What exactly is the Ultimate Fishing Town? The World Fishing Network has opened a contest for voters to select their pick for the town they feel is most passionate about fishing and a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven are among the nominees.

Aside from the “Ultimate Fishing Town” title and honors, the town receiving the most votes will earn $25,000 to be donated to a cause benefiting local anglers. In addition to the contribution, the World Fishing Network will produce a television feature about the region, which will be broadcast on-air and online throughout the year. Second and third place winners will also receive community donations with $5,000 being awarded to second place and $2,500 to third.

The voting has already begun, so don’t wait to participate and help your community win! Cast your votes at World Fishing Network or click: Lakeland, Lake Wales or Winter Haven. The contest opened on Tuesday, May 1 and will close Thursday, May 31. The three winning cities will be announced around June 6.
Vote up to a maximum of four times per day per email address, with one vote every six hours.

Voting is limited to one vote cast during each of the following blocks:

Voting Block One 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Voting Block Two 6:01 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Three 12:01 p.m. ET to 6:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Four 6:01 p.m.ET to 12:00 a.m. ET

You can also earn up to eight additional votes by referring friends, adding local business listings or sharing your vote on Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t wait to help your county win! Recognized as the Largemouth Bass Capital of the World, it seems only fitting for Polk County to be the home of the “Ultimate Fishing Town”.

The weather may be cooling off but the bite is red hot. The water level is still a little low but better than its been in a long time. On full day shiner trips we have averaged 30-40 fish with most being around 2-3 lbs. Bigger fish up to 9 lbs are starting to show up more frequently as well. Full day artificial bait trips have been producing 15-30 fish on average. Jerkbaits, rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and deep diving crankbaits have all been productive.
 Submerged eelgrass or hydrilla beds are holding the highest concentrations of fish but some of the bigger bass are still relating to offshore structure such as ledges or shell beds. In green water lakes try slow rolling white or chartreuse spinnerbaits over and through the grassbeds from 4-8 ft. Ripping a rattlebait through the grass can be deadly also. Deeper cattails, reeds, and kissimmee grass are worth a shot as well with a flippin stick.
 In the clear lakes fish a little deeper. Grassbeds growing from 7-12 ft have been holding good numbers of fish. Work these areas with shad colored jerkbaits or deep diving crankbaits. Also keep an eye out and a rod ready for schooling bass. Junebug, redbug, and watermelon colored soft plastics on Texas/Carolina rigs will produce in these areas too.

Kissimmee Chain

The running water bite has, for the most part, came to a end. There’s still a trickle of current in some of the creeks which has a few bass hanging around the mouths and current breaks. Water has dropped a couple of feet but is still above normal pool. Surface temperature is varying from mid 60′s to low 70′s depending on weather conditions. Overall water clarity is better than it’s been in years throughout the chain due to last month’s heavy rainfall and the vast amount of water filtering hydrilla that is growing in all the lakes. The fishing remains phenomenal.
 With the abundance of water and cover available, bass can be found from shoreline areas all the way out to mid lake areas. They aren’t everywhere but once located you can really load the boat in a hurry. The fish seem to be grouped or schooled up according to size. Where ever you catch one big fish it is likely others are there as well. Full day shiner and artificial trips have been producing 20-40 fish on average up to 8 lbs. Average size has been 2-4 lbs.
 Topwaters, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jerkbaits have all been producing especially early in the morning in boat trails and along cover edges. Shad or shiner resembling baits have been best. During midday hours try Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics around deeper or thicker cover. Junebug, watermelon, and black/blue colors are always good color choices. For bigger fish flip thick matted cover such as hyacinth, water lettuce, mud tussocks, and topped out hydrilla with 1-1 1/2 oz weighted Texas rigged craws or creature baits.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Kissimmee Chain

 Due to high water and an explosion of vegetative growth, the bass in the lakes have become much harder to locate. Hydrilla and eelgrass beds can be found throughout all the lakes, from shoreline areas all the way out to the outside grasslines in Kissimmee and out to mid lake areas in Toho, Cypress, and Hatchineah. The rivers and creeks have been flowing with all of the rainfall, and has the water throughout the chain looking much better. The vast amount of submerged vegetation is helping to filter out the water and make it cleaner as well. Creek mouths, canals, and rivers are holding lots of fish with the moving water. Any current break or eddy will hold fish when the current is flowing. Most of the fish caught in these areas are 1-3 lbs, however there are some big fish mixed in as well. Fish these areas with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics and shad colored deep diving crankbaits.
 Most of the bigger bass are still being caught by way of the flippin’ stick along outside grasslines or by slow dragging Texas/Carolina rigged worms around offshore structure and cover. 1/2 – 1 oz weighted soft plastic craws and creature baits flipped along grasslines along with jigs of the same weight are producing larger than average bass for those willing to bypass numbers of smaller fish. Black/blue combinations, junebug, and watermelon colors are always good here. Try casting 7 – 10 inch junebug, black/blue fleck, and watermelon ribbontail worms around hydrilla edges 4 – 8 ft deep. Spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and bladed jigs can be good as well. Stick with shad or shiner imitating colors.
 Cooler nights should continue to drop the water temperature and improve the topwater bite. Chuggers, stickbaits, propbaits, and all types of frogs can be good. Shiner, shad, and bream colored plugs will all work. Black, green, and brown for frogs. Boat trails can be great early in the morning along with any type of vegetation edge. Keep a soft jerkbait or stickbait handy to follow up on missed topwater strikes.

Capt. Monte Goodman
Central Florida Bucketmouths
www.cfbucketmouths.com
863-661-7226

The dog days of summer are in full swing. Tough fishing is an understatement for trying to describe the South Winter Haven chain. As a matter of fact it’s tougher than I have ever seen it before. It’s hard enough just trying to get around, much less catch a fish. Most canals can barely be navigated, some cannot. Use extreme caution when idling through the canals as some of them have lots of submerged objects that can damage props or entire lower units. Also sand, mud, and other debris can be sucked up and damage water pumps and over heat engines, so remember to trim up and take your time.
 Very low and hot water have the bass in a lethargic state for the moment. They have become mostly nocturnal, preferring to feed at night when conditions are more favorable. As most of us have daytime jobs, busy schedules, and families, night fishing just isn’t a option. We have to go when we can. For those that can fish the night shift, some great action awaits you. As for the rest of us, all is not lost. Get out early as there is still a good morning bite. After that you will have to work hard for mid-day bites. Start out early with topwaters, spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits around some type of submerged grass. Use shad imitating colors in clear water lakes and chartreuse/shad colors in greener water. Try fishing 5 – 10 ft in green water and 8 – 15 ft in clear water. Keep in mind fish are feeding early, so don’t waste too much time in an area where you’re not getting bites, keep moving. After that patience and good electronics are a must.
 Find some type of cover such as submerged grass or brushpiles on or near offshore structure. These areas will hold fish as long as there is food present. Look for signs of baitfish, both on your electronics and on the surface of the water. Birds diving under water and garfish hanging around in a particular area are both great signs. Try bouncing shad or chartreuse deep diving crankbaits off submerged cover to trigger reaction strikes or slow way down with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics to tease fish into biting. Junebug, redbug, blueberry, and watermelon are all good color choices. Sometimes when you get one fish to bite, the competition instinct of bass takes over and the whole school can become active for a few minutes. After you catch one, get right back in there before the area and bass have time to settle back down.
Kissimmee Chain

Ever heard the saying “early bird gets the worm”? Well that saying definitely applies to the Kissimmee Chain during the heat of summer. There’s been a great early bite then around 9′oclock, especially if it’s sunny, the switch flips into the off position. As the dredging continues in the river between Kissimmee and Hatchineah the silt is being washed into Lake Kissimmee making the water muddier there. In the rest of the chain, rains have the creeks flowing a little which always clears up the water somewhat. Toho and Cypress have plenty of hydrilla which filters and clears the water up as well. The water level in all of the lakes is on the rise, but still below normal pool.
 Bass are biting a variety of lures in the morning. Spinnerbaits, topwaters, swimbaits, jerkbaits, and swimming jigs will all produce early along outside Kissimmee grass edges or over submerged hydrilla beds. Flipping outside grass, reed, or pad edges with 1/2 – 1 oz Texas rigged craws, creature baits, and other soft plastics along with 3/8 – 3/4 oz jigs are good early as well. Stay on the move, you don’t have long before it gets much tougher. Finding areas with bait is the key. Look for signs of bluegill and shiners feeding on blind mosquitoes along grasslines. Areas with high concentrations of egrets are a good sign of shad schools being present. Cormorants and Anhingas diving in open water is always a great indication of the presence of some type of bait fish.  
 As the day progresses either fish in thicker cover or move to deeper offshore structure/cover. Bass will move far beneath thick, matted, cover or to deeper haunts to escape the heat. Just as during a cold front, the fish will be lethargic and inactive, so don’t expect non-stop action. Flip further back into the thickest grass, reeds, pads, or mats you can find with 1 – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Be ready as most bites will occur on the initial drop. Try ripping a rattlebait or slow-rolling spinnerbaits and bladed jigs through submerged hydrilla from 4 – 8 ft. Also deep diving crankbaits bounced off submerged brushpiles will produce some reaction strikes as well. Shad or bream imitating colors are usually best. For less aggressive fish, try a Texas/Carolina rigged worm or other soft plastic. Junebug. black/blue, and watermelon are always good colors. Don’t forget to check mouths of rivers and creeks for schoolers after rains.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Despite the relentless, stifling heat, big bass are showing up with regularity at tournament weigh-ins. Multiple five fish, 25 lb plus stringers are coming in every weekend. Exceptional results for fishing in 85 – 90 degree water. Outside grasslines continue to hold good numbers of big bass. Flip 1/2 – 3/4 oz weighted craws or creature baits along outside edge early. Then probe further back into the thicker grass as the sun gets higher. Black and blue combos are always good. Jigs are great also.
 Topwaters are producing good numbers early around topped out hydrilla beds and boat trails. Most mornings this will only last about an hour or two. After that try a Texas/Carolina rigged worm slowly crawled along the bottom. Junebug, redbug, and black/blue colors are hard to beat. Look for hydrilla flippin bite to get better as it continues to grow and form mats on the surface. Punch thru the matted hydrilla with 3/4 – 1 1/2 oz weighted craws and other soft plastics.
 Offshore structure and cover such as shell beds, brushpiles, and drop offs are holding some good fish but not as consistent as grass and hydrilla bite. Fish these areas with deep diving crankbaits in shad or chartreuse colors to locate and catch active bass. Once fish are located, slow down and saturate area with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics to tempt less active fish into biting.

Winter Haven

Afternoon thunderstorms are keeping just enough water in the canals of the chain for them to remain passable. Lakes Mirror and Spring are inaccessible on the South Chain. Only small boats can reach Lake Smart on the North Chain. 85 – 90 degree, low water have bass seeking out deep structure and cover. Only the deepest shoreline areas are holding a few fish. Kissimmee grass, cattails, reeds, and docks in 5 ft or deeper will hold some fish throughout the summer, especially in the greener water lakes. Flip 1/2 – 3/4 ounce Texas rigged craws or creature baits into the shadiest cover you can find. Jigs can be good as well. Junebug, black/blue, or smoke colored baits should do the trick.
 For more consistent bite, fish offshore structure and cover with deep diving crankbaits and Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics. In greener water try 7 – 11 ft depths, 8 – 15 ft in clearer water. Ledges, dredge holes, humps, and shell beds will all hold fish. Look for some type of cover such as submerged grass or planted brushpiles on the structure to make an area even sweeter. Use shad or chartreuse colored crankbaits in the green water and stick with shad colors in clear water. In both water types junebug, redbug, black/blue, and watermelon colors are all good choices for soft plastics.
 Tournament fishermen PLEASE take better care of your fish. Way too many dead fish. Remember water is at least 10 degrees cooler down 7 ft or in the shade than it is on the surface. A fish caught from deep, cool, water then placed into a 90 degree livewell is doomed, I don’t care how much rejuvenade you use. It’s very easy to freeze a few bottles of water and periodically drop one in the livewell to keep your catch alive and well. You’ll save yourself money in the long run by not having costly dead fish penalties. Learning to “fizz” (remove trapped air from swim bladder) fish caught deeper than 15 ft would be a great thing for you all to learn as well. Youtube has some good instructional videos.

Post spawn is upon us. Most Bass have finished spawning and are in rest and recuperate mode. Others are rested and starting to feed veraciously as their appetite increases with the rising water temp. Although post spawn is considered to be one of the toughest periods of the year, it can also be a very rewarding period as well. Bass will congregate in large schools. They can be hard to locate, but once you find them, they are usually more than willing to bite.
 Springtime is the number one time to be throwing top water baits. Walking baits, chuggers and prop baits will all work, but usually one or the other will be best on a given day. Stick to shiner and bream imitating colors for best results. Soft and hard jerkbaits can be deadly in clear water as well. Fish these baits over submerged grassbeds during low light conditions.
 In stained to muddy water use noisier, vibrating subsurface lures such as spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, or rattlebaits. Slow roll or rip these lures through the grass. Chartreuse, white, or combinations of both are hard to beat. Also try flipping the deepest shoreline cover available to coax late spawners into biting. Junebug or watermelon colored craws and creature baits Texas rigged with 3/8 – 3/4 oz weights should do the trick.

Kissimmee Chain

There’s just no better place to be this month than Bass fishing on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The spawn is mostly over and the fish are hungry. All types of topwaters along with spinnerbaits, swimbaits, bladed jigs, or jerkbaits will all produce quality fish. The hardest part as always is finding the fish. Once located, these post spawners, should be fairly easy to catch. Chances are where there’s one there’s more, sometimes a whole lot more.
 Use topwaters early around trails and pockets to pick off the most aggressive fish. After that try flipping outside grasslines with junebug or black/blue craws or creature baits. Areas just outside spawning flats are a great place to start. On bright, sunny, days flip floating mats with 1 – 1 & 1/2 oz weighted craws.
 More and more fish will be moving towards offshore structure and cover. Try slow rolling a 3/8 – 1/2 oz spinnerbait or bladed jig through submerged hydrilla beds. Rattle baits ripped free from the grass can also be productive. Stick with shiner or bream colored lures. Carolina/Texas rigged soft plastics are also worth a shot in these areas. Junebug, black/blue, and watermelon are always good color choices.

Re-tie your knots and check your drags before heading out to fish the Kissimmee Chain. Insane tournament stringers continue to pour in every weekend. One of which exceeded 40 lbs on five fish to win the event. Five 10 pound plus Bass were weighed in that day in the 25 boat tournament. There’s also reports of double digit fish being caught almost daily. This place is alive and well to say the least.
 Look for most of the spawning activity to move from 1-2 ft range out to 3-4 ft deep as the water temp continues to rise. Look for pads, reeds, and kissimmee grass growing on hard sandy bottom areas. Cast, pitch, or flip Texas rigged soft plastics in these areas and fish slow to tease the spawners into biting. Make multiple casts as bedding fish definitely don’t always bite on the first cast. After catching a fish drop the Powerpole(s) and saturate the area as bedding fish tend to bunch up. Black/blue, junebug, and watermelon are always great colors to use. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits can sometimes trigger a reaction bite from a bedding Bass as well. Expect lots of buck Bass to be biting as they will be playing guardian to their newly hatched fry.
 Try flipping mats with 1 oz – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Use at least 50 lb braid such as Spiderwire and a strong hook to bring a big fish up through the mat. Look for mats in or around spawning areas as both pre and postspawn Bass will use them as staging areas. They are especially productive during post cold front or high pressure conditions. Fish extremely slow as most of these mat fish are inactive for the most part and won’t usually go far to chase down a meal. Any type of matted vegetation can and at times does hold fish.
 Submerged grassbeds such as eelgrass, hydrilla, and coontail will all hold fish. Usually, but not always, the healthiest or greenest grass will be best. Good rule of thumb: the greener the grass, the meaner the Bass. Spinnerbaits or bladed jigs slow rolled through the vegetation can result in some vicious strikes. Jerkbaits and rattlebaits ripped free from the grass can sometimes work when nothing else will. Use lure colors that best imitate a shiner or bream. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics are good to follow up with in these areas after locating fish with the faster moving lures.

Winter Haven

Spawn is in full swing on just about all Winter Haven lakes. Water temperature has remained above 60 degree mark for some time now. The three clear lakes on the south chain are being hammered daily with a daisy chain of boats circling the lakes like buzzards over a carcass. Even with the onslaught of pressure the fishing is outstanding. Big Bass are being caught (and hopefully released) daily. Most are being caught by way of sight fishing for bedding Bass.
 Most bedding fish have been taken from 4 ft of water or less. Fish on these lakes will spawn deeper than on typical Florida lakes especially as the water warms up as it normally does in March. I’ve seen fish on beds as deep as 10-12 ft. Use a quality fluorocarbon line such as 15-17 lb Berkley 100% fluorocarbon (which is virtually invisible underwater) tied to a Texas rigged lizard, craw, or creature bait to tempt these clear water spawners into biting. The line sinks which allows for less weight to be used ahead of the bait for a slower more tantalizing fall and better hook-up ratio. Look for eelgrass and hydrilla out from spawning areas as Bass will use the deeper grass as staging areas. Try shiner or bream colored deep diving crankbaits along grass edges or rattlebaits ripped through and over the grass. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics fished slowly through the grass can be productive as well.
 In more stained water, target cattails, reeds, pads, and Kissimmee grass in 4ft of water or less with a flippin’ stick and 50 lb plus Spiderwire tied to a Texas rigged craw or creature bait. Black/blue, junebug, watermelon, or smoke colors all work well in these lakes. Jigs with pork or plastic trailers are great for big fish in the darker water but hang up a little more. Chartreuse and white spinnerbaits along with bladed jigs slow rolled through eelgrass and hydrilla can draw a reaction strike from fish spawning or cruising on shallow flats with limited emergent cover. Also try soft stickbaits along with big worms fished slowly along the bottom in these areas as well. Move to deeper submerged grassbeds to find staging fish. Rip a lipless crankbait through the grass or try slow rolling spinnerbaits and bladed jigs. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics are worth a shot also. Redbug, junebug, and blueberry are all good colors to try.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

This winter seems eerily similar to last winter so far. Below freezing nights and cold, windy, days and water the water temperature hovering around the low 50′s. Bass fishing for the most part has been tough, which is usually the case, in colder weather. Most fish will continue to hold around deep structure until the weather stabilizes. As it warms more and more fish will begin to move toward the shallows to spawn. Until then, you have to fish where they are, not where you want them to be. Knowing that the fish will not be feeding as much, you have to try and trigger them into biting. They aren’t going to chase a lure down from 20 ft away to eat it. You have to get your lures close to them and make them react. No bait is better for this than a rattlebait. They’re heavy, which is good for casting distance and getting them down in the grass where the fish are. There is no wrong way to fish these lures. Fast, slow, or anywhere in between. I’ve even caught fish vertical jigging or yo-yoing with them. The key is ripping the lure. When you feel the lure hit something, such as grass or the bottom, give it a rip. This is what triggers those cold reluctant fish into biting. That sudden change in sound and direction makes fish react even when they aren’t hungry. Shad or chrome colors are usually best, but gold, chartreuse, and red colored baits all have they’re time and place also.
 Another lure that has this same triggering quality is a suspending jerkbait. From sitting still to erratic darting to sitting still again is sometimes more than even the most lethargic bass can stand. The key to this bait is figuring out the cadence and pause time. You have to experiment and let the fish tell you what they like. Some days they like it moving constantly, other days the bait has to literally sit still for 10 seconds or more to trigger a bite. As with rattlebaits, shad or shiner colors are normally, but not always, the best.
 During warming trends look in the shallows for spawners. Stay back and use small lures to tease bedding bass into biting. These are just one of the many times when having a Power-Pole shallow water anchor system will make all the difference in the world for you. No matter the wind speed or direction, just drop the poles and there you are, quickly and quietly. If you have two poles, there’s not even any turning of the boat, which is very important when trying to keep from spooking wary fish. Remember to get a quick photo and release these bedding fish immediately right back from where you caught them.

Kissimmee Chain

Although the Kissimmee Chain has to be as good as anywhere in the state for quality fish, they sure are hard to find right now. Most of the better fish are being caught flippin’ heavy cover with 1 – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws, creature baits, or punch baits which consists of a Texas rigged soft plastic with a jig skirt. Use at least 50 lb Spiderwire to get the job done. The fish are in bunches which is the good news once you find them. The bad news is that there is matted vegetation all over these lakes and far from all of it is holding fish. You just have to get in there and go until you find them. What makes this so difficult is the fact that you have to fish the thick stuff so slow to get down, much less get a bite. However, once you do find them, you can really load the boat in a hurry. Big females will gather in groups and use these mats as staging areas until they are ready to spawn. Therefore mats that are located close by to known spawning areas should be worth checking. If you catch one big fish in an area chances are there are others close by.
 Another option is to rip a rattlebait through submerged grass. Fish are staged up on hydrilla edges in 4 – 8 ft of water. As with the previously mentioned mats, try fishing hydrilla edges that are adjacent to known spawning areas. Shad or gold colors are usually best. Suspending jerkbaits, bladed jigs, and white spinnerbaits can all be deadly in theses areas as well.
 As the water warms look to the extreme shallows for bedding fish. Fish in these lakes will spawn in 2 ft of water or less first as it warms faster. Fish in this shallow water will be very spooky so fish slow and quietly. If the water is too dark to see the fish, target pads, cattails, flags, or reeds. Stay back and cast to the cover with soft stickbaits or other soft plastics. Use as little weight as the wind will allow. Drop your power-poles and saturate these areas. You can’t fish too slow. Soft swimbaits are effective in these areas as well. Shiner and bream colors are good to try as both species are not only prey for bass, they are also known for being bass bed raiders which makes bass hit them even harder. Use 1/8 – 1/4 oz weight in the nose or the weighted swimbait hooks. Release all bedding fish exactly where you caught them so that they may finish their job of making the next generation of bucketmouths for us to enjoy.
 
 

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Low water, once again, is making it tough to get around on the South chain. Lakes are down 2 + ft. below normal and dropping fast. North chain is even lower. 

 Bass are starting to feed up more in preparation of upcoming spawn season. Find the bait and the Bass won’t be far behind. Look for large shad schools on your electronics or for schooling fish on the surface. Seagulls, which will give away the shad’s location, are starting to show up on the lakes. Look for the gulls to start diving which is a good sign that Bass could be feeding on shad beneath them. Throw shad imitating lures such as topwaters, rattlebaits, or jerkbaits.
 Offshore structure should continue to hold the larger concentrations of big fish til the water temp dips down into the mid to lower 60′s at which point they’ll start to move shallower in search of spawning areas. Ledges, holes, and shell beds will all hold some big prespawners. Deep diving crankbaits along with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics should produce in these areas. Also try slow rolling a white spinnerbait or ripping a chrome or gold rattlebait through submerged grassbeds such as hydrilla or eelgrass. Check kissimmee grass, cattails, and reeds in shallower more stained lakes with flippin’ stick. Soft plastic craws or creature baits paired with 3/8-3/4 oz weights should do the trick.

Kissimmee chain

Spotty would best describe the fishing on the Kissimmee chain. Bass are in transition moving from deeper summer haunts towards the shallows. Some fish are deep, others are shallow, and most are somewhere in between. Here one day, gone the next. Look for areas of clear water as the water temp continues to fall. Bass in clear cold water are always easier to catch than Bass in cold muddy water. Fish inside grasslines and boat trails with shad imitating topwaters, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, or swimbaits. Soft stickbaits are also deadly in these areas. Black/blue, watermelon, and junebug colors are hard to beat.
 Fish spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and bladed jigs through submerged open water hydrilla beds. Use shad or shiner imitating colors. As the water cools, slow down your retrieve speed. Once fish are located go through area again with slower presentations such as a Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics. Junegug, redbug, watermelon, and black/blue are all great color choices. On cold front days look for the thickest matted cover you can find such as hyacinth, water lettuce, mud tussocks, hydrilla, pennywart, or gatorvine. Flip mats with 1- 1&1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Use at least 50 lb braid with heavy wire hook. Also try flippin’ thick lily pads with 1/2-3/4 black/blue jig with matching craw or chunk trailer. Look in extreme shallows for early spawners. Flags, pads, and cattails growing on sandy bottoms in 2 ft of water or less should attract first wave of spawners.      

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.