[dropcap]F[/dropcap]all has arrived, that being said we are still in a bit of a summer pattern. Early morning fishing is by far the best right now, water levels are still rising but not fast, and the bass are on the move. The early bite on the outside edges of Tin House Cove and Indian Prairie have been very good first thing in the morning; spinner baits, skinny dippers and Horny Toads have worked well for the early bite. The mid-day bite is tough but you can still catch fish in the bull reeds and around scattered cattails. Pitch a jig or a crawdad around these areas for your best mid-day results.
With the lake rising, start looking inside more, bass are starting to move back inside and pre-staging for the spawn. With fall being here, get ready for a good top water bite. October, November, and early December are great months for top water action. Prop baits, such as a Devils Horse and Boy Howdy, work great this time of the year, and there is nothing better than watching a big bass hit a top water plug. Look for clean edges around hydrilla, reed lines or any other vegetation that has some clean water to work you lure in, you will not be disappointed. The shiner bite has been a little more consistent, catches up to 40 bass a day have been common with a few fish in the 8-pound range. The bigger fish will be showing up as it cools down a little more. Be sure to start checking points of reed islands for fish that are moving in from the open lake, these are the first places you need to look to be successful this time of the year.
Speck fishing is starting to heat up here on the north end. The early round of specks moving into the grass and reeds has already started. Fish are being caught on the east side of Eagle Bay and as far south as the Monkey Box. There are a lot of under size specks in these areas (the legal size is at least 10-inches), but you can work through the small ones and still catch a nice mess of fish to take home. Jigs are working best right now but you can still catch them on minnows and grass shrimp. One other thing you might try if you want some good eating fish to take home is rig up for catfish. With the water moving in the Kissimmee River, it makes for a perfect time to catch catfish in front of the lock and spillway up river. Cut mullet or cut shrimp will work just fine to catch plenty of these tasty fish.
Make sure you stop by Garrard’s Bait and Tackle for all your fishing needs, artificial or live bait, they have it. GOOD FISHIN, Capt. Eddie Perry