Freshwater: Bass bite remains strong in Polk County

Fish of the Week

Largemouth Bass – Bass fishing is good around the Polk County area and there are still some big bedding fish being caught at a few lakes.

Strike Zone, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, the bass bite was best this past week at lakes Waterlou, Wetland, B, 2 and 3. Lakes Fishhook, Lost Lake East, C and 5 also had catch rates worth noting. This past week, 19 bass over 19 inches were reported, with two measuring over 22 inches. The largest fish measured close to 24 inches. The speck bite was best at lakes B and 5. Panfish were biting best at lakes Cemetery, Picnic, Pine, B, 3 and 5. The catfish bite was best at Lake B, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, topwater frog baits early in the morning and hollow body frogs later on, are producing a good bass bite around the park. Junebug red plastics such as speed and ribbon tail worms are also producing bass. Decent numbers of shellcracker are biting on grass shrimp. Plenty of catfish and tilapia are also being caught around the park. Around town, lakes Crago and Parker are producing good numbers of bluegill. Lake Parker is also good for shellcracker on grass shrimp, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2 At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is good for bass in the 4- to 5-pound range. Good numbers of bluegill are biting there on crickets. Lake Ariana is producing around the Lake Alfred area, Lakes Rochelle is producing bass in the 7- to 8-pound range. Lake Haines is producing good numbers of schoolie bass. Decent numbers of bluegill and some shellcracker are also being caught there, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3 At Winter Haven, bass up to 8 pounds have been caught at Lake Ned this past week. Lake Hartridge is producing good numbers of bass up to 5 pounds. Lake Shipp has a good schoolie bass bite from the shore at the park. Lake Blue is producing a good bite for bass and catfish. The mouths of the canals around the chain are still producing bluegill and shellcracker, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, the big lake has a good bass bite around deeper pepper grass and while flipping the deeper buggywhip lines. The middle lake is producing some shellcracker and bluegill on red worms. The little lake is producing bass on shad imitation baits such as Rat-L-Traps and chatterbaits. There’s not much to speak of on the specks, reports Kyle Brewer at Hoppy’s by Crossed Industries (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, bass are biting in the cove on the northwest side. Plenty of specks are being caught on minnows at the south end around the Kissimmee grass. Bluegills are being caught on crickets on the east side in the Kissimmee grass and pads, reports Brewer.

6 At Lake Pierce, anglers are catching four to five bass an outing up to 5 pounds on plastic worms. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting in the pads on crickets and red worms, but the fish are “finicky,” reports Chris Beasley at Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, the bass bite is good while flipping Senkos in the pencil reeds. Good numbers of shellcracker are still being caught in the pads on crickets and red worms. A few specks are biting in the Hourglass on jigs and minnow, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, bass fishing is very good right now. Fish are being caught all over the lake. Some of the best spots are offshore grass near Whaley’s Landing and off Lake Toho R.V. Resort. Rat-L-Traps, Heddon Zara Spooks and chatterbaits are all getting the bite. Lanier Point and anywhere you can find shell are also producing bass. Shellcracker are starting to spawn in the Kissimmee grass, reports Grady Johnson (407-205-6719).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, the bluegill and shellcracker bite is outstanding around the 27 Palms area and North Cove. A few specks are being caught off the brush piles at Philadelphia Point. The bass bite has been very slow, but the tournament-winning bags have come from the inside grass lines while flipping black-blue color Senkos, reports Bridgemasters.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bluegill and shellcracker are being caught in the reeds on red worms and crickets. A few specks are being caught out in deep water while drifting minnows. Bass fishing has been slow, but a few fish are being caught on the state-marked brush piles on crankbaits and big 10-inch plastic worms, reports Bridgemasters.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, bass are moving onto the beds along the U.S. 27 side. Good numbers of buck bass and a few big females are being caught. Topwater baits and plastic worms are getting the bite. A few bass are also being caught to the north by the college. Decent numbers of bluegill are biting crickets and redworms, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). Bluegill and shellcracker are biting red worms on the bottom around Grassy Island, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, the bass bite is good at Lake Reedy on live shiners and squarebill crankbaits along the edges of the grass. Bluegill are biting there on red worms and crickets on the bottom at about 6 feet. Good numbers of specks are also being caught on minnows along the edges of the grass. Lake Clinch is producing some shellcracker on red worms on the bottom at 6 feet. Bass are biting there on the brush piles on deep-diving crankbaits. Lake Arbuckle is producing bass up to 8 pounds on live shiners around the pads. The bluegill bite is good on crickets and red worms in the Cypress trees at the south shore. Some specks are biting on minnows in the incoming water around Reedy Creek, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, the recent cold weather has picked up the bass bite. Firetiger or shad color crankbaits, both lipped and lipless, are producing a good bass bite around the island points and rock bars. Water with a depth of 4 to 8 feet is producing the best numbers, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Co. (863-937-3292).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater: Bass bite remains strong in Polk County