Key Points
Hello Folks,
Happy New Year to each and every one of you! And, we are off to the some great fishin’ in 2026. The fishin’ this year is off to a great start so far, and folks are gettin’ on the water and catchin’ fish! If you want to catch specks or bass, now’s a great time to go.
The specks are bitin’ really good in the St. Johns River up north around Highlands Fish Camp. The guides have been takin’ folks out, and they’re catchin’ their limits each trip. Most of the specks are bein’ caught on jigs tipped with a minner. The specks are bitin’ in Lake Monroe pretty good, as well.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, there’s gonna be a bass and speck tournament held on Lake Monroe. It’s called the 7th annual Hook’d on Lake Monroe, and it’ll be held from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Flights will go out of 25 teams every 15 minutes. The weigh-in starts at 1 p.m. There’ll be a mandatory Captains’ meeting and registration the day before, on Friday, January 16th. If you have any questions, you can contact 407-790-9515 for more information.
Also, for your information, the speck fishin’ is pickin’ up in Lake Jesup. Also, they’re catchin’ a few specks in Lake Harney.
Folks are startin’ to catch some specks in the Harris Chain, as well. If you’re interested in takin’ your kids fishin’, there’s gonna be a free Kids Fishing Rodeo at Highland Park Fish Camp on January 31st. Mark your calendars, and I will provide more information in the comin’ weeks.
The bass fishin’ has been really good at the Headwaters down in Palm Bay. One of the guides down there had some clients out, and they caught 41 bass in 4 hours, with the biggest bass weighin’ 6 pounds 4 ounces. That, my friends, is how you do it!
If you are plannin’ a bass fishin’ trip to Orange Lake near the Ocala/Gainesville area, you might want to delay it. The water is very low, and conditions aren’t at all suitable for fishin’. I got a report this week that one angler couldn’t even get his boat back on the trailer because the water was so low!
The bass fishin’ is still good in the Butler Chain. You’ll catch a lotta small bass, but you will have a blast catchin’ ’em! Dependin’ on the weather, we should start seein’ some bass move into shallow water; it’s that time of the year for the big females to move into shallow water to spawn. It’s been reported that a few male bass’re startin’ to clear out some beddin’ areas in our lakes.
We have a new moon on the 18th of this month, so be on the lookout for some activity in your favorite lake.
The weather has just been great for fishin’, and I hope you get a chance to do some worthwhile fishin’ very soon; I hope to get on the water myself in the near future, and hopefully, I’ll catch some of those bass!
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope to see you soon on the water.
See ya next week.
Tip of the week: The fishin’ is great!
SAVE A FEW AND GOOD LUCK!