Hello Folks,
I hope everyone made it through the storm OK, and that you and your family are safe and sound. We had a lot of wind and we didn’t get much rain until after the storm. So, all of our lakes have some fresh water in them and that should get the fish to start bitin’ again.
Kyle at Bitter’s Bait and Tackle reports that a few folks are catchin’ a few bluegills and shellcrackers on red worms. Also a few folks are startin’ to catch a few specks in deep water. Most folks are usin’ minners to catch ’em. You can also try fishin’ with a jig tipped with a minner and see if you can get ’em to bite. I like to use both methods so I don’t miss any chance to catch one.
The bass fishin’ has been improvin’ since the storm. One thing that I did notice was the change in the weather. It’s not been as hot since the storm. It’s been kinda nice early in the mornin’ and late in the day. If you are plannin’ to go bass fishin’, you still need to get on the water early or late in the day, right at dark thirty.
The top-water bite has been good at first light on the Harris Chain and the Kissimmee Chain. You need to fish along the shoreline cover with a Devils Horse or a Pop-R or even a Zara Spook. Some folks are doin’ good with a Berkley Chopper around the cover and over the submerged grass areas throughout the lake.
The great thing about the Chopper is that you can fish smooth water or choppy water with this bait. It makes a lot of noise and the bass will knock the bait right out of the water, and you won’t get a hook in ’em. You need to stay calm, if that’s possible, and not set the hook to early. I try to wait and feel the bass pullin’ on my line and then set the hook. We all have jerked the bait right out of the bass’ mouth on many occasions. That’s why we like to fish with top-water baits. The explosion of that bass bustin’ on your bait is exciting to see. It’s even more fun when you catch ’em.
The bass fishin’ on the Butler Chain has been doin’ pretty good since the storm. You will do best by fishin’ the shoreline cover at first light and then movin’ to deeper water later in the day. Look for the bass to be schoolin’ on the bait-fish pods throughout the lake. You need to have a lipless crank-bait tied on to one of your rods in case they come up schoolin’ around the boat while you are fishin’. I hope you get a chance to do some fishin’ this week and I’ll see ya next week.
Tip of the week: go fishin’.
Save a few and good luck!
