Freshwater: Bass bite slows, speckled perch bite steady

Around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, bass fishing was best on lakes Fish Hook, Halfmoon, Shop, 2, 5 and A. Lakes Horseshoe, 3 and B also had high catch rates. This past week there were 14 large bass over 19 inches reported. The largest bass measured close to 27 inches. Speck fishing was best at lakes Cemetery, Halfmoon, Hydrilla and 4. Lakes Halfmoon, Picnic and 5 had the best panfish bite. The catfish bite was best at lakes Derby and Picnic, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, the bass bite is pretty good on shiners under the trees and around brush along the shorelines. Spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps are producing in the eel grass. Some bluegill are biting red worms along the banks. Around town, lakes Crago, Hollingsworth and Parker are good for specks on minnows fished deep. Rat-L-Traps and Zara Spooks are producing bass around offshore grass and submerged hydrilla. Flipping the cattails with a Gambler Fat Ace senko style bait is also producing on the area lakes, reports Kyle Stafford at Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

Fish of the Week

Speckled Perch: This week’s cooler weather slowed the bass bite, but fishing for speckled perch remains steady.

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

2 At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is producing specks on minnows around shoreline vegetation. Around Lake Alfred, lakes Haines and Rochelle are producing good numbers of specks along with a few limits. Minnows and chartreuse color jigs are getting the bite while drifting deeper water and also fished shallow, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3 At Winter Haven, offshore grass at lakes Cannon and Mirror is producing bass on chatterbaits, lipless crankbaits and 10-inch worms. The edges of Kissimmee grass and the mouths of the canals are also producing bass. Deeper holes on the chain, around 15 to 20 feet deep, are producing specks. A few specks are also biting in the pads and grass, reports Capt. Jackson Williams of Action Bass Guide Service (863-326-3232). Lakes Cannon, Howard and Shipp are good for specks on minnows along the shoreline and while drifting deeper water, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, specks are biting both minnows and jigs on all three lakes. The fish were up shallow, but have moved out deeper with the cooler weather. Good numbers of bass were caught, but that bite has slowed a bit since the front as well, reports Matt Ingram at Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, before the front, the specks had started to move up shallow and mostly males were being caught. The bass bite was decent while slow working plastic worms. This week’s front slowed the bite though, reports Ingram.

6 At Lake Pierce, some specks are biting, but the numbers are low. Some of the specks are biting in the pads, but some are still being caught while drifting open water. The weather fronts have slowed the bass bite, but a few fish have been caught on plastic worms, reports Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, speck anglers should try a chartreuse and white color Shineee Hineee Jig in the pads at the back of Gator Cove. Bass are up shallow in the reeds. Flip a creature bait for the best action, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, the cooler weather has slowed the bass bite down. Anglers should try flipping the hyacinth mats around Whaleys Landing or the area inside Browns Point. Offshore hydrilla is still producing some bass on jerkbaits and Rat-L-Traps. The south end of the lake is providing the best action. Speck anglers are still drifting with minnows in the deeper areas of the lake, reports Jay Turner of Jay’s Bass Bustin Guide Service. (407-908-4739).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, specks are biting in the pads mixed with grass. Anglers should keep moving until they find the right clump of pads that are holding fish. Bass fishing is picking up. Fish are spawning all over the lake and several bass over 8 pounds were weighed in this past week. Anglers should concentrate in shallow water, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, the specks have moved up shallow. “Drop a minnow in the pads and hold on.” Before the front, bass had moved up shallow. As it warms up again, anglers should start off covering water with a white color Zoom Horny Toad. When you locate the fish, switch to a Senko and slow the presentation down, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, both day and night fishing for specks is good on minnows at a depth of 20 to 25 feet. The fish are good size, but there’s been no limits. Bass are bedding over on the U.S. 27 side, but mostly buck, male bass are biting and not too many big females yet, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). Bass up to 7-pounds have been caught while drifting shiners in open water, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, cooler weather has pushed the specks out deeper and lakes Arbuckle, Clinch and Reedy are all producing while drifting open water with minnows. Lake Reedy has been best for the bass while drifting with shiners. The artificial bite for bass has been slow this week, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, the weather fronts have really slowed the fishing. There were some bedding bass prior to the week’s weather. Some of the fish were biting soft plastics such as a Bitters Baits 10-inch ribbontail worm in Christmas tree color. A Zoom Ol Monster in red shad color, worked very slowly, was also producing, reports Danny Hamm of Stones Bait & Tackle (863-940-4898).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater: Bass bite slows, speckled perch bite steady