Florida Fishing
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Florida Bass Fishing in the Sunshine State! Florida
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Bass Fishing and Sport Fishing.
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Florida Bass Fishing HOT Spots
Florida Bass
Fishing
Florida bass are well-known as strong
fighters, and are fished recreationally. Florida Largemouth bass are known for their
overall size and resistance when hooked, favoring short,
powerful runs and escape to cover such as submerged logs
or weedbeds. Florida Smallmouth bass tend to jump
more and fight aggressively on the surface when hooked,
in order to throw the hook. Spring is the best
time of year to catch Florida bass, when fish move into
shallow water to spawn. Spawning may occur as early as
January in extreme south Florida and as late as May in
the panhandle, but March and April are peak months. Most
large bass are taken at this time; after spawning, many
large females move to offshore areas.
Top
Florida Bass Fishing
Lakes
1. Lake Tohopekaliga
Most anglers on Lake Toho target the larger
trophy bass. Anglers here use live golden shiners during
early spring and these shiners are fished inshore near the
vegetation or topped-out hydrilla . Plastic baits such as
worms or crawfish pulled along grass edges, hydrilla, and
bulrush will also catch quality-sized bass. Spinners, soft
jerk baits and chugging baits can also prove very
productive.
2. Lake
George
Lake George is a beautiful natural lake
situated on the St. John's River. It has extensive
vegetation that provides an excellent habitat for bass.
Try wader fishing
in the eelgrass with plastic worms fished on the surface,
and other top water artificial lures as this can prove very productive
time and time again. Fishing with live shiners is an
excellent method for catching yourself a trophy bass
during the spring spawning season.
3. Lake
Walk-In-Water
This lake is situated just south of
Orlando and to the east of Lake Wales. It is just south of
S.R. 60. Lake Walk In Water has an outstanding reputation for its
largemouth bass. 4-8 pound bass are common and bags of 25+
frequent. Anglers regularly report catching trophy bass of
over 10 pounds. There is a 15 - 24 inch slot limit and
anglers are allowed to keep 3 bass per day, which are either under or
over the protected slot range. Only one bass greater than
or equal to the 24 inch slot range is allowed.
4. Stick
Marsh Reservoir
Summer hurricanes in 2004 drastically
reduced the levels of hydrilla throughout this reservoir.
This affects the location of the bass and anglers should
keep this in mind when trying to pattern fish. Bass can be
located throughout the Stick Marsh reservoir among a variety of
habitats including submerged canals and woody stump
fields. Plastic worms, spinners, crank baits, soft jerk
baits, and top water propeller baits are effective. Wild
golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to
catch that trophy Florida bass.
5. Deer
Point Lake
Deer Point Lake is a popular largemouth
bass fishing destination in Florida's panhandle area near
Panama City. Plastic worms, spinners, crank baits, soft
jerk baits, and top water propeller baits are most
effective on this lake.
6.
Suwannee River
The Suwannee River is an excellent black
water stream that flows 213 miles in Florida from the
swamp-like region at the Georgia border to salt-marsh
tidal creeks at the Gulf of Mexico. This river has an
excellent reputation for its trophy largemouth bass.
7. Lake
Kissimmee
Lake Kissimmee is the largest of the 5
main lakes on the renowned Kissimmee River of central
Florida. Lake Kissimmee is famous for producing high
quality bass fishing.
8.
Rodman Reservoir
Rodman Reservoir, east of Gainesville
and south of Palatka, covers over 9,500 acres of prime
largemouth bass habitat. Since the reservoirs creation in
1968, Rodman Reservoir has been known for trophy
largemouth bass.
9. The
Everglades
The Everglades are situated in the south
Florida marshlands and they are intersected with over 200
miles of canals. Most anglers prefer to fish the canals
rather than the marsh. Anglers will often work canal edges
with plastic worms, soft jerk baits, and minnow
imitations. Flipping the vegetation is also a popular
technique and yields good results.
10. Lake
Tarpon
Anglers who frequent this lake are most
successful when flipping or pitching plastic worms along
canal and bulrush edges. Offshore bass fishing is very
productive for anglers who fish around ledges, humps,
coontail, and eelgrass beds. Popular lures to use offshore
include shad-imitating jigs, crank baits, jerk baits and
top water baits. Fishing with wild shiners and live shad
is also very effective.
