Central Florida Bassin with Frank

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

Lake Toho is in a state of transition, but still producing some good fishing. The bass are moving, and at times it can be difficult to pinpoint their location. Cold nights have dropped the water temperature across the region, slowing the bite. Shiners are the best bait to use in order to have the opportunity for a big fish.

The Winter Haven chain of lakes is similar to Toho. We caught bass using small creature baits on the outside weed edge in six foot of water. Move in and out until you locate the bass and remember to fish slow.

Lake Tarpon, north of Tampa, provided a real challenge. The water temperature was 59 degrees and the wind kept the main lake rolling all day. We managed to catch a few bass with most being on the small side. Weather had a huge impact on the fish activity. Most bass were caught using a wacky rigged Zoom trick worm.

Remember, we are comfortable when fishing, but it is winter to these Florida strain bass. Fish slow, then slow down more. Pick an area where the fish should be, and work every inch of that area, slow and methodical.

Frank