Strike Zone Areas: 1 , 2 , 5 , 9 , 10
1 - Around Lakeland, Lake Bonny is a hot spot for big bluegill this week, with the canal near the boat ramp drawing a daily crowd, reports Stacy Roberts at Phillips Bait and Tackle. Roberts said the bluegill are large on Bonny, best from boats, and there have been a lot of limits on crickets or grass shrimp. Bluegill are active on most lakes, with good numbers and size still hanging in there. Bluegill fair at Lake Hollingsworth and Saddle Creek Park. Panfish OK at Tenoroc in lakes Cemetery, Derby, Picnic and B, reports Tenoroc Manager Danon Moxley. At Saddle Creek, bank anglers catching buckets-full of medium-sized bluegill and tilapia on red worms. Good week for bass 6-8 pounds at Saddle Creek — Fernando Garcia of Lakeland landed several up to 8 pounds on watermelon seed worms; Matt Borden caught a few up to 6 pounds over weekend on Terminator spinnerbaits; Desmond Mitchell boated a 7-pounder Saturday on a black/blue worm and also caught a lot 1-2 pounds on trick worms (scuppernong green); and yet another fisherman released a couple of 22-inchers Wednesday morning on junebug worms in 15 feet, Roberts said. At Tenoroc, catch rates for bass down a little, but decent numbers on Hydrilla and Butterfly 12-18 inches casting worms, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Dave Goodhand of Lakeland catching nice channel catfish up to 7 pounds at Saddle Creek on chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Channel cats at Tenoroc best on lakes Derby, Legs and B.
2 - At Auburndale, a fisherman produced a limit of five bass all 5-6 pounds on Lake Rochelle off the dock at the boat ramp on Producto worms (tequila sunrise, black), reports Ron Schelfo at Ron's Tackle Box in Lake Alfred. Rochelle and Haines turned on real good for bass 2-3 pounds, nice healthy fish, Schelfo said. Bass also pretty good early on Echo, Twin Lakes and Alfred, where there's fish up to 3-4 pounds on shiners and Xr-50s (Royal Shad). Lots of bluegill on Rochelle and Haines along edges of grass on crickets, with shellcracker out a little farther where the water starts to drop off, especially in Rochelle, Schelfo said.
3 - At Winter Haven, bass were good on the south chain Saturday in Fishing for Sight tournament, with two five-fish stringers 24 3/4 pounds to almost 28 pounds and a couple of fish 6 1/2-7 1/4 pounds. Bass on deep grass edges flipping and open-water structure. Water levels inching up, with canals passable in the middle using caution.
4 - At Lake Hamilton, bluegill perkier over weekend with new moon effect, not limits but fair numbers on crickets or grass shrimp.
5 - At Lake Marion near Haines City, limits of some of the largest shellcracker a game warden who was checking boats Tuesday had ever seen, reports Eileen O'Leary at Bannon's Fish Camp. Winds have been an issue, but there's also limits of bluegill up shallow deep in the lily pads. O'Leary said some fishermen are using cane poles with short line in 3 feet with grass shrimp and little or no sinkers and without bobbers, letting bait sink to bottom and twitching it occasionally.
6 - At Lake Pierce, moderate catches of bluegill on deeper grass edges. Bass tough customers, with only 5 pounds, 2 ounces (three fish) to win a Sunday tournament and a big bass of 3 pounds, 11 ounces on a Bagley Shad Rap-style lure for Willard Combee. He said winners boated 20 fish casting Rat-L-Traps, but only three were barely 14 inches. Combee said there's quite a population of large wild shiners on the lake, making artificial offerings a less appealing choice for bass.
7 - At Lake Hatchineha, new moon produced a good run of bluegill over the weekend. Bass have been slow, but will pick up when daily rains get started.
8 - At Lake Toho, bass decent early casting topwater, 10-inch worms and crankbaits around open-water hydrilla or flipping deep grass edges, but nothing over 4-5 pounds, said Cody Detweiler at Big Toho Marina. Tackle shop selling a "ton of minnows,'' with anglers going out at night for speckled perch. Bluegill in spots, but slowing down and no longer bedding.
9 - At Lake Kissimmee, Mandy Madden of Lakeland released an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass on a Super Fluke Saturday, reports Claudette Lefebvre at Grape Hammock Fish Camp. Quiet weekend for bass tournaments. Panfish remain a solid option. Grape Hammock said it was a busy weekend for bluegill and shellcracker in the south end around Brahma Island and Marker 5B. Bluegill also snapping up crickets around Grassy Island when it's not too windy.
10 - At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, great report for jumbo bluegill, with some fishermen limiting out on crickets, said Stacy Roberts. No recent reports on bass.
11 - At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, while the majority of bass have been 12-16 inches, there have been a few 9-10 pounds the past two weeks on deep-diving crankbaits in open water and soft plastics on grass line edges. Bluegill and shellcracker have been fair to good.
12 - At Frostproof, bass were active two weeks ago on Lake Reedy and should remain so early mornings, especially when the major feeding periods in the Solunar Tables are early.
13 - In the phosphate pits south of Mulberry and Bartow, things are pretty quiet, although bass up to 5 pounds will pick up when the rainy season starts, and bluegill are consistent.
Fishing Around Polk County (June 21) TheLedger.comJune 20, 2012 10:34 PM1 - Around Lakeland, Lake Bonny is a hot spot for big bluegill this week, with the canal near the boat ramp drawing a daily crowd, reports Stacy Roberts at Phillips Bait and Tackle. Roberts said the bluegill are large on Bonny, best from boats, and there have been a lot of limits on crickets or grass shrimp. Bluegill are active on most lakes, with good numbers and size still hanging in there. Bluegill fair at Lake Hollingsworth and Saddle Creek Park. Panfish OK at Tenoroc in lakes Cemetery, Derby, Picnic and B, reports Tenoroc Manager Danon Moxley. At Saddle Creek, bank anglers catching buckets-full of medium-sized bluegill and tilapia on red worms. Good week for bass 6-8 pounds at Saddle Creek — Fernando Garcia of Lakeland landed several up to 8 pounds on watermelon seed worms; Matt Borden caught a few up to 6 pounds over weekend on Terminator spinnerbaits; Desmond Mitchell boated a 7-pounder Saturday on a black/blue worm and also caught a lot 1-2 pounds on trick worms (scuppernong green); and yet another fisherman released a couple of 22-inchers Wednesday morning on junebug worms in 15 feet, Roberts said. At Tenoroc, catch rates for bass down a little, but decent numbers on Hydrilla and Butterfly 12-18 inches casting worms, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Dave Goodhand of Lakeland catching nice channel catfish up to 7 pounds at Saddle Creek on chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Channel cats at Tenoroc best on lakes Derby, Legs and B.
2 - At Auburndale, a fisherman produced a limit of five bass all 5-6 pounds on Lake Rochelle off the dock at the boat ramp on Producto worms (tequila sunrise, black), reports Ron Schelfo at Ron's Tackle Box in Lake Alfred. Rochelle and Haines turned on real good for bass 2-3 pounds, nice healthy fish, Schelfo said. Bass also pretty good early on Echo, Twin Lakes and Alfred, where there's fish up to 3-4 pounds on shiners and Xr-50s (Royal Shad). Lots of bluegill on Rochelle and Haines along edges of grass on crickets, with shellcracker out a little farther where the water starts to drop off, especially in Rochelle, Schelfo said.
3 - At Winter Haven, bass were good on the south chain Saturday in Fishing for Sight tournament, with two five-fish stringers 24 3/4 pounds to almost 28 pounds and a couple of fish 6 1/2-7 1/4 pounds. Bass on deep grass edges flipping and open-water structure. Water levels inching up, with canals passable in the middle using caution.
4 - At Lake Hamilton, bluegill perkier over weekend with new moon effect, not limits but fair numbers on crickets or grass shrimp.
5 - At Lake Marion near Haines City, limits of some of the largest shellcracker a game warden who was checking boats Tuesday had ever seen, reports Eileen O'Leary at Bannon's Fish Camp. Winds have been an issue, but there's also limits of bluegill up shallow deep in the lily pads. O'Leary said some fishermen are using cane poles with short line in 3 feet with grass shrimp and little or no sinkers and without bobbers, letting bait sink to bottom and twitching it occasionally.
6 - At Lake Pierce, moderate catches of bluegill on deeper grass edges. Bass tough customers, with only 5 pounds, 2 ounces (three fish) to win a Sunday tournament and a big bass of 3 pounds, 11 ounces on a Bagley Shad Rap-style lure for Willard Combee. He said winners boated 20 fish casting Rat-L-Traps, but only three were barely 14 inches. Combee said there's quite a population of large wild shiners on the lake, making artificial offerings a less appealing choice for bass.
7 - At Lake Hatchineha, new moon produced a good run of bluegill over the weekend. Bass have been slow, but will pick up when daily rains get started.
8 - At Lake Toho, bass decent early casting topwater, 10-inch worms and crankbaits around open-water hydrilla or flipping deep grass edges, but nothing over 4-5 pounds, said Cody Detweiler at Big Toho Marina. Tackle shop selling a "ton of minnows,'' with anglers going out at night for speckled perch. Bluegill in spots, but slowing down and no longer bedding.
9 - At Lake Kissimmee, Mandy Madden of Lakeland released an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass on a Super Fluke Saturday, reports Claudette Lefebvre at Grape Hammock Fish Camp. Quiet weekend for bass tournaments. Panfish remain a solid option. Grape Hammock said it was a busy weekend for bluegill and shellcracker in the south end around Brahma Island and Marker 5B. Bluegill also snapping up crickets around Grassy Island when it's not too windy.
10 - At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, great report for jumbo bluegill, with some fishermen limiting out on crickets, said Stacy Roberts. No recent reports on bass.
11 - At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, while the majority of bass have been 12-16 inches, there have been a few 9-10 pounds the past two weeks on deep-diving crankbaits in open water and soft plastics on grass line edges. Bluegill and shellcracker have been fair to good.
12 - At Frostproof, bass were active two weeks ago on Lake Reedy and should remain so early mornings, especially when the major feeding periods in the Solunar Tables are early.
13 - In the phosphate pits south of Mulberry and Bartow, things are pretty quiet, although bass up to 5 pounds will pick up when the rainy season starts, and bluegill are consistent.
Copyright 2012 TheLedger.com - All rights reserved. Restricted use only.