One of our neighbors stopped by last evening to trade fishing stories with Kent.  They are spending whole winter here and had a pretty good map showing lake access points.  Turns out that they sell that map at the local bait store, our fist stop this morning.  Armed with the map and a dozen minnows we head out to catch us some fish!

First, we make it to the open lake. A canal circles the lake and today offers a great ride to the open water.  Rats, even with the light wind today it is too rough to anchor and since the lake is about 2’ shallower than normal pool so it’s too shallow to drift.  What to do?  We head back into the channels and sheltered weed beds.  Fishing was not the highlight of my day but there have been some great moments.

There is a great commotion in sky above us. An osprey has his beautiful catch and a Bald Eagle is trying to take it a way.  The Osprey circles and climbs chirping wildly all the time.  The Eagle with its powerful wingbeats makes a straightline approach and swoops at the Osprey.  They climb nearly out of sight then drop into a steep spiraling decent.  The Osprey pulls up and away but can’t hang onto his fish.  The Eagle pulls off pursuit and nabs the fish in mid air.  He can’t hang onto it either.  Both end up empty “handed”.

A little cove circled with mangroves and water plants looks like the perfect quiet water to find some resting bass. We head in.  A Great Blue sits frozen on the beginning of a nest just 15 feet above the water.  As we float under him he rises on those huge wings, makes a circle then returns to a perch still well within sight.  The second Heron glides in and perches near.  They watch nervously and intently.  We decide to give them their spaces since we assume we are the source of their anxiety.  Just as we leave the cove a third then forth heron appear.  There is squawking and bill snapping and lots of posturing.  The real battle it seems is for nesting site rights between the two pair.  Nature is amazing

Kent worked on both of my reels yesterday, oh what an improvement.  I could barely turn one of them and the other would only cast about 15 feet.  Today his project is the trolling motor.  It has a catch in the steering mechanism that is really annoying.  He has had it all to pieces and greased all that can be greased.  We will find out next time out if the problem is solved.  It is time for tackle inventory and probably some replacements.  It gets very hot in the black trailer and melts those gummy worms and kinks the monofilament.  I think there is a shopping run in our future.  At least before we head to Wakami this Fall.  Update trolling motor works much better!

One little bass. Maybe we aren’t getting out early enough?  80 degrees and the sizzling Florida sun had us off the water and in the shade by early afternoon.

Time on the water has been pretty good for bird watching. There are heron and egret of all types, the rarer purple gallinule, and many very vocal, typically bashful limpkins.  Moorhens and coots chatter and hoot which sets off a cacophony as every species alarms at intruders (us).  It makes for great entertainment especially when the fishing is so slow

It is actually a Brown Basilisk lizard.  He reminds me of the one in Jurassic Park that spits in your eyes and blinds you then eats you alive.  Thankfully he is just about a foot long.  Isn’t he cute?

Not for us today. Kent got a few bites but neither of us actually caught anything.  We fished in channels and open water areas in the acres of weeds and reeds that circle the Okeechobee.  We haven’t found a path out into the open lake yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

We experienced south Florida version of snow, sugar cane field ashes.  Thick smoke was rising from fields not far away and the wind carried black floaters of ash to settle on everything.  Thankfully they are light and fluffy so if you don’t touch them the wind picks them up and moves them on.

Yep, there be gators in camp!

Medium and Large

Small

Even XL-really wanted to sit on that bench until I saw the “guard”

Home for a week or so, Belle Glade Campground. There are channels and canals all around the camp sites so access to the lake will be easy and there are lots of wading birds to watch.  Camper rules and guidelines include “Do not feed the gators”.