Those lower water levels created problems for anglers getting around the lake this summer. But they were needed to restore the Big O to its former bassin' glory.

"Getting that high water out, and allowing the bottom muck to dry out, has worked wonders," Gusfler noted. "We are getting reports of clear water in areas where the water has been muddy for the last two years. Peppergrass is coming back in many areas. There are still good amounts of hydrilla, and the lake is really starting to look good. Just about everybody around here is in an upbeat mood because we are finally going in the right direction on this lake."

The future health of the lake is one thing; the present health of the bass fishery is another. And the latter is looking even better!

An 11.9-pound largemouth was brought in to Scott Martin's in June. That's a huge fish for the Big O during the summer months! Another guide party in early July had 30 fish, of which three weighed over 7 pounds. Other guides reported excellent catches as well.

The lake may have suffered a major, but temporary, ecological hit, but bass are hardy fish. There are plenty of them left in the lake to restock the recovering waters.

"Our bass will begin to spawn in November," Gusfler explained. "And many will be staged on the outside edges of vegetation bordering the spawning flats. Just how much water we have this fall, after the hurricane season, will determine where those areas are."

At the 12-foot level, popular spawning areas like Moonshine Bay and the Monkey Box are inaccessible. Anglers need about 13 1/2 feet to reach them. The water-management plan calls for allowing the lake to approach 15 feet only if necessary, and then moving it back towards the 12- to 13-foot levels to allow a thorough drying of bottom muck.

If Mother Nature sticks with that plan, the Big O will be back in business this fall and winter. The current low water levels are, in effect, a drawdown. And as other Florida lakes have shown, such events create a real boom in bass!

For current water and fishing conditions on Lake Okeechobee, call Don Gusfler at Anglers Marina in Clewiston at (863) 983-2128.

KISSIMMEE CHAIN
Moving a bit to the north, water levels once again play a role this fall, but not to the same extent as on the Big O.

"The Kissimmee Chain took a beating from the hurricanes, and a lot of the vegetation was uprooted," said veteran guide Reno Alley. "But it's coming back real well. Hatchineha and the North Cove in Kissimmee are full of hydrilla, and peppergrass is on the rebound. The fishery is in great shape, and it is taking 30-pound stringers to win some local six-fish tournaments."

Just how anglers can tap into that action this fall depends -- again --upon water levels.

"They drew the lake down almost to winter-pool levels this past summer in anticipation of hurricane season," Ally noted.

If rainfall has been significant enough for water managers to need to pump water out through the fall to bring the Chain to winter-pool levels, the situation will be good. That normally means a lot of moving water, and bass will be feeding in it.