A lot of people are heading off to the woods to try their luck finding that big buck. That means that the lakes will have less fishing pressure. The change of cooler weather will have fingerling shad heading towards canals, shallow flats and into coves and pockets. Bladed jigs with a small swimbait trailer have been producing well. Green pumpkin half ounce with a white swimbait has been on fire. You can cast them around lily pads and on the edges of structure. Count the bait down a few seconds then start reeling your bait in – if you snag the grass rip it out and watch the bass hit as soon as it comes loose. Another bait to have tied on is a spinnerbait. They can be used in all sorts of conditions and areas. When the lake is choppy due to wind, that is the best time to throw one.
You can cover vast amounts of water to eliminate unproductive areas but also key in on certain patterns like fish busting the surface feeding on baitfish or diving birds that will show you where the bait is. Soft plastic jerk baits are another lure to give a shot. You can make long casts and use erratic twitching to entice that big strike. Lake Eustis near the city docks has some prime target spots along the shoreline that hold bass moving to spawn. Areas with lily pads, seawalls and white beach sand are all clues to fish toward. This time of the year is fun because you can introduce the kids to the outdoors and the weather is cooling off. You can grab some minnows from Lakeside Bait and Tackle and see how many crappies you can catch. If interested in booking your own guided bass fishing charter on the Harris Chain of Lakes, please check out cprbasscharters.com for more information along with lots of fish pictures and outdoor freshwater fishing content.
