Lake Fishing Dead Lakes, Wewahitchka

BY AARON RICH; PHOTOS BY KATIE DESANTIS

One of the great benefits of being a Northwest Floridian is that you get the opportunity to freshwater fish all year around. That being said, from about May through August, the heat can be just brutal and unrelenting. You always know it is going to be a scorcher of a day when you are sweating at the boat ramp before the sun has even come up. The overbearing heat can make the fish lethargic, just like people. Towards fall, with the first set of cool mornings, the fish get more active.

As a fisherman, this time of year is what I live for with the anticipation of explosive topwater bites and prospects of slamming back a hook set on some bucket-mouthed bass. With all of the ways to catch bass, there is nothing like the rush of a topwater blowup to get your heart rate up a notch. Mix in a little bit of cloud cover this time of year and you might end up with a really memorable day of fishing

In my work life, I am constantly plugged in to some form of electronic device, answering a constant barrage of emails, text messages, and voicemails. For so many of us, this is the norm and it doesn’t stop on evenings or weekends just because we aren’t in the office.

One of my favorite places I go to escape technology for a few hours is Dead Lakes in Wewahitchka. Only a 45 minute drive from downtown Panama City, the scenery is unbelievable with dead cypress trees dotted all over the lake as far as the eye can see. On some days, when the sun is rising and the fog is slowly lifting out of the water, the lake would make an ideal setting for an eerie movie. The bass fishing is really good if you are brave enough to learn how to navigate the lake. The channels are marked but there are no official guidelines, only vague markings on obscure treetops. Learning how to navigate the lake feels like unlocking generations of secret knowledge.

For the full Wewahitchka experience, I’d recommend you stop by the Dixie Dandy grocery store for their incredible array of freshly-made 4-a.m. fried foods. My go-to meal before fishing is a corn dog, fried sausage links, and a Mellow Yellow. The breakfast of fishing champions for sure.

After a healthy breakfast, I head on over to the Dead Lakes State Park, which is just a few minutes from downtown Wewahitchka. There is a camping area, bathroom facilities, and paved public boat ramp. The launch puts you on the water right on West Arm Creek off the main part of Dead Lakes.

During this time of year, the fish will be starting to get out of their summer patterns and will begin to migrate from the main lake to the outlying creeks. By focusing on these transitional channels that the fish will use to relocate during this part of the season, you should be able to quickly find fish. The fish should move up in the morning from the deeper water to the shallows to feed on baitfish passing by. Fish this time of year will be looking to fatten up for the cold season so don’t be afraid to throw lures that are a bit larger and bulkier than you would normally. By casting near cypress stumps or laydowns that act as ambush points near the current flows, you should be able to hone in on fish that are aggressively feeding.

As a catch-and-release tournament fisherman, I only use artificial bait and topwater lures such as plastic frogs or walking baits, which can be deadly for catching quality largemouth bass. Plastic worms are also effective in black or red colors that will mimic crawfish that are prevalent in the lake. Work these soft plastics slowly along the base of cypress stumps for fish holding tight to cover. Be sure to use a minimum of 14 pound test line as the lake is rich with snags.

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Dead Lakes offers a variety of species of fish including largemouth bass, spotted bass, perch, bluegill (bream), redear sunfish (shellcracker), bowfin (mudfish), chain pickerel (jackfish), flathead catfish, channel catfish, and mullet.

For more information on Dead Lakes, visit Gulf County’s website at http://www.visitgulf.com/wewahitchka[/box]