Published Thursday, January 12, 2006

Fishing: Around Polk County

1. Around Lakeland, Lake Parker yielded 9-pound bass in Sunday tournament, with several good-sized bass caught flipping. Bob Stone at Stone's Outhouse recommends Zoom smokin' blue worms, lizards and craws at Parker. At Tenoroc, bass up to 22 inches in lakes 3, 5 and C, reports Brian Fleming. Specks slowed briefly over weekend, but back at it in Lake Crago on dark Hal Flys -- black head/yellow body, white/black and yellow/ green best, reports Bobby Blizzard at Big Fish Outfitters. At Tenoroc, lakes 3, 4 and 5 best for specks on minnows and jigs, with a few limits. Speck boats bringing in 15-20 good-sized perch up to 11/2 pounds on minnows Tuesday at Saddle Creek Park, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle. Stone said specks in grass at Lake Bonny, but not drifting open water.

2. At Auburndale, Jim Butts of Lake Mariana Park reports good catches of speckled perch in Lake Mariana, drifting minnows near bottom on flat right off ramp in 15 feet. Butts said he's catching 15-20 quality specks per trip, with smaller fish thrown back.

3. At Winter Haven, handful of bigger bass starting to show in bedding areas on south chain, but most staging in 5-10 feet around submerged vegetation just outside bedding areas, reports Winter Haven bass guide Monte Goodman (863-661-7226). He's catching good numbers to 8 pounds on spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps and jerkbaits. Bass to 71/2 pounds in weekend tournaments. Eagle Lake tough for bass Saturday with mostly 14-inchers, although 51/2pounder topped a tournament.

4. At Lake Hamilton, cold weekend temporary setback for speck fishermen, but by Wednesday boats catching 10-15 good-sized fish on minnows, reports Chain O'Lakes Bait and Tackle (863-439-3885) in Dundee.

5. At Lake Marion near Haines City, specks up to 13/4 pounds, reports Ray Chase at Bannon's Camp. One angler had limit Wednesday, but most boats getting 10-15 per trip on minnows near grass lines. Chase said big minnows producing biggest specks.

6. At Lake Pierce, fair results on specks, a little slower than last week, but size good on minnows, reports Jennings Camp. Also catfish up to 3-4 pounds at the camp.

7. At Lake Hatchineha, better anglers catching limits of specks off Catfish Creek, with one boat Wednesday coming in with 22 keepers 11-12 inches out of 47 caught trolling jigs tipped with minnows, and Beetle Spins (yellow and white, chartreuse and white), reports Leo Cosce at Camp Lester. Tim Lawhorn at Port Hatchineha Restaurant and Lounge reports that restaurant and marina has been busy spot lately, with most anglers going for specks. Lake sprayed for hydrilla Monday and Tuesday, so don't eat fish caught within 100 yards of shore until Saturday.

8. At Lake Toho, bass fishermen will be on lookout in shallow spawning areas with warm trend and full moon on Saturday. Bass guides catching 15-20 per trip 41/2-61/2 pounds around scattered grass, reports Marc Detweiler at Big Toho Marina. Specks around old and new fish attractors on jigs or minnows.

9. At Lake Kissimmee, big bass watch is on in shallow areas like 27 Palms, Brahma Island and Eagle's Nest where fish typically move for bedding season with warming days and full moon this week. "If the weather continues, we should have some spawning fish by the weekend," reports Leo Cosce at Camp Lester. Water temperature down to 55 early Monday, but back to 59 Wednesday and warming up to 65 in afternoons, said Cosce. Biggest fish over past week 7 pounds at Camp Lester, with one on watermelon Super Fluke and one on wild shiner. Spinnerbaits producing fish up to 5-6 pounds in afternoons. Specks in grass at North Cove around outside edge of Osceola Slough and east side of Strum Island, plus outside edge at Grassy Island, and inside and outside grass at Gobbler Ridge toward state park.

10. At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, weekend promising for bass and speckled perch. Should be nice size bass if warming trend continues next few days.

11. At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, cold front put clamp on big bass, but with another warm spell, they could resume. Bass running under 5 pounds this week, reports Cindy at Bob's Landing. Specks also tapered off with front, but night fishing should be excellent.

12. At Frostproof, Harold Hunt boated a 9-pound, 6-ounce bass in weekend tournament at Lake Arbuckle, but most fish were 12-15 inches.

13. In the phosphate pits south of Mulberry and Bartow, fishermen waiting for reports of big bass. Could be a few this weekend.

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