High water levels are finally here pushing the bait fish and bigger bass into the shallows. Expect Lake Hatchineha to be one hot ticket for trophy size bass during the coming weeks. Spend your time fishing the Buggy Whip lines and heavy isolated pads and creek mouths.
For artificial baits use Senkos, Flukes and Crawdaddy’s on 1/4 oz weight or 1/4 oz swim jigs. Shallow diving crank baits around the creek mouths are best at this time.
Follow this pattern on the rest of the Chain. Hot spots on Lake Kissimmee are: Eagles Nest, Gobbler’s Ridge, Lemon Point, Grassy Island and Thomas Landing.
For live bait drag a shiner behind the boat in the kicker trails or cuts through the thick pad fields.
Good size Specks are being taken during the nighttime hours on a minnow and slip cork rig in deeper water 1-3’ off the bottom. During the morning hours try slow trolling a white roadrunner tipped with a minnow.
Big Bream are moving into the shallows at last. Try protected coves 2’-4’ of water. Also, many good size Blue Gills and Shell Crackers are also running up the creeks. Red worms and Cricketts are best used here.
Good size Blue and Channel Cats are running the creeks at this time. Try Night Crawlers on a 1/4oz egg weight Carolina Rigged.
Please put dave’s pic with fish with his info at end of article and second picture caption: Phil and Paul Pierpont with a nice stringer of bass caught on Lake Kissimmee.
Submitted By: Capt Dave Ochs
Waters Edge Fish Camp
10730 Camp Mack Rd LakeWales, Fl
863-589-6295
