Hello Folks, 

We’re finally gettin’ some rain this week, and I just want to thank all of you for your prayers. The rain will not only help our lakes, but our yards, as well! Thanks again for your prayers. 

The fishin’ is still doin’ good, or really good, dependin’ on what you’re fishin’ for. I spoke to John Bitters, and he reports that folks’re catchin’ specks in Lake Jesup up under the 417 bridge. Along with the specks, folks’re catchin’ buckets of catfish. Most of the specks in Lake Monroe and in the St. Johns River have slowed down a good bit, and now it’s a waiting game for the shellcrackers. 

The shellcrackers are still goin’ strong in Lake Kissimmee.  Folks’re gettin’ their limits fishin’ in the pads. The bass fishin’ in the Butler Chain is still doin’ good with plenty of bass bein’ caught in the 1- to 2-pound range. So… topwater baits early in the mornin’, and lipless crankbaits when they come up schoolin’! 

And, the bass are still schoolin’ in the northern end of the St. Johns River from Astor to Hontoon Island. Folks’re still catchin’em on lipless crankbaits, Bitter’s Vibe, and Bitter’s Swimmers. There is a big shad spawn goin’ on in the Harris Chain and the Kissimmee Chain. You need to keep an eye out for schoolers feedin’ on the shad; usually you’ll have bass feedin’ on the shad! 

Lake Fairview bass fishin’ is still good. Folks’re catchin’ plenty of bass durin’ the daylight hours as well as in the evenin’. There are plenty of schoolers in the Maitland Chain, and folks are even catchin’em from the shoreline. You’ll do best with shiners fished over the submerged hydrilla and eelgrass throughout the chain.

I’ve got to say the bass fishin’ is a little slow on Johns Lake. Last week on the Wednesday night shootout, it only took 10.20 pounds to win. The team of Adan Eddington and Uby Rosell won the tournament, and they also had Big Bass that hit the scales at 5.90 pounds. There were 20 boats that fished that night. 

At the Headwaters (down at Fellsmere), the fishin’ is doin’ really good. Folks’re gettin’ on the water and catchin’ plenty of bass on shiners down there. 

And, a little further on down the state, the bass fishin’ on Lake Okeechobee is goin’ great guns! There’s a tournament called The Roland Martin Marine Center Series that’s held out of Roland Martins Marine in Clewiston on the south side of the “Big O.”  The team of King and Clement won that tournament with five bass that hit the scales at 34.40 pounds. The team of McBeath and Stephens caught the Big Bass of the tournament, and it weighed in at 8.35 pounds. There were 32 teams that had bags the weighed over 20 pounds. In all, there were 111 teams that fished the tournament. Also, there were five bass brought to the scales that weighed in at over 8 pounds. So, it’s safe to say, the bass fishin’ on the south end of Lake Okeechobee is doin’ just fine! 

Well, folks that’s it for this week. I hope you get a chance to do some fishin’ this week or over the weekend. The rain we’re havin’ this week has dropped the temperatures a little bit, so it should be really nice on the water. 

See ya next week! 

Tip of the week: It’s time to go fishin’! 

SAVE A FEW AND GOOD LUCK!