Kissimmee Chain

Rookie bass fisherman Steve Warter January 15, 2017 with his 6.5 lb. bass caught on Lake Kissimmee.

Bass are starting to load up on the grass lines, particularly on Lake Kissimmee and Lake Rosalie. Look for this trend to continue over the next month. On Lake Hatchineha, good numbers of Bass are moving into shallow sparse pad areas with larger bass staging up on the thickest buggy whip lines that you can find. The shell bed flats are also producing good numbers of bass, particularly on Lake Cypress and Gator Cove on Lake Hatchineha. In these areas, either use a Texas rigged speed worm with a 1/4 oz. weight or a Carolina rigged Senko with a1/4 oz. weight for best results. On the grass lines, a Texas rigged Senko or fluke with an 1/8 oz. weight are producing some really hard strikes.
Speckled perch can be found almost anywhere on the Kissimmee Chain. The best areas are in lily pads in 5’ of water. 1/16 oz. jigs tipped with a grub, white, red and white or chartreuse and white are your best best. On Lake Rosalie, the specks came into the canals and shallow grassy areas to spawn. This won’t last for very long and the specks will be moving into deep water 10’ to 15’ within days. Some have already moved into the deep water. Stay deep and use your slip cork sets with a minnow.
Big shellcrackers are starting to come into the lily pads on just about all the lakes. The next full moon cycle should be some of the best bream fishing of the year. Get your crickets and red worms stocked up on and have your deep fryers ready. The feast is about to begin!
Submitted By: Capt Dave Ochs
Waters Edge Fish Camp
10730 Camp Mack Rd LakeWales, Fl
863-589-6295