Overall fishing’s gotten pretty tough around Winter Haven. The surface temp is around 90, therefore most bass are staying in deeper, cooler water. Good electronics are a must right now. Those that know how to use their electronics are still having some success despite the heat. Finding the shad schools is the key to finding the bass. Look for some type of cover: submerged grass, brushpiles or anything else you can find in 8 ft of water or deeper. If shad are hanging around the cover than so are bass. Concentrate on 8-14 ft in darker water and 10-25 ft in clear water. Same old Summer patterns still best. Shad colored deep diving crankbaits along with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics will continue to produce the most consistent action. Don’t forget to vent fish caught deeper than 15 ft. Also look for schoolers in open water. Throw any shad imitating bait of your choice into the frenzy. Lures that can be cast long distances are best as it always seems the fish surface just out of range. For those of you hell bent on fishing the bank, get out very early to catch a few fish flipping deeper grassbeds, pads, reeds, or cattails in dark water lakes. After that try a few docks and head for the A.C. Best time to fish is at night.  

Kissimmee Chain

The bite has definitely slowed on Kissimmee. Not as many fish hanging around brushpiles as there was a month ago. Bass are mostly in shad chasing mode now and feeding mostly at night. Flip outside grasslines early, then further in as the day progresses. Also look for schoolers around mouths of trails early. Try shad colored topwaters or spinnerbaits. If there’s no clouds and wind the bite dies off in a hurry. Shell beds are worth a shot with shad colored crankbaits and Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics. It’s a real chore to catch a few fish on clear, calm, hot days after about 9:00 a.m. There’s a few fish hanging around the little bit of hydrilla that remains in lake cypress. Flip or cast soft plastics around any visible grass that’s matted. Try rattlebaits or spinnerbaits around the submerged grass.
 Toho fishing a little better than other lakes on the chain now. Offshore hydrilla beds should produce the best results. Try spinnerbaits or rattlebaits early around submerged grassbeds then switch over to Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics during midday hours and fish slow to entice bites from hot, lethargic, fish. Flip matted hydrilla with 1/2 – 1 oz weighted soft plastics or Jigs. Also check creek mouths for flowing water and schooling bass.

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.

 One word sums up the fishing in and around Winter Haven area lakes over the last couple of weeks…DEAD! This will continue until the water temperature rises to around 60 degrees and gets the bass thinking about spawning again. Until then expect very few bites and be prepared to fish extremely slow. With water temps from the mid 40’s to low 50’s, Florida bass’ metabolism almost stops completely. Therefore they are not going to eat much. However this does not mean they are impossible to catch, just much much tougher. Don’t expect them to chase down a fast moving lure or come up from the depths to smash a topwater bait. During these cold water periods downsize to smaller lures and fish them much slower than normal. Use 1/8 or 1/4 oz spinnerbaits and rattle baits instead of 1/2 or 3/4 oz versions. Try smaller soft plastics as well, 4-6 inch worms instead of 8-10 inches. Also use tighter wobbling crankbaits and fish a little deeper.
 In the clear lakes fish deeper submerged cover or structure with jerkbaits, rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and deep diving crankbaits in shad/shiner imitating colors. Also try Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics such as finesse worms or centipedes. Lizards are also a great choice this time of year. Junebug, watermelon, and blueberry are all colors worth trying. As the water temperature reaches into the mid 60’s start looking for bedding activity to increase especially around new or full moons. Good polorized sunglasses are a must when “hunting” for spawning fish as they can be the difference between catching a big fish and not even knowing it was there. Remember to get a quick photo and release the big bass right where you caught it immediateley so that it may finish making future trophies for us and our children to enjoy some day.
 Fish rattlebaits and spinnerbaits over and through submerged grassbeds such as hydrilla, eelgrass, etc… in dirtier water lakes. White/chartreuse color combinations are usually best bet with spinnerbaits. Chrome or gold colored rattlebaits are hard to beat. When the water warms slightly the flippin’ bite will get better as fish will be moving shallower to spawn. Look for grass, pads, reeds, and cattails growing in sandy bottom areas as these will be the most attractive areas for bass to spawn. Flip Texas rigged craws, creature baits, and other soft plastics with as little weight as possible. Smoke, junebug, black/blue, and watermelon candy colored baits will do the trick.

Kissimmee Chain

 Like all other Florida fisheries the Kissimmee chain of lakes is fishing extremely tough now with the frigid water temperatures. Even some of the top tournament fishermen and guides in the state are finding it a challenge to produce a five fish limit! Icy nights have had the water temperature down as low as 43 degrees, 10 degrees colder than I have ever seen on this chain in my life! The fish have never seen water this cold either and they are acting accordingly. Slow is the name of the game in order to get a bite and with many thousands of acres of cover for them to hide bass can be very difficult to locate much less catch. To make things worse the entire chain is receiving heavy chemical treatments for hydrilla which has the grass dying off and the lakes changing almost daily. Find fish one day in the hydrilla then come back a couple days later to find no grass or fish. The key is finding the thickest stuff around and fishing it slow.
 Lake Toho was the first to receive chemical treatments and although there is still plenty of hydrilla it’s fading fast. Seems most fish have moved shallower in preparation for spawning. Try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits around submerged hydrilla. Look for healthiest, thickest grass you can find. Stick with shad/shiner imitating colors. Also look for thick matted vegetation adjacent to good spawning areas. Flip floating mats or gatorvine with 1-1 1/2 oz black/blue, junebug, or watermelon Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Also check bedding areas for spawners as there is plenty of clear water for “sight fishin”. Cast soft stickbaits in junebug, blueberry, and watermelon around shallow emergent vegetation.
  Lakes Cypress and Hatchineah have the healthiest hydrilla beds on the chain as they are the last to receive treatment. Try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits around the submerged grass. Check along reedlines with flippin stick as big bedding bass could move in anytime.
 In Lake Kissimmee fish pads, grass, cattails, flags, and reeds growing in hard, sandy bottom areas in 1-4 ft of water. Cast soft stickbaits, swimbaits, or worms around the cover. Flip thicker areas with 1/4-1/2 oz Texas rigged junebug, black/blue, or watermelon craws or creature baits. Also try flipping floating matted vegetation such as water lettuce, hyancinth, pennywart, or mud tussocks especially on colder days. Use 1-1 1/2oz weighted Texas rigged craws or creature baits to penetrate the thick mats. Topwater frogs are worth a shot on warmer days around scattered emergent cover.

Central Florida, 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.

Sunset Tram Tour – A Ride on the Wild Side, Sat., July 5, 8 p.m. – Experience a slow tram tour through the back country of the park to get a glimpse of the parks wildlife as the sun begins to set.  This tour takes approximately 1.5 hours and is suitable for all ages.  Keep in mind that the tram can be a little bumpy and dusty depending on road conditions.  Regular park admission fees apply.  For more information, call (863) 815-6761.

Hope Equine Rescue Poker Event, Sat., July 19, 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Join the Hope Equine Rescue Center for their first Equestrian Poker Ride at Colt Creek State Park to help raise money and awareness of Hope Equine Rescue.  Lunch will be provided to participants by Hope Staff.  All donations received during this event will go to the Hope Equine Rescue Center to fund their efforts.  First riders will depart at 8 a.m. and last will depart at 10:30 a.m.  Regular park admission fees apply.  For more information, contact Julia Marshall at jmarshall@mggi.com.

If you are going for the first time, here are some directions:

Directions to Colt Creek State Park:The park is located 16 miles north of Lakeland, just south of the Withlacoochee River off of State Road 471.  From I-4, take exit #32 and proceed north on U.S. 98 approximately 13 miles.  Turn right onto State Road 471.  From I-75, take exit #301 and proceed east on State Road 50 for approximately 13 miles.  Turn right onto State Road 471.  The entrance to the park is 3.8 miles north of U.S. 98 and 17 miles south of State Road 50.