giant! The fish are full of roe and are looking to spawn! The next full moon phase should provide some great fishing!


12-25-08
May 26.2009

Okeechobee Bass fishing continues to be about as good as it can get we are catching 20 to 30 Bass per trip on artificial baits. I fished with 11 year old Lorensos Fuller Memorial weekend, it was his first endeavor at catching Bass on artificial baits. He is a very good and lucky young man, he caught an 8 pound Bass on a plastic worm. He caught 8 or 9 Bass himself on that trip as did hgis father and grandfather. We had a great day of fishing catching many bass. On anither trip this weekend we got into Bass schooling on shad and caught bass after bass as they were schooling all around the boat. It was a great time. Blue gill fishing is still very good, the next full moon is coming up in early June and we should see the great big fish move back toward their spawning areas. We have been catching blue gill on Fly Rod with poppers and also on crickets with a bream buster pole.


We are coming up on the January full moon, big Bass are starting
to show up more each day as they move into the shallows. We caught some big bass around the last full moon and we expect another wave of big fish will be caught during this full moon phase too. We are seeing a lot of movement out of the bass as they start to feel the spawning urge, judging from the number of fish that spawned last month we are yet to see a peak spawn. If the weather remains stable it could get good very quiuckly. It is entirely possible to fish an area in the morning and not even get bit and go back later in the day and load the boat with Bass, it happens every year,patience and perseverance will pay off.



11-30-08

Bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee has gotten better with each passing week, we are catching greater numbers of Bass on our shiners trips, but more importantly we are starting to catch big Bass consistently.Our customers have caught 7 and 8 pound Bass the last 2 days. The fish are incredsibly fat and healthy and are moving into the shallower water to prepare for the spawn.

11-17-08
Big Fish Moving Shallow!
This past weekend I fished with Barbara Baker and her 16 year old grandson Chad. Barbara took Chad on a guided fishing trip for his 16th birthday present. We had a great day! Barbara showed her young grandson how to catch big Bass. She caught a 7 pound Bass and a 8 pound Bass on back to back cast.

Shellen Guide Service

Captain  Michael Shellen
Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Flyfishing
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
info@okeechobeebassfishing.com

Toll free 888-203-3474
863-357-0892

 
17 year old Jordan Schere caughtn these two                       Nancy Lupko with one over 8 Pounds
 giants on back to back cast on 12 pound test line!
One weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces
the other weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces