Hello Folks,
As I write this week’s column it’s rainin’. We still need more rain but some rain is better than no rain, right? If you haven’t had a chance to get on the water and do some fishin’, you need to get the family or your fishin’ buddy and go fishin’. It’s gonna get hot real soon especially when we get to July and August. That ole summer sun will be beatin’ on ya real hard and after the early-mornin’ bite is over, it’s over for the day. So make plans to go fishin’ real soon.
The bluegills and shellcrackers are still bitin’ real good in most of the lakes in our area. I’m gettin’ some great results from most of the lakes and major chains in our area. The full moon was on Monday so you should be able to find some bluegills still on the beds in most of the lakes. All you need is some crickets or some red worms, and you are good to go. Look for a slick on top of the water and, when you get close to their beds, you will be able to smell ‘em.
John’s Lake in Winter Garden has been excellent for bluegills and shellcrackers. You need to drift mid-lake until you get on a bed and then anchor off the bed and cast to the bluegills or keep driftin’ over the bed until they quit bitin’.
The St. Johns River has been good for bluegills as well and folks are catchin’ ‘em along the shoreline cover and in the pads. You will catch ‘em under the laydowns as well.
The Kissimmee Chain has been good for panfish and bass. Most of the bluegills and shellcrackers are bein’ caught driftin’ just off the shoreline and in the pads throughout the lake. You may find some bluegills hangin’ around the shell-beds throughout the lake. Make sure you take along plenty of crickets and red worms in case you get on a bed of bluegills. You will go through some bait when they are bitin’.
The bass fishin’ on the Kissimmee Chain has been good, but it’s the best at first light and just before dark-thirty. You will do best with noisy top-water baits and buzz-baits early in the mornin’ and then switch over to slow-sinkin’ Senko-type baits or plastic worms once the sun gets high in the sky. You will have to find some heavy cover to flip or some off-shore hydrilla beds or eel-grass beds where you can fish really slow with your favorite plastic bait. You should also be on the lookout for some schoolers, especially if you see some birds divin’ on the baitfish.
The Butler Chain and the Conway Chain have been real good for bass fishin’, too. Most folks are gettin’ on the water real early and they are catchin’ some nice bass on top-water baits and swim-baits at first light. Once the sun gets up, you will have to move to deeper water and fish the submerged hydrilla beds and eel-grass beds with plastic worms or slow-sinkin’-type baits. I personally use Bitters 5-in. Salty Sling. You can get them in a variety of colors. I like to use watermelon seed red, green punkin, and watermelon. If you fish in stained water, you can try Junebug, native shiner, or any color that has some glitter in it.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you get a chance to do some fishin’ over the weekend. See ya next week.
Tip of the week: first light.
Save a few and good luck!
