It is with great appreciation that I thank all persons viewing this website for your patience the past two years. In 2020 Melody was diagnosed with cancer and on December 22, 2021 she passed away. During this process my first priority was her wellness. We were married for 61.5 years and spent a lifetime in the outdoors. I am back and working at taking folks, especially women and children on fishing excursions. Guys can tag along if they like but the focus will be on the ladies or child. This is an approach I have used for years and there are several reasons why it has been a success. When the lady or child has fun they get hooked on fishing and DAD gets to do more fishing. So bring your special lady or child and let’s open the world of angling to them.
It has been a different winter season this year in Florida with the big fish bite a little on the slow side. There have been several nice bass caught, but the whole season has been unpredictable. Areas that normally hold good fish are barren of weed growth. The next curve has been the water temperature, with it getting very warm then taking a ten degree drop. The shiner bite has come through for guide trips and locating bass with artificial baits will almost guarantee success when you return to those areas and use shiners.
In the next month we will be heading North to the Finger Lakes area of NY for our summer season. The first week in May, we install the docks and hoist while working in 55 degree water. Get the old Ranger uncovered, gassed up, and loaded with gear. Those northern bass will be quite active and by the end of May the bite is in full swing. If you get the opportunity to come north for a week or two it would be an eye opening experience, as the fishing is great.
Be safe, wear your life jacket and maintain a proper lookout.
Frank
We arrived back in Honeoye on April 27th, a moderate day with nice weather. After unloading the suburban and having the water meter installed, we found that none of our heat sources were functioning. We fired up a little electric heater which is the equivalent to striking a match in a windstorm. It wasn’t much, but we made it do. Melody and I went to work on the heat pump and repaired a bad wire in the unit. That fixed the problem, and the heat pump warmed us up into the mid sixties. Then we tackled the fireplace log set and the Vermont Casting stove. By Sunday afternoon we had the old place warmed up to 84 degrees, and we felt like we were back in Florida.
Several trips for groceries and supplies filled the cupboards and we were officially open. Now the real work started with the changing of boat covers, getting the lawn mowers running and putting the docks in for the season. I finished the docks yesterday, and now we will go through the Ranger and put her in the water for the summer.
Conesus Lake was very cold last Thursday. The water temp was 46.5 to 47.5 degrees and the fish were really turned off. I was quite surprised because when we installed the docks the day before on Honeoye Lake, the water was cool but not bone chilling cold like usual.
This brings us to the issue of safety. With this early season water so cold, remember to wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout. Be safe and we will see you on the water.
We have been fishing several different lakes in the Lake Wales/ Winter Haven area and getting ready for the winter/spring season. Early cold weather this past fall set the crappies into a feeding mode and slowed the bass activity. Frequent fronts have plagued the fisherman and tested his or her ability to pattern those little/big green fish. As an example, a day on Lake Parker found the water temperature at 61.5 degrees and the bass completely turned off, while a few days later, the water temperature had risen to 70 degrees. The change in conditions warmed the bass and increased their activity level, resulting in several bass being caught and released. All fishing is being done with artificial lures. When customers book a fishing trip, we go to the same area with wild shiners to try for a trophy after we’ve located the bass with artificials. We urge folks to practice CPR; catch, photograph, and release to preserve the genetics on a given body of water. With good photos and measurements, a beautiful fiberglass replica can be made, leaving the trophy bass to reproduce.
Many different baits have been working, but the Zoom trick worm has worked the best of us. We have also done well with the Zoom brush hog, both regular and baby sized. Vary your colors according to the water conditions. On clearer lakes go with watermelon or watermelon/ red and in stained or dirty water, use green pumpkin, black, junebug, or redbug. These are guidelines, but do not be afraid to experiment.
I have fished Toho, Johns Lake, The Winter Haven and Lake Easy with good results. The biggest bass recently was in the 8# category with several in the 6# range. Toho has been producing good numbers on shiners and the last two young men I guided did well. They boated 15 bass, two pickerel and missed several bites.
Easy is a good name for the lake just north of Crooked lake. Although the sizes of the bass are not huge, they are scrappers. The last three outings on Easy produced catches of 30 to 35 boated bass. They ranged from 1 1/2 to 4 # and are a joy to catch and release. Wacky rigs and Carolina rigs will usually make for an exciting trip. These were all half day trips.
The Winter Haven Chain has been very good using shiners. I usually start on Summit and then move to Winterset. The smaller of the large sized shiners work best with the medium-large size also working. When using large shiners, you don’t want the huge shiners and when using mediums, you don’t want extremely small shiners. Trolling the shiners has worked best, but if you locate bass, anchor up and fish with a cork for a while. These lakes have clearer water and are very productive when using artificial baits. Wacky rigs work well and for some of the weedy areas, a Texas rig will put the bait where you need it without many hangups.
We will be back in the Fall and look forward to guiding customers on the various lakes in Central Florida. If you are coming North, consider a fishing trip in the New York, Finger Lakes area. We guide on several of the lakes and enjoy having folks visit the upstate region. Visit our New York site at mudlines.com
Good fishing.
Frank
We have been very busy on various lakes. Toho has been typical for this time of year. The bass are on the move, and when you locate areas holding them, the fishing is good. Gar and pickerel have been a casual problem so far, and we have caught a couple of bowfin. Shiners have been the big producer. Some former areas are still not accessible due to weed growth, but the bass are close by and just a little harder to target. The majority of our fishing has been on the north half of the lake.
The Butler Chain has been producing good numbers of bass, but not the lunker size that some people want to catch. This is a fun place to fish with lighter line and tackle while trolling shiners. The lakes on this chain are not over crowded and usually, there are places to get out of the wind. It is always fun to show clients how and where the wealthy have chosen to build.
The Winter Haven chain has been both good or slow, depending on at the weather. The past 3-4 weeks, the activity level has spiked and the bass are very active. Wacky rigged trick worms, Texas rigged creature baits and various crank baits are all working. A day trolling shiners can be very rewarding. Summit and Winterset are good along with some of the northern parts of the chain.
Kissimmee is working and several big fish have been caught in the last month. Shiners are producing, but if you want to fish artificial, fish slow. The mats and grass clumps have been productive. When you get bit, anchor or slow down and fish the area thoroughly.
Good fishing,
Frank
BASS has hit a grand slam. A special THANK YOU to BASS and especially the anglers for supporting the interviews as they come off the water. The professional way the anglers handle interviews after a tough fishing day will give the average angler renewed confidence to fish hard as they see the best fisherman struggle. This coverage has stripped away the wrapped boats, fancy shirts, and media hype, giving the viewer an opportunity to experience, both, the highs and lows of the competing anglers.
As a footnote, my wife and I, have struggled in the past to get good coverage, and through some additional cable purchases and investigation on how to connect our computer to the television, we had a front row seat for several hours.
Thank you.
Frank and Melody Tennity, Longtime BASS member
I have been on several different lakes in the past two weeks, chasing those green fish. Summit and Winterset have been good and tough. The bass were very active on Winterset, taking wacky rigs and creature baits. Summit produced a couple of good fish, but then conditions changed and fishing became difficult.
Fishing on Rochelle and that section of the chain was off for me as the water had cooled. We managed a few keeper bass, but not the quality fish that had been active on a prior visit.
The Butler Chain was good last week, although no big fish were caught. We managed to have a good day trolling shiners. Two other boats, with anglers using artificial baits, reported one bass per boat.
Toho reared her nasty side and only small bass were on an active pattern, however, one of my friend’s customers managed a 7-8 pound toad.
Cold and rain again this week, makes it hard to get excited about guiding on such poor days. Warming trends should get the bass back on track and in a spawning mood.
Frank
Dec. 2013-April 15,2014 Bass Fishing Trips
Melody and I have returned to central Florida for our 10th season. It seems like such a short time ago that we chose this area to become our winter home, plant new roots and make new friends. We will be available from December 15, 2013 through April 15, 2014 to take you on a guided bass fishing trip. Our advice is to leave a message on the recorder or wait until December 10th to book a trip. If you are in need of an excellent guide before Dec. 15th, please call Randy Yager @ 407-744-1350.
We have not listed our cell phone number on the web site, so I will post it in the blog for your convenience. My cell is 863-605-1500. I have been fishing several lakes and locating fish for the Fall/Winter season. The water is cooling and new cold fronts will push the temperatures lower. Bass are both active and negative, depending on the daily weather patterns. Crappie fishing is picking up and should really turn on soon.
I look forward to spending time on the water with some of my previous clients/friends and making new friends.
Frank