How Fast Can Your Lake Go from Clear to Muddy and Vice Versa?

This is from January 2024, but it is always true. In March Lake Martin was as muddy as I have seen it in 50 years and the next weekend Jackson was September clear, unusual for April

Fishing conditions can change fast this time of year. Last weekend Lake Sinclair was very clear, so clear I blamed the tough fishing on it.  But the flooding rain Tuesday most likely changed that.

    For many years our lakes got very muddy in the winter and spring from rain run-off.  Muddy water was the norm back in the 1970s and 80s at my place on Germany Creek at Clarks Hill. But now it is not unusual to see the bottom three feet down like it was the week before Christmas.

    I think farming practices are the reason. Fewer plowed fields mean less muddy runoff.

    Sinclair has always been a popular bass fishing lake in the winter, mostly due to the warm water discharge from the power plant there. The warmer water made the fish more active than they were on other lakes in middle Georgia. After the power plant was torn down conditions changed.

    Last Sunday I could see the bottom three to four feet down on Sinclair. And in anticipation of the coming rain, Georgia Power had lowered the lake about a foot to accept the runoff.  But like other lakes, run off from a heavy rain will muddy up some of the lake. The bigger the lake the less it muddies.

    Small lakes like Jackson can get muddy from dam to headwaters in a few hours. Sinclair usually takes a couple of days. And huge lakes like Clarks Hill almost never get muddy near the dam but the creeks and rivers upstream do get muddy.

    The lower the water the more it muddies up. If the lake is full the muddy inflow just pushes the clear water downstream some, making it go higher. With the lake low the muddy water flows downstream with less clear water to slow it down.

    One of the worst experience I have had happened at Jackson a few years ago. I was on the lake a few days before the tournament and caught nice spots off every rocky point from near the dam upstream to Tussahaw Creek. I could not wait for the tournament.

    When we took off it was still a little dark. We could see well enough to run but details on the bank and in the water were vague.  I stopped on the first point going upstream, planning on working my way up hitting every point.

    Within a few minutes I caught a nice keeper spot on a crankbait. When I decided to go to the next point something didn’t look right.  About 50 yards above the point I was on, the water changed from a greenish clear to red mud. It looked like someone had drawn a line across the lake and colored above it with a red crayon.

    A heavy rain had hit the day before the tournament, but I never expected that change! The mudline moved past the point I started on within a few minutes. The whole lake was muddy upstream at daylight and to the dam by 10:00 AM.

    And I never got another bite.

    I don’t mind fishing cold water too much. My rule of thumb this time of year is that if the water temperature is above 50 degrees, I have a pretty good chance of catching a bass. If it is 45 to 50 degrees, I may get a bite. But if the water is colder than 45 degrees I might as well go home.

    Muddy cold water is much worse.  It is the worst possible condition this time of year to me.

    Other factors affect fishing, too. I had information that a lot of bass were out deep on Sinclair, deeper than I expected. Some of my friends were catching bass 50 feet deep.

    I planned on trying to catch a fish shallow this past Sunday then going out and looking for schools of deep fish. But the wind made it miserable fishing open water and boat control was very hard.

    I did find one ball of bait 35 feet deep and another ball of either gizzard shad or crappie down 40 feet deep but got no bites around them.  

    Bright sun is not good when the water is warm in the summer, but it can help this time of year. I do get a laugh when I hear fishermen say sun warms underwater rocks and that warms the water the water around them. Water dissipates heat way too fast for that to happen. 

    Bass are attracted to shallow rocks and sun on them does seem to help in the winter. There is lots of food like crawfish living around rocks so bass feed there in the winter. And the sun may warm them some like it does us sitting in it, but I am not sure.

    No matter the reason, fishing around rocks is a good tactic this time of year.

    Many other factors affect fishing this time of year so the most important thing is to be adaptable.

    Last Sunday only three members of the Flint River Bass Club showed up for our January tournament. Since there were less than four fishermen, the club paid our entry fees.

    I won with two bass weighing 3.41 pounds and my 2.44 pound largemouth was big fish. Zane Fleck had one keeper weighing 1.77 pounds for second. That was it, the third fisherman zeroed.

    I had two bites on a jig, one at 9:00 AM and the second just before 10:00 AM around rocks. After that I looked for deeper fish but never got another bite all day!

From the Georgia DNR – DON’T TAKE WILDLIFE FROM THE WILD and THE O-FISH-IAL WINNERS OF THE 2025 FISH ART CONTEST®

DON’T TAKE WILDLIFE FROM THE WILD

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (April 4, 2025) – Don’t remove wildlife from their habitat! Before you pick up or attempt to assist any wildlife, no matter its age or condition, remember that it is best to leave all wildlife, including young birds, bunnies, or fawns where they are found, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (DNR WRD).

“We know you want to help. But sometimes the help we want to provide is actually doing more harm than good,” explains Ben McCullar, wildlife biologist and program manager of the Georgia DNR WRD Urban Wildlife Program. “Wildlife, even young ones, rarely need interference from humans. In fact, taking wildlife out of their natural environment and bringing them into your home often takes away the animal’s ability to then survive in the wild, where they belong,”

The best thing people can do when they see any wildlife of any age is to immediately move away and leave it exactly as they found it for at least 24 hours. If the animal is still there after this wait time, reach out to a local WRD office for guidance (GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact).

But what if the animal is “orphaned”? McCullar says that “While it may appear that a young animal is alone, the adult animal is usually close by even though you may not be able to see it. Adult animals, such as deer, spend most of the day away from their young to reduce the risk of a predator finding the young animal.”

Wildlife, especially young animals, demand a great deal of care and have specific nutritional requirements. If they are not cared for properly, they cannot be released or retain the ability to survive on their own. Persons not licensed and trained in wildlife rehabilitation should not attempt to care for wildlife.  Georgia law prohibits the possession of most wildlife without a permit.

For more information, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/living-with-wildlife.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE O-FISH-IAL WINNERS OF THE 2025 FISH ART CONTEST®

Perry, GA (April 4, 2025) — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is proud to announce the Georgia winners of the Fish Art Contest. The Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest, which includes the Georgia Fish Art Contest, is an international competition designed to ignite children’s imagination and inspire them to discover more about fish and fishing. The program is free to enter and open to youth in kindergarten through grade 12 anywhere in the world.

“The Fish Art Contest offers a unique opportunity to connect students to the outdoors through science and creative art,” said Chrystal Sherwood, Georgia State-Fish Art Coordinator. “Since it started in 1997, this free program has received artwork from over 85,000 students across 46 countries. We appreciate the teachers and parents that encourage participation as we believe that learning more about these species helps create better future stewards of the environment.”

TOP GEORGIA WINNERS:

GRADES 10-12
First place: Luca Camay, Marietta (Flathead catfish)

Second place: Kierstyn Lukehart, Elko (Lionfish)

Third place: Adesola Aluko, Marietta (Tarpon)

Go Fish Georgia Award: Hannah Yang, Suwanee (Shoal Bass) 
GRADES 7-9
First place: Steven Ju, Marietta (Brook Trout)

Second place: Siyu Diao, Suwanee (Largemouth Bass)

Third place: Crystal Zhen, Watkinsville (Sailfish)

Go Fish Georgia Award: George Cheng, St. Mary’s (Atlantic Tarpon)
GRADES 4-6
First Place: Sarah Tan, Duluth (Mahi-mahi)

Second Place: Isabella Ann Puzyreva, Cumming (Yellow bass)

Third Place: Lucas Kutz, Dacula (Lionfish)

Go Fish Georgia Award: Emily Han, Suwanee (Rainbow trout)
GRADES K-3
First Place: Ryan Gu, Duluth (Largemouth bass)

Second Place: Enya Deng, Suwanee (Bluegill)

Third Place: Anne Kongoasa, Duluth (Cutthroat Trout; also nominated for the Western Native Trout Award)

Go Fish Georgia Award: Xin Chen, Duluth (Yellow Perch)

Mighty Minnow Award (this is a new award selected by each state. It celebrates the creativity and talent of kindergarten participants in the K-3 age group, giving the youngest artists a chance to be honored for their efforts and abilities, based on age-appropriate expectations).

Ambrose Byers, Blairsville (Bass)

About the Go Fish Georgia Award: This award was created to celebrate fish species commonly sought by Georgia anglers.

Artwork on Display: Artwork from Georgia winners will be on display at the Go Fish Education Center (GoFishEducationCenter.com/) in Perry, Georgia for one year (starting June 2025).

All the 2025 National and International winners can be found at https://www.WildlifeForever.org/home/fish-art/2023-winners/ (after May 2025). Digital images are available upon request.

Complete information about the Fish Art Contest available at FishArt.org.

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About the Fish Art Program: The award-winning Wildlife Forever Art of Conservation Fish Art® Contest, is supported by Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops, International Game Fish Association, the USDA Forest Service, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and National Fish Habitat Partnership. Bringing youth, art, and conservation together, the Fish Art program is free to enter. Visit FishArt.org.

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s outdoor heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 96% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation® Fish Art Contest™ and Songbird Art Contest™, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at WildlifeForever.org.

Fishing Lake Oconee In A Bad Spring Storm

    Mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the mid-day sun, but 11 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club went out in the thunderstorms at Oconee last Sunday.  I wonder about my sanity fishing in weather like that.

    Weather guessers “forecast” some thunderstorms but light rain most of the day.  Wrong.  It poured down rain and almost constant lightning all day was much worse than predicted. There was more than 6.5 inch of rain in my gauge in 24 hours.

    We were supposed to start at 7:30 AM but a strong storm kept most of us on the bank in our trucks until about 7:45. We had a short break, then the lightning started flashing and the thunder crashing within a few minutes after we took off and continued until about an hour before weigh-in.

    In the tournament, 11 of us brought 36 14-inch keeper largemouth weighing about 71 pounds to the scales.  There were six five bass limits and three people didn’t catch a fish in the eight rainy hours.

    Raymond English won with five weighing 12.79 pounds and Niles Murray was an incredibly close second with five at 12.78 pounds. My five weighing 11.26 pounds was third and I had a 4.55 pound largemouth for big fish. Jay Gerson came in fourth with five weighing 8.72 pounds and for about the third time this year Billy Roberts placed fifth with 5 at 7.92 pounds.

    When we took off I made a short run to a rocky point where I caught a 3.5 pound fish in our March tournament two years ago. It was big fish in that tournament. On about my tenth cast with the same crankbait I landed the 4.55 pounder.  That was a good start.

    After catching a 13.5 inch non keeper out of some grass on that point on a swim jig, the lightning drove me to the back of the cove where I felt the overhanging trees gave me some protection.  I ended up sitting against a seawall there trying to cast every few minutes for two hours! I had to run my bilge pumps to keep the boat from filling with water. I did catch three short fish in that time.

    I kept looking at my phone and saw the next county south was under a tornado watch.  The lightning seemed to be what some call “sheet” lightning, bolts that jump from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground.  But every few minutes the lake would get bright and the air shake from a nearby ground strike.

    It was so bad a very nice homeowner came down to his dock and asked if I was ok.  When I said I was just trying to stay in a protected area, he said if it got too bad for me that I could tie up to his dock and come up to his basement, the door was open!  There are some nice folks still in this world.

    At about 10:00 the storm let up a little and I fished out of the cove. On the point where the big one hit I got my second keeper out of grass on the other side of it on a weightless trick worm.

    I made another short run to another good cove and caught several short bass going into the cove, then found a ditch with water dumping into the lake. Back-to-back casts to that muddy inflow produced keepers on a jig and pig.  Four in the live well a little before noon, one of them over four pounds, made me feel pretty good.

    At 1:00 I cranked up for the third time and ran a half mile to another good series of coves, but they produced nothing but a few short fish. I was getting worried about filling my limit.

    At 2:45 I went back to the muddy water inflow and caught a short fish from it. Working up the bank I cast my jig to a grassbed and my line started moving straight to the boat. I set the hook and a solid keeper came up and came off.

    I hate to set the hook on a fish swimming toward me. I think they get the lead on a Texas rig, shaky head or jig in their mouth and  are clamped down so hard the hook does not move on the hook set and they come off, just like this one that made me feel sick.

    I got the boat closer to the bank and cast ahead of it. A few casts later my line moved out and I set the hook and landed my fifth keeper. Since it was 15 minutes to weigh-in I didn’t make another cast, just headed to the ramp.

    I felt lucky to land a limit on such a messy dangerous day.

Fishing Lake Oconee In A Club Tournament In Terrible, Dangerous Spring Weather

Mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the mid-day sun, but 11 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club went out in the thunderstorms at Oconee last Sunday.  I wonder about my sanity fishing in weather like that.

    Weather guessers “forecast” some thunderstorms but light rain most of the day.  Wrong.  It poured down rain and almost constant lightning all day was much worse than predicted. There was more than 6.5 inch of rain in my gauge in 24 hours.

    We were supposed to start at 7:30 AM but a strong storm kept most of us on the bank in our trucks until about 7:45. We had a short break, then the lightning started flashing and the thunder crashing within a few minutes after we took off and continued until about an hour before weigh-in.

    In the tournament, 11 of us brought 36 14-inch keeper largemouth weighing about 71 pounds to the scales.  There were six five bass limits and three people didn’t catch a fish in the eight rainy hours.

    Raymond English won with five weighing 12.79 pounds and Niles Murray was an incredibly close second with five at 12.78 pounds. My five weighing 11.26 pounds was third and I had a 4.55 pound largemouth for big fish. Jay Gerson came in fourth with five weighing 8.72 pounds and for about the third time this year Billy Roberts placed fifth with 5 at 7.92 pounds.

    When we took off I made a short run to a rocky point where I caught a 3.5 pound fish in our March tournament two years ago. It was big fish in that tournament. On about my tenth cast with the same crankbait I landed the 4.55 pounder.  That was a good start.

    After catching a 13.5 inch non keeper out of some grass on that point on a swim jig, the lightning drove me to the back of the cove where I felt the overhanging trees gave me some protection.  I ended up sitting against a seawall there trying to cast every few minutes for two hours! I had to run my bilge pumps to keep the boat from filling with water. I did catch three short fish in that time.

    I kept looking at my phone and saw the next county south was under a tornado watch.  The lightning seemed to be what some call “sheet” lightning, bolts that jump from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground.  But every few minutes the lake would get bright and the air shake from a nearby ground strike.

    It was so bad a very nice homeowner came down to his dock and asked if I was ok.  When I said I was just trying to stay in a protected area, he said if it got too bad for me that I could tie up to his dock and come up to his basement, the door was open!  There are some nice folks still in this world.

    At about 10:00 the storm let up a little and I fished out of the cove. On the point where the big one hit I got my second keeper out of grass on the other side of it on a weightless trick worm.

    I made another short run to another good cove and caught several short bass going into the cove, then found a ditch with water dumping into the lake. Back-to-back casts to that muddy inflow produced keepers on a jig and pig.  Four in the live well a little before noon, one of them over four pounds, made me feel pretty good.

    At 1:00 I cranked up for the third time and ran a half mile to another good series of coves, but they produced nothing but a few short fish. I was getting worried about filling my limit.

    At 2:45 I went back to the muddy water inflow and caught a short fish from it. Working up the bank I cast my jig to a grassbed and my line started moving straight to the boat. I set the hook and a solid keeper came up and came off.

    I hate to set the hook on a fish swimming toward me. I think they get the lead on a Texas rig, shaky head or jig in their mouth and  are clamped down so hard the hook does not move on the hook set and they come off, just like this one that made me feel sick.

    I got the boat closer to the bank and cast ahead of it. A few casts later my line moved out and I set the hook and landed my fifth keeper. Since it was 15 minutes to weigh-in I didn’t make another cast, just headed to the ramp.

    I felt lucky to land a limit on such a messy dangerous day.

Berkley Unveils Two New Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp Shapes

  • Gear, The Lead

Berkley Unveils Two New Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp Shapes

  • By The Fishing Wire

Take your artificial shrimp game to the next level with the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail.

Columbia, SC – Berkley is adding to their shrimp imitations with the introduction of two new Gulp! soft plastics—the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail. Engineered to provide constant action at any retrieve speed or style with the trusted superior scent dispersion of Gulp!, these new additions are built to help anglers catch more fish in any saltwater scenario.

The Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp is the next evolution in shrimp imitations, designed to create maximum attraction and scent distribution. Featuring a unique leg design that oscillates back and forth on retrieval, it generates turbulence and vibration that mimics the erratic movements of live shrimp. This lifelike action, combined with Gulp!’s proprietary scent dispersion formula  makes the Turbo Shrimp an irresistible target for redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and more. Available in 11 natural and vibrant colors and three versatile sizes, it’s the perfect bait to match the hatch or stand out in murky conditions.

Adding to the lineup, the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail delivers a deadly combination of subtle action and maximum scent dispersion. Built with a finely tuned reverse curled tail, this bait produces a lifelike flutter even at super slow retrieve speeds—perfect for enticing finicky fish. Its heavily spiked prawn-shaped head and faceted body create extra turbulence, dispersing scent effectively through the water column. Available in eight lifelike and bold colors, the Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail offers the versatility anglers need to fish confidently in all conditions.

Whether you’re fishing grass flats, mangroves, or deep channels, the Gulp! Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail are must-have additions for any saltwater angler looking to catch more fish and land bigger bites.

“The Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail are something we have been working on for a long time and can’t wait for people to get their hands on,” said Will Pate, Berkley Saltwater Product Manager. “We are super excited to keep expanding the Gulp! Saltwater line-up, and this is just the beginning.”

BERKLEY GULP! SALTWATER TURBO SHRIMP – KEY FEATURES:

  • Unique leg design that oscillates to mimic real shrimp leg action
  • Segmented body and wide fan tail creates a tail kick action and turbulence in the water
  • Gulp! superior scent dispersion
  • Available in 11 fish-catching colors

Sizes: 3” • 4” • 5”
Colors: Peppered Prawn • Camo • Pink Belly Shrimp • New Penny • Pearl White • Molting Shrimp • Nuclear Chicken • Flamingo Chrome • Violet Haze Fleck • America • Ocean Shift 
MSRP: $8.99

Available: March 2025

About Pure Fishing

Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.

Bad Fishing Products and Worse Service

Have all companies given up on making decent products or just some of the fishing equipment ones I have dealt with recently? 

My $2500 Minn Kota trolling motor had a problem that a $25 aftermarket sleeve solved. Yet folks at Minn Kota told me they knew of the problem and there was no fix.

When I sent them proof there was a simple cheap solution they could implement, I got no response.

T-H Marine makes a replacement trolling motor pull handle that I have used in the past that worked well. I recently installed a new one and the eyes of the Allen set screws that came with it stripped out with almost no pressure.  They would not tighten down.

When I contacted T-H Marine they said they did not see that as a big problem and they sold many of the handles.  They are aware of the problem but it is not a big one to them.  In their defense, they did send me new screws that seem to be good.

AFTCO 2024 Bass Bus Summary, What Is It and What Does It Do?

  • Tournaments

AFTCO 2024 Bass Bus Summary

  • By The Fishing Wire

The AFTCO Bass Bus release boats have had another busy season in 2024 helping ensure the safe release of thousands of bass back to the lakes and rivers they were caught in that day.  AFTCO sponsors and supports two release boats that are operated and maintained by Ulrich Marine Service in Branson, MO.  In 2024, these two boats traveled to dozens of events across the Midwest to aid tournament organizations in releasing fish safely, but also to help spread them out for reduced harvest in the days following an event. Spreading the release of tournament fish out across the lake also ensures that an area does not receive too many fish to safely support them in that area. The Ulrich Marine staff is trained on the proper release methods including “fizzing” and operation of the boats to protect as many fish as possible. 

The original AFTCO Bass Bus just completed its seventh season of releasing fish.  This boat has supported 43 events in 12 states and released over 27,000 bass back into their waters. AFTCO support for a second boat was added in 2019 and the company now supports two boats in operation in conjunction with Ulrich Marine. AFTCO provides financial support for the operation of these boats free of charge at approved tournaments thru out the year. 

In conjunction with the release boat at many events is the AFTCO Bank Bag program and distribution of the AFTCO Bass Care 101 guide for all angler and organizations to use for successful fish care management.

In 2025, both Bass Busses are already scheduled for dozens of events across the Eastern US.

About AFTCO

Family owned and operated, the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) represents unparalleled quality, performance, and reliability when it counts most. Worn across the globe, AFTCO’s performance fishing clothing and fishing rain gear is designed to handle the harshest elements. Whether you’re a tournament bass angler looking to stay dry in a late fall downpour or an offshore weekend warrior seeking protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays, AFTCO keeps you fishing comfortably.

AFTCO reflects a legacy of firsts. From former company Chairman Milt Shedd’s pioneering conservation achievements, to the invention of the roller guide and the introduction of the world’s first pair of true fishing shorts, AFTCO provides conservation leadership and innovative products proven to deliver performance on the water. Our passion for the outdoors goes beyond our product offering because of an unwavering commitment to help protect our fishing resources and angler rights. Through our 10% Pledge to Protect and Conserve, your purchase of any AFTCO product directly supports conservation initiatives.

Inconsiderate Rude Fishermen and Folks In General with Social Media Making Them Worse

    On the inconsiderate, rude fishermen and folks in general thing, social media has also made things worse.  Many “keyboard warriors” out there seem to live to make stupid and or insulting comments. And trolls say things just to try to stir up controversy.  They would never make those kinds of comments in person since they would not want a black eye. 

    When I do my Georgia Outdoor News articles I shoot a short video with the fisherman landing a bass. They then hold it up while telling a little about why and where they are fishing. The videos are about one minute long total. The video goes with my article when it is put online. 

    My editor told me last week a couple of “fishermen” had sent in comments that we were keeping the bass out of the water too long making the video.  I wonder if they would have that problem if I were taking pictures of them? And I would not be surprised if they “boat flip” bass, jerking them out of the water and letting them slam into the bottom of the boat.  But we have to protect bass no matter what, in their opinion. 

I am tempted to tell them “don’t worry, we took the fish home to eat” but that would make me a troll, too. Those folks think it is a deadly sin to kill and eat a bass. But I can be snarky, too!

    I got the following comments online when I went to the Minn Kota users’ group on Facebook asking for help about a trolling motor problem. The pull cable comes through a hole in a cast aluminum block and mine cut a groove in it, which then cut the cable. I asked if there was a fix like a stainless-steel sleeve to go in the hole.   

    Several people said they had the same problem and a couple gave me a link to an aftermarket product that solves it. 

But the following comments range from not responding to the problem to the irrelevant to just plain dumb: 

    “Guys I been working on trolling motors for 28 year’s I’m very aware of everything , if they made the part out of steel then (when ) you run into something it would break every thing instead of the aluminum part, you have to have inexpensive weak spots in everything in lifes gadgets lol.” 

    Later I had this exchange with the same guy: “so if I put a stainless steel grommet made for this problem in the hole it will weaken mine?” his response “Depends on how much you drill out.” No idea where he came up with drilling anything, or about running into things. 

Another guy stated, “its not a piano.” I said “weird response, what do you mean?” but got no response. 

Another suggested I buy a different brand trolling motor for $3500 rather than the less than $25 part to fix mine. And yet a third suggested if I could not keep my equipment repaired I should stop fishing, and go to trowling, whatever that is.  Maybe he thinks I should install stucco.  That from me just asking if anybody had the same problem and a solution for it. 

Although I stated up front the groove had cut my stainless-steel pull cable, I got this genius response: “Maybe they can redesign the parts, so it cuts into the stainless steel cable, and then your cable breaks, and you have something else to bi**h about. Motor looks very well loved. It’s a cheap part and actually if you have any decent repair center around you they will give you one for free and it will take 10 minutes to swap out.”   

I had checked with Minn Kota and they offered to sell me the replacement part, exactly the same as the one that caused the problem, for about $20 

    For the suggestion “You’re supposed to cut the cable short enough so you reach out and pull the cable straight up to release it. That’s straight from Minnkota.” I responded that at my age that ain’t gonna happen.  

I have a hard time just standing on the front of the boat, much less leaning over the trolling motor and front of the boat and pulling a cable straight up.  I guess he did not consider the health and age of some of us, or anything else for that matter. 

Although I did find the part I needed on the Facebook page from a couple of suggestions, I don’t know why I bother. And stuff like this is even more sad when you realize the net and social media are killing print media. 

What Is The State Of Lake Okeechobee From A Professional Anglers Point Of View

Search for:

The State Of Lake Okeechobee From A Professional Anglers Point Of View – Good or Bad?

  • By The Fishing Wire

Lake Okeechobee is one of the most historic bass fisheries in the world. The Seminole Tribe named it “big water” for its size, but the size of the bass has historically been what people think of when they hear its name. The lake has and continues to provide anglers from all over the world with a once-in-a-lifetime fishing trip. It is considered by many as the Valhalla of Bass Fishing. 

As a professional angler who grew up in Clewiston, Florida, Lake Okeechobee is very special to me because I’ve spent my entire life on it and understand how this lake lives and breathes. It is also a big part of why we are here, as a family, and a big part of why we started our family business on the shores of this wonderful lake. My father–Roland Martin, who has spent his lifetime in the sport—mentored me. I am blessed to have a very successful 22-year career myself by winning bass tournaments all over the country. My family is all involved in the outdoors: my daughter Hilary, seems to be the one that is taking the name to the next generation and continuing our family legacy. 

We have a responsibility to act as stewards of this majestic body of water. That’s why we co-founded Angler’s for Lake Okeechobee (AFLO) to advocate for the lake by focusing on solutions to stop large influxes of water and nutrients from entering the lake from urban centers north of us, as well as protecting the habitat and wildlife in the lake. Since starting AFLO, we’ve developed an even deeper personal understanding of how Lake O operates. We’ve seen it at its best and we’ve seen it at its worst and our mission is to maintain and to improve upon its glory. Anglers, business owners, and boat owners as well as fishing guides are all part of this effort to care for the lake, fix the estuary crisis downstream, and reduce spraying of harmful chemicals that are intended to manage and control invasive aquatic plants that can disrupt the native ecosystem, hinder navigation, and negatively impact fish and wildlife habitats. 

Lake Okeechobee has suffered several injuries in recent years including mismanagement, chemical assault and negative press coverage from certain groups and people who don’t recognize the Lake’s  value or want to blame shift from problems in their own waters to ours. However, there have been significant efforts at the state and federal levels to stabilize the lake and heal it. 

I want to share some recent positive developments on the state of the Lake. First, ongoing construction of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells  will “slow the flow” of nutrient-laden and contaminated water from Orlando’s urban runoff in the wet season and provide much-needed fresh water during the dry season. Year after year, more than 95 percent of the water and nutrients that end up in the lake flow unimpeded from Orlando and urban centers north draining into the Lake. Leaders in Florida like Governor Ron DeSantis and those in charge of the Florida Legislature deserve significant credit for committing the resources necessary to get these projects done.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have begun to shift their lake management philosophy to put the lake into “recovery mode,” which means lower lake levels will create an opportunity for sunlight to once again grow grass and healthier fish habitat. A major new USACE project was just authorized when the Water Resource Development Act was signed on January 4, 2025. The plan proposes an enormous reservoir north of the Lake with the capacity to store 200,000 acre-feet of flow before it ever reaches the Lake. It will limit human-borne contaminates from polluting the Lake–as we see in the estuaries to our west that are filled with pollution from stormwater runoff, septic tanks, and sewage from failing wastewater infrastructure that feed harmful algal blooms and red tides. Lastly, there has been a shift in focus on supporting funding and projects inside Lake Okeechobee so we can do the restoration and habitat projects that are greatly needed there. 

Florida is growing, but our population continues to become more aware of its ecosystems and the impact we all have on water. Lake Okeechobee is not toxic as often cited. 

Bass fishing continues to take off nationally. It’s increasingly becoming a young person’s sport and there’s nothing better than seeing the lake filled with young anglers from all over the country. They come to compete and fill their bags on what I believe is still the premier bass fishing destination in the world and considered by many fishermen, their ultimate bucket-list destination. 

The push to save Lake Okeechobee continues to gain steam. AFLO has brought together many different stakeholders who all care about the Lake including city leaders, farmers, conservationists, outdoor, sports and fishing brands, as well as our coastal neighbors. 

There are still challenges to resolve like the ongoing spraying issues that harm bass spawning beds, promote unhealthy lake bottom, and reduce submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), which promotes fish habitat and provides the filter Lake Okeechobee needs to clean its own water. Lake Okeechobee used to have between 30,000 and 50,000 acres of SAV each year and has been reduced to basically zero over the last 7-8 years. 

Also, we need to dispel the idea that Lake Okeechobee is toxic, which has been the result of decades of pseudo-environmentalists attacking our rural communities over water issues. 

And finally, we need to promote healthy dialogue among all stakeholders to ensure everyone involved has a better understanding of our shared issues. 

The largest freshwater lake in Florida generates more than $30 million in income for businesses annually. That despite all the challenges it has faced over the years. Imagine what a better lake could do for our state and our country.

AFLO, key stakeholders and our family will keep working on this goal by sharing facts and encouraging our leaders to preserve the lake’s status as a world-class bass fishing destination.   

–Scott Martin is a professional angler, the host of “The Scott Martin Challenge” and co-founder of Anglers for Lake Okeechobee.

The Actions of A Few High School Anglers and Boat Captains Turned Me Against Youth Fishing Tournaments

    Fishermen have always been mostly nice, polite considerate folks. There have always been the exceptions, but they were fairly rare and were shunned by most. 

Unfortunately, the huge influx of young tournament fishermen due to the popularity of high school tournaments has produced way too many out there that have no concept of courtesy, rules or safety. And its not just the kids, the adults driving the boats are even worse.

    I always supported youth tournaments, starting a youth tournament club through the Flint River Bass Club  and the Spalding County Sportsman Club. The Flint/Spalding Youth Club was successful, winning the state championship twice. But we emphasized courtesy and safety to them.

    My support changed at a Sportsman Club tournament three years ago at Guntersville. That huge lake is very shallow with thousands of acres of grass beds that have narrow boat channels marked through them. Twice in practice I was run out of those channels by adult “boat captains” driving for high school fishermen.

They did not know or care that the law says boats stay to the right when meeting an oncoming boat, just like in a car. If I had not gone out in the grass to my right they would have hit me.

    More madding but less dangerous, the next day in the tournament I was sitting a short cast off a point with a grassbed on it and had just caught a keeper bass. I was about 50 feet from the edge of the grass and the bank was not far behind the grass. The whole creek was behind me, hundreds of acres of open water. Unfortunately, the boat ramp was down the bank about 300 yards from me.

    I heard a boat out in open water past the point toward the main lake and, due to my experience the day before, looked up.  It was a high school team, two kids in their cute little jerseys, with an adult in the same cute little jersey driving the boat.

    They came off plane about 150 yards from me and I thought they were nice, not making a big wake to hit me while I fished. But then I saw how they were idling, headed right between me and the bank. It would have been even closer for them to go behind me to the ramp, but no, they had to mess up my fishing.

    All three kind of raised their hands in a little wave, but when I took out my phone and started videoing them, they all three looked the other way and would not look back. They kept that pose as they idled through the grass I was fishing.

    That was in a 200 boat Alabama Federation Youth tournament. When I got home I contacted the state tournament director about the courtesy and safety issues. His response was basically they were too big and busy to worry about safety and courtesy. And he said 90 percent of his captains were safe.

    So based on his admission, about 20 boats in his tournament were running around dangerously on a crowded lake.  I am afraid you will read more and more about boating “accidents” that are not really accidents.

    Boat ramps produce good examples of folks not knowing what they are doing and not caring they are blocking the ramp for others.  In my club we can launch 10 boats in less than 15 minutes in the morning and load them up in about 20 minutes in the afternoon.

For years we made fun of those that launched a boat just a few times a year, doing stupid stuff at the ramp. You can watch many videos of that kind of thing online.

    But those that are just stupid or mean that block the ramp for a long time while others are waiting to use it are really the problem. Last month at Lanier I saw a good example of this, and again it was an adult with kids “practicing” for an upcoming tournament.

    The adult pulled in, backed down the ramp then he and three kids got out of the truck. They started getting tackle, coolers, snacks and other stuff out of the truck and putting it in the boat.

    Folks with any sense do that in the parking lot, getting the boat ready then quickly launching it. These folks took about 20 minutes getting their boat ready blocking the ramp before finally getting their boat in the water.

    Even after getting the boat tied up to the dock and parking the truck, the adult walked from the boat to the truck twice getting stuff they forgot before they finally left.

    I wish we could bring back courtesy and sense in many things but none more than fishing.