Balmy for bass

January may not seem like spring to most Americans but those of us ahead of the weather curve living in Florida know differently.

Special to the Chronicle

George Kapiton holds two of the five bass caught Saturday from Lake Okeechobee during the first BFL event of the 2012 season. The Inverness angler finished second with a five-bass limit weighing 28 pounds. He also caught the single-largest bass of the event, weighing in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

So do the bass.

Generally speaking, the bass’ reproduction cycle kicks in along our region during the month of January and continues for about three months. However, straggling spawners can be found all the way into May.

Area tidal rivers like the Halls, Chassahowitzka and Crystal Rivers (Kings Bay) as well as the spring-fed Rainbow River in Dunnellon offer anglers a jump start on spawning bass due to the warm, spring-fed headwaters.

Recently, some spawning bass have been caught off beds on the lakes. The cold snaps that pass through every few days this time of the year have a more adverse effect on the bass than the warm-water rivers mentioned above. Lake Rousseau and the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes’ bass will soon follow on their spawn.

Catching spawning bass is a controversial topic, one that many bass anglers have internal conflict over. We want a healthy fishery and removing spawning bass from their nest can do harm.

Protective bass on the spawning beds can be easy to catch this time of the year, making catch-and-release an absolute must.

Large, egg-laden females caught from the bed must be returned to the water quickly. Bass are tough critters, but the stress of reproduction makes times tough in a bass’ world. The less time they are out of the water, the better.

If you have to take a picture do it quickly and return the fish back alive. Large bass, say over 5 or 6 pounds, have superior genetics. Those are the fish we want reproducing, passing along those genes.

If you have to take something home to eat, keep a couple 14-inch fish for the frying pan. Better yet, practice catch-and-release all together. There are plenty of other fish that are better table fare than bass.

Anglers from across central and south Florida descended upon Lake Okeechobee this past weekend for the first Gator Division tournament of the 2012 Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) season.

Three Inverness-based anglers made top 10 finishes in the tournament. The full 200 boat field launched from the south end of the “Big O.”

The BFL hosts a tournament for anglers fishing from the front of the boat (boaters) and a separate tournament for co-anglers fishing from the back deck.

George Kapiton got his Gator Division season off to a strong start in the boater division and pocketed $3,000 for his second-place finish. His impressive total of five bass weighed 28 pounds, about two and a half pounds shy of the winning weight. Kapiton also landed the largest bass of the event on the boater division with an 8 pound, 12 ounce fish.

Robbie Crosnoe secured a solid finish, placing seventh with a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces. Crosnoe pocketed $1,000 for his work.

On the co-angler side of the event, James Brooks weighted 17 pounds, 8 ounces, good for third and $1,000.

Kapiton stayed in south Florida for the week preparing for this week’s EverStart Series event, Jan 19-21, where he will compete in the first of four stops on the Southeast Division of the EverStart Series.

This week’s tournament will see 150 pros and 150 co-anglers vie for the prestige of earning their respective titles. The champion on the pro side of the event will pocket $35,000. The co-angler champion will receive a Ranger 177TR powered by a 90-horsepower outboard.
Kapiton paused on the front deck of his Ranger boat Wednesday morning to talk fishing and said he expects a fantastic three-day tournament for the field of anglers. Competitors will catch and weigh their five largest bass each day. The final day the field will be limited to the top

“It’s going to be a shootout,” he said.

Last year the three-day event was won with a tick less than 65 pounds. Kapiton said this year will far exceed last year.

“My guess is that it will take 75 to 80 pounds to win this tournament,” he said. 

He is expecting a stable forecast and says that is something he expects will draw more fish into his primary area. The veteran tournament angler said he will be power fishing, flipping mats for much of the tournament.

“This front is just going to nick us, but I think that this tournament will get better each day,” Kapiton said. “We’re going to have sunny conditions, warm weather with temperatures in the 80s with a little wind.”

That combination on Okeechobee during January can produce the perfect storm for bass fishing.

Fellow Inverness angler Brooks will compete on the co-angler side of the event.

Results from the local competitors in the event will be published next week.

Chronicle reporter Matt Beck can be reached at 352-563-5660 or mbeck@chronicleonline.com.