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.