The dog days of summer are in full swing. Tough fishing is an understatement for trying to describe the South Winter Haven chain. As a matter of fact it’s tougher than I have ever seen it before. It’s hard enough just trying to get around, much less catch a fish. Most canals can barely be navigated, some cannot. Use extreme caution when idling through the canals as some of them have lots of submerged objects that can damage props or entire lower units. Also sand, mud, and other debris can be sucked up and damage water pumps and over heat engines, so remember to trim up and take your time.
 Very low and hot water have the bass in a lethargic state for the moment. They have become mostly nocturnal, preferring to feed at night when conditions are more favorable. As most of us have daytime jobs, busy schedules, and families, night fishing just isn’t a option. We have to go when we can. For those that can fish the night shift, some great action awaits you. As for the rest of us, all is not lost. Get out early as there is still a good morning bite. After that you will have to work hard for mid-day bites. Start out early with topwaters, spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits around some type of submerged grass. Use shad imitating colors in clear water lakes and chartreuse/shad colors in greener water. Try fishing 5 – 10 ft in green water and 8 – 15 ft in clear water. Keep in mind fish are feeding early, so don’t waste too much time in an area where you’re not getting bites, keep moving. After that patience and good electronics are a must.
 Find some type of cover such as submerged grass or brushpiles on or near offshore structure. These areas will hold fish as long as there is food present. Look for signs of baitfish, both on your electronics and on the surface of the water. Birds diving under water and garfish hanging around in a particular area are both great signs. Try bouncing shad or chartreuse deep diving crankbaits off submerged cover to trigger reaction strikes or slow way down with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics to tease fish into biting. Junebug, redbug, blueberry, and watermelon are all good color choices. Sometimes when you get one fish to bite, the competition instinct of bass takes over and the whole school can become active for a few minutes. After you catch one, get right back in there before the area and bass have time to settle back down.
Kissimmee Chain

Ever heard the saying “early bird gets the worm”? Well that saying definitely applies to the Kissimmee Chain during the heat of summer. There’s been a great early bite then around 9′oclock, especially if it’s sunny, the switch flips into the off position. As the dredging continues in the river between Kissimmee and Hatchineah the silt is being washed into Lake Kissimmee making the water muddier there. In the rest of the chain, rains have the creeks flowing a little which always clears up the water somewhat. Toho and Cypress have plenty of hydrilla which filters and clears the water up as well. The water level in all of the lakes is on the rise, but still below normal pool.
 Bass are biting a variety of lures in the morning. Spinnerbaits, topwaters, swimbaits, jerkbaits, and swimming jigs will all produce early along outside Kissimmee grass edges or over submerged hydrilla beds. Flipping outside grass, reed, or pad edges with 1/2 – 1 oz Texas rigged craws, creature baits, and other soft plastics along with 3/8 – 3/4 oz jigs are good early as well. Stay on the move, you don’t have long before it gets much tougher. Finding areas with bait is the key. Look for signs of bluegill and shiners feeding on blind mosquitoes along grasslines. Areas with high concentrations of egrets are a good sign of shad schools being present. Cormorants and Anhingas diving in open water is always a great indication of the presence of some type of bait fish.  
 As the day progresses either fish in thicker cover or move to deeper offshore structure/cover. Bass will move far beneath thick, matted, cover or to deeper haunts to escape the heat. Just as during a cold front, the fish will be lethargic and inactive, so don’t expect non-stop action. Flip further back into the thickest grass, reeds, pads, or mats you can find with 1 – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Be ready as most bites will occur on the initial drop. Try ripping a rattlebait or slow-rolling spinnerbaits and bladed jigs through submerged hydrilla from 4 – 8 ft. Also deep diving crankbaits bounced off submerged brushpiles will produce some reaction strikes as well. Shad or bream imitating colors are usually best. For less aggressive fish, try a Texas/Carolina rigged worm or other soft plastic. Junebug. black/blue, and watermelon are always good colors. Don’t forget to check mouths of rivers and creeks for schoolers after rains.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Post spawn is upon us. Most Bass have finished spawning and are in rest and recuperate mode. Others are rested and starting to feed veraciously as their appetite increases with the rising water temp. Although post spawn is considered to be one of the toughest periods of the year, it can also be a very rewarding period as well. Bass will congregate in large schools. They can be hard to locate, but once you find them, they are usually more than willing to bite.
 Springtime is the number one time to be throwing top water baits. Walking baits, chuggers and prop baits will all work, but usually one or the other will be best on a given day. Stick to shiner and bream imitating colors for best results. Soft and hard jerkbaits can be deadly in clear water as well. Fish these baits over submerged grassbeds during low light conditions.
 In stained to muddy water use noisier, vibrating subsurface lures such as spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, or rattlebaits. Slow roll or rip these lures through the grass. Chartreuse, white, or combinations of both are hard to beat. Also try flipping the deepest shoreline cover available to coax late spawners into biting. Junebug or watermelon colored craws and creature baits Texas rigged with 3/8 – 3/4 oz weights should do the trick.

Kissimmee Chain

There’s just no better place to be this month than Bass fishing on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The spawn is mostly over and the fish are hungry. All types of topwaters along with spinnerbaits, swimbaits, bladed jigs, or jerkbaits will all produce quality fish. The hardest part as always is finding the fish. Once located, these post spawners, should be fairly easy to catch. Chances are where there’s one there’s more, sometimes a whole lot more.
 Use topwaters early around trails and pockets to pick off the most aggressive fish. After that try flipping outside grasslines with junebug or black/blue craws or creature baits. Areas just outside spawning flats are a great place to start. On bright, sunny, days flip floating mats with 1 – 1 & 1/2 oz weighted craws.
 More and more fish will be moving towards offshore structure and cover. Try slow rolling a 3/8 – 1/2 oz spinnerbait or bladed jig through submerged hydrilla beds. Rattle baits ripped free from the grass can also be productive. Stick with shiner or bream colored lures. Carolina/Texas rigged soft plastics are also worth a shot in these areas. Junebug, black/blue, and watermelon are always good color choices.

Re-tie your knots and check your drags before heading out to fish the Kissimmee Chain. Insane tournament stringers continue to pour in every weekend. One of which exceeded 40 lbs on five fish to win the event. Five 10 pound plus Bass were weighed in that day in the 25 boat tournament. There’s also reports of double digit fish being caught almost daily. This place is alive and well to say the least.
 Look for most of the spawning activity to move from 1-2 ft range out to 3-4 ft deep as the water temp continues to rise. Look for pads, reeds, and kissimmee grass growing on hard sandy bottom areas. Cast, pitch, or flip Texas rigged soft plastics in these areas and fish slow to tease the spawners into biting. Make multiple casts as bedding fish definitely don’t always bite on the first cast. After catching a fish drop the Powerpole(s) and saturate the area as bedding fish tend to bunch up. Black/blue, junebug, and watermelon are always great colors to use. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits can sometimes trigger a reaction bite from a bedding Bass as well. Expect lots of buck Bass to be biting as they will be playing guardian to their newly hatched fry.
 Try flipping mats with 1 oz – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Use at least 50 lb braid such as Spiderwire and a strong hook to bring a big fish up through the mat. Look for mats in or around spawning areas as both pre and postspawn Bass will use them as staging areas. They are especially productive during post cold front or high pressure conditions. Fish extremely slow as most of these mat fish are inactive for the most part and won’t usually go far to chase down a meal. Any type of matted vegetation can and at times does hold fish.
 Submerged grassbeds such as eelgrass, hydrilla, and coontail will all hold fish. Usually, but not always, the healthiest or greenest grass will be best. Good rule of thumb: the greener the grass, the meaner the Bass. Spinnerbaits or bladed jigs slow rolled through the vegetation can result in some vicious strikes. Jerkbaits and rattlebaits ripped free from the grass can sometimes work when nothing else will. Use lure colors that best imitate a shiner or bream. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics are good to follow up with in these areas after locating fish with the faster moving lures.

Winter Haven

Spawn is in full swing on just about all Winter Haven lakes. Water temperature has remained above 60 degree mark for some time now. The three clear lakes on the south chain are being hammered daily with a daisy chain of boats circling the lakes like buzzards over a carcass. Even with the onslaught of pressure the fishing is outstanding. Big Bass are being caught (and hopefully released) daily. Most are being caught by way of sight fishing for bedding Bass.
 Most bedding fish have been taken from 4 ft of water or less. Fish on these lakes will spawn deeper than on typical Florida lakes especially as the water warms up as it normally does in March. I’ve seen fish on beds as deep as 10-12 ft. Use a quality fluorocarbon line such as 15-17 lb Berkley 100% fluorocarbon (which is virtually invisible underwater) tied to a Texas rigged lizard, craw, or creature bait to tempt these clear water spawners into biting. The line sinks which allows for less weight to be used ahead of the bait for a slower more tantalizing fall and better hook-up ratio. Look for eelgrass and hydrilla out from spawning areas as Bass will use the deeper grass as staging areas. Try shiner or bream colored deep diving crankbaits along grass edges or rattlebaits ripped through and over the grass. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics fished slowly through the grass can be productive as well.
 In more stained water, target cattails, reeds, pads, and Kissimmee grass in 4ft of water or less with a flippin’ stick and 50 lb plus Spiderwire tied to a Texas rigged craw or creature bait. Black/blue, junebug, watermelon, or smoke colors all work well in these lakes. Jigs with pork or plastic trailers are great for big fish in the darker water but hang up a little more. Chartreuse and white spinnerbaits along with bladed jigs slow rolled through eelgrass and hydrilla can draw a reaction strike from fish spawning or cruising on shallow flats with limited emergent cover. Also try soft stickbaits along with big worms fished slowly along the bottom in these areas as well. Move to deeper submerged grassbeds to find staging fish. Rip a lipless crankbait through the grass or try slow rolling spinnerbaits and bladed jigs. Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics are worth a shot also. Redbug, junebug, and blueberry are all good colors to try.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

This winter seems eerily similar to last winter so far. Below freezing nights and cold, windy, days and water the water temperature hovering around the low 50’s. Bass fishing for the most part has been tough, which is usually the case, in colder weather. Most fish will continue to hold around deep structure until the weather stabilizes. As it warms more and more fish will begin to move toward the shallows to spawn. Until then, you have to fish where they are, not where you want them to be. Knowing that the fish will not be feeding as much, you have to try and trigger them into biting. They aren’t going to chase a lure down from 20 ft away to eat it. You have to get your lures close to them and make them react. No bait is better for this than a rattlebait. They’re heavy, which is good for casting distance and getting them down in the grass where the fish are. There is no wrong way to fish these lures. Fast, slow, or anywhere in between. I’ve even caught fish vertical jigging or yo-yoing with them. The key is ripping the lure. When you feel the lure hit something, such as grass or the bottom, give it a rip. This is what triggers those cold reluctant fish into biting. That sudden change in sound and direction makes fish react even when they aren’t hungry. Shad or chrome colors are usually best, but gold, chartreuse, and red colored baits all have they’re time and place also.
 Another lure that has this same triggering quality is a suspending jerkbait. From sitting still to erratic darting to sitting still again is sometimes more than even the most lethargic bass can stand. The key to this bait is figuring out the cadence and pause time. You have to experiment and let the fish tell you what they like. Some days they like it moving constantly, other days the bait has to literally sit still for 10 seconds or more to trigger a bite. As with rattlebaits, shad or shiner colors are normally, but not always, the best.
 During warming trends look in the shallows for spawners. Stay back and use small lures to tease bedding bass into biting. These are just one of the many times when having a Power-Pole shallow water anchor system will make all the difference in the world for you. No matter the wind speed or direction, just drop the poles and there you are, quickly and quietly. If you have two poles, there’s not even any turning of the boat, which is very important when trying to keep from spooking wary fish. Remember to get a quick photo and release these bedding fish immediately right back from where you caught them.

Kissimmee Chain

Although the Kissimmee Chain has to be as good as anywhere in the state for quality fish, they sure are hard to find right now. Most of the better fish are being caught flippin’ heavy cover with 1 – 1 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws, creature baits, or punch baits which consists of a Texas rigged soft plastic with a jig skirt. Use at least 50 lb Spiderwire to get the job done. The fish are in bunches which is the good news once you find them. The bad news is that there is matted vegetation all over these lakes and far from all of it is holding fish. You just have to get in there and go until you find them. What makes this so difficult is the fact that you have to fish the thick stuff so slow to get down, much less get a bite. However, once you do find them, you can really load the boat in a hurry. Big females will gather in groups and use these mats as staging areas until they are ready to spawn. Therefore mats that are located close by to known spawning areas should be worth checking. If you catch one big fish in an area chances are there are others close by.
 Another option is to rip a rattlebait through submerged grass. Fish are staged up on hydrilla edges in 4 – 8 ft of water. As with the previously mentioned mats, try fishing hydrilla edges that are adjacent to known spawning areas. Shad or gold colors are usually best. Suspending jerkbaits, bladed jigs, and white spinnerbaits can all be deadly in theses areas as well.
 As the water warms look to the extreme shallows for bedding fish. Fish in these lakes will spawn in 2 ft of water or less first as it warms faster. Fish in this shallow water will be very spooky so fish slow and quietly. If the water is too dark to see the fish, target pads, cattails, flags, or reeds. Stay back and cast to the cover with soft stickbaits or other soft plastics. Use as little weight as the wind will allow. Drop your power-poles and saturate these areas. You can’t fish too slow. Soft swimbaits are effective in these areas as well. Shiner and bream colors are good to try as both species are not only prey for bass, they are also known for being bass bed raiders which makes bass hit them even harder. Use 1/8 – 1/4 oz weight in the nose or the weighted swimbait hooks. Release all bedding fish exactly where you caught them so that they may finish their job of making the next generation of bucketmouths for us to enjoy.
 
 

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Don’t know what’s hotter, the weather or the bite. The Kissimmee Chain continues to amaze. Surface temperature is approaching 90 degrees yet tournament fishermen are still finding 30 plus lbs of fish consistently. Don’t know of too many fisheries around the country that can compete with that. Rising water temp mixed with low water levels have fish searching out deeper, cooler, areas. There’s still plenty of fish along outside grasslines. Topwaters and spinnerbaits will work early then switch to flippin’ a 1/2 oz or heavier Texas rigged black/blue or watermelon craw or creature bait. Sometimes casting soft plastics with lighter weights along grass edges can be more productive especially in clear water areas.  Junebug, blueberry, watermelon, and redbug are all great color choices. 7-10 in Ribbontail or paddletail worms along with 5 in stickworms paired with 1/4 oz or less weights is a good combination for casting. Look for offshore hydrilla, eelgrass, or peppergrass, submerged or matted as either can and will hold fish. Try 3/8-3/4 oz white spinnerbaits or shad colored 1/4-3/4 oz rattlebaits over submerged grassbeds. Work Carolina/Texas rigged worms slowly along bottom to pick off less aggressive fish. In thicker, matted hydrilla try topwater frogs/rats over the top of the mat then punch through it with 1/2 oz or heavier craw, creature bait, or jig. Pray for a breeze as the hydrilla gnats will be out in full force. Brushpiles planted offshore and shell beds should also be holding fish. Shad or chartreuse colored Deep diving crankbaits along with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics will produce in these areas.
Winter Haven

Finally, there’s enough water to go from one end of the chain to the other. Only lakes Mirror and Spring are inaccessible on the South Chain and lake Smart on the North Chain. Both chains still need about 2 ft to reach normal levels. Overall fishing is pretty tough. There’s plenty of fish to catch and they are biting. The hard part, as always, is finding them. Most fish are in deeper, cooler, water. Only the deepest of shoreline areas will hold any concentrations of fish in most lakes and these areas become stagnant after about 9 a.m. The one exception to this is boat docks which provide cooler, shaded, water for bass to wait out the day in. Pitch Texas rigged soft plastics such as craws, lizards, worms, or creature baits as far underneath the docks as possible. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits can be good around the docks as well. Look for offshore structure such as shell beds, ledges, humps, and dredge holes. Find some sort of cover on the structure such as brush or hydrilla to locate schools of fish. Fish these areas with shad or chartruese deep diving crankbaits and Texas/Carolina rigged worms. Junebug, redbug, and watermelon colored worms always good here. In more stained water lakes concentrate on depths of 6-12 ft. In clear lakes 8+ ft. Also look to mid-lake areas in clear water lakes for schoolers. Toss topwaters, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits to these mostly 1-2 pounders. Occasionally a big fish is mixed in with the smaller fish. Tournament fishermen please remember to take good care of your catch. There’s way too many dead fish being weighed in. Use ice to cool down the water in your livewells. Surface water is about 10-15 degrees hotter than water 8 ft or deeper. That variance will cause temperature shock in fish and kill them. Two 32 oz bottles filled with water and frozen will keep most livewells cool all day. Start the morning with one and add the other halfway through the tournament. Also fish caught deeper than 15 ft down need to have their air bladders vented. It only takes about 30 seconds to vent a fish and save it’s life. The vent tool I use is a bends mender which can be found cheap online. There are videos on youtube showing how to properly vent a fish.  

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

 Bass are heading deeper to escape the rapidly rising water temperature. Look to offshore structure such as drop-offs, dredge holes, and mussel bars to find the largest concentrations of fish. If there’s some form of cover available on or around the structure that makes it even better. Submerged grassbeds and brushpiles will both hold schools of fish. Try shad or firetiger colored deep diving crankbaits in 7 – 12 ft of water. Also drag Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics slowly along the bottom to entice less aggressive fish. Junebug, redbug, and watermelon are always good color choices. Look for schooling bass 1-3 lbs in open water areas in clear lakes. When visible on the surface, these fish will eat almost anything thrown in amongst them. Use shad imitating topwaters, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits. In dirtier water lakes there’s still some fish on the deeper shoreline areas. Flip grass, cattails, pads, or docks with soft 1/4-1/2 oz soft plastics or jigs. Also try fishing submerged grassbeds 3-6 ft with spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits, and rattlebaits.

Kissimmee Chain

 Look for outside grasslines to provide the most consistent action. Try topwater baits or spinnerbaits early then switch over to flippin’ stick as the sun gets up overhead. Use 1/2-1 oz weights to penetrate the thick grass. Some big fish are holding around lily pads feeding on spawning bream. Flip black and blue craws/worms into the cover. Check river, canal, and creek mouths for schoolers after rains as water levels will be kept low for lock maintenance project and upcoming hurricane season. Locks will be closed until January 1rst. Offshore submerged grassbeds, shell beds, and brushpiles will all hold fish throughout summer months. Fish these areas with junebug, black/blue, and watermelon colored Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics. Deep diving and lipless crankbaits in shad or firetiger colors will also produce. Tournament fishermen bring extra ice along to cool down livewells and save your catch. Water temperature is 10+ degrees cooler than surface temp under thick grass mats and depths of 8 ft or more. This sudden temperature change can and will kill fish, especially larger ones.

Central Florida is where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.