Despite hot weather, Polk anglers are still reeling in bass early and late in the day

1. Around Lakeland, at Saddle Creek, live shiners are producing bass up to 5 pounds at the park. Decent numbers of bluegill are biting on red worms. Good numbers of catfish on chicken liver. At Tenoroc, small shiners are producing sunshine bass at Picnic Lake. Tenoroc is also good for bluegill on crickets and red worms and crickets. Around town, lakes Crago and Parker are producing good numbers of shellcracker bluegill on red worms and crickets in the pads, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2. At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is producing bass up to 4 pounds on live shiners. Lake Ariana also has a good bass bite on live shiners. Around the Lake Alfred area, an angler caught a 5-, 6- and an 8-pound bass on spinnerbaits at Lake Rochelle on Monday. Lakes Alfred and Haines are also producing a good bass bite on a variety of baits including live shiners, plastic worms and crankbaits. Lake Swoop is good for peacock bass from the dock. Lakes Haines and Rochelle are producing good numbers of big bluegill on crickets, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

What's Biting: Largemouth Bass

Extreme heat is keeping many anglers off the water during mid-day, but the bass bite is still good both early and late in the day.

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3. At Winter Haven, Lake Shipp is producing good number of bass from the shoreline at the park. A few bluegill are biting there on red worms and good numbers of catfish on night crawlers and liver. Lake May is still producing bluegill and shellcracker on crickets. Water temps around the south chain are very warm and many of the bass are moving offshore. Deeper shorelines are also producing a few. Carolina rigged worms, crankbaits and swimbaits are producing the best numbers, reports Schelfo.

4. At Lake Hamilton, at the big lake, good numbers of bass are biting around reeds while flipping black and blue plastics and casting swim jigs in 4 feet of water or less. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting crickets in the same areas. The middle lake is good for bass in the reeds and pads at the north end, while flipping black and blue creature baits. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting crickets outside the pads at the south end. The little lake is tough for bass, but specks are eating minnows and jigs on the brush piles and while trolling. Bluegill and shellcracker are being caught on red worms around pads, reports Kyle Brewer at Hoppy’s by Crossed Industries (863-439-7616).

5. At Lake Marion near Haines City, most of the bass seem to be off the banks in 6 to 8 feet of water and feeding on the shellcracker and bluegill spawn. Carolina rigs with big creature baits, as well as crankbaits on hard bottom are getting the bite. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting red worms and crickets at both the north and south end of the lake, but only in 2 feet of water or less. Specks are biting on the brush piles on minnows and jigs, reports Brewer.

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6. At Lake Pierce, the bass bite is decent on topwaters early in the morning, but plastic worms in deeper water during the day are producing better numbers. Near limits of bluegill and shellcracker are being caught every day on crickets and red worms, reports Chris Beasley at Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7. At Lake Hatchineha, bluegill are biting in the pads on crickets and red worms at the mouth of Marion Creek. Decent numbers of bass are being caught around the Goal Post early in the mornings. A few specks are also biting minnows and jigs in the Goal Post area, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8. At Lake Toho, bass are being caught around offshore hydrilla around Friars Cove and the south end of the lake on Chatterbaits and Zara Spooks. Flipping the hydrilla mats at the north end with beaver style creature baits is still producing bass as well. The shell bar off Lanier Point is also producing good numbers of bass. The brush piles off Lake Toho R.V. Resort are still producing good numbers of bass. Bluegill are biting crickets and red worms in the Kissimmee grass at Browns point and around the lake, reports Grady Johnson (407-205-6719).

9. At Lake Kissimmee, the bluegill bite is very good around North Cove and the 27 Palms area and the bite should only improve with the upcoming full moon phase. Jigs and minnows are producing a very good speck bite on the brush piles. The bass bite has been very slow, but a few fish are being caught while flipping jigs on the outside grass, reports Bridgemaster’s.

10. At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, the bluegill bite is good on crickets and red worms in the pads around the mouth of Tiger Creek. A few specks are being caught while drifting minnows at night at a depth of 8 feet. Bass are being caught on live shiners at Indian Lake Estates, reports Bridgemaster’s.

11. At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, hot weather has been keeping many anglers off the water, but good numbers of bass are being caught early and late in the day. Four anglers, fishing together during a trip Tuesday morning, had just over 20 bass on topwaters along the U.S. 27 side, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). Live shiners and Carolina rigged plastic worms are producing decent numbers of bass at the along the south shore and at the mouth of Little Crooked Lake. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting red worms and crickets on the bottom at a depth of 7 feet. Bluegill are also biting in the pads along the south shore on crickets, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12. At Frostproof, Lake Reedy is producing some limits of specks at night on minnows while anchored under the lights at the south side. The bluegill bite is good there on red worms and crickets around the pads at the southwest corner and in moving water around the creeks. The bass bite is good there on speed worms around the edges of the grass at the south side. Carolina rigged plastic worms and speed worms are also producing on the brush piles. Lake Clinch is producing bass up to 9-pounds on live shiners along the edges of the grass at the south side. Carolina rigged worms are also producing along the edges of the grass and on the brush piles. Zoom Horney Toad frogs are getting the bite in the grass at first light. Some shellcracker and bluegill are being caught on red worms and crickets on the bottom in 12-foot of water on the southwest side. At Lake Arbuckle, the bass bite is good on live shiners and 10-inch black and blue plastic worms. Bluegill are biting on crickets and red worms around the pads at the boat ramp. Incoming water around Reedy Creek and the Cypress trees at the south shore, are also producing bluegill, reports Childress.

13. In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, the bass bite is good at first light on shad color Heddon Zara Spooks and hard jerk baits. After the sun comes up, junebug red color plastic worms or black and blue Senkos are producing. Open pockets of hydrilla in 8 to 12-feet of water are producing the best numbers. Shad color crankbaits are also catching a few, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company. (863-937-3292).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk anglers who brave the heat are reeling in bass early and late