Okefenokee

I heading down for a 3 day canoe trip in the swamp at the end of March. Anybody got any fishing tips for me? I'll be carrying my farm pond set up, reletivly light spinning tackle along with some plastic worms and lizards to carolina and texas rig, some spinners and top water rapalas..

I've heard the fish have a taste of the black water (acidic), is that true? Are they good eating?

Any help appreciated.

BD

I have done well with a large purple spinner bait. I caught a bowfin that must have been over 12lbs a couple of years ago. When it broke the water next to my kayak I nearly dropped my rod. As for the brim I have done pretty good with a green and black beetle spin.

I've never noticed anything wrong with the meat but I have always fried the fish we kept.

Matt

I have a tip...crawdads and Warmouth!!!! You can buy crawdads for bait around the swamp and the warmouth will wear them out!!!! The war mouth in the okefenokee get very big and they are as agressive there as they are anywhere you find them. Ive always been told that the PH level of the okefenokee kept it from being a real good producer of large largemouth...I dont know if this is so or not but I do know that Largemouth arent as plentiful as it looks like they would be...war mouth and jacks (chain pickeral) as well as catfish are abundant however and more than make up for the lack of bass.....

I would take a little bigger tackle for the bass lures the bowfin's are going to try & take from you.......a baircaster with 17 lb. test would work better IMO.

Steele leaders and a lip landing tool from basspro will save many lures for you......bowfin's & jack fish have teeth like a pitbull and can't be lipped like a bass.

I'd target either bream, jacks,or bowfin,bass seem to be far and few between.

Crawdads for warmouth is a good tip fish them around the cypress, and fish for flier around the pads using a little bug, can't remember what they call it but they sell it in all the stores down there. Those pickerel will go after a snagless sally. Never seen a bass or bluegill down there.

be careful of those gators down there

Thanks everybody, that's some good info. Sounds like warmouths are the ticket. How big are the bait crawdads usually? I'm thinking like a #4 or #2 hook with split shot or a drop rig. Sound about right?

bayoudawg said:

Thanks everybody, that's some good info. Sounds like warmouths are the ticket. How big are the bait crawdads usually? I'm thinking like a #4 or #2 hook with split shot or a drop rig. Sound about right?

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We used to buy the right outside the gate of the State Park.....they were about 1 1/2 inches long....slightly bigger than a BIG cricket. A #4 hook is about right...use a long shank because the fish will engulf the thing...and a coupkld of split shot are all thats needed...sort of like a "fish finder" rig. The Warmouth are a BLAST...and very agressive....one word of wisdom...dont put any fsih on a stringer or in a basket....keep them in a cooler or a bucket at least. The gators in the okeefeenokee are not at all intimidated by people....and they dont think nothing at all of grabbing a stringer of fish. I dont think it would cause any trouble but my attitude towards animals that can eat me is to keep the interaction between us to a minimum!!!

Our Archery Club has been fishing down there beginning in the 70's. We did catch some bass in the 70's and early 80's but bass are a rarety today. We normally fish for chain pickeral using a large spinner bait. You can cast or troll for the pickeral. Be prepared to catch bowfin (dogfish,mudfish) as they are plentiful and big. If it is warm and the gators are out, get your fish in as fast as possible as the gator might take the fish and lure from you.

If the warmouth are biting, the crawfish is the best bait. They are not good to me as they are thick and strong tasting. All of the fish are almost black as you would expect living in that black water.

The locals also fish for flyers which they call shinners. I believe they use some type sand maggot to catch the flyers.