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.

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.

 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.