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.

Low water, once again, is making it tough to get around on the South chain. Lakes are down 2 + ft. below normal and dropping fast. North chain is even lower. 

 Bass are starting to feed up more in preparation of upcoming spawn season. Find the bait and the Bass won’t be far behind. Look for large shad schools on your electronics or for schooling fish on the surface. Seagulls, which will give away the shad’s location, are starting to show up on the lakes. Look for the gulls to start diving which is a good sign that Bass could be feeding on shad beneath them. Throw shad imitating lures such as topwaters, rattlebaits, or jerkbaits.
 Offshore structure should continue to hold the larger concentrations of big fish til the water temp dips down into the mid to lower 60′s at which point they’ll start to move shallower in search of spawning areas. Ledges, holes, and shell beds will all hold some big prespawners. Deep diving crankbaits along with Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics should produce in these areas. Also try slow rolling a white spinnerbait or ripping a chrome or gold rattlebait through submerged grassbeds such as hydrilla or eelgrass. Check kissimmee grass, cattails, and reeds in shallower more stained lakes with flippin’ stick. Soft plastic craws or creature baits paired with 3/8-3/4 oz weights should do the trick.

Kissimmee chain

Spotty would best describe the fishing on the Kissimmee chain. Bass are in transition moving from deeper summer haunts towards the shallows. Some fish are deep, others are shallow, and most are somewhere in between. Here one day, gone the next. Look for areas of clear water as the water temp continues to fall. Bass in clear cold water are always easier to catch than Bass in cold muddy water. Fish inside grasslines and boat trails with shad imitating topwaters, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, or swimbaits. Soft stickbaits are also deadly in these areas. Black/blue, watermelon, and junebug colors are hard to beat.
 Fish spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and bladed jigs through submerged open water hydrilla beds. Use shad or shiner imitating colors. As the water cools, slow down your retrieve speed. Once fish are located go through area again with slower presentations such as a Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics. Junegug, redbug, watermelon, and black/blue are all great color choices. On cold front days look for the thickest matted cover you can find such as hyacinth, water lettuce, mud tussocks, hydrilla, pennywart, or gatorvine. Flip mats with 1- 1&1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Use at least 50 lb braid with heavy wire hook. Also try flippin’ thick lily pads with 1/2-3/4 black/blue jig with matching craw or chunk trailer. Look in extreme shallows for early spawners. Flags, pads, and cattails growing on sandy bottoms in 2 ft of water or less should attract first wave of spawners.      

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.

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.

 There’s still plenty of spawning bass on the Kissimmee chain although most have spawned out and started to recover from a tough, long, and cold spawn season. Most fish remain in the shallows. Some have begun to migrate to deeper water. Look for late spawners around hard bottom areas with scattered cover 3-5 ft deep. Cast or flip Texas rigged soft plastics in and around cover. There’s lots of very aggressive buck bass guarding fry the shallows to keep you busy. Also bluegill and shellcracker are spawning in the pads. This will always attract some big fish to these areas to feed on them. Find the bream and the bass won’t be far away. Try spinnerbaits, topwaters, jerkbaits, swimbaits, or anything else in the box you can think of as the bass are in attack mode. Use colors that will mimic bream such as black/blue or chartreuse. Fish faster as the bass and their prey are becoming more active with the rising water temperature.
Winter Haven

 Most, but definitely not all, fish have spawned and moved to deeper water areas. There’s still some fish that have not spawned yet so don’t rule out the shallows, especially in the dirtier water lakes. In the greener or darker water lakes flip grass, cattails, pads, or reeds with 1/2-3/4 oz Texas rigged craws, creature baits, or other soft plastics to tempt some late spawners. Also try slow-rolling 3/8-1/2 oz white or chartreuse spinnerbaits through any submerged grass as these areas will hold schools of post-spawn bass. Rattlebaits are worth a shot in these areas as well. In the clear water lakes look for late spawners as deep as you can see down to the bottom. These fish are harder to see but far more cooperative. For the post-spawners try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and deep diving crankbaits around deeper submerged grassbeds or brushpiles. Also Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics worked slowly are worth a try. There’s schooling fish in mid-lake areas however most are smaller sized. These schoolers will readily bite rattlebaits and topwaters thrown in front of them.

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.

 Amazingly these lakes remain mostly in pre-spawn mode due to the cold weather. Most female Bass are still full of eggs and holding in deeper water. Water temperature getting into mid 60′s will start what should be a very strong spawning cycle. We could see bedding Bass well into April or even May with this late start. Most fish are still being caught on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits fished over deeper submerged grass. This pre-spawn pattern should soon give way to a flippin’ stick and sight fishing. In the clear water lakes look for spawners from the shoreline out to as deep as you can see. In dark or green water lakes flip grass, cattails, pads, or reeds in 2-5 ft with 1/2 oz Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Smoke, junebug, and watermelon colors will all produce. Also try ripping a 1/2 oz rattlebait through submerged grassbeds in 4-10 ft. Chrome/black, gold/black, or red are good color choices. Get a few quick photos and release the fish immediately so that it may return to the bed and finish it’s job.

Kissimmee Chain

 Huge tournament stringers, up to nearly 40 lbs, indicate a strong bite on the Kissimmee Chain now. Texas rigged soft plastics are producing the bulk of the bigger Bass, however spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits are catching their share as well. Look for sandy bottom areas with sparse or isolated cover 2-5 ft deep for spawning Bass. Cast or flip craws, creature baits, or other soft plastics around the cover. Junebug, watermelon, and black/blue always great color choices. Fish extremely slow. Search just outside spawning areas for pre and post spawners. Look for thicker cover such as floating mats, heavy pads, or gatorvine. Flip 1oz or heavier Texas rigged craws deep into the cover. Also look for any submerged vegetation such as eelgrass or coontail growing just a little deeper than adjacent spawning areas. Shad or shiner colored rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits should entice a few bites in these areas. Swimbaits in 4-6 in size range also should continue to produce plenty of bites.

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.

 One word sums up the fishing in and around Winter Haven area lakes over the last couple of weeks…DEAD! This will continue until the water temperature rises to around 60 degrees and gets the bass thinking about spawning again. Until then expect very few bites and be prepared to fish extremely slow. With water temps from the mid 40′s to low 50′s, Florida bass’ metabolism almost stops completely. Therefore they are not going to eat much. However this does not mean they are impossible to catch, just much much tougher. Don’t expect them to chase down a fast moving lure or come up from the depths to smash a topwater bait. During these cold water periods downsize to smaller lures and fish them much slower than normal. Use 1/8 or 1/4 oz spinnerbaits and rattle baits instead of 1/2 or 3/4 oz versions. Try smaller soft plastics as well, 4-6 inch worms instead of 8-10 inches. Also use tighter wobbling crankbaits and fish a little deeper.
 In the clear lakes fish deeper submerged cover or structure with jerkbaits, rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and deep diving crankbaits in shad/shiner imitating colors. Also try Texas/Carolina rigged soft plastics such as finesse worms or centipedes. Lizards are also a great choice this time of year. Junebug, watermelon, and blueberry are all colors worth trying. As the water temperature reaches into the mid 60′s start looking for bedding activity to increase especially around new or full moons. Good polorized sunglasses are a must when “hunting” for spawning fish as they can be the difference between catching a big fish and not even knowing it was there. Remember to get a quick photo and release the big bass right where you caught it immediateley so that it may finish making future trophies for us and our children to enjoy some day.
 Fish rattlebaits and spinnerbaits over and through submerged grassbeds such as hydrilla, eelgrass, etc… in dirtier water lakes. White/chartreuse color combinations are usually best bet with spinnerbaits. Chrome or gold colored rattlebaits are hard to beat. When the water warms slightly the flippin’ bite will get better as fish will be moving shallower to spawn. Look for grass, pads, reeds, and cattails growing in sandy bottom areas as these will be the most attractive areas for bass to spawn. Flip Texas rigged craws, creature baits, and other soft plastics with as little weight as possible. Smoke, junebug, black/blue, and watermelon candy colored baits will do the trick.

Kissimmee Chain

 Like all other Florida fisheries the Kissimmee chain of lakes is fishing extremely tough now with the frigid water temperatures. Even some of the top tournament fishermen and guides in the state are finding it a challenge to produce a five fish limit! Icy nights have had the water temperature down as low as 43 degrees, 10 degrees colder than I have ever seen on this chain in my life! The fish have never seen water this cold either and they are acting accordingly. Slow is the name of the game in order to get a bite and with many thousands of acres of cover for them to hide bass can be very difficult to locate much less catch. To make things worse the entire chain is receiving heavy chemical treatments for hydrilla which has the grass dying off and the lakes changing almost daily. Find fish one day in the hydrilla then come back a couple days later to find no grass or fish. The key is finding the thickest stuff around and fishing it slow.
 Lake Toho was the first to receive chemical treatments and although there is still plenty of hydrilla it’s fading fast. Seems most fish have moved shallower in preparation for spawning. Try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits around submerged hydrilla. Look for healthiest, thickest grass you can find. Stick with shad/shiner imitating colors. Also look for thick matted vegetation adjacent to good spawning areas. Flip floating mats or gatorvine with 1-1 1/2 oz black/blue, junebug, or watermelon Texas rigged craws or creature baits. Also check bedding areas for spawners as there is plenty of clear water for “sight fishin”. Cast soft stickbaits in junebug, blueberry, and watermelon around shallow emergent vegetation.
  Lakes Cypress and Hatchineah have the healthiest hydrilla beds on the chain as they are the last to receive treatment. Try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits around the submerged grass. Check along reedlines with flippin stick as big bedding bass could move in anytime.
 In Lake Kissimmee fish pads, grass, cattails, flags, and reeds growing in hard, sandy bottom areas in 1-4 ft of water. Cast soft stickbaits, swimbaits, or worms around the cover. Flip thicker areas with 1/4-1/2 oz Texas rigged junebug, black/blue, or watermelon craws or creature baits. Also try flipping floating matted vegetation such as water lettuce, hyancinth, pennywart, or mud tussocks especially on colder days. Use 1-1 1/2oz weighted Texas rigged craws or creature baits to penetrate the thick mats. Topwater frogs are worth a shot on warmer days around scattered emergent cover.

Central Florida, 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.