Freshwater fishing: Speck bite is solid all around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, bass fishing was best on lakes Butterfly, Cemetery, Fish Hook, Horseshoe, Hydrilla, 2, 5, C, Lost Lake West, Picnic, Pine, Shop and Tern. This past week, 34 bass over 19 inches were reported. Speck fishing was best at lakes Horseshoe, Hydrilla and Legs. The best lakes for panfish were Cemetery, Derby, Fish Hook, Horseshoe, Picnic, Hydrilla, Pine, B, 3 and 5. Catfish were best at lakes Coronet, Horseshoe, Legs, Picnic and 2, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, medium shiners have been producing a bite for bass in the 4- to 5 -pound range. Junebug and blue tail color plastic worms have also been producing. Around town, specks are biting at lakes Crago and Hollingsworth, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

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2 At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is producing good numbers of 3- to 5 -pound bass, mostly on shiners. A few specks are starting bite as well.  Around the Lake Alfred area, lake Haines and Rochelle are producing good size specks day and night. Lake Alfred is producing specks at night. For bass, all three lakes are producing on lipless crankbaits and shiners. An 8-pounder was caught at Lake Alfred this week, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

3 At Winter Haven, bass fishing has picked up around the south chain and plenty of 3- to 4 -pound fish have been caught. The mouths of the canals have been producing specks. Lake Cannon has had a good bite for specks and bass, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, the bass bite has been good early on swimbaits and plastic worms inside the grass lines on the big and little lake. Later during the day, crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps are producing in the deeper troughs. The middle lake is producing some bluegill, but there’s not much on the specks yet, reports Matt Ingram at Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, the bass bite is good around the hydrilla patches off Bannon Island. Marion Creek and the mouths of the canals have a good bass bite, reports Ingram.

6 At Lake Pierce, the speck bite is picking up. Anglers are getting 12 to 15 fish a morning while drifting with minnows. The bite is also good at night using minnows while anchored under the lights. More bass are being caught along the outside grass lines. Anglers are catching about a half dozen fish up to 3 pounds a trip. Grape color plastic worms have been best, reports Chris Beasley at Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, specks are biting while trolling minnows and jigs in the deeper troughs and at the Hourglass, reports Ingram. Bass are biting good in the heavy, thick mats of vegetation and hydrilla. Specks are biting while drifting minnows and trolling spinnerbaits, reports Chuck Metheney at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, specks are biting at Browns Point off the weed lines in 7 to 8 feet of water on small crankbaits and white or pink color jigs. The bass bite has been “awesome” off Lake Toho Resort on the weed lines in about six feet of water. Junebug color Senkos, black jigs and white chatterbaits have been the best baits. Bass action is good off of South Port. Limits of bluegill and shellcracker are being caught off Paradise Island and Richardson’s Fish Camp, reports Capt. Brent Kirkendall of Horizon Fishing (727-505-4340).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, the outside Kissimmee grass is producing specks, but not real big fish, reports Ingram. The speck bite has been good while trolling spinnerbaits such as a Bobby Garland Slab Runner. For the bass, Gambler Big EZ swimbaits and buzzbaits have been productive early in the morning along the edges of the grass and pads, reports Metheney.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, the speck bite is really picking up. “I caught a limit in two hours one morning this week,” reports Loel Johnson of Dr. Crappie Outdoors. The bass bite is good early on topwaters in the canals, along the seawalls and around the docks. Later, cast Senkos to the outside edges of the grass and reeds for the best bite, reports Metheney.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, the speck bite is starting to pick up. One angler had a couple of limits this past week. The schoolie bite for bass up to 3 pounds is good to the south along the U.S. 27 side. The outer weed edges are producing early, then later in deeper water around 10 feet deep, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). “One angler I spoke with, had 10 bass up to 6 pounds on shiners at the south end one trip this week,” reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, specks are biting all over. Lakes Clinch and Reedy are producing while drifting minnows in deep water and on the brush piles. The speck bite at Lake Arbuckle is good on minnows around moving water at the northwest end and in the pads by the boat ramp. For the bass, Clinch is producing on Zoom Speed worms and shiners on the edges of the grass. Reedy is producing on worms and creature baits in the pads on the west side. Black and blue color worms are getting the bite in the pads at Arbuckle, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, silver Rat-L-Traps and firetiger color crankbaits are producing bass in water 8 to 9 feet deep. The best bite has been good on rocky bottom and humps. Texas rigged worms cast to the banks are producing. The speck bite is improving while slow trolling jigs tipped with minnows.