Farm 13/Stick Marsh

Largemouth Bass will be in a typical summer pattern. The best bite should be during the morning or evening, especially a calm cool evening after the day’s thunderstorms have dissipated. Look for bass around the vegetated habitat on the North (“Backlot”) and South end of the reservoir, as well as the central ditches along the levee. Fish can also be found on the tops of underwater berms and woody structure near deeper water. During this quarter, anglers should look for fish at the outflow of the water control structures and narrow cuts which generate current when water is moving through the system. Bass often school up in these areas to feed on bait fish. Artificial lures that imitate shad, including top-water, shallow-running, and deep-diving crankbaits should be anglers’ best bets followed by plastic worms and swimbaits.

Black Crappie (speckled perch) fishing will be slow this time of the year for those anglers willing to seek them out. During this quarter, crappie anglers should try fishing in and around deep-water structure, such as in Ditch 7, Ditch 13, along the drop-offs of numerous secondary submerge drainage ditches and around the fish attractors. Small spinners and jigs (1/32 and 1/8 ounce) with twister-tail or tube style tails and minnows should be effective.

Bluegill and Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) will be found feeding and spawning along the perimeter levees throughout the reservoir and along the open-water drainage ditches in Farm13. Live crickets, worms, and grass shrimp will be the baits of choice, followed by beetle spins, and small jigs. Catfishing on this reservoir is also quite good, with traditional baits and methods all being productive.

Anglers are reminded that Stick Marsh/Farm13 is catch-and-release for largemouth bass.