Hello Folks,
We finally got some much-needed rain and we could use some more before summer gets here. The fishin’ has been really good and folks are catchin’ plenty of panfish and bass. Folks are catchin’ shellcrackers, bluegills and a few catfish in most of the lakes in our area.
The Kissimmee Chain has been good for shellcrackers and bass. You can drift open water areas of all the lakes with crickets and red worms and catch a nice stringer of fish.
The bass fishin’ has been best early mornin’ and just before dark. The bass are bitin’ on plastic frogs and toads at first light around the Kissimmee grass and pads. Once the sun gets up, you need to move to the deeper water and fish the submerged hydrilla beds with slow-sinkin’ Senko-type baits or Carolina-rigged plastic worms.
Up on the St. Johns River, folks are catchin’ plenty of shellcrackers and bluegills in Lake Harney and Lake Woodruff. Some bass are bein’ caught in those lakes as well.
You can drift open water with crickets and red worms for the panfish and fish the bait pods for the bass. You will find the bass feedin’ on the bait pods in the lakes.
Once the mornin’ bite is over, try fishin’ with swim-baits and spinner-baits for the bass around the thick cover.
Some big bass have been caught this past week in Lake Woodruff on shiners. If you want to catch a big bass before summer gets here, now is a good time to get some shiners and go fishin’. I’ve been told that some nice bass up to 10 lbs. are bein’ caught on shiners
The Butler Chain is still doin’ good for bass and panfish. The panfish are bein’ caught on crickets and red worms in the pads and under the docks on the chain.
You can also drift open water with crickets for some great action.
Once you get on a bed of bluegills, you can have a limit in no time.
The bass fishin’ on the chain has been real good. Folks are gettin’ on the water early and catchin’ some nice bass on shiners along the shoreline.
You can also catch some nice bass on top-water baits and swim-baits. Once the sun gets up, move to deeper water and fish with plastic worms and slow-sinkin’ Senko-type baits.
I have been usin’ Bitter’s 5-in. Salty Sling on the chain and the bass just can’t resist it. It works best over the top of the eel-grass and submerged hydrilla beds.
You can also work it along the shoreline if the bass are feedin’ on the bait fish up next to the grass.
If you go to the Butler Chain, always keep an eye for schoolers. You need to make sure you have a lip-less crank-baits tied on and ready in case the schoolers come up.
A fishin’ buddy of mine fished the Butler Chain last week and they caught and release 15 bass up to 5 lbs. each. All the bass were caught on plastic worms. Also, John’s Lake has been a good lake to catch some bass in as well. Folks are gettin’ on the water early and catchin’ their bass on top-water baits and plastic worms.
Once the sun gets up, you need to flip the heavy cover with your favorite flippin’ baits.
Well, that’s it for this week. I’ll see ya next week.
Tip of the week: get on the water early.
Save a few and good luck!
