Freshwater fishing: Cooler water has bass moving shallower around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Saddle Creek the bass are starting to move shallow. The speck bite is starting to pick up using minnows. Plenty of catfish have been caught on chicken liver. Around town, specks are biting minnows at lakes Hancock and Parker, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2 At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is producing a few specks while drifting the middle of the lake on minnows. There haven’t been any limits, but the fish are good size. Live shiners are producing bass 4 to 5 pounds. Around Lake Alfred, lakes Haines and Swoope are producing specks while drifting in deeper water. The bass bite has been good at lakes Alfred and Rochelle on lipless crankbaits, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

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3 At Winter Haven, Lake Howard is producing some bluegill on crickets, and shellcracker are biting red worms at Lake Shipp. Bass up to 5 pounds have been caught at Lake Cannon and the mouths of the canals are also producing bass, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, flipping early in the morning on the little lake is producing good bass deep into the cattails. Bass are biting in the reeds and cattails on the big lake around Bonner Island. Bluegill are biting on the shell beds on all three lakes. A few specks are biting on the big and little lake at night while drifting minnows, reports Matt Ingram at Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, the bass bite is decent around Marion Creek, reports Ingram. One angler landed a 4-pound bass at the southwest corner of Bannon Island, reports Eileen O’ Leary at Bannon's Fish Camp (863-422-1223).

6 At Lake Pierce, a few bass are being caught early along the grass lines. Some specks are biting during the day just off the grass and around the fish attractors. At night, the specks are deep and biting on jigs and minnows, reports Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, bass are still gathering early around the shell bars. Carolina rigged trick worms in black and blue color will produce. Later in the day, move to the reeds. Anglers are catching limits of specks while drifting minnows at the Hourglass area. Jigs are producing a few specks around hydrilla in Gator Cove, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, bass have been good in the grass around Browns Point on Zara Spooks and Zoom Speed Worms in watermelon color. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting on the bottom around Paradise Island and the deep hole outside Big Toho Marina. The speck bite is good around the public brush piles, areas with grass in water 6 to 9 feet deep and the 12-foot hole at Over Street, reports Capt. Brent Kirkendall of Horizon Fishing (727-505-4340).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, bass are schooling early around the kicker trails. A Booyah lipless crankbait should get a strike. Bass Pro Shops Open Series anglers had the best action working the mats during the weekend. Specks are moving to the outer grass lines. Multiple lines with minnows are producing good numbers. North Cove is a good area to target, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bass have been active early in shallow water. A Berkley Choppo lure in bluegill color should produce a strike. Specks are being caught while drifting minnows. One angler also had 15 large specks while fishing off the pier at night, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, good numbers of schoolie size bass up to 4 pounds are biting early on topwater frogs and flukes. Larger bass are hitting 10-inch worms on the outer weed edges and drop offs around 10 to 12 feet deep. Some shellcracker are biting red worms off Wirt’s Point and toward the north end, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912).

12 At Frostproof, Lake Reedy is producing bass up to 6 pounds on spinnerbaits around the edges of the grass. Bluegill are biting in 5 feet of water on red worms and crickets. The speck bite is decent on minnows around 10 feet deep. Lake Clinch is good for bass while drifting shiners on the west side. Bass are also hitting topwater frogs in the grass and red shad worms on the edges of the grass. Lake Arbuckle is producing specks early on minnows in the pads, then later offshore in 8 feet of water. Bluegill are still biting at the south end around the Cypress trees, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, cooler water temps and shorter days have the bass starting to push toward the banks and vegetation lines again. Texas rigged, red shad color worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits in 6 to 8 feet of water have been the most productive. Small numbers of specks have been caught on minnows under corks.