Freshwater Report By: Ron Schelfo

Lake Alfred – Auburndale – Winter Haven areas

Happy New Year!  Believe it or not, this is one of the best times of the year to go fishing. The months of January, February and March offer the best time of year for speckled perch.  We are already seeing a lot of limits from all of our area lakes.  As the weather continues to get colder, the recommended baits to use are live minnows and yellow or white jigs.  In the Auburndale area, our best reports are coming from Lake Juliana.  Our Lake Alfred, Lakes Haines, Rochelle and Alfred are also reporting great results.  Over in the South Winter Haven Chain, our best reports are from lakes Cannon, Shipp, May and all canals on the chain–the time to fish is now!

Even though this is prime speckled perch season, don’t rule out bass fishing.  Now is also the time for those big bass we like to see.  When going after bass, our top three recommendations for baits at this time are Bass Assassin Boss Shiner Swim Baits in assorted colors or Fish Head Primal Vibe Swim Jigs and Booyah Lipless Crank Baits in royalty color.  These are the baits that will make your day!  To zero in on those big bass, we recommend fishing along the shore line–not toward the shore.  As the water gets colder, you need to fish slower.  We are seeing signs of bass beginning to stage–looking for a place to bed.

Inside “Tip from Ron”, this year’s record of the Most Big Bass in the 8 to 10-pound range has been reported from Lakes Rochelle and Alfred right here in Lake Alfred!

Year after year, with the cooler temperatures and higher water levels, Central Florida offers some of the very best fresh water fishing in Florida!

The 20th season of Ron’s Tackle Box Weekly Bass Tournaments has now ended.  Our bass tournaments, whether weekly or special events, provide for great fishing and fun! Stay tuned for future developments.

DON’T FORGET, Ron is always available for up-to-date fishing reports and locations. So, come see him or give him a call. HAPPY FISHING IN 2019!