The Fish of Lake Okeechobee
The name Okeechobee comes from the Hitchiti Native American tribe, and means “big water”. This is a more than adequate name, as Lake Okeechobee is the largest fresh-water lake in the entire state of Florida. With such a large reservoir of fresh water, the lake has garnered the attention of fishermen near and far. Not only does the lake hold lots of water, but also an abundance of bass and other fish. Because knowledge is power, you may want to learn about the fish you could be catching.
Bigmouth bass is one of the most common fish you’ll find at Lake Okeechobee, and probably the most popular and sought-after as well. In fact, bigmouth bass is the official state freshwater fish of Florida, and a few surrounding states as well. As the name implies, this fish not only have large mouths, but their bodies can get quite large as well. They’re especially popular among anglers who appreciate the effort these fish display after hooked, often jumping out of the water. Many anglers strongly encourage setting the fish back into the water after being caught, as bigmouth bass have shown recovery after multiple hooks.
Crappie can also be found while fishing at Lake Okeechobee, and are popular game fish. Crappie are mostly inactive during the day, and do the majority of their feeding at dawn and dusk. One strategy when angling for Crappie is to set up a “Spider Rig”. This means setting up several rods in a single boat pointing out in different directions, looking like the legs of a spider. Several baits have been shown to work including plastic jigs, crankbaits, or live minnows.
Perhaps the easiest fish to catch at Okeechobee is the bluegill. It is sometimes called a copper nose, because if its copper coloring. It can also be recognized by its “black ear”, protrudes from its head. It is popular not only for sport, but it also has very tasty flesh. Because bluegills are so easy to catch, you can use just about anything as bait. Live bait, pieces of meat, corn, and even sometimes a bare hook.
Fishing at Lake Okeechobee will be all the more rewarding to you once you’ve prepared yourself by learning about the fish and their traits.
