Lake Alfred – Auburndale – Winter Haven areas
Head on out to Polk County if you’re looking for some great fishing! You’ll find 554 beautiful lakes packed full of bass, shell crackers, and bluegills just waiting for you. Many of our Polk County lakes offer fine fishing piers, so you don’t have to have a boat to enjoy them. Call or stop in for a current update on our area “hot spots”. I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. At this time, we are seeing lots of big bluegill and shell crackers with good limits being reported. Baits of choice continue to be live red worms and crickets. On the South Winter Haven Chain, fishing the canals or drop offs are producing the best results. Best reporting lakes are currently Lakes Shipp and Howard in Winter Haven and Lakes Alfred, Haines, and Rochelle in Lake Alfred.
We are in prime bass fishing season here in Central Florida. This time of year, our anglers report using top water baits like Heddon ChugNSpooks or Poppin Images for best results. Booyah Frogs are also sure winners. Working the frogs along the shore line is recommended. We are seeing many bass in the 7 to 8-pound range using any of those baits. Pick any lake, use your favorite bait and enjoy some great fishing. Remember to always “catch and release” fish over 16” unless you’re cookin’ them up. We have to work together to protect and preserve our lakes and fish population. The enclosed photo shows 1st place winners, Sean Morgan and Cody Oshman, displaying their winning catch (Total 11 pounds 8.75 ounces) caught on Eagle Lake at Ron’s Tackle Box Weekly Bass Tournament, held Thursday, May 10th.
The 20th season of Ron’s Tackle Box Weekly Bass Tournaments is in full swing! Weekly registration is $30.00 per boat for a one or two man team. The tournaments run from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM each Thursday through the end of October. Prizes are awarded for BIG BASS and 1st, 2nd, 3rd place categories. The location each week is not revealed until Thursday mornings and is announced in “The Ledger” and on our FaceBook page. Of course, you may always call Ron at (863) 956-4990 for tournament information and fishing reports. Our tournaments are all around great fun– come out and join us!