Hello Folks,
I hope you are havin’ a great week and you are gettin’ on the water and catchin’ some fish. The speck fishin’ has slowed down a little but you can still catch some if you are willin’ to put in the time to find ’em.
Kyle at Bitter’s Bait and Tackle reports that folks are still catchin’ a few specks in Lake Monroe and Lake Jesup. Most of the specks are bein’ caught on minners and jigs tipped with a minner. A few folks are catchin’ some bluegills and a few shellcrackers but the bluegills aren’t doin’ their thing yet. It won’t be too long before they go on the beds.
Kyle also reports that the bass fishin’ has been really good, especially if you fish with shiners. Folks are comin’ into the shop and buyin’ wild shiners to take to the lake.
Most of the lakes in our area are producin’ some nice bass usin’ shiners. Folks are gettin’ shiners and goin’ to the Stick Marsh, the Kissimmee Chain, the Maitland Chain, and the Butler Chain.
Some folks are catchin’ some nice bass on shiners in John’s Lake, too. So, if you have been waitin’ to go bass fishin’, you might want to get some shiners and go fishi’n this weekend.
If you don’t want to use shiners, you need to try fishin’ with artificials. Folks are catchin’ some bass on a mixed bag of baits.
If you get on the water early, you need to start off with a noisy top-water bait like a Devils Horse, or a top-water bait that has some props on it to make some noise.
Some folks are catchin’ some bass on Zara Spooks as well. Once the sun gets up, try fishin’ with plastic worms, Rat-L-Traps, or chatter-baits.
The bass fishin’ has been good on the Kissimmee Chain as well. Mark at Big Toho Bait and Tackle reports that folks are takin shiners and fishin’ the edge of the grass lines and catchin’ some nice bass. Lots of the bass have already spawned but this weekend’s full moon will probably have some of the late spawners goin’ on the beds.
If you want to fish for bass on artificials, Mark reports that folks are fishin’ with top-water baits early and then switchin’ over to plastic worms, chatter-baits, and Rat-L-Traps. You need to pop the traps off the clumps of grass in deeper water and swim the chatter-baits over the hydrilla. If you can’t get bit doin’ that, you need to pick up your favorite plastic worm and fish the edges of the grass lines or out around the hydrilla clumps. Junebug, black and blue, and junebug red has been some good colors to use.
The Harris Chain has been producin’ some nice stringers of bass as well. MLF held its Southern Open on the Harris Chain last week and it took 65 pounds of bass to win the three-day event.
Congrats to Jordan Thompkins on his win last week. Jordan went wire-to-wire on his win. He caught most of his bass on a Rapala DT crank-bait and a Z-Man/Evergreen Chatter-bait.
I would have to say that the bass fishin’ on the Harris Chain is doin’ pretty good right now.
Get the family or your fishin’ buddy and let’s go fishin’. I’ll see ya next week and I hope you have a great week.
Tip of the week: full moon.
Save a few and good luck!
