Fantasy Fishing: Act like a turtle

Written by

Pete Robbins

The Elite Series is off to a fast start, but if you want to understand Florida fishing, think s-l-o-w.

Do you know why Bill Lowen won at the St. Johns? It wasn’t because he covered miles of water. On the contrary, he hunkered down in an area and assaulted the fish with a couple of black and blue jigs until they cried for mercy.

Did you see John Garrett slowly retying his Carolina Rig? Dude has ice water in his veins and is not in a hurry to do anything. That’s what produced the 31 pound bag.

So while the Elites are moving down the road to a different venue, expect that same dynamic to come into play. Okeechobee is big, but it fishes small. Run around too much and the day will get away from you. Of course we could see another Tyler Rivet style scope-heavy outlier, but I wouldn’t count on it. Instead, look for flippers, Senko dippers, swim jig guys and maybe a frogger or two to capture the top of the leaderboard – as long as they don’t get in too much of a hurry.

Here are my picks for one of bass fishing’s most storied playing fields:

BUCKET A: ALUMINUM ADAPTABILITY

MY PICK: There aren’t too many secret hidey holes on the Big O, but expect John Cox to simplify things – throwing the General or one of the new Berkley craws, and bringing in fat sacks. Doesn’t matter if they’re prespawn, bedding or guarding fry, he’s seen and done it all in Florida.

SLOW AND STEADY BACKUP: Pick either Johnston and you’re almost certain to be in the money, although Cory struggled here in 2023, so I’d roll with Chris Johnston.

BUCKET B: GRASS GUZZLER

MY PICK: From Champlain to the southern tip of Florida, there are few anglers who’ve made more of a living off aquatic vegetation than Bryan Schmitt and there’s no reason it’ll stop this week. Oddly, he struggled here in 2023, but with a solid start at the St. Johns he’ll keep things on track.

SLOW AND STEADY BACKUP: At some point, Bernie Schultz is going to put four days together in Florida (or perhaps New York) and put a chapeau on his excellent career. He’s been fishing Okeechobee since before most of the field was born, and is in remarkable fishing shape.

BUCKET C: DREW A GOOD NUMBER

MY PICK: Drew Cook just makes Classics and Top 10s, but seems to have faded into the background as far as publicity and hoopla goes. He’s excellent on Florida waters, a premier sight fisherman, and made the Top 10 in 2023. He’s my pick this week in a crowded Bucket C.

SLOW AND STEADY BACKUP: If you want another Drew, consider Drew Benton, another Floridian who couldn’t keep things going at the St. Johns. He’s another exceptional shallow water stick who’s due for another win.

BUCKET D: COMEBACK KID

MY PICK: After his 2023 AOY season, Kyle Welcher struggled a bit in ’24, and that continued at the St. Johns – but Okeechobee, where he finished 13th in 2023, is the perfect place to get that back on track. We’ve seen him excel in heavy vegetation before, and he’s too good to stay down any longer.

SLOW AND STEADY BACKUP: What has become of Jeff Gustafson? The 2023 Classic champ is not living up to his resume and needs some sort of reboot. The Canadians always seem to do well in Florida – maybe it’s the similarity to some of their home waters or just being glad to be out of the tundra. Now’s the time for him to get things right again.

BUCKET E: BIG BAITS, BIG STRING

MY PICK: Bucket E is the perfect place to take a flyer on a home run hitter, and Okeechobee is a perfect place for big string. Expect Greg Hackney to glue a flipping stick in his hand with a Strike King Rodent or Rage Bug and go to work, not lifting his head until he’s probed the last little mat on the lake. It could pay off bigtime.

SLOW AND STEADY BACKUP: Who roots against Steve Kennedy? No one with any sense or love of the game? His 5th place effort in 2023 was the stuff of television legend, and if he can make it rain again then my fantasy fishing frenemy could pay off handsomely.