Heat and falling lake levels are pushing bass away from shore | Freshwater fishing in Polk

1. In Lakeland, at Saddle Creek, bass are being caught using junebug-colored worms. The small buck bass are in the grass beds. On Lake Parker, bluegill are being caught on any color jigs. On Lake Hollingsworth the bluegill and shellcracker are hitting minnows and grass shrimp. In the Tenoroc area, bass and catfish are exceptional at Cemetary Lake, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2. In Auburndale and Lake Alfred, on Lake Juliana a lot of reports of catfish and a few bass. For catfish, anything from raw bacon to nightcrawlers will work. On Lake Ariana, the bass bite has been good, a lot of schooling bass in the 3- to 4-pound range have been caught on Rat-L-Traps. On Lake Alfred, some 8-pound bass have been reported. On lakes Rochelle and Haines, bass, shellcracker and bluegill have all been plentiful, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3. At Winter Haven, on the south chain, Lake Shipp has produced some catfish off the shoreline and a few bass. Lake Cannon has yielded bass in the 4- to 5-pound range, says Schelfo. Capt. Bill Goudy reports that topwater bait has been working in the morning. In the afternoon, try switching to crankbait, minnow-style drop shot or trick worms on the outside edges of submerged grass. For a guided fishing trip with Capt. Goudy, call Bass Online (888-629-2277).

4. On Lake Hamilton, on the big lake, with it getting hotter, bass are looking for shade, so try sticking near docks or vegetation and use black-and-blue jigs or senkos. Trolling minnows around the deeper holes is good if you’re looking for specks. Shellcracker and bluegill have started to spawn. Use crickets or worms on the outside edges of the lily pads or buggy whips. On the middle lake, shad baits in the morning have produced plenty of bass. On the little lake, bass and specks are being caught casting on the edge and into the grass line, with black-and-blue creature baits working well. Specks are also hitting minnows over the brush piles, reports local guide Kyle Brewer. Contact Kyle at fishingbud55@gmail.com.

5. On Lake Marion near Haines City, bass have been going crazy in the early mornings with the shad spawn, look for shad on top of the water and try anything shad related (swim jigs, crankbaits, chatterbaits) around the edge of the grass. Shellcracker and bluegill are in the pads or the Kissimmee grass, use crickets and worms. The speck bite has been hit-or-miss, reported Brewer.

6. On Lake Pierce, limits of specks were caught recently drifting minnows in open water in the morning. Bluegill and shellcracker are hitting in the pads on crickets, worms and grass shrimp. The bass bite has been great in the heavy grass using topwater baits early and Carolina-rigged plastic worms near the brushpiles in the afternoon, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

What's Biting: Bass

A lot of reports of bass around submerged grass have come in and that is contributed to rising temperatures and falling lake levels pushing the fish out from the shoreline. Junebug worms have been a popular choice among anglers.

Strike zones: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13

7. On Lake Hatchineha, the bass bite has been good in the hydrilla around Gator Cove. Try your luck with a popping frog early and flipping a black-and-blue jig into the reeds later in the day. Bluegill are plentiful around the port on crickets and worms, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8. On Lake Toho, plenty of bass are being caught using junebug and black-and-blue speed worms. With the water temps rising and lake levels falling, the fish are being pushed out deeper around submerged grass. Shiners are still working as well. The speck bite has been a little better lately, try trolling mini chatterbaits. Using red wigglers will help as well, according to Mike Groshon from Bass Online (888-629-2277) for updates.

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9. On Lake Kissimmee, the bass bite has been slow, but if you’re persistent, look for them around the brush piles and shell bars using lipless crankbaits. Stay near Rabbit Island for bluegill and shellcracker, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.

10. On Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bass can be had using crankbait around the brush piles. The bluegill and shellcracker bite has been excellent around Indian Lake Estates on red worms and crickets, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products.

11. On Crooked Lake, on Big Crooked, the bass bite has been steady. Childress has been selling a lot of shiners and has seen results of up to 6 pounds. Stick to the brush piles using Carolina-rigged worms and topwater baits. The bluegill and shellcracker bite around Wirt’s Point has been steady. Specks are still being caught using minnows in open water. The bite at night has been better using lights. On Little Crooked, specks continue to hit minnows. Shellcracker and bluegill can be had fishing red worms on the bottom near the pads, says Childress.

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12. In Frostproof, on Lake Clinch the bluegill and shellcracker bite has been really good, stick to red worms and crickets. The bass bite has been good on the west side near the edge of the grass using live bait. On Lake Reedy, a recent bass tourney was held with a top weight of 8 pounds reported using Carolina-rigged worms. Bluegill and shellcracker have been hitting in the southwest corner of the lake. On Lake Arbuckle, bluegill have been biting good in the pads and on the southwest side near the Cypress trees, reports Childress.

13. In Mulberry, Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company (863-937-3292) said a recent trip out in the pits landed him a haul of 35 bass on junebug colored worms near the hydrilla patches offshore. The stabilizing weather has turned on the bite. No reports of specks or bluegill and shellcracker as bass is king in the pits right now.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater: Heat is pushing bass away from Polk County shorelines