The Space Coast Bass Finatics showed up hopeful at Lake Kissimmee on April 27, 2014 after practice rumors of big fish permeated the pretournament conversation. When it was all said and done, every competing team would weigh a 5 fish limit, at least 8 fish over 4 pounds would be weighed, and the big bass of the season, Jackie Barber's seeming insurmountable 9.4 from Okeechobee, would be eclipsed twice.
The father and son team of Clyde and Raymond Taylor of Palm bay reigned supreme with a total of 24.10 pounds. They reported fishing swimbaits over grass in Lake Hatchineha and Lake Cypress. They culled several 2.5 to 3 pound fish along the way. Clyde anchored their big weight with a 9.43 pound giant female that would be the big bass of the tournament and season, at least for a few minutes. Also, the Taylor's chip ended up at the bottom of the lake so we had to penalize them 5 points for littering. Hopefully that won't come back to haunt them.
Tim Iler of Port St John and Larry Cruce of Titusville worked jerkbaits in Lake Kissimmee to earn second place with a total of 18.64 pounds. Tim casted out his jerkbait and then took a few minutes to stretch a sore muscle in his neck and back leaving his bait motionless for several minutes. Refocusing on fishing, he thought he was hung up in the grass until it started moving. A long fight ensued with the fish busting the surface a few times and going into some heavy grass. Eventually, the fish ran out of energy and Tim was able to get it near enough for Larry to scoop the fish into the net. She tipped the scales at 10.49 pounds and is the tournament's biggest fish and the leading contender for big bass of the year.
Mike Hampton of Malabar and Tim Kopf of Melbourne flipped Yum Dingers to the grass lines near the Overstreet takeoff ramp to catch 15.71 pounds to take third. One of Mike's trailer lights shook loose on the rough Overstreet road on the way to the ramp, but he spotted it on the way out and retrieved it undamaged.
This month's small creel award, a nice "Gone Fishing" wall sign donated by Ronda L. Thorne of Showcase Property Management, was earned by BJ Biles and Jackie Barber for 5 fish at 9.39 pounds. If you need a realtor, give Ronda a call at 321-783-5000. Thanks Ronda!
The winners reported catching their fish using the following tricks:
- 1st Place: unspecified swimbaits over submerged vegetation in Lake Hatchineha and Lake Cypress
- 2nd Place & Big Bass: unspecified jerkbaits in Lake Kissimmee
- 3rd Place: Yum Dingers near the Overstreet ramp in Lake Kissimmee
That's Clyde (left) and Raymond Taylor (right) with their Lake Kissimmee April 27, 2014 tournament winning 24.10 pound stringer. Clyde caught the one in his left hand, a 9.43 pound beauty. They reported fishing swimbaits over grass in Lake Hatchineha and Lake Cypress. They culled several 2.5 to 3 pound fish along the way to 24.10. (Photo by Mike Calloway)
Tim Iler (left) and Larry Cruce (right) with 18.64 2nd place at Lake Kissimmee on April 27, 2014. They reported catching them mainly on jerkbaits in Lake Kissimmee. (Photo by Mike Calloway)
That's Tim Iler with a huge 10.47 pounder he caught on a jerkbait in Lake Kissimmee on April 27, 2014. Tim casted out his jerkbait and then took a few minutes to stretch a sore muscle in his neck and back leaving his bait motionless for several minutes. Refocusing on fishing, he thought he was hung up in the grass until it started moving. A long fight ensued with the fish busting the surface a few times and going into some heavy grass. Eventually, the fish ran out of energy and Tim was able to get it near enough for his partner, Larry Cruce, to scoop the fish with the net. (Photo by Mike Calloway)
What the heck are those big silly brown things in the water near Brahma Island in Lake Kissimmee? Those are some funny looking cows! No, no, they are water buffalo. No, they look more like bison. Actually, water buffalo and bison both live on Brahma Island in Lake Kissimmee. I bet you didn't think you'd see that.
Brahma Island is the largest privately owned freshwater island in the US at 19 square miles. The Lightsey Cattle Co owns the island and a large tract of land around Lake Kissimmee. The Lightsey family emigrated from Germany in the 1700's and purchased the Lake Wales Region and Brahma Island from the King of England after the Spanish ceded Florida to England after the Seven Years' War. They now organize high paying client hunts on the island for exotic animals they have released there over the years.
You can read more about it Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and here.
(Photo by Mike Calloway 2014-04-24)