1. In Lakeland , bluegill and bass are active off the banks of Lake Parker. Bluegill and shellcracker are active just about anywhere on crickets and grass shrimp. At Saddle Creek, deep-diving crankbait are working well with the bass moving to deeper water because of the heat, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).
2. In Lake Alfred , lakes Alfred, Haines and Rochelle have all been good for bass using lipless crankbaits, nothing real big, but good numbers. Shellcracker and bluegill have also been on the bite. For more information, contact Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).
3. In Winter Haven , on Lake Blue some bass and catfish are being caught off the dock. Capt. Bill Goudy reports he's been catching bass on small minnow-style topwater lures fished over deep water. Also, Carolina-rigged trick worms or lizards have worked on brush piles and offshore grass. Shiners have also been good if fished over offshore grass. For a guided fishing trip with Capt. Goudy, call Bass Online (888-629-2277).
4. In Lake Hamilton , on the big lake, try a 3/8-ounce black-and-blue swim jig in loose vegetation, as well as black-and-blue or junebug magnum speed worms on 1/8-ounce weight Texas rigged, casting or pitching it in and around buggy whips. Bluegill are getting caught on crickets and worms in pads and buggy whips in 4 feet or less. The speck bite has slowed down. On the middle lake, specks can be caught with lights at night around ski floats on minnows. Bluegill are being caught on worms on the south side in the pad fields, every now and then bass can be caught flipping black-and-blue creature baits in thick vegetation with a ½-ounce or ¾-ounce flipping weight. On the little lake, bass are being caught on ½-ounce chatterbaits in white or natural shad colors with matching trailers throwing along the edge of grass or cover, as well as junebug red speed worms being dragged under docks. Specks are being caught trolling jigs out in 6 to 9 feet of water, reports local guide Kyle Brewer. Contact Kyle at fishingbud55@gmail.com .
5. On Lake Marion near Haines City , some big bass have been caught using black-and-blue swim jigs and flipping black-and-blue creature style baits in and around pads and grass, as well as darker-colored magnum speed worms on 3/16-ounce weights reeling through Kissimmee grass or dragging under docks. The speck bite has slowed down. Bluegill have been chewing in pads and Kissimmee grass, all on crickets in 4 feet of water or less, reported Brewer.
6. On Lake Pierce , specks are still being caught in open water drifting minnows. A morning haul of 15 was reported. Bluegill and shellcracker are still strong on crickets, red worms and grass shrimp. Bass are in the thick grass early in the morning on topwater bait. As the sun gets higher, they move out into the brush piles. Use Carolina rig and jerkbait, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).
What's Biting: Bluegill
As bass continue to move to deeper water with the hot weather, the best bet for quantity remains bluegill. Look for them in the pads or near the grass lines. Red worms fished on the bottom or crickets and grass shrimp are the go-to baits.
Strike zones : 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
7. On Lake Hatchineha , bass fishing has been very good flipping a jig in the outside reeds and throwing a spinnerbait around the same area during the morning. Bluegill and shellcracker have also been biting very good in the pads on red worms, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).
8. On Lake Toho , 10-inch ribbontail worms have worked well to catch fish. Working them slow seems to be the best technique. There is still some topwater action in the early morning. Shiners are still producing fish as well, says Mike Groshon from Bass Online (888-629-2277).
9. On Lake Kissimmee , bass fishing has been very good flipping the outside grass lines and throwing a zoom speed worm down the edge. Bluegill and shellcracker have also been biting very good in 27 palms on red worms, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products .
10. On Lake Walk-in-the-Water , bass fishing has been slow, but they are catching a few fish in the Indian Lake Estates canal. They have also been catching a lot of specks on the Estates brush piles on a Muck City tackle jig, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products .
11. On Crooked Lake , a few specks are being caught at night with lights in 25-30 feet of water on minnows. The bluegill bite has been best using red worms fished on the bottom near Grassy Island and Wirt’s Point. Bass have been good on the south side between the two lakes freelining shiners in the open water. On Little Crooked, the bluegill bite has been good on red worms fished on the bottom in 6 feet of water, says Childress .
Bullet points: Florida hunting seasons are gearing up, and it's time to prep | Ian Nance
12. In Frostproof , on Lake Clinch, the bluegill bite has been solid in 10-12 feet of water on the southwest side. Bass can be had drifting shiners on the west side of the lake near the grass. Deep-diving crankbaits have been the go-to lure during the day on the brush piles. On Lake Reedy, night fishing for specks resulted in a two-person, two-day limit using lights in open water that resulted in nearly 100 catches. The bluegill bite has been good in 6 feet of water using red worms. Use crickets in the lily pads on the southwest side. Most of the bass are being caught on the brush piles using Carolina rigs and jerkbait. On Lake Arbuckle, bluegill are consistently around the Cypress trees on the south end, reports Childress .
13. In Mulberry , the rain is cooling the water temps off some. If it rains overnight, the topwater bite has been outstanding until the sun gets high. After that, look for the hydrilla pockets and the island points using a black-and-blue senko or junebug-colored worm worked slowly. There haven’t been a lot of numbers reported, but decent-sized fish in the 7-pound range have been caught, says Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company (863-937-3292).
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater fishing: Bluegill remain hot all across Polk. Bass are hit and miss
Most Popular
Comments / 0