| Florida Fishing
Reports
Panfish are biting. Shellcracker and bluegill will fill
your cooler if the winds allow you to go fishing. Bass
action will be the No. 1 draw as the winds subside. The
first sustained warm weather might put some of them on the
beds again.
Butler Chain of
Lakes Fishing
Fish the Butler Chain
for bass, bluegills and shellcrackers. Bass are holding
near reeds and lily pads. Trick worms (black and purple
work best), spinnerbaits and crankbaits all have been
effective. Use redworms around pads for bluegills and
shellcrackers.
Conway Chain of
Lakes Fishing
Fish the Conway Chain for bass. Fish
can be found near beds in shallow waters. Shiners,
crankbaits and plastic worms will all produce strikes.
Try working near docks and near vegetation. Fish
drop-offs with plastic worms and jigging spoons.
Osceola County Florida Fishing
Florida
Fishing Resorts
Lake Blue Cypress
Florida Fishing
Largemouth bass anglers can expect to find
fish between the weedline and the cypress trees in the
southern portion of the lake and around grass or lily
pads along other shorelines. The vegetated banks of Big M Canal
and Zigzag Canal may also harbor a few good fish.
Dark-colored plastic worms, topwater chuggers, propeller
plugs, spinnerbaits, and live bait (golden shiners) are
generally favored. Bluegill and redear sunfish
catches may slow down a bit, but a few should still be
found along grass-lines in 1 to 3 feet of water and also
around the open-water fish attractors. Big M Canal and
Zigzag Canal should also be productive for panfish.
Fly-rod popping bugs, small jigs, beetle spins, and live
bait (crickets, grass shrimp and worms) are the favored
methods. Indian County River Florida Fishing
Clearwater
Florida Fishing
Inshore catches are great if you like
to catch reds, trout, mangrove snapper and silver trout.
Offshore was producing grouper, mangrove snapper, black
sea bass and grunt before the blow. The grouper might go
deeper but most likely will not.
Crescent Lake
Florida
Fishing
Crescent Lake has been strong for bass
fishing. Fishing guides are throwing topwater lures
early and late, but you had better have shiners the
remainder of the day. Docks
in deeper waters along the western shore of the lake are
the best bet for largemouth bass anglers using either
artificial baits or live shiners. Numerous deadfalls
scattered on the eastern shore often hold bass. Try the
deeper edges of the bulrush and grass patches along the
west shore of the lake. Anglers should have
good luck drifting or trolling minnows or crappie jigs,
particularly in the southern end of the lake.
Flagler County Florida Fishing
Florida
Waterfront Homes
Deerpoint Lake
Florida Fishing
Try fishing in
early morning or late afternoon along the weedlines of
the old creek channels in Bear, Econfina, and Cedar
Creeks and along the south side of Bayou George. Try
fishing for bass with dark-colored artificial worms,
live shiners, and weedless lures. Bay County
Florida Fishing
Everglades Fishing
Bass fishing remained tough in the
Everglades, but if you can find running water, you
should be able to catch some fish. The flats at
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge were producing fair
numbers of bass. Flipping in the canals was producing
most of the bigger fish. Big plastic worms fished slowly
along the bottom and topwater plugs were catching some
fish in the canals at Everglades Holiday Park.
Florida
Everglades Fishing
Lake Harney
Florida Fishing
Try Lake Harney for crappie. Fish near
reeds and drop-offs with minnows and jigs and you should
be able to catch your limits. Bass can be caught near
docks and in deeper waters of the lake. Use soft plastic
jerkbaits and diving plugs near docks. Use jigging
spoons and shiners in deeper waters.
Harris Chain of
Lakes Fishing
Try the Harris
Chain for crappie and bass. If you're targeting crappie,
try Lake Griffin and Lake Yale. Fish near reeds and lily
pads, adjusting the depth on your baits until you find
where fish are staging. Minnows and jigs work best. You
can work the area with a small spinnerbait as well. Bass
fishing is best on Lake Harris and Lake Eustis. Fish
near reeds, lily pads in eel grass with spinnerbaits,
crankbaits or shiners. The Butler and Conway Chains have
both been decent for bedding bass. Use shiners,
crankbaits and plastic worms.
Lake County Florida Fishing
Florida
Lodging
Osborne Chain of
Lakes Fishing
Peacock bass are being
taken regularly in the lake by anglers working
spinnerbaits, stickbaits and topwater plugs - the
smaller the better. Anglers have also been catching a
lot of bluegill and numerous small bass along the
shoreline edges especially in and around vegetated
areas. Grass shrimp, crickets, small jigs have been the
preferred baits for bluegill, which should continue to
cooperate through October. Most bass are taken on live
baits such as shad and shiners. However, many can be
taken in the early morning with topwater lures and later
in the day with plastic worms and crankbaits. Nice size channel catfish can be
caught using chicken liver or live worms. Mayan cichlids
continue to be prominent in the lake and can be taken
near shore next to the vegetation using grass shrimp,
live worms, crickets, and small artificial lures such as
beetle spins and jigs. Palm Beach County Florida Fishing
Indian River
Florida Fishing
Plenty of redfish can
be caught in the northern Indian River. Fish north of
the railroad bridge, along both flats on either side of
the river. Trout and ladyfish will be in the same
location. Use shrimp under popping corks, crabs or soft
plastic jerkbaits.
Florida
Bass Fishing
Florida Bay/10,000
Islands Fishing
Good snook reports are
coming in, as it is one of the two most delightful times
to be in the 10,000 Islands because the fish are biting,
but mosquitoes are not ravenous yet.
Florida Keys
Fishing
Very good yellowtail action in depths
of 40 to 100 feet of water and the fish are averaging 1
½ to five pounds. Offshore boats continue to do
well on blackfin tuna to 20 pounds off the Hump and a
few dolphins outside of 400 feet.
Florida
Keys Fishing
Florida Gold Coast
Fishing
Anglers were
catching lots of yellowtail snapper and some mutton
snapper. Strong mutton fishing in 40 feet north of
Hillsboro Inlet, plus a bunch of yellowtails and a few
kingfish. Night trips featured lane and vermilion
snapper. Spanish mackerel have been thick at Peck's
Lake, north of Hobe Sound.
Kissimmee Chain of
Lakes Fishing
Try the Kissimmee Chain
for bass and shellcrackers. Bass can be found near
Kissimmee grass and hydrilla. Texas-rigged plastic worms
or crankbaits are effective. Use plastic toads and
lizards in thick cover. When the weather warms back up,
look for bass to move back on to beds in shallow waters.
Shellcrackers are also bedding in shallow waters and can
be caught on redworms and crickets. Grab you gear and
run to record shellcracker action. Shellcracker are
definitely the hot item in this area.
Florida
Lodging
Lake Istokpoga
Florida Fishing
Bass have been
spawning, but anglers have had a tough time getting out
because of the winds. Big shellcracker are the main
event in panfish. You can catch a few bluegill, as well.
Troll with a small spinner bait and you might even get a
few specks.
Lake Lochloosa
Florida Fishing
Catches of quality
largemouth bass have been steady, and bass anglers
should have success in the knotgrass patches on the
south and west shores of the lake in the months to come.
Bluegill and redear sunfish can be caught on crickets,
grass shrimp and live minnows in the pads at the
northwest side of the lake, most of Little Lochloosa and
the south end of the lake. The knotgrass patches on the
east shore and around Burnt Island are also worth a try.
Lake Monroe
Florida Fishing
Try Lake Monroe for
bass and crappie. Bass can be found in shallow waters,
grasslines and the edges of reeds. Use small topwater
lures or plastic toads in shallow waters. Try
spinnerbaits, crankbaits and shiners near vegetation.
Crappie can be caught near the power plant on minnows
and jigs.
Miami Dade
Fishing
Anglers have been
catching kingfish, sharks, dolphin and a few mutton
snappers. Reported catches of cobia to 32 pounds,
kingfish to 12 pounds and mutton snappers along the
outer reef line in 800-plus feet of water. Dolphins to
15 pounds are feeding along broken weedlines.
Mosquito Lagoon
Florida Fishing
Try fishing the central Mosquito
Lagoon for slot-sized redfish. Shrimp, jigs and soft
plastic jerkbaits all work well. Trout will be in the
same location and will hit the same baits. Try fishing
near Tiger Shoals in the Mosquito Lagoon for redfish and
trout. Fish near sandholes with shrimp, jigs and
jerkbaits. A few flounder and black drum are in the same
area.
Lake Okeechobee
Florida Fishing
Largemouth bass
fishing should be best on the outside edges of shoreline
vegetation (mainly bulrush, eelgrass, and knotgrass).
Try spoons and spinnerbaits in the grass flats, and
plastic worms and flipping jigs in the heaver cover. Of
course, golden shiners will be one of the top baits this
fall as the water cools some. The north shore of
Fisheating Bay has been a good place to catch bass, some
over five pounds. Other areas to try are Kings Bar and
Eagle Bay Island on the north end of Lake Okeechobee,
the Tin House Cove and Indian Prairie areas on the west
side, the West Wall, East Wall, the Tip of Ritta Island
and the Bay Bottom near Clewiston and Belle Glade.
Okeechobee County
Florida Fishing
Lake
Okeechobee Florida Fishing
Orange Lake
Florida Fishing
Catches of bluegill
and black crappie have been outstanding over the last
several months amongst the emergent vegetation and open
water, respectively. Largemouth bass anglers can
currently enjoy catches of 1 to 2-pound bass around the
majority of the lake shoreline, although catches of
larger fish have become more abundant. Spinnerbaits,
jerkworms and plastic worms will be the top baits.
Alachua County Florida Fishing
Orange
Lake Florida Fishing
Sarasota Florida
Fishing
Mackerel, bluefish and
trout are being caught. Snook are a little testy, but
will be on a big bite very soon. Redfish are schooling.
Next up in a couple of weeks will be the night snook
action.
Sebastian Inlet
Fishing
The Sebastian Inlet has
been good for snook during tide changes. The trick is
finding what bait the fish want on any certain day.
Redfish have been most active west of the bridge. Cut
baits and crabs are the most effective. Fish the flats
behind the inlet for snook, trout, redfish, jacks,
bluefish and ladyfish. Try heading out to the Gulf Stream
out of Sebastian Inlet for dolphin, blackfin tuna and
sailfish. Troll the edge with ballyhoo and cedar plugs. If
you fish in shallower depths your sure to run into king
mackerel and large schools of bonito. Catch a few and keep
for bait.
Lake Talquin
Florida Fishing
Try fishing live minnows or jigs
in 12 to 17 feet of water at the mouths of the creeks
and deeper water as the quarter progresses. Crankbaits or plastic
worms should work well. Striped bass fishing should
improve in the deeper waters of the reservoir,
especially close to the dam due to their movement out of
the thermal refugia. Try crankbaits and anything that
resembles a shad from Ocklawaha creek to the dam.
Gadsden County Florida Fishing
Lake
Talquin Florida Fishing
Lake Tarpon Florida Fishing
Bass action is always
good on this lake. Live shiners are still the best bait,
but you can use artificial lures for even more fun.
Lake
Tarpon Florida Fishing
Lake Panasoffkee
Florida Fishing
Bluegill are hot and
heavy. The lake is up a little, which is good. Bass
action will resume as soon as the winds subside.
Lake George
Florida Fishing
You can catch bass,
bluegills and a few crappie in Lake George. Work near
any cover for bass. Try near lily pads and trees for
bluegills and work drop-offs for crappie. . . . The
Butler Chain has been decent for bass. Fish near lily
pads and reeds with trick worms and crankbaits. Putnam
County Florida Fishing
Lake
George Florida Fishing
Tsala Apopka Chain
of Lakes Fishing
Live golden shiners
are always good in this system for largemouth bass. Use
crickets and worms on the bottom for bluegill and redear
sunfish. Water moving through any canal (whether by wind
or current) is a likely spot for largemouth bass to
congregate. However, until water levels rise these
canals can be very shallow and difficult to navigate.
Continue to target submerged willow tree bases for these
sanctuaries are known holdouts for largemouths. Citrus County Florida
Fishing
Tsala
Apopka Lake Florida Fishing
Lake Seminole
Florida
Fishing
Lake Seminole is
currently producing some truly outsized bass for a lake
so far north. We're seeing a lot of 5- to 6-pound fish
on a regular basis. The lake has a huge shad population,
so there's lots of forage. Those shad play a key
role for fall anglers on this lake. So too, does
hydrilla. Though any deep hydrilla edge can hold
fish, savvy anglers often find them faster by
concentrating on irregularities along the edge. Bends in
a creek channel, points where one channel intersects
with another, or the sharp end of a drop from a
shoreline flat can all pay off. Bass actively feed
on shad, but may not be chasing them in open water.
Often, the largemouths are ambushing from the edge of
the hydrilla. Frogs or white Trick Worms have proven
deadly when twitched over those edges. Topwater plugs
like the venerable Zara Spook or virtually any of the
"chugger" baits like the Rebel Pop-R or Storm
Chug Bug can be effective. Jackson County Florida
Fishing
Lake
Seminole Florida Fishing
St. Johns River
Fishing
Try the St. Johns River
near Lemon Bluff for bass, catfish and panfish. Bass can
be found in oxbows as well as lily pads and grass lines.
Crankbaits and spinnerbaits both work well. Try
dead-sticking plastic worms in thick cover. Catfish,
bluegills and shellcrackers can be found near turns.
St. Johns County Florida Fishing
One way to ensure that you'll be able
to return for Florida's famous bass fishing every year
is to buy
timeshare in the Sunshine State. Florida
timeshares are a great way to explore your favorite
fishing region of this great state every year. Many
savvy vacationers have opted to purchase a timeshare
because they're generally better equipped and more
cost-effective than renting a hotel room of the same or
lesser quality. That's because they're divided among
multiple owners, so the cost to individual owners is
much lower. You can save even more on your property if
you buy your timeshare
resale. When you purchase on the resale market you
can save thousands.
Enjoy An Amazing Florida
Fishing Vacation In The Sunshine State Of
Florida!
Top
Florida Bass Fishing Hot Spots
1. Lake Tohopekaliga
Most anglers here target the larger
trophy bass. Anglers here use live golden shiners during
early spring. These shiners are fished inshore near to the
vegetation or topped-out hydrilla . Plastic baits such as
worms or crawfish pulled along grass edges, hydrilla, and
bulrush will also catch quality-sized bass. Spinners, soft
jerk baits and chugging baits can also prove very
productive.
2. Lake
George
Lake George is a beautiful natural lake
situated on the St. John s River. It has extensive
vegetation that provides an excellent habitat for bass.
Here at Bass Fishing Techniques we recommend wader fishing
in the eelgrass with plastic worms fished on the surface,
and other top water artificial lures prove very productive
time and time again. Fishing with live shiners is an
excellent method for catching yourself a trophy bass
during the spring spawning season.
3. Lake
Walk-In-Water
This lake is situated just south of
Orlando and to the east of Lake Wales. It is just south of
S.R. 60. This lake has an outstanding reputation for its
largemouth bass. 4 – 8 pound bass are common and bags of
25+ frequent. Anglers regularly report catching trophy
bass of over 10 pounds. There are some rules in place
here. There is a 15 - 24 inch slot limit and anglers are
allowed may keep 3 bass per day, which are either under or
over the protected slot range. Only one bass greater than
or equal to the 24 inch slot range is allowed.
4. Stick
Marsh Reservoir
Summer hurricanes in 2004 drastically
reduced the levels of hydrilla throughout this reservoir.
This affects the location of the bass and anglers should
keep this in mind when trying to pattern fish. Bass can be
located throughout this reservoir among a variety of
habitats including submerged canals and woody stump
fields. Plastic worms, spinners, crank baits, soft jerk
baits, and top water propeller baits are effective. Wild
golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to
catch that trophy bass.
5. Deer
Point Lake
Deer Point Lake is a popular largemouth
bass fishing destination in Florida s panhandle area near
Panama City. Plastic worms, spinners, crank baits, soft
jerk baits, and top water propeller baits are most
effective on this lake.
6.
Suwannee River
The Suwannee River is an excellent black
water stream that flows 213 miles in Florida from the
swamp-like region at the Georgia border to salt-marsh
tidal creeks at the Gulf of Mexico. This river has an
excellent reputation for its trophy largemouth bass.
7. Lake
Kissimmee
Lake Kissimmee is the largest of the 5
main lakes on the renowned Kissimmee River of central
Florida. Lake Kissimmee is famous for producing high
quality fishing. Many tournament anglers on Lake Kissimmee
are boasting winning weights of 18 to 20 pounds of bass.
The results of a survey indicated that bass anglers had an
excellent catch rate of 0.54 fish per hour during spring
2004.
8.
Rodman Reservoir
Rodman Reservoir, east of Gainesville
and south of Palatka, covers over 9,500 acres of prime
largemouth bass habitat. Since the reservoirs creation in
1968, Rodman Reservoir has been known for trophy
largemouth bass.
9. The
Everglades
The Everglades are situated in the south
Florida marshlands and they are intersected with over 200
miles of canals. Most anglers prefer to fish the canals
rather than the marsh. Anglers will often work canal edges
with plastic worms, soft jerk baits, and minnow
imitations. Flipping the vegetation is also a popular
technique and yields good results.
10. Lake
Tarpon
Anglers who frequent this lake are most
successful when flipping or pitching plastic worms along
canal and bulrush edges. Offshore bass fishing is very
productive for anglers who fish around ledges, humps,
coontail, and eelgrass beds. Popular lures to use offshore
include shad-imitating jigs, crank baits, jerk baits and
top water baits. Fishing with wild shiners and live shad
is also very effective.
|
