The bite on the Harris Chain of lakes is starting to heat up. Largemouth bass and specs are moving, brought on by the cooler temperatures we saw in early January. In fact, the 2018 New Years’ Arctic blast we experienced triggered a very notable wave of pre-spawn largemouth activity. Robust females are be- ing caught in canals, marshes, backwaters, and on their adjacent flats. Some fish still holding just off the first significant drop are within a few weeks of being ripe for bedding. Shiners are always a good bet when targeting bass but artificial baits like rattletraps, chatterbaits, fluke style jerkbaits and swimbaits are also working well. Big Lake Harris, Eustis and Lake Griffin have all been producing good fish.
Lake Dora and the smaller connecting lakes have been hot catching Crappie the last several weeks. Crappie are still being taken around marked “fish habs” but by the time this report is published better numbers will be moving into the pad fields of the rivers, creeks and canals especially on new and full moons. Suspended minnows and bright colored jigs tipped with a min- now have been the ticket when targeting these tasty panfish. A wise angler watches the New and Full moons early in the year as they typically trigger a spawn- ing run. This year there is no full moon in February but there are two full moons in both January and March. A February without a full moon only happens about four times in a century. Make sure to register for the Shad and Crappie Derby while buying your minnows, it runs through the end of the month and is free to enter. Now get out there and catch a winner!
To book a charter with Captain Mick Maynard visit LargemouthCentral.com or contact him at 518-578-9273 – email mjmaynard@westelcom.com.
