Hello Folks,
I hope you are havin’ a long weekend. As we celebrate our country’s independence this week, please remember all those before us who gave us our freedom, including the freedom to go fishin’ when we want to and to enjoy the opportunity to be able to catch some fish. I don’t know of any other place than our state that offers us these types of situations. We are blessed to be able to enjoy some of the best fresh and saltwater fishin’ around. So this holiday weekend, I hope you enjoy some time of the water and catch a few fish.
The bluegills and shellcrackers are still bitin’ pretty good in our area. Folks are still catchin’ some panfish in Lake Monroe and Lake Jesup. Most of the panfish are bein’ caught on red worms and crickets. You can also find some good areas of the St. Johns River to catch some panfish as well. Try the laydowns, pads, docks, and reeds up and down the St. Johns.
The bass fishin’ is still doin’ pretty good in most of the lakes and chains in our area, too. The bass fishin’ has been good on the Butler Chain and the Maitland Chain of Lakes. Look for bass to be schoolin’ in these chains and watch for the birds to be divin’ on the bait-fish as well. That will be a good indication that the bass are nearby. As always, keep a lipless crank-bait tied on to one of your rods in case the bass start schoolin’ close to your boat. You can try fishin’ the shoreline cover at first light and see if the bass are feedin’ on the bait-fish, but once the sun gets up, you need to move to deeper water and fish the submerged hydrilla and eel-grass beds.
The bass fishin on the Kissimmee Chain has been good in most of the lakes though out the chain. You will find some bass feedin’ along the shoreline cover and then when the sun gets up you need to get out your long rod and do some flippin’. The bass will be lookin’ for some cooler water and shade to get in durin’ the hot days of summer.
Just as a reminder that you want to take along plenty of water and Gatorade while you are on the water. Drink plenty of liquids durin’ the day so you can stay hydrated. If you wait until you are thirsty, that will be too late. So keep drinkin’ water all day and enjoy your time on the water.
I’ll see ya next week.
Tip of the week: lots of water.
Save a few and good luck!
