How to Catch Big Water Bass in Central Florida’s Stick Marsh

IT’S DARK AND FOGGY. I can’t see a thing and we’re haulin’ ass blind toward … who knows where? The sun has yet to rise, but there is some light. Instead of pitch black, the horizon is a dark gray. After a few minutes, the very faint silhouette of what looks like a levy appears to my left. We slow down and pass through a tight gap that looks like it used to be an earthen dam, but now is just a line of partially submerged bushes.

Crossing this line, we enter what used to be known as Farm 13 and punch it again, this time even faster. Within a few minutes, we slow to a stop and slide in amongst several other boats. Despite the early arrival, we’re not the first. I look around, it’s still hard to see, but, if I’m not mistaken, every single boat is hooked up to a fish, some are on doubles. “What the … ??”

At that moment I realize, all around the boat, groups of largemouth bass are pushing big balls of large gizzard shad around. Occasionally, one breaks the surface and then a big shower of terrified shad clears the water. It’s reminiscent of Florida’s famed mullet run, but this isn’t salt water, and these aren’t tarpon.

Welcome to the Stick Marsh. The first time I heard the name Stick Marsh, the title reminded me of this old, mucky pond behind my house growing up. Clogged with cattails and overgrown with slime, sure there were a few bass in there, but it was so nasty you barely dared to touch them. So, when a friend mentioned Stick Marsh to me and said it was the future home of Florida’s state record largemouth — and possibly even a future world record — I was skeptical. I started asking around and it soon became apparent that I had not been listening close enough.

It wasn’t long before I began hearing stories not only about Stick Marsh, but also its sister lake, Headwaters aka Fellsmere Reservoir aka Lake Egan. Reaching out to those in the know, I was instantly regaled with stories of giant bass, in huge numbers, that were not shy. You can only imagine what came next: “OK, I gotta check this out.”

The Fellsmere Grade in Indian River County, south central Florida, is home to many large water bodies, each having its own story and unique nature. Nearby Blue Cypress Lake is the only large natural lake in the area and, while its vast cypress swamps hold huge bass, they can be virtually impossible to target due to an impenetrable maze of overgrowth. While Blue Cypress is a wild natural lake, both it and the famed Stick Marsh are part of the ancient St. Johns River system that has been running through this part of Florida for eons.

CREATION OF THE STICK MARSH

The Stick Marsh, also known as the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Impoundment, was created in the 1980s as a joint project between the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for the purpose of improving water management and providing habitat for fish and other wildlife. At the time, the St. Johns was having issues with silt and agricultural runoff; it was once considered one of the most polluted rivers in the country. The Stick Marsh was created by damming a section of Farm 13, a large agricultural area that was drained for farming in the early 1900s. The dam was constructed to store excess water from the St. Johns River and prevent flooding in nearby communities. In addition to its primary purpose of water management, the idea behind the Stick Marsh — the hope — was that by re-flooding this area, in addition to creating a much-needed water flow control mechanism, it might also be possible to create a world-class largemouth bass fishery. 

In 1990, the Stick Marsh opened for public use, and it wasn’t long before the rumors were flying of all-you-could-catch trophy bass and crappie. The problem was, there was no real way in. Access was by 4×4 vehicles only. Getting a bass boat in there was nearly impossible and it took a team of several people, and vehicles, to make it happen.

At first, the areas considered the true Stick Marsh and Farm 13 were two separate sections. But, in 1994, tropical storm Gordon passed directly over the region, spawning half a dozen tornadoes and causing millions in damage to South Florida. In addition to eight lives lost, the region saw extensive flooding, including around the Fellsmere Grade.

At first, the areas considered the true Stick Marsh and Farm 13 were two separate sections. But, in 1994, tropical storm Gordon passed directly over the region, spawning half a dozen tornadoes and causing millions in damage to South Florida. In addition to eight lives lost, the region saw extensive flooding, including around the Fellsmere Grade.

Flash forward more than 30 years and the Stick Marsh is now two completely different lakes, each possessing a unique history as well as distinctly different techniques for fishing them successfully. Stick Marsh and Headwaters sit next to each other, separated by a single levy. But, in many respects, they are really two different worlds.

The Headwaters project began in 2010 and, unlike Stick Marsh, from the beginning the mission here was to create the ultimate largemouth bass habitat. Before the lake was created, the plot was already dotted with several smaller bodies of water that contained a variety of game fish including bass, crappie, sunfish, etc. With a team of fisheries and habitat biologists from around the country, the state of Florida spared no expense in turning the area from lush farmland into bass heaven.

Over the course of several years, they build ledges, drop offs and pits as deep as 30 feet. They planted native trees, such a cypress and red maple, as well as various forms of aquatic vegetation, including lily pads, hydrilla and cattails. Upon being flooded around 2016, they also planted 1.8 million fish across a variety of species.

Finally, after close to seven years of development and multiple setbacks, the 10,000-acre Headwaters reservoir opened to the public in 2017.

At first, the area was reserved for non-motorized boats, making it the domain of kayaks and paddle-powered john boats only. It was during this time that people first started exploring the fishing here in earnest. These were heady times — no motorboats, no jet skiers, just wideopen waters and literally millions of bass. Anglers were reporting 100 fish days. Then, in 2020, the Headwaters boat ramp was officially opened, and the Fellsmere Grade came into its own as the bass success story that it’s known as today.

Now, in 2023, this part of Florida has become an epicenter for trophy bass fishing. On any given morning here, the boat ramps become a literal who’s who of the bass fishing world. Many of the biggest names in the game show up here — legends like Roland Martin, Hugh Crumpler (one of the first guides to ever fish this area) and Andrew Mixon (longtime keeper of the Stick Marsh legacy). They show up with their decked-out bass whips in tow and, like every angler that comes here, head out in hopes of making their double-digit dreams come true.

Stick Marsh Tech Tips by Kenny Hass:

• What should people look for here? Always look for moving water, first and foremost. If the water is moving, the baitfish will be schooled up and the bass will not be far behind. The second thing I look for is shell beds. The freshwater mussels will congregate on top of ditch lines and intersections, so they do not get silted over. The easiest way to find these is when you fish a worm and drag it on the bottom you will get the sensation of the weight being dragged across a road. Once you find these areas, soft plastics, square bill crankbaits and swim jigs are some of the best lures to catch the bass that lurk in these areas.
• What is the standard bait set up, line test? I prefer a medium-heavy to heavy rod with 50 lb. braided line. These fish are not line shy, so a leader is not necessary.
• Braid or mono? Braid on most every set up I use. I’ve had several people get their feelings hurt when they hook a giant and it breaks 17 lb. test or even 20 lb. test. These fish don’t play!!!! When you hook a big one, get it in the boat as fast as you can. I’ve had several people loosen the drag to play the fish and nothing good ever happens. They will get tangled in grass or wrapped around a stump and pull right off.
• Hook size? Depending on what we are fishing, I will use a 4/0 worm hook for the Bass Assassin Vapor Shads and 6/0 EWG for the RSB speedworms.
• What bait is standard? You can just about bank on a speedworm bite yearround. My other go-to bait is a Bone Shaker chatterbait with a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad 4.5. These two baits produce the majority of our artificial catches.

• What are some effective lures you can use here? The Mike Bucca Bull Shad comes in a variety of sizes and types of baits. They range from a 4” to 11” swimbait and the go-to colors are Bone and Gizzard Shad. These are fished just under the surface creating a small V on the surface. For the weekend angler, they can catch solid fish on a 6” Bull Shad or the trophy hunter can throw an 8” or 9” Bull Shad and expect to hook up a few times a day.
• How do your lure rigs (rods, reels, line) differ from your standard bait set up? I prefer Dobyns rods, Lews reels and Power Pro braid.
• And for Headwaters? This lake has vast cover all over the lake, how does this fish differently than Stick Marsh? Stick Marsh lacks grass so we depend on fishing old irrigation canals and ditches. Headwaters has every type of cover imaginable. There are several areas where you get a distinctive dropoff on a grass edge. These bass love to ambush the baitfish in these areas. The bait feels safe because the hydrilla is thick and they can hide easily. When you locate the bait, you will find the fish.
• What is the standard bait set up, line test? Again, the speedworms, chatterbaits, swimbaits and frogs are the go-to baits. On my frog rods, I like 65 lb. braid due to the location we are fishing, which is thick grass. On the speedworms and chatterbaits, I’ll throw them on 50 lb. braid.
• Braid or mono? Braid.
• Hook size? 4/0 to 7/0 EWG hooks. The bigger the bait, the larger the hook.
• What bait is standard? Bass Assassin makes my favorite speedworms and flukes. They have great colors and action.

• What are some effective lures one can use here? Speedworms, chatterbaits, whopper ploppers, zara spooks, spinnerbaits and one of my favorite baits is a Skunk Ape to punch the grass mats.
• How do your lure rigs (rods, reels, line) differ from your standard bait set up? My swimbait rods are all Dobyns Swimbait Rods. They are light, long and they are balanced. All this is important when you are casting a heavy swimbait all day long. They are similar to a giant crankin’ stick, so the rod keeps the fish from throwing your bait. It also helps load the rod when casting and takes a lot of the fatigue off the angler’s body. I throw the big baits on 80 lb. Maxcuatro braid with a 35 lb. shock leader. I’ll use mono if I want the bait to stay on top or fluro if I want the bait down in the water column.

GUIDES REVEAL THE MAGIC

From my own experience, though, the one guy who has really shown me the magic of this area is local guide and all-around cool cat Kenny Hass. Kenny started guiding here about 10 years ago and quickly fell in love with the area. His kind, casual demeanor and his propensity for catching monster bass, quickly took him from part-time guide to full-time professional angler. For me, as an admittedly less-savvy basser, fishing here with Kenny and local slayers Jimmy Fallon and Jim Cordiano has proved an eye-opening experience.

When I quizzed these guys on how it’s done out here, they didn’t hesitate to share some crucial knowledge. “Most fish are caught on big golden shiners, but all manner of artificials can be successful,” Kenny says. Right then, he pulls out a big hand-painted lure called a glide bait and shows it to me — the thing is huge and looks scarily like a red ear sunfish, down to the minute details. With a chuckle, he adds, “This is the kind of lure that a lot of guys are using out here right now.” I’m in awe; it’s a giant lure! “Big baits, big fish,” he says. We all laugh. It’s true. 

On my second day fishing out here, we head over to a semi-remote part of the Stick Marsh. Pulling the boats into the bank, we walk a couple hundred feet to a semi-secluded part of the lake and set up to fish. The water here is clearly moving. To be honest, I’m skeptical; it doesn’t seem bassy. Jim Cordiano steps to the bank and throws a popper called a Guerrero well into the moving water, a couple jerks on top and what appears to be a frickin’ whale blows up on it. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Within a minute or two, he pulls a solid 6+ pound bass onto the bank.

Over the next few hours, everyone in the crew locks horns with a big fish. Some are landed, others come off bank side. Ultimately, it becomes less of an issue whether the fish is beached or not. The point is made. This place is FULL of big fish and when baits are properly presented here, the odds of catching a big bass are very real. I break my personal best on four fish in a row. By the time we pack up and leave, I’m in shock. I look at Kenny and tell him straight up, “I’ve never in my life seen bass fishing like this.” He laughs and, with a big smile, looks at me and says, “Welcome to Stick Marsh.” Welcome, indeed!

Huge thanks to these folks for their contributions to this story.

Kenny Hass: www.catchinbassguide.com

James Cordiano: www.draveusa.com

Source: https://floridasportfishing.com/how-to-catch-big-water-bass-in-central-floridas-stick-marsh/