Why My Longtime Goal to Bass Fish Okeechobee Keeps Sending Me Somewhere Else

What two Florida fishing trips revealed about chasing legendary bass fishing destinations

Fishing in central Florida offered a reminder that timing, conditions, and local knowledge often matter more than reputation. | Kurt Mazurek

For bass anglers from all over the world, Lake Okeechobee is sacred ground—a bucket-list destination. Okeechobee has a reputation for producing more trophy-size largemouth bass, and hosting more iconic bass tournament history, than almost any other fishery. As a bass geek growing up in Northern Illinois, so far removed from any of the images I had seen on T.V., fishing this legendary water has been a lifetime goal I’ve chased more than once.

For the second time now, I’ve arrived in Okeechobee prepared to check it off my bass fishing dream list…and been guided to fish somewhere else.

Series Note

This article is part of a 30-day, 1,600-mile road trip exploring some of Florida’s most iconic destinations, Along the way, my wife and I lived full-time in a 24-foot, all-electric RV. We knew the trip sounded amazing, but we wondered what effect an electric vehicle might have on our adventure.

Start the series here: Is My Fishing Lifestyle Ready for an All-Electric RV?

Why Okeechobee Made Sense for Our Road Trip

As a bass guy traveling around Florida, how would you not put Lake Okeechobee on your list? But where is this bass from? | Kurt Mazurek

In our last stop, we made it to the southernmost point in the Continental U.S., so of course there was nowhere to go but north. Since we had traveled down the east cost, we were headed back up the middle of the state. And while logistically, that all makes sense, the truth is Lake Okeechobee would be a “can’t miss” for any bass fisherman. Plus, with our electric RV, I was curious to see what the EV infrastructure would be like away from larger cities. When I saw there was a KOA on the north end of the lake, the plan felt like a slam dunk.

Fishing the Lake Okeechobee Area

The prespawn bass were just barely starting to organize around spawning flats, so the vibrating jig was a great way to cover wter and pick them off. | Kurt Mazurek

This wasn’t the first time I’d arrived in Okeechobee ready to finally fish one of the most famous bass lakes in the world.

Back in 2017, I was marketing manager for a major fishing tackle manufacturer. As part of a promotion I had developed to launch a new product, I got to travel the country for two weeks, bass fishing with Bassmaster Elite Pro Keith Combs. Of course I included Lake Okeechobee on our route. But as we pulled into town, Combs suggested Okeechobee might be more challenging than its reputation would have you believe, especially since we were there in the middle of summer. He said there was a much smaller lake about an hour to the northeast. He had heard through his very connected grapevine that everyone was filming T.V. shows on Kenansville Lake, but very few were talking about it publicly. I really wanted to fish Okeechobee, but how could I say no? And while I’ll never know how Okeechobee might have turned out that day, Combs’ recommendation proved to be very good.

It would appear that Keith Combs made the right call on where we should fish that day. | Kurt Mazurek

Eight years later, I received the same advice from a different bass pro. As I planned this electric RV, fishing trip around Florida, I reached out to my list of contacts to arrange fishing opportunities. I didn’t know Florida bass pro and MLF Bass Pro Tour commentator JT Kenney, but Ken Baldwin, who I write with here on Fishing on SI, met him earlier in the summer. I sent a text and JT replied that he was in. He added that while Okeechobee could work, early December is a transitional time of year for Florida bass, and our chances of success were going to be much better on a smaller lake about an hour northeast. Kenney sent instructions to the launch ramp at a another well-known central Florida fishery, Stick Marsh, literally within sight of the lake I had fished with Combs in 2017.

Florida bass pro JT Kenney made the call to fish somewhere else. Once again, good call. | Kurt Mazurek

Once again, I’ll never know what could have happened on Okeechobee, but I did have a great day on the “Plan B” lake. First, JT Kenney was great—knowledgeable, a natural teacher, and just a fun guy to swap stories with while we fished. Second, we caught enough bass to keep it exciting, learned what the fish were and weren’t doing, and adjusted accordingly—solid, satisfying bass fishing. We didn’t get to hold up any trophies for the camera, but I’ve fished long enough to know that doesn’t happen every day, even in Florida. I drove back to our campsite thinking about how fortunate I was to be in a part of the world loaded with amazing bass lake options within a short drive of each other.

This short video summarizes the lessons about the Florida bass spawn JT Kenney taught me while we fished that day.

Thinking about both of my Okeechobee trips, I’ve reframed it in my head. For top-level bass anglers, Okeechobee isn’t always the destination, it’s a reference point in analyzing the data. Yes, it can be truly great—the best place in the world to fish for bass— but it’s big and complex and always changing. A lake’s reputation over the past several decades only helps an angler who applies all of that information to the current conditions, the day you get to go fishing, and makes a logical, rational decision to maximize success. Two times, I was sure I was going to cross Lake Okeechobee off my bucket-list, and two times I’ve been grateful for the guidance of top-level anglers who understood that current conditions were more important than reputation.

Our Home Base Campground

Welcome to the Okeechobee KOA Resort. | Kurt Mazurek

Given the fairly remote location of the town of Okeechobee I assumed the KOA Campground would be a comfortable, convenient place to park our RV and sleep, but didn’t have any expectations beyond that. Instead, the Okeechobee KOA Resort turned out to be one of the more pleasant surprises of the trip.

Our campsite was clean, level, quiet and everything we needed it to be. | Kurt Mazurek

I guess I hadn't really noticed the word "resort" in their name when we were planning this so I never expected this level of amenities. It was definitely more like a resort than a simple campsite—a golf course, lots of perfectly manicured palm trees, live music at the Shanty Lounge, tennis and pickleball courts, multiple pools, a convention center, and overall much larger than I would have guessed. We met some great couples as we soaked in the hot tub, and learned that for many this KOA is a long-term stay, rather than a quick overnight stop.

These are the kind of evening views we had at our campground—the moon rising over the golf course. | Kurt Mazurek

As our home base and our hub, it functioned a lot like Lake Okeechobee apparently does for anglers. From this one comfortable spot it was easy to reach a variety of fishing spots, recharge our electric RV without hassles, enjoy some local barbecue, and reset and relax between travel days. It reinforced the idea that Okeechobee doesn’t need to be the main attraction every day to be valuable.

Exploring Beyond the Water

Greetings from Okeechobee. | Kurt Mazurek

Okeechobee, Florida isn’t a big, flashy, tourist town, and that’s part of its appeal. Beyond fishing and the KOA, the rest of our time centered on a few, simple, satisfying stops rather than a long list of tourist destinations.

Lake and Trail USA is a must stop for bass anglers. | Kurt Mazurek

In one of the texts from JT Kenney, he recommended that I make sure to check out a local tackle shop called Lake and Trail USA, and I was glad I did. This was a big, well-stocked tackle store that also sold boats, kayaks, ATVs and e-bikes. The staff was very knowledgable and super friendly. This felt like the kind of place serious anglers rely on. I picked up a couple baits I had never seen before, and left feeling like this shop was definitely worth the visit.

I'd go back to Blue Moon BBQ for brisket and ribs anytime I'm in Okeechobee. | Kurt Mazurek

Food options in town were straightforward. A Yelp search early on revealed several highly-rated BBQ joints. Our plan was set. However, several of them are very small and local (and probably very legit) but only open a couple days a week—out of alignment with our stay. But based on what we did get to sample, Blue Moon BBQ and Coot’s Bar-B-Que were both solid picks that I would gladly visit again.

Coot's seems like it's probably the biggest Bar-B-Que place in Okeechobee, and their food supported that idea. | Kurt Mazurek

Also, worth a mention was Serenity Coffee Shop in downtown Okeechobee. The atmosphere was bright and cozy, the crowd felt like happy locals, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the coffee was great.

The simplicity of what we found in Okeechobee fit the stop. It wasn’t about checking off tourist stops or expecting diverse cultural experiences, it was about supporting our stay and making decisions easier.

How the RV Fit Into This Stop

This may be the most perfect Central Florida meets electric RV photo of all time. | Kurt Mazurek

One of my quiet concerns heading into Okeechobee was how our all-electric Grounded RV would fit in a part of Florida that feels pretty removed from major cities. I am relieved to report, it was a non-issue. We charged up at the local Ford dealer and noted that there was a backup charging station at the other end of town. So even outside of the big cities, electric RV-ing and long distance travel was starting to feel like more of a realistic option. I would always make sure I had a plan for charging, but some of the anxiety of the unknown was beginning to fade.

Once we were in the campground, we were a bit farther from downtown than we wanted to ride the e-bikes. But once again, this RV was relatively easy to disconnect, and easy to navigate through traffic and parking lots. Running into town for BBQ or groceries was no big deal.

What This Stop Taught Us

Once we considered all the possibilities, and made decisions for the right reasons, everything about this stop was smooth and easy. | Kurt Mazurek

Okeechobee taught me a valuable fishing lesson, but not one I would have guessed. If you want to have consistent fishing success, you can’t be distracted by the appeal of a famous lake’s reputation. Although I’ve known for a long time the value of careful, logical consideration of current conditions, I would have let myself believe in some magical power of a legendary location to overcome any of that. I think I made the right call both times I’ve been to Okeechobee and now I get to savor the dream of getting back there someday under the right conditions.

As a stop on this trip, Okeechobee didn’t demand attention or deliver spectacle. Instead, it quietly served us very well. It was a solid base with enough options nearby to keep moving forward with confidence.

Looking Ahead

We left Okeechobee and the trip’s tempo took a sharp turn. Our next stop wasn’t another remote fishing destination or a quiet base camp, it was Walt Disney World. Thirty-one years earlier, we honeymooned there and I’d experienced something completely unexpected: guided bass fishing right inside the park, on Seven Seas Lagoon.

Now we were heading back as more experienced anglers, travelers, and parents, and arriving in a very different way. We booked the electric RV into Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, unsure of what to expect. If Okeechobee was about low-key living and using good judgment, Disney promised to be a test of memory, nostalgia, and how well fishing could fit into a place most people don’t associate with it.

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Transparency Note:Although I have not been paid by any of the manufacturers or companies mentioned, some of the gear or places reviewed in this article have been provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own.

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