Fish of the week: Bass – With the afternoon rain season starting to pick up, the water levels are starting to rise slightly and the lakes are cooling a bit as well. That has led to some good fishing, especially around the grass lines.
Strikezone: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13
1. In Lakeland, at Saddle Creek, Tenoroc and on Lake Parker, bluegill and shellcracker are being caught on wigglers and grass shrimp. Bass bite has been good on shiners, redbug speed worms, and Strike King HC 5 crankbait has been sold out at Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).
2. In Auburndale and Lake Alfred, on Lake Juliana, bass can be caught using shiners with 6-pounders being reported. Bluegill bite has been good too. On Lake Alfred, Lake Haines and Lake Rochelle, nothing real big but a lot of 4-to-5-pound bass are being caught using Booyah lipless crankbait in royalty color. Shellcracker bite has been on fire on Lake Rochelle. For more information, contact Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).
3. In Winter Haven, on Lake Cannon, the bass and bluegill bite has been solid. On Lake Blue, catfish and bass bite has been good according to Schelfo. Stick to the smaller lakes like Lake Swoop and Lake Echo with the all the holiday traffic on the lakes for a better time on the water. Capt. Bill Goudy reports that bass can be found on the outside edge of submerged grass using rubber worms or wild shiners. Carolina rigged soft plastics are best when fishing near the offshore brush piles. For a guided fishing trip with Capt. Goudy, call Bass Online (888-629-2277).
4. On Lake Hamilton, big lake: Bass have been tough to catch, but there are still plenty of fish in the grass and flipping is still dominant to catching big ones out there with a ⅜-ounce or ½-ounce weight with a black-and-blue senko or creature baits on deeper grass lines, as well as a trap along the edge of grass lines in the lowlight parts of the day. Shellcracker and bluegill are still in either buggy whips or pads, with crickets or worms. Specks are few and far between, with most being caught trolling with white or chartreuse jigs or with lights at night in open water using minnows. Middle lake: a few bass have been caught here and there with a senko. Specks are being caught more frequently in the main lake around the buoys with lights and minnows. Little lake: bluegill and shellcracker are being caught in and around pads patches with crickets or worms. Bass can be had flipping grass with a ⅜-ounce or ½-ounce weight with dark-style creature baits on heavy braided line, reports local guide Kyle Brewer. Contact Kyle at fishingbud55@gmail.com.
5. On Lake Marion near Haines City, bass are being caught flipping the Kissimmee grass on the east side on swim jigs, speed worms and even frogs before 9 a.m. Later in the day, spinnerbait has been effective flipping the outside of loose patches of grass. Shellcracker and bluegill are being caught on the northwest side and southeast pad patches dipping crickets and worms in the holes in the pads. Specks are being caught with lights at night in 6-to-8 feet of water with minnows, reported Brewer.
6. On Lake Pierce, speck bite has slowed considerably. Bluegill and shellcracker are still in the pads around Jennings Fish Camp and Cherry Pocket on worms and grass shrimp. Bass are hot early in the heavy grass on topwater bait. Carolina rig and jerkbait work best later in the day around the brush piles, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).
7. On Lake Hatchineha, bass fishing has been a little slow because of the shallow water, but you can still catch a few fish on the deeper grass and reed lines flipping a jig. They have also been catching some specks trolling in 7-to-9 feet of water, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).
8. On Lake Toho, no report this week. For more information contact Mike Groshon from Bass Online (888-629-2277).
9. On Lake Kissimmee, bass fishing has been very good flipping grass with a 1-ounce flipping jig and also fishing the brush piles sticking out of the water around Philadelphia point. Bluegill and shellcracker have also been biting very good near Rabbit and Bird islands, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
10. On Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bass fishing has been very slow, but you can catch a few fish on the brush piles with crankbait and a Zoom OL Monster worm. Bluegill and shellcracker have been biting very good around Indian Lake Estates in the pads on red worms, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
11. On Crooked Lake, Big Crooked: Freelining shiners at the junction of Big and Little Crooked has produced some bass. Specks are best at night using lights and minnows. Shellcracker and bluegill have been biting near Wirt’s Point in 6 feet of water on worms. Little Crooked: Red worms fished on the bottom in 6 feet of water are working well for bluegill, says Childress.
12. In Frostproof, on Lake Clinch bluegill and some shellcracker can be found on the south end using red worms. Bass bite on the west side has been solid drifting shiners along the edge of the grass with topwater bait doing the trick in the same area early in the morning. Use Carolina rig and jerkbait on the brush piles later in the day. On Lake Reedy, bluegill are in the lily pads on the southwest corner of the lake. Bass are hitting Carolina rig and jerkbait near the brush piles. On Lake Arbuckle, bluegill are biting near the Cypress trees on the south end. A few bass can be had using live bait on the east side near the blown down trees, reports Childress.
13. In Mulberry, topwater bite has started to come on in the pits thanks to the recent rain dropping the water temperature a bit. Stick to the banks and the points off the islands and rock bars throwing a shad-colored Devil Horse or Whopper Plopper. When the temperature rises, switch to junebug-colored worms and black-and-blue senkos and go slow. Watch the weather as the bite picks up before and after afternoon thunderstorms, but as always use caution, says Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company (863-937-3292).
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