April Fishing Report:
Central Florida Inland

The fishing has been these past few months – sporadic.  As soon as you think you’re getting dialed in, “Poof”, the bite vanishes into thin air/water.  Keeping an eye on weather patterns will help you predict how fish are going to act before you hit the water.  Back in the day, we had to rely on the forecast of our local meteorologist.  Now, most anglers keep an eye on their phone’s weather app to decide which day, and time of day, has the best odds for success.

For bass anglers, weather forecasts are crucial.  A basic rule of thumb is, bass move around (feeding heavily) on overcast days.  On bluebird-sky days however, it’s the opposite.   You’ll find them hiding under any cover that casts a good shadow, and they’ll stay there as long as the sun is shining.  For them to bite, you basically have to knock ’em on the head with your bait, creating a reaction strike.  The best strategy is to just keep moving, from spot to spot, while pitching a craw or creature bait at every bit of cover you find.

I’m writing this in mid-March, and the bass beds and bass fry (babies) have just started to appear.  The spawn is definitely behind schedule, compared to last year.  So far behind, there’s a good chance that while you’re reading this, female bass are still moving up to do their bedding process.  I could go into detail on ways you can trigger a strike, or how you know if a big girl is going to eat.  More important than any tips on hooking these fish, are the facts of what happens when you take a bass away from the eggs or young it is protecting.  In the blink of an eye, sunfish and other bed raiders can annihilate thousands of future bass.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a trophy bassaholic as well.  The sight of a massive, potential bass of a lifetime get’s my adrenaline pumping like nothing else.  I’m not the type of person who tells people what they should or shouldn’t do, and there’s no way I can convince you to forget about the one thing you’ve spent your life chasing and dreaming of.  However, please think about what your plan is once you hook and land that very old, very rare, potential future world record.  A little preparation can mean the difference between watching that beaut go belly up, or watching it swim away to live on and continue growing.  So, that one day, just maybe, you two may meet again.