By Jim Keck
Hello Folks,
This is not the weather I was hopin’ for this late in the year. We usually have weather like this in January or February, not November. If anything, this cold snap will get the water temps down, and that means those ol’ specks will really start bitin’. The specks are already bitin’ in Lake Woodruff.
The folks at Highland’s Fish Camp are reportin’ that folks are catchin’ their limits just about every trip. The guides are booked, and folks are havin’ a blast catchin’ em. Most of the specks are bitin’ on jigs and jigs tipped with a minner.
Kyle at Bitter’s B&T reports that folks are startin’ to catch a few more specks in Lake Monroe, and some are beginnin’ to catch specks in Lake Jesup. So, it looks like speck season is kickin’ off a bit early this year.
The bass fishin’ is goin’ hot and heavy down at The Headwaters in the Palm Bay area of the state. The guides are havin’ their clients catch 30 to 40 bass each trip. Most of those bass are bein’ caught on shiners, and some bass on artificials after they run out of shiners.
The folks that’ve been fishin’ “The Wednesday Night Shootout” held their last tournament of the year on Johns Lake. All the tournaments have concluded, and there were folks who were fishin’ for a place in the championship, which is Saturday, December 6th.
Congrats to the team of Leo Suratt and Erico School who won the last tournament of the year. They won with three bass that hit the scales at 10.45 pounds. They also had big bass that weighed in at 5.20 pounds. There were 35 anglers who qualified for the championship. Good luck to everyone who qualified for the championship.
If you didn’t get a chance to go over to Daytona Beach this past Saturday, there’re some pictures of the anglers who caught and released their Hall of Fame Bass on the FWC’s website. It’s pretty impressive that we have those big ol’ bass swimmin’ in our lakes and rivers right here in Florida.
A new season started on October 1st. This is Season 14 of Trophy Catch in Florida. You have until September 30, 2026, to submit your bass which has to be eight pounds or bigger. You can go to the website for rules and instructions on how to submit your catch. You can also register your name for prizes and receive recognition for your catch.
Good luck to all those anglers in their search for their big bass this season. As we move into the cooler months of fishin’, the bass will be schoolin’ up and feedin’ on baitfish for the spawnin’ season in the comin’ months. You need to watch out for the birds feedin’ on baitfish, as well. You’ll notice the birds divin’ on the baitfish, and that’s where you’re gonna find the bass schoolin’. Remember: always keep your eyes open while you’re out on the water.
Well, I hope you enjoy this cooler weather, and I hope you get a chance to get out on the water and… catch some fish!
See ya next week.
Tip of the week: Specks are bitin’!
SAVE A FEW AND GOOD LUCK!
