Oscar Fishing

I have seen previous posts on Oscar fishing in FL, but wanted to get some consolidated and current info on it. I am from the midlands area of South Carolina and have only heard of the fun Oscar fishing can be. Me and a buddy are wanting to take a trip down and try it out. I am wondering if anyone can help a few Clemson fans on where to go and what to do. ;)

Folks around here say go to Holiday Park, but where exactly is that?? I assume it is Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale. Is this the place to go or are there other places that are as good but a little closer to home? We would be pulling a 20' boat, so we don't need to rent one.

Rumor is we need to fish for them like Bream - Cricket along the bank or grass line. Is that the usual way catch them? One last thing that comes to mind, what time of year is the best?

Any words of wisdom will be much appreciated!

Hit up Searsy on SC board. He makes annual trip down there and posts some fantastic reports.

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Dang auto correct. Searay not searsy

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I don’t know how to focus on just oscars but I throw ul spinners and fly rod bugs for them when I used to get down there. I got them in canals as a by product of bluegill. Quite a fight but I wouldn’t eat any from the canals I was fishing with agriculture all around, unless I felt like I needed fertilized. Tamiami trail canals have them also but don’t know about access for your boat. A word to the wise, not all south Florida wildlife has 4 legs, be aware of your surroundings. If you’re going to make the trip, keep the peacock bass in mind. A thrill all to themselves.

You can catch them in the canals around Okeechobee, as well. UL with a black beetle spin.

Caught a few this past week in Taylor canal under bridges on crickets, size not very big but a good handful, 9 or 10 inches.


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skeetbum, I am assuming you are talking about the no shoulder variety... I was not looking forward to encountering on of those. I have heard the peacock bass are good also. Not sure if it is the same exact variety, but my dad talks about catching them in Lake Gatun in Panama when it was stationed down there in the early 90's.

From what all of you are saying, Oscar's will eat more than just a cricket it seems. Can you longline for them like crappie? LOL

I lived on the edge of Weston/Sunrise until 2006. I never fished Holiday Park, but we kayaked the canals on either side of Alligator Alley/75. There are ramps on both East and West side of 75. These canals hold everything from Largemouth to Peacock and every exotic in Florida. There are also several ramps out of Markham Park (Weston Road and SR 84) that have the same species with the further east you fish the 84 canal the better your chances are to add a snook to the catch. Both the Oscar and peacocks are no fans of cooler water, but they will both hit crappie jigs with swimbait tails. I've caught them on sliders, smaller jerkbaits, small topwater and flies as long as they are moving. Good luck.

Spydude
I'm in Lexington and will be glad to share info on Oscar fishing. Our group has been making this trip for 38 years and it never gets old. We stay at Roland Martin Marina Resort on Lake Okeechobee at Clewiston. We travel each day to Everglades Holiday Park to launch and fish the Everglades canals.
It's an hour drive each way but only other choice is Ft Lauderdale and traffic and crazies. We much prefer laid back Clewiston. Our trip this year is at end of March.
I see you are in Saluda. I could meet you at the Circle Diner on the traffic circle and give you any details you need. Just pick a date or two and we'll work it out if you wish.
You can google Roland Martin Resort and Everglades Holiday Park and get a lot of info.
Send me a PM with your phone number and we can go from there.

PS
I'm a SC alumni but it seems most of my friends are Clemson Taters so I'll be glad to help out all I can.

Two words...Miami Canal. You can catch plenty of Oscar's most anywhere in the Everglades but you can sink your boat with them in the Miami Canal. If I were you I'd put in off alligator alley and run north to the weir and fish back...better bring a big cooler.

They will hit anything. I had them popping at my corks before, when reeling up. Good fighters!
:fish

There is a live cam at Holiday Park and you can watch boats head up the canal as well as the air boats full of tourist. We usually run a mile or more to get out of the air boat traffic.
Here is the link to the live cam. See the Everglades LIVE with Everglades Holiday Park EarthCam