Freshwater fishing: Lots of big bass reported around Polk County
1. In Lakeland, the bluegill and shellcracker bite has turned on at Lake Parker near the docks. Try using red worms and crickets. Black-and-blue soft plastic bait has been good for bass at Saddle Creek. At Tenoroc, on Cemetery Lake, try domestic shiners for bass, with some decent-sized catches being reported, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).
2. In Auburndale and Lake Alfred, on Lake Ariana a lot of nice bass are being reported in the 4- to 5-pound range. Try live shiners. In Lake Alfred, on lakes Alfred, Rochelle and Haines, the bass are hitting many lines. Lipless crankbaits and shiners are working well. Sizes reported in the 8- to 9-pound range. Specks are still active on minnows, and on Lake Rochelle the shellcracker bite is picking up. Now’s the time to catch specks before it gets too hot, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).
3. In Winter Haven, Lake Shipp has been great for bass in the 6- to 7-pound range. Lake Summitt has also been a hot spot. Capt. Bill Goudy says he has been catching bass freelining shiners over submerged grass. He’s also had some success using a drop shot with a trick worm on the outside edge of the submerged grass. For a guided fishing trip with Capt. Goudy, call Bass Online (888-629-2277).
4. In Lake Hamilton, on the big lake, bass have been devouring black-and-blue style creature baits flipped into the reeds. You can also use black-and-blue junebug speed worms, reeling them through any kind of grass. Bluegill and shellcrackers are being caught in the reeds in 3 feet of water or less on crickets. On the middle lake, specks can still be had using minnows in the pads and grass. On the little lake, stick to the shallow water for specks and bass. For bass, try using black-and-blue style flipping baits as well as a 3/8-ounce double willow spinner bait in white or chartreuse. For specks, go with minnows off the bank trolling or dipping them in the grass, reports local guide Kyle Brewer. Contact Brewer at fishingbud55@gmail.com.
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5. On Lake Marion near Haines City, go with square-bill crank bait in chartreuse or white shad color for bass, or any dark-colored speed worms and swim jigs. Bluegill and shellcracker are being caught in the Kissimmee grass mixed with lily pads on crickets and worms, Stay shallow. Specks remain strong off the banks, trolling with white jigs or dipping minnows in the grass in 5 feet or less of water, reported Brewer.
6. On Lake Pierce, specks are still being caught drifting minnows. Bluegill and shellcracker are starting to bite in the pads. Try using red worms or grass shrimp. Bass are big around the edge of the pads as they’re probably chasing the bluegill, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).
What's Biting: Bass
It’s a little early to crown a new fish of the week because the number and size of bass being caught remain high, but with the weather getting a bit warmer the bluegill and shellcracker bite has started to pick up. Still, use live shiners near the shallow water for your best bet at a big bass.
Strike zones: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
7. On Lake Hatchineha, bass fishing has been slow, but a few are being caught around th goal post on jerk bait or throwing a worm. Specks continue to be hot, try drifting minnows at night and trolling a roadrunner during the day, says Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).
8. On Lake Toho, the cold front slowed things down a little, even fishing with shiners. Try dragging senkos along the bottom, or slow-rolling junebug-colored speed worms. The speck bite has been inconsistent, according to Mike Groshon from Bass Online (888-629-2277) for updates.
9. On Lake Kissimmee, bass fishing has been very good. Try flipping the pads with a black-and-blue tipped Senko around Bird and Rabbit Island or throwing chatter bait around North Cove. Specks are still biting, but have slowed down a little. Look for them in the outside grass lines. The bluegill and shellcracker bite has also started to turn on, try using red worms in the pads, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
10. On Lake Walk-in-the-Water, the bass bite has been steady, with good reports coming from those flipping a senko in the outside reeds and throwing a popping frog around the canals. Jig the reeds with a sixteenth-ounce weight during the day for specks, with drifting minnows being the preferred method at night, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.
11. On Crooked Lake, Big Crooked Lake has been yielding specks around Wart’s Point in the deep water (25 feet) using live minnows. Grassy Island has been the spot for bluegill and shellcracker using red worms on the bottom. Bass fishing is good. There was a report of 12 caught with 6-pounders being the average weight. Stick to the mouth where Big and Little Crooked come together. On Little Crooked, specks are in open water (7-to-8 feet), says Childress.
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12. In Frostproof, on Lake Reedy shellcracker can be had using red worms in about 6 feet of water. Try the south side of the lake for specks using minnows. The bass bite has been strong using chatter bait, spinner bait or drifting live bait in the shallow water. On Lake Clinch, the bluegill and shellcracker bite has been good in 12 feet of water. The bass bite has been great on the west side using shiners or topwater bait early in the morning along the edge of the grass. On Lake Arbuckle, specks can still be found in 8 to 10 feet of water using minnows, reports Childress.
13. In Mulberry, a lot of bass were caught in the shallows (less than 3 feet of water) using plastic worms like Senkos and junebugs. Jerk baits were also used to some effect. Specks are getting harder to find, but if you know where the off-shore structure piles are you can still find them, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company (863-937-3292).
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater: Big bass are biting at several places around Polk County
