Trophy-size bass being caught in Polk on variety of baits

Around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, bass fishing was best on lakes Hydrilla, Legs, Long, Lost Lake West, Waterlou and 5. Lakes Coronet, Picnic, A, C, G, and 10 also had high catch rates. This past week there were eight large bass over 19 inches reported with the largest fish measuring close to 24 inches. The best speck bite was at lakes Legs, 4 and 5. The panfish bite was best on lakes Derby, Halfmoon, Picnic, Pine, B, G, and 5. Catfish were best at lakes Picnic, Pine and 5, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, the bluegill bite is good around the park on red worms and crickets. Minnows are producing decent numbers of specks. A few bass are biting around the island points. Around town, Lake Hollingsworth has a good speck bite on minnows in the deep water, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

Fish of the Week

Largemouth Bass—Bass fishing remains steady for Polk County area anglers. Good numbers and some trophy-size fish have been caught this week on a variety of baits.

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

2 At Auburndale, Lake Ariana is producing good numbers of good-size specks at night on minnows while anchored under the lights. Around the Lake Alfred area, lakes Haines and Rochelle are producing specks during the day while drifting minnows. Lake Alfred is good for specks on minnows while drifting during the day and anchored under the lights at night. Lake Alfred produced an 8-pound bass on a live shiner this week. Rochelle is producing bass up to 6 pounds on a variety of baits, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3 At Winter Haven, the canals are still producing specks at night and the mouths of the canals are also producing specks during the day. Lake Shipp is good for specks at night on minnows while anchored under the lights. Schoolie bass up to 4 pounds are biting around the canals along the south chain. Lakes Cannon and Eloise are producing bass along the shorelines on live shiners and lipless crankbaits, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, moving water on the lake has slowed and the best bass bite has moved to the offshore shell beds. Look for the bait and the birds and you’ll find the beds. The little lake produced an 8.6-pound bass on one of the shell beds on a crankbait Tuesday. Specks are biting in the grass at depth of 3 to 4 feet around the chain, reports Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, moving water around the creeks coming in and going out of the lake is producing a good bass bite. Offshore grass in the middle of the lake is also producing decent numbers of bass. Good numbers of specks are biting both minnows and jigs on the east side of Bannon Island, reports Hoppy’s Marine.

6 At Lake Pierce, decent numbers of good-size specks are biting. Anglers are getting 15 to 20 fish an outing. The specks are best early morning and during the evening while drifting minnows. The bass are scattered, but there’s a good bite. Most of the bass are around 3 pounds with a few bigger fish in the mix. Plastic worms are producing the best numbers, but there’s a lot of shad-busting water, so shad imitation lures and crankbaits are also producing, reports Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, specks are starting to show up in the pads. Cover water and drop a red head and white color Muck City Tackle jig for the best results. Bass are still concentrating in the running water. Carolina rigged, black color 10-inch worms along with chrome and black color lipless crankbaits are getting the bite, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products.

8 At Lake Toho, water levels are starting to come back down now on the lake and the Kissimmee Chain. The shell bar off Lanier Point is producing some bass at first light on Rat-L-Traps and Zara Spooks. Shingle Creek is also holding good numbers of bass. The best baits there are a Carolina-rigged or Texas-rigged trick worm. The best area on the lake is near the lock where there’s running water and a variety of baits are producing. Bluegill are biting on outside grass lines in 5 to 8 feet of water, reports Grady Johnson (407-205-6719).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, speck anglers are setting up on the outside grass lines with minnows. Try Lemon Point and the south side of Bird Island. Bass are still biting in running water even though the current has slowed and the lake level has dropped over a foot. Black and blue color ½ oz. Medlock Jigs are producing good numbers, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, cooler temps have picked up the speck bite. Set out a spread of poles rigged with minnows and drift across the lake for the best numbers. Bass are prowling the shallows, both early and late in the day, looking for an easy meal. Throw a white and chartreuse color Jack Hammer chatterbait for the best action, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, decent numbers of schoolie bass are biting at the north end around the docks and along the outer weed edges. Decent numbers of good-size specks, but no limits, are biting while drifting minnows at night. A few specks are biting jigs tipped with minnows during the day, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). A 9-pound bass was caught along the U.S. 27 side on a live shiner this week. Bluegill are biting red worms on the bottom at depth of 8 feet around Grassy Island, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, Lake Reedy is still good for bass in the moving water coming out of Lake Clinch on speed worms and Carolina-rigged worms. A couple of bass over 8 pounds were caught this week. Bluegill are still good on red worms on the bottom around the city dock. The channel catfish bite is good there too on red worms. Lake Clinch is decent for specks while drifting minnows in deep water around 17 to 18 feet during the day. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting red worms on the bottom around 10 feet. The bass bite is still good there along the west side while drifting live baits in the moving water. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are also good for bass there along the edges of the grass on the west side. Hollow body frogs are producing bass in the Kissimmee grass, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, the early-morning bass bite is really good on topwater, weightless flukes in watermelon red or shad color. River2Sea Whopper Ploppers in true blue color or chrome and black back Devil’s Horses, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are producing up to about noon. Then move offshore and throw watermelon red or black and blue color plastic worms in the hydrilla pockets and around the island points for the best action. Specks are biting chartreuse jigs in 5 to 10 feet of water while drifting, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Co. (863-937-3292).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Trophy-size bass being caught in Polk on variety of baits