Now that we are in November again we want to take a moment to welcome back the first big wave of snowbirds and hope you had a great season back home.
Jumping into the bass fishing in Winter Haven and Polk County this month we are expecting a rebound from a long hot summer. If the nights stay on the “cooler” side below 70 for a spell then the lakes can cool down even with daytime temps in the 80’s. The cooler water will dramatically help the bass “recover” from the past 5 months. Already with the temps hovering around 78-80 as of this writing we are seeing more fish actively feeding and we are catching fish with some bellies on them. That’s a good sign for the fish, but not so much when it happens to this humble guide.
As for the Winter Haven South Chain you will have a lot of options depending upon the lakes you prefer to fish. I will always chose a cleaner lake so it’s flukes, topwaters, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and the shiners are always on board when it’s a kids or family trip. When we fish an off-color lake it is normally flipping the pads, reeds, and grass with black & blue worms or jigs. And that is not to say those are the only options, it’s just a quick list in a small space here.
Over to Lake Hatchineha and the Kissimmee Chain the fish have recovered in areas from the states recent over-spraying of the vegetation that the bass and the entire system thrives upon to survive. We had a larger group trip of outdoor writers in town with VisitCentralFlorida.org for their annual meeting, and we found good fish and made sure everyone left with a story to be told. The biggest key was fishing senkos and Gambler EZ Swimmers. I expect that will continue (as it always does this time of year) and as the water cools some here I believe the topwater bite will get better as well.
Captain Scott Taylor is the officially sanctioned guide for Polk County and VisitCentralFlorida.org. He can also be heard on 97.5 Country WPCV every Thursday evening with Grant Starr. Capt. Scott is part of the prestigious Bass Pro Shops Fishing Team. He guides in Winter Haven, Kissimmee, and Orlando for bass, along with Punta Gorda for saltwater adventures.
Capt. Scotty Taylor
Taylor Made Charters & Guide Service
855-354-8433
Scott@TMCGuideService.com