Blackwater and Yellow Rivers

Largemouth Bass fishing on the Blackwater River is heating up fast this spring. As temperatures continue to climb, bass are preparing to head shallow to spawn, so targeting these areas with spinnerbaits, square-bill or flat-sided crankbaits can be successful. Start searching for beds along the shallow stretches of Moccasin Cut, the shallow margins and docks in Magnolia Basin, or on the lower sections of river and marsh fingers near the mouth of Pond Creek. Striped Bass fishing will begin to dwindle as temperatures increase, so try targeting these fish in the deep holes of the lower river between the Navy MWR Boat Ramp and the I-10 interstate overpass at dawn or dusk. Using live baits, like shrimp, free-lined on a small khale hook for the best chance at success. Though dependent on tide, Redfish and Speckled Trout can be found all the way up to Wright’s Basin. Targeting deep holes near shallow bars or grass flats with a croaker fished either free-lined or under a cork can be successful, as can using live shrimp or mullet. Try fishing near Marquis Basin, the mouth of Pond Creek, along the marsh fingers just north of the I-10 interstate overpass, or near the old wooden barge structures just to the southwest of the interstate overpass.

Bluegill will begin bedding in the lower section of the river from Coopers Basin downstream to the I-10 bridge, so check around the docks and shallow sandy margins of Magnolia basin or along shallow sand bars along the main river section near the Navy MWR Boat Ramp. Use live bait on a light-wire #4-6 Aberdeen hook weighted with a small split-shot or slip-sinker under a bobber.

Access to the lower river include boat ramps in Milton, at Carpenters Park (north of downtown Milton, off Munson highway), Russell Harbor Park (North of Hwy 90 in Milton), Navy MWR Recreation Area (North of Hwy 90 in Milton), and in Bagdad (east of downtown Bagdad, off Highway 191).

The Yellow River has one of the most consistent bass fisheries of the surrounding rivers, with Largemouth Bass fishing expected to be great from April through July. As water temperatures steadily climb, the bass in the river are feeding heavily trying to recover from their winter down time and pack on the pounds before heading shallow to spawn. When hunting for these pre-spawn bass anglers should start fishing in deep water near where the bass are suspected to winter and fish shallow to where the bass should spawn. Anglers should select “search” baits that allow long casts followed by a fast retrieval to cover large amounts of water. Some common search baits that work well this time of year are a Berkley Chapo topwater, a spinnerbait, or crankbaits in colors that mimic prey items like crayfish, bluegill, or shad. Once a staging area is located anglers should slow down and use more finesse-like techniques to ensure you don’t miss any large lethargic females that could be preparing to or recovering from a spawn. Some finesse-like presentations that are best for the spring/early summer fishing include a zoom lizard or other soft plastic worm rigged weightless or with a small shaky-head, a wacky-rigged Berkley general, or even a structure-jig or heavy football-jig for punching cover or targeting a deep bed. When bass fishing on the Yellow River, anglers should focus on the tidally influenced section of the river south of the highway 87 overpass and preferably fish during a receding tide. Areas where anglers report finding bass on bed include the lower section of the Weaver and Skim Lake strands especially on the shallow inside bends, as well as shallow edges of off-channel lakes along the lower river strands. Areas like Caucus shoal on the Weaver strand or around the island in the rivers northern most mouth Couy’s cut are great examples of good areas to find bass on beds this time of year.

The lower tidally influenced sections of the Yellow River also hold popular gamefish like Redfish and Trout (Speckled Trout and White Trout), that can commonly be found along the troughs and grass flats of the River’s 4 mouths. Anglers targeting reds and trout should use baits like a suspending mirrodine twitch bait, a jerkbait, or a gold or silver spoon to make long casts over deeper troughs or around points and pockets along the grass edges. Many times, these gamefish will wait for the tide to push baits past before ambushing their prey so anglers should try to fish during an advancing tide when possible. If the artificial lures are not producing, you can never go wrong fishing a live bait; shrimp, mullet, or croakers, fished under a popping cork or freelined on a light fluorocarbon leader are almost guaranteed to produce quality fish.

Anglers looking to fill the cooler with bream should try to fish during a receding tide to catch the bream moving shallow to spawn. Anglers should focus on the lower tidally influenced section of the river south of the highway 87 overpass by targeting dense lily pad mats along the entrances to off-channel basins, brush piles and laydowns away from the current, and along the areas where feeder creeks spill into the river. While some anglers report good catches using artificial lures like small bettlespins, tubes, and crappie jigs, for the most productive fishing anglers should use a live bait on a light wire #4-6 Aberdeen style hook weighted with a small split-shot and fished under a cork or cork less with just a small split-shot.

The Yellow River is also home to one of the best Flathead Catfish fisheries in the state. While these fish can be elusive, for the best chance anglers should fish a live bait on a large (6/0-10/0) khale or circle hook with enough weight to hold it securely to bottom. Common live baits such as Blacktail Redhorse, Spotted Suckers and bream. However, live bream can only be used as bait if collected and fished by means of hook and line; it is unlawful to use bream as bait on bush hooks, trot lines, jug lines, or by any other fishing gear. The best locations to target these Flatheads are in deep holes in the river, near a current break or adjacent basins, deep outside bends in the river, or near structure such as hard bottom areas or logjams. The biggest catfish are most active at night, so anglers should target their best location in the late afternoon and fish into the night.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds anglers that it is illegal to possess Alligator Gar, or even target them. That means you are breaking the law even if you intend to release the fish. Alligator Gar are a native fish to Panhandle rivers and can grow to more than 150 pounds. Their gator-like snout is distinctly different than Spotted and Longnose Gar which are also found in the Panhandle. Researchers are in the process of estimating the population size and will possibly remove the harvest restriction of this prehistoric fish. However, until then harvest is restricted.