FISHING

Freshwater fishing: Specks seem to love the cooler weather

Michael Wilson
Ledger correspondent
Marrianne Cox of Frostproof caught this speckled perch while fishing at Lake Walk-in-the-Water this week.

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, bass fishing was best on lakes Fish Hook, Horseshoe, Halfmoon, 2 and A. Lakes Coronet, Picnic, 3 and 5 also had high catch rates. This past week, 31 bass bigger than 19 inches were caught, including five fish over 22 inches. Speck fishing was best at lakes Horseshoe, F and Legs. The best lake for panfish was Legs and the catfish bite was best at lakes Halfmoon Horseshoe, Legs and 5, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, good numbers of specks are being caught on minnows at night under the lights. Bass are biting topwater lures and shiners at first light. Around town, specks are biting at lakes Crago, Hancock, Hollingsworth, and Parker, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2 At Auburndale, Lake Juliana has a good speck bite while drifting minnows or orange and chartreuse color combo jigs. Around Lake Alfred, one angler had 14 good size specks on minnows at Lake Haines on Tuesday. Lakes Alfred and Rochelle are producing specks on minnows and jigs. And they're producing bass, including an 8-pounder on Lake Alfred on a Booyah lipless crankbait this week, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box (863-956-4990).

More:Polk area anglers have their day at BASS Nation state

More:Saltwater fishing: Kingfish are biting all around Tampa Bay

More:Tides and solunar tables beginning Oct. 30, 2020

3 At Winter Haven, Lake Howard has a good speck bite on minnows along the grass lines at night. Lake Shipp is producing specks from the bank at the Point, reports Caribbean Bay Bait & Tackle (863-292-9755). On the south chain, bass fishing has been good on plastic worms, chatterbaits, shiners and topwaters in the morning. A local tourney produced a 28-pound winning weight and an 11-pound big bass, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, the speck bite is picking up while trolling minnows in deeper water on the big and middle lake. Bass action is good along the grass lines using plastic worms, swimbaits and crankbaits, reports Mickey Ingram at Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

Kyle Fox of the Lakeland Bassmasters finished in first place out of a field of more than 65 anglers in the Pro-Angler division with a total weight of 34.80 pounds during the Florida BASS Nation State Championship Tournament Oct. 24-25 on Lake Seminole.

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, night activity for specks is picking up. A few bass are biting around the mouth of Marion Creek. Anglers that find patches of hydrilla are getting a good bass bite, reports Ingram.

6 At Lake Pierce, the speck bite is picking up day and night in deeper water. A couple of anglers had a near limit of 41 fish, but most are getting 12 to 15 per angler. Darker color plastic worms are producing bass along the outside edges of the weeds, reports Chris Beasley at Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, specks are biting while trolling minnows at the Hourglass area. For the bass, key in on peppergrass edges early and throw a dark colored frog bait or a junebug color Skinny Dipper. Casting worms in the hydrilla at Gator Cove is producing and big bass are biting swim jigs later in the day, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

Sammyay Acree, left, and Billy Campbell of the Lake Wales High School Bassmasters placed 16th with 17.3 pounds for a top 20 finish during the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National Championship in Buchanan, Tennessee.

8 At Lake Toho, the state-marked brush piles are producing specks on white, pink and chartreuse color jigs. Good numbers of bass have been caught between Paradise and Grassy islands while flipping the mats with black and blue creature baits. Junebug color Senkos are producing bass in the hydrilla mats in 6 to 8 feet of water around South Port. Bluegill and shellcracker are biting on shell bottom in water 6 feet deep around Marker 27, reports Capt. Brent Kirkendall of Horizon Fishing (727-505-4340).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, specks are biting Muck City Tackle Jigs on the offshore brush piles. Minnows are producing specks in the grass and pads around Storm Island. Bass are stacking up on the mussel bars at the mouths of the boat kicker trails. Carolina rigged plastic worms and Rat-L-Traps have produced. Last weekend, big bass were caught while flipping the grass mats around Brahma Island, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, specks biting while drifting minnows at the north end of the lake. Bass up to 6 pounds have been caught early on topwater frog baits around shoreline grass and reeds, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, specks are picking up. Some limits of decent fish are biting minnows in water 25 to 30 feet deep. The best areas have been off Wirt’s Point and just outside the cove. Bass have been good. Wyatt Folds of Lakeland caught a 7.5-pounder on a topwater one evening at the south end. Schoolie bass are biting in the shallows on the U.S. 27 side, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912).

12 At Frostproof, Lake Arbuckle has been best for specks on minnows. Lake Reedy is producing specks off the edges of the grass and in deep water. At Lake Clinch, specks are biting deep on minnows. Clinch is producing bass while drifting shiners in moving water and on red shad worms on the brush piles. Black and blue color worms in the pads are producing at Arbuckle, and Reedy is producing while drifting shiners in the incoming water, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, speck numbers are increasing. Drifting 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with minnows is good in most of the pits. Best bass bite has been on Carolina or Texas rigged watermelon or junebug and red glitter color worms worked slow on the rocks and drop-offs in 12 feet of water. Bass are biting on Rat-L-Trap style baits.

Polk County fishing map