Speck bite getting stronger in Polk as bites being reported at more lakes

Around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Saddle Creek, bass are being caught while casting plastic worms and football head jigs on rock piles in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bluegill and tilapia are biting on red worms from the banks. Around town, the bluegill bite is “hot” at Lake Parker on red worms and crickets. The bass bite is good there on topwater frogs and Zara Spooks at first light and sunset. Speed worms and chatterbaits are producing in the hydrilla throughout the day. At Lake Bonny, bass are biting while flipping plastics in the Kissimmee grass. Lake Gibson is producing bass on Carolina rigged worms and crankbaits around 6 to 8 feet, reports Kyle Stafford at Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

Fish of the Week

Speckled Perch — The speck bite continues to pick up around the Polk County area. Specks were reported at more lakes this week on both jigs and minnows.

Strike Zone, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12,

2 At Auburndale, lakes Juliana and Ariana are producing bass on speed worms and Rat-L-Traps around eel grass in 4 to 6 feet of water, reports Stafford. Lake Ariana is producing good numbers of schoolie bass on lipless crankbaits. Lake Juliana is producing decent numbers of bass and a few bluegill. Around Lake Alfred, decent numbers of good size specks are biting on minnows at lakes Haines and Rochelle. Lakes Alfred, Haines and Rochelle have a good bass bite on lipless crankbaits and shiners, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3 At Winter Haven, Lake Summit is producing bass up to 8 pounds on shiners. Lake Cannon has good bass bite around offshore grass and brush. Running water around the mouths of the canals continues to produce bass and panfish, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, specks are biting on the middle lake and a few are also showing on the big lake while trolling minnows in deeper, open water. Deeper-water grass edges are producing bass on swimbaits and plastic worms. Running water is producing a few bass on crankbaits, reports Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, the east side of the lake still has a good bite for schoolie bass. Areas with hydrilla, if you can find them, are producing bass on plastic worms. Marion Creek is producing a few bass in the running water. A few bluegill are still biting around pads on the east shore, reports Hoppy’s Marine.

6 At Lake Pierce, decent numbers of schoolie bass are biting in scattered spots around the lake. Bluegill are biting crickets and red worms on the east side by the point. A few specks are biting in deep, open water on minnows, reports Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, the water level is very high right now. A number of boats and anglers are showing up at the Hourglass drifting minnows for specks. Bass fishermen are throwing lipless crankbaits over the shell bars for bass up to 6 pounds, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, Goblits Cove is producing some bass up shallow in the morning on topwater frogs and swim baits. Recent heavy rain has produced a lot of running water and those areas such as Shingle Creek and the lock have a good bass bite. The area around the back of the power lines is also good for bass. Offshore grass off Lake Toho R.V. Resort is also producing good numbers of bass, reports Grady Johnson (407-205-6719).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, water around the lake is flowing well. Panfish anglers should try the outside grass lines in North Cove for specks. Put out several poles rigged with minnows for the best bite. Bass are active at the mouths of the canals. Throw a Strike King 5XD crankbait in sexy shad color or a Carolina rigged Zoom Magnum trick worm for the best action, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, anglers trolling jigs tipped with minnows are starting to catch some specks. Vary your depth until you locate the fish. The bass bite is picking up. Look for bass at the mouths of the canals chasing shad first thing in the morning. Later on, cast a watermelon red color Senko around cover, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, water levels on the lake are about 3 feet higher than normal. The bass bite is good around moving water and along the edges of the grass on squarebill crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Flipping creature baits about mid-lake, in the thick grass along both sides of the lake, is also getting decent numbers. A few specks are biting on minnows at a depth of 18 to 20 feet while anchored during the day. The bluegill and shellcracker bite is pretty decent on red worms on the bottom around Wirt’s Point and Grassy Island, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, Lake Reedy has a good speck bite at night while drifting minnows under the lights around schools of bait. The bass bite is good there at the south end on topwaters along the edges of the grass early. Spinnerbaits and shiners are producing through the day around the edges of the grass. Bluegill are being caught at Reedy on crickets around moving water. Lake Arbuckle is producing good numbers of bass on shiners during the day around moving water. The bluegill bite is still good there around the pads and in the cypress trees at the south end. Lake Clinch is good for bass while drifting shiners on the west side in the moving water. Topwaters are producing along the edges of the grass early. Spinner and chatterbaits are producing during the day. Crankbaits and Carolina rigged worms are also producing bass on the deep brush piles. The speck bite is good while drifting over the top of the brush piles. Shellcracker and bluegill are decent on red worms on the bottom around 10 to 12 feet, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, shorelines and areas with submerged hydrilla, around a depth of 3 to 4 feet, are producing bass early on River2Sea Whopper Ploppers in true blue color and weightless, watermelon red color Zoom Flukes. As the sun comes up, move offshore to deeper water and fish black and blue Senkos and junebug red color ribbon or curly tail worms around the island points and rocky bars. Panfish anglers are catching some bluegill on yellow and black striped color beetle spins early in the mornings, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Co. (863-937-3292).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Speck bite getting stronger in Polk as bites being reported at more lakes