Hello Folks,
I hope everyone had a great week and you had a chance to get on the water and do some fishin’. We are havin’ some hot summer days this month, but with the afternoon rains it’s been helpin’ cool things off just a little. The fishin’ has been hit or miss. Some days you load the boat and some days you ask yourself why you are out there. You are out there because you love to fish and you just need to get out and enjoy some fresh air. The bluegills and shellcrackers are still bitin’ in Lake Jesup and Lake Monroe.
Kyle at Bitter’s Bait and Tackle reports that the folks in his area are catchin’ some nice stringers of panfish on red worms in those two lakes. You can also catch some panfish and a bass or two off the seawall at Lake Monroe. Kyle reports that one angler caught a nice bass an 8 pounder off the seawall last week. So, you never know what you might catch unless you go fishin’.
Kyle also reports that the bass fishin’ has been a hit or miss. It’s been hot and miserable on the water, especially if you don’t have any wind. My buddy Rick Niles from Tangerine fished his club tournament on the Kissimmee Chain last weekend and he had one bite and caught one fish. His bass weighed in at 8.45 lbs. He placed fourth in the tournament with that one bass and he also won big bass of the tournament as well. It took five bass weighin’ right at 16 lbs. to win that tournament. Kyle fished his club’s tournament on the Harris Chain over the weekend as well. It took a little over 23 lbs. to win that tournament. Kyle’s father-in-law, Todd Halls, caught the biggest bass of the tournament. His bass weighed in at 10.2 lbs.
Todd caught his big bass fishin’ the submerged hydrilla and eel-grass beds in open water. Todd wouldn’t share what he caught his big bass on, but Kyle reports that a lot of bass were caught on lipless crank-baits, slow-sinkin’ Senko-type baits, and crank-baits. Kyle also reports that the strippers were bitin’ in the Harris Chain as well. Kyle reports that he and his fishin’ partner must have caught around 18 stripers fishin’ that day. Kyle said that the biggest striper they caught was around 4.5 lbs. They caught their stripers on crank-baits in Lake Eustis.
The Maitland Chain has been good again this week for bass. Folks are still free-linin’ shiners over the submerged hydrilla and eel-grass beds in open water and catchin’ some nice bass. Captain Paul Solomon reports that the bass are schoolin’ on the Butler Chain. You can find some bass feedin’ on baitfish in most all the lakes in the chain. If you are not freelinin’ shiners, try fishin’ the submerged hydrilla and eel-grass beds with lipless crank-baits, Carolina rigs, or slow-sinkin’ Senko-type baits.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you get a chance to get on the water and do some fishin’. You need to make sure you take along lots of water and Gatorade while you are on the water. See ya next week.
Tip of the week: open water.
Save a few and good luck!
