Freshwater fishing: All around Polk, specks are still raging hungry. What's the best bait?
1. In Lakeland, on Lake Parker they’re catching bass on the hydrilla on Rat-L-traps and chatter bait. Specks are being caught in 8 feet using grass shrimp. At Saddle Creek, bass are being caught on the bank and around the grass on dark-colored worms and shiners, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).
2. In Auburndale, Lake Juliana has been nice for specks with a few limits reported. Bass has been good with 4-pounders and it won’t be long before staging starts. Lakes Alfred, Haines and Rochelle are on fire for specks on minnows and chartreuse jigs. Good numbers of bass have been reported as well in the 4- to 5-pound range, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).
3. In Winter Haven, the mouth of the canals coming in and going out have been fantastic for specks and bass because of the cooler weather, according to Schelfo. Capt. Bill Goudy reports the fish are transitioning to shallower water, if temps keep cooling look for them real shallow. Bass are still chasing bait and some big ones are starting to stage at the mouth of the canals or outside of the spawning areas on rubber worms and Texas-rigged Senkos. Look for the bass to be moving shallower, and use shiners under a cork on the outside edges of the Kissimmee grass, said Goudy from Bass Online (888-629-2277).
4. In Lake Hamilton, on big Lake Hamilton, plenty of bass are being caught with white swim jigs, frogs and shad color Rat-L-traps in the morning with more fish being caught on black-and-blue swim jigs and senkos later in the day in and around the pepper grass and buggy whips in 4-feet or less. Bluegill and shellcracker are being caught on crickets in and around pads. Nothing for specks. In the middle lake, specks are being caught trolling minnows around the buoys and a few bass on Carolina rigs with dark plastic baits on harder bottom (muscle bars). On the little lake: bass are taking shad baits, Rat-L-traps, chatter baits and swim jigs anywhere there is grass on the bank, as well as black-and-blue plastics on half-ounce weights in Kissimmee grass and cat tails. Some specks are being caught trolling minnows near the deeper holes, reports Kyle Brewer at Crossed Industries (863-439-7616).
What's Biting: Speckled perch
If you’re looking for limits, stock up on minnows and try your luck on numerous lakes around the county.
Strike zones: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
5. At Lake Marion near Haines City, for bass, try flipping black-and-blue plastics in Kissimmee grass with 3/8-ounce or bigger, as well as square bill crank baits along the edge of Kissimmee grass. Specks are being caught dipping minnows in holes in Kissimmee grass in 6-feet of water or less. Bluegill and shellcrackers are being caught on crickets and worms in and around pads, and shallow brush piles up on the bank, reported Brewer.
6. At Lake Pierce, the speck bite has been good drifting open water with minnows. Some have been caught using strictly jigs and some have used jigs with minnows attached. Bass have been good on speed worms up around the lily pads and the pepper grass, with reports of 7-pounders. Bluegill and shellcracker have been so-so around the lily pads with red worms and grass shrimp, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).
7. At Lake Hatchineha, bass fishing has started to slow down, but they are still catching some fish in the flowing water around the goal post on a Bridgemaster black-and-blue tip senko. Speck fishing has been very good drifting minnows at night and jigging the pads during the day, according to Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).
8. At Lake Toho, with the water starting to cool off, the bass are starting to move into staging areas. Some fish are being caught on artificial worms, flukes and jerkbaits on the outside edges of the offshore grass, reports Capt. John Leech at Bass Online (888-629-2277).
9. At Lake Kissimmee, bass fishing has picked up a bit flipping the outside grass with a Medlock jig and fishing topwater first thing in the morning. Specks have been biting very good in the morning on grass lines with minnows, and jigging pads later in the day, according to Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
10. At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bass fishing has been very tough, but they are catching a few around Indian Lake Estates on S-Pro Frogs. The speck bite has been very good at night drifting minnows and trolling a road runner jig during the day, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
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11. At Crooked Lake, the speck fishing at night has been fantastic on minnows, with double limits being caught using green and white lights in about 30-feet of water. Some specks are being caught in the day drifting minnows and jigs over open water. Bass are being caught offshore in the brush piles on Carolina rigs, deep-diving crankbait and jerk baits. Live bait has been used to land some, with reports of 6-pounders, says Childress.
12. In Frostproof, on Lake Clinch the speck bite has been good drifting minnows in open water. Some are being caught over the brush piles using minnows. Stick to the brush piles for bass as well. Try Carolina rigs and crankbait. The west side has seen a little better bite. Try using live bait along the edge of the grass. On Lake Arbuckle, specks continue to be strong on minnows in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bass have been active around the lily pads using black-and-blue 10-inch worms, white and chartreuse spinner baits and chatter baits, reports Childress.
13. In Mulberry, a lot of the bass have started to move up to bed, and casting is a little better than flipping or pitching. Try Junebug speed worms in shallow areas like cattails and hydrilla. Specks are being caught drifting corks in open water. Some 10- to 12-inch catches have been reported, but most are of the smaller variety, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company (863-937-3292).
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Specks are biting well around Polk. Their favorite bait? Try this
