Hello Folks, 

We finally got a little rain, but… we need a whole lot more, so keep on prayin’ for more rain. The fishin’ is still doin’ pretty good right now, and folks’re still catchin’ plenty of shellcrackers and catfish.  

John at Bitters Bait & Tackle reports that folks are catchin’ plenty of catfish and shellcrackers on the St. Johns River, most of ’em up under the 417 bridge in Lake Jesup. You can also catch some shellcrackers in Lake Monroe. I got a report that folks are catchin’ lots of shellcrackers near the Highway 46 bridge. John added that there’s a flat near the bridge, and folks’re catchin’ limits of shellcrackers right off the bank. The bass are still schoolin’ in the northern end of the St. Johns River. You need to fish between Astor to the north down to Hontoon Island to the south. Most of these bass are schoolin’ in the river, and folks’re catchin’em on lipless crankbaits and topwater baits at first light.  

The shellcrackers are still bitin’ in Lake Kissimmee around the pads. Folks’re also catchin’em on red worms, and, if you just stay long enough, you should be able to catch limits of ’em! 

The bass fishin’ is still doin’ good in most of the lakes in our area. The Butler Chain is still good for keeper-size bass and a couple of 3-pounders durin’ the day. Most of those bass are bein’ caught on topwater baits early in the mornin’ and lipless crankbaits and chatter baits durin’ the day.  

If the bite slows down, try fishin’ a slow-sinkin’ Senko type bait around the shoreline cover. If it gets hot, you might even try fishin’ the offshore grass and pepper grass patches throughout the chain. You should be able to catch a few bass on trick worms around those areas.  

The Maitland Chain of Lakes Wednesday nighter that’s bein’ held out of Lake Fairview is producin’ some nice stringers of bass. Durin’ last week’s tournament, it took 18.62 pounds to win, and that’s with three bass. Folks, that’s a good size bag for three bass! Congrats to Jason and Justin on their win, and they also caught Big Bass which hit the scales at 7.52 pounds.  

The Johns Lake Wednesday Night Shootout fishin’ is a little slow right now. It only took 11.15 pounds to win, but the Big Bass weighed in at 7.90 pounds. They had 24 boats fishin’ that tournament.  

We have a full moon this Friday, so the fishin’ should be really good… that’s if the weather stays steady. And if there are any panfish or bass that haven’t spawned yet, this weekend would be the time for that to happen. So, whether you want to catch some panfish or bass,you need to get out there this weekend… and catch some fish! But always remember… catch and release for the big mommas! 

Well, that’s it for this week. I hope to see you on the water… real soon.  

Tip of the week: Full Moon! 

SAVE A FEW… AND GOOD LUCK!