Fishing Blog

WARNING: Bass Fisherman Only!

Lake Kissimmee is nationally known as one of the best Large mouth bass lakes in the united states. Lake Kissimmee Florida is the largest of the lakes originating from the Kissimmee River chain of lakes. The Florida Department of Natural Resources has improved the lake tremendously with new implants of beneficial vegetation. These changes created new critical spawning areas for the the largemouth , and other fish species.

Lake Kissimmee is located east of the City of Lake Wales in the heart of Osceola County.

My article will concentrate on 12 fishing areas located on or around Lake Kissimmee that hold various game fish species. You can also visit the Florida Fish and wildlife conservation commission webpage and click on Interactive maps to get more detail information.

Area #1Kissimmee Fishing Lake Report The Highway 60 bridge area on the south end of Lake Kissimmee produces largemouth bass, crappie and catfish in summer. This spot is excellent when the S-65 lock is open and water is moving out. For bass, fish deep water around the bridge pilings with plastic worms and deep-diving crankbaits. Crappie prefer deep, cool water around the bridge during summer. Minnows and jigs are your best bet.

Area #2 The area between the Shady Oaks Fish Camp and the Highway 60 bridge provides good spring bass action on plastic worms and craws, topwaters and Rat-L-Traps.. Work the old river channel, marked by scattered grass outcroppings. This is a good spring spawning area for bass. In summer, flip plastic worms, rigged Florida-style with a screw in bullet sinker, along the edges of the vegetation. Look for schooling bass in June and July.

Area #3 Kissimmee Lake Fishing Reports This is the prime spawning area on the south end of the lake. Fish the shallows with spinnerbaits, plastic worms, craws and jerk baits in late winter and early spring.

Area #4 This deep-water break off the east side of Brahma Island drops into 6 foot depths, creating holes in the vegetative cover. Work the cover for bass in the summer and again in late fall for shallow fish, staging for spawning.

Area #5 During summer, work jerkbaits, plastic worms, vibrating plugs and spinnerbaits for bass along the southeast corner of Brahma Island. Cast around hydrilla and the edges of the drop-offs along the cut. Depths vary from 2 to 8 feet and average 4 to 5 feet off the main channel.

Area #6 The cut behind Brahma Island, extending between Rocky Point and Otter Slough, is a good spot for summer bass. Throw topwater lures early and late in the day along the edge of lily pads and scattered hydrilla. When the sun is high, flip the pads around the weed transitions.

Area #7 The westernmost point of Brahma Island has a good drop off marked by lily pads and hydrilla growth. Work topwater bass lures early in the day along the edges of the hydrilla. Switch to lipless vibration lures and plastic jerk baits, worms and craws as the sun moves higher. Work the cut toward Otter Slough, casting the hydrilla seams and pockets.

Area #8Kissimmee Fishing Lake ReportThis small cove is called Polluted Waters but, in spite of the name, the water is not polluted. Fish weedless spoons and plastic worms to the cover at the mouth of the cove. Spring and summer are prime times. Flipping works best along the line of maidencane and Kissimmee grass.

Area #9 Shallows on the northwest shore of Brahma Island attract spawning bass in late winter and early spring. Work the inside of the outer grassline with weedless plastics. In summer, flip the outside edges of the grassline.

Area #10Kissimmee Fishing Lake Report Scattered lilypads and Kissimmee grass hold bass most of the year. Use topwaters early around the scattered grass patches then work the heaviest cover with weedless plastics.

Area #11 Jack’s Slough produces bass in late spring and summer. Vegetation edges are especially good after a rain, which increases the current from Jackson Creek. Retrieve plastic worms, jerk baits, spoons and spinnerbaits around the vegetation and contours at the mouth of the inlet. Live shiners will bring out the big bass.

Area #12 Scattered grass in 4 to 7 feet in the Three Oaks area attract bass. Cast spoons, topwater plugs or buzz baits along the outside grassline early in the year. Bass spawn in the nearby shallows in early spring. This is also a prime spawning spot for bluegill and redear.

Well I hope the 12 areas identified in this Lake Kissimmee Florida Fishing Reports will help on you plan your next freshwater fishing trip to Florida. Lets Go Fish’in!

Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at Florida Lake Kissimmee Fishing Reports and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed”

When people are watching fly fishing on television they get the impression that beginner fly fishing a simple. As a matter of fact, what you are watching on television is not beginner fly fishing, these are professionals who have been fly fishing a long time and have worked on the techniques for many years.

Remember this is television and the chances on everything going to plan on the first take are pretty low. Television programs have a way of making things look easy which is appealing to anyone watching the program, and this is why individuals get the idea that beginner fly fishing is easy. Actually, beginner fly fishing is not easy at all so here are some great tips you will require to get started

Fly Fishing Equipment:

The equipment you need is a reel, rod, and fly fishing line plus a fly of course. Lots of individuals, may their first mistake with beginner fly fishing by getting the wrong line. You’ll notice two things about fly fishing line, it’s both thicker and heavier than standard fishing line. Firstly, fly fishing doesn’t require you use sinkers or lures so there is nothing weighing the line down. Therefore the line itself needs to be heavy so you can fly cast it properly. It's also heavier since you need to cast with accuracy and that's difficult to do with thinner line. So make sure that for your beginner fly fishing expedition you get the proper supplies and tools to get the job done.

Don’t Skimp:

Many people will attack beginner fly fishing with a mind to catch fish and no mind on the fly fishing equipment they will use to get the job done. Never skimp on your equipment because if you buy cheap equipment and it fails on you at the beginning of your trip then you have a long fishing trip ahead of you. Get the best reel you can afford and the best pole you can find. You can ask someone at the sporting goods store but you are better off asking someone you know that fishes because sporting goods store clerks love to see people in beginner fly fishing and try to sell them stuff they don’t need.

You can be sure that fly casting is definitely the most difficult thing to do in fishing so you will need practice. Be sure to take your time getting used to fly casting, because you’re fly fishing success will depend upon it.

If you’re thinking of fishing in Alaska, you should recognize the fish species in the area, understand their preferred flies and know what to expect. So, read on for a general overview of the fish species during your next fishing vacation in Alaska.

Pacific Salmon Varieties

The four most populous Pacific salmon varieties in Alaska are: silver salmon, reds or sockeyes, pinks, and Chinook or king salmons. Overall, the Pacific salmon is a great game fish that can put up a fantastic fight and pose an incredible challenge.

It’s important to note that while Pacific salmon won’t eat after returning to fresh waters, they will still strike subsurface and surface flies. However, fly fishers need to be ready to take in what are a large and aggressive fish species. The king salmon in Alaska can weigh close to or over one hundred pounds.

Steelhead Trout

The steelhead trout is a unique rainbow trout that can swim in the open sea or large lake environment, but does spawn in connecting rivers. After their spawning, they’ll return to a large lake or ocean.

The steelhead is strong, large, high-leaping and long-running, making it highly prized among experience fly fishers. It’s also a great catch for the dinner table and an overall tasty fish. The fish averages between 4 and 12 pounds, but can often exceed 20 pounds, particularly in Alaska.

Grayling

The grayling trout is a rare, beautiful and delicate fish found in cold waters - and for fly fishing, Alaska graylings are probably the most prized fish. To survive, the fish needs pure, cold and clear lake or stream water, meaning Alaska is likely the best place in the world to find the grayling.

Graylings mostly feed on live and active insects, but will sometimes eat crustaceans or small minnows. The most effective flies tend to be smaller or dry flies.

An Alaskan grayling will typically grow to about 4 pounds, but they’re a tasty catch and well suited to the dinner table.

Arctic Char

As a trout, the Arctic char lives for the pure and cold waters of Alaskan lakes and streams. The fish makes a great catch that’s lively and strong, though willing to fall for more flies and slightly easier to trick than the rainbow trout. For fly fishing, Alaskan arctic char is an easy lure, but a fantastic catch on any fishing trip.

Not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the majesty of the Alaskan coastland while going after some of the best fish in the world. If you are able to squeeze in the time, don’t miss out.

WARNING: Bass Fisherman Only!

Florida’s lake Tohopekaliga large mouth fishing is rated and reported as one of the top areas in the USA. Largemouth bass are found in nearly every freshwater impoundments in Florida. More then 7,500 freshwater lakes and rivers lakes are available for fishing freshwater in Florida. In Florida Fishermen face a tough decision on which lake to chose because they all hold good populations of largemouth bass. We hope you will use this article as a guide in making your decision to fish Florida’s for large mouth bass. We will be publishing a series of articles that focus on the the top Largemouth bass lakes rated by the Florida Fish and wildlife conservation commission. Our article will focus on the top ten areas in and around Lake Tohopekaliga that hold good population of Largemouth bass. We hope this information will help you plan a a fishing trip to lake Tohopekaliga (called lake Toho by locals). We will list 10 Area’s on or around the lake that have been known to hold fish. You can also visit the Florida Fish and wildlife conservation commission webpage and click on Interactive maps to get more detail information.

Lake Tohopekaliga (pronounced təˌhoʊpɨkəˈlaɪɡə) Lake Toho, West Lake, or simply Toho for short), native name meaning “sleeping tiger” for its sudden storms that appear in the summer time, is a lake in Osceola County,Florida, United States. It is the primary inflow of Shingle Creek, which rises in Orlando. It covers 18,810 acres (76.12 km²), and spans 42 miles (68 km) in diameter. It is linked to East Lake Tohopekaliga by Canal 31 (St. Cloud Canal). The canal is 3 miles (5 km) long and runs through western St. Cloud. South Port canal is located at the southern tip of the lake and links it to Cypress Lake. It is 4 miles (6 km) long. Three places surround the lake, Kissimmee on the northwestern shore, Kissimmee Park on the eastern shore, and South Port at the southen shore. Lake Tohopekaliga is the largest lake in Osceola County and is known for its bass fishing.

Here’s a visual of the fish attractors that are located on Lake Toho . This info should help you when you plan your trip to Lake Tohopekaliga Florida.

Lake Tohopekaliga is easy to find, it is located Lake Toho is located next to the City of Kissimmee in central Florida. It is the second largest lake in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and represents the second largest water body on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. It is noted to be one of the premier largemouth bass fishing destinations in the USA. Many professional and amateur fishing tournaments are held here every year.

The following Lake Tohopekaliga fishing report identifies areas around the lake that have been known to hold largemouth bass the information comes from the Florida Fish and wildlife website.

Area #1 Lily pads, Land bulrushes along the north shore of Fells Cove hold numbers of bass in the cooler months. Fish plastic worms along vegetation in 4-to 6-foot depths.

Area #2 The mouth of Lake Ajay canal produces when water is flowing after spring or summer rains. Schools of bass and bullhead catfish are drawn to the flowing water and respond to live baits or artificials. Fishing with cut bait or 4-to 6-inch shiners is a proven technique for giant catfish.

Area #3 Bass anglers fishing with live bait are often successful along the southeast side of Fells Cove. To catch a large bass in spring or summer, anchor near the cattails or slow-troll the weedline with an electric motor. Troll from the Fells Cove cut to Lake Ajay canal, keeping the shiners 20 feet behind the boat and near the surface weedline.

Area #4 Bass and bluegill are taken from the first 30 yards of weeds extending along the cut from the Fells Cove mouth. If it’s windy, fish the entire canal all the way to the main lake. Cast topwater plugs and minnow-type lures around the grass for bass.

Area #5 The Fells Cove canal entrance holds bass year-around. Bass anglers throw lipless crankbaits into the open water or plastic worms to the weedline. Fish the area when there is a current coming into the lake and continue on into the canal for 25 to 50 yards when the bass are actively feeding. Some large catfish have been taken from this canal mouth accidentally on artificials, but cut bait is preferred by catfishermen. Fish when runoff from a rain generates a current.

Area #6 The deep hole off the Boy Scout camp is known for holding bass. Troll live shiners 30 yards behind the boat or spray cast a crankbait around the drop-off. Silver/black is a popular color for schooling bass in summer. The fish hold on the dropoff which slopes from 6 feet on the edge of the hole to 16 feet at the bottom. Fish live shiners close to the bottom. Use weedless plastics to fish the bulrush.

Area #7 This area of scattered bulrushes and grass patches holds bass year around. It is a prime wading area; some anglers hop in and tow their boat behind them with a line around their waist. Cast white and gold-bladed spinnerbaits. Plastic worms and lizards are effective in the 3-to 4-foot depths. Slowly crawl Texas-rigged plastics with 3/16-to 1/4-ounce slip sinkers through the weedline in the cooler months.

Area #8 Grass patches along the east side hold bass all year. Also work the boat cuts through and behind the densest cover in spring and fall. Weedless spoons, plastic worms and jerkbaits are effective in the open pockets. Panfishermen can catch bluegill in the summer and crappie in January and February.

Area #9 Bass can be caught throughout the entire length of the Lake Runnymede Canal. Fishing is best in late spring and early fall. Work jerkbaits, topwater plugs and vibrating lures around the masses of hydrilla along the banks. Texas-rigged plastic worms are effective when fished in and over the hydrilla.

Area #10 Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits take bass from the open water around the hydrilla on the southwest side of Runnymede Lake. Fish all the pockets and cuts through the vegetation in the spring and fall. At night, crawl dark plastic worms in the same pockets. Black and purple are proven colors.

Well I hope the 10 areas identified in this Florida lake Tohopekaliga fishing report will help on you plan your next freshwater fishing trip to Florida.

Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at lake Toho florida and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed”

Old School Bass Fishing Secrets Course

Lake Erie has two excellent fishing areas you need to familiarize with when you read any any lake Erie fishing reports. The two hot spots you need to focus on are the Western and Central Basins for lake Erie. Most Fishing reports on Lake Erie will concentrate their reports on these to fisheries. The Western Basin and Central Basin hold some of the most pristine fishing areas in the Midwest. If you are planning a fishing trip to one of these areas do your homework. These area are excellent fishing areas but Lake Erie can be dangerous if you don’t do some pre-planing to understand her weather patterns.

A good up to date fishing report is a must to pinpoint where you want to fish and for what type of fish species you are going to target. For example if you plan on targeting Lake Erie’s Small mouth bass you will need a fishing report that tells you where the small mouth bass are located and what baits they are hitting on. Once you have decided to fish the western or central basin, you can get local fishing and weather reports for these areas. Refer to the current fishing Western Basin and Central Basin hot spots I copied from the Ohio Department of Natural resources below. For Example If I wanted to fish for small mouth in Lake Erie’s Western basin, I would concentrate on the hot spot areas listed specifically for small mouth.

If I wanted to plan a summer walleye trip in the Western Basin of Lake Erie I would concentrate my pre-planning in the areas of:West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel.

Once you have identified the area you want to fish and for what species you are going to target you need to locate a good local fishing report.Now you need to locate a good source for accurate detailed information for these areas. Make sure your report includes up to date information and includes weather conditions. You can find your information on the Internet by using a simple search on “google”.

Western Basin Fishing Hotspots Walleye Winter- Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba. Ice Fishing; Reef Complex, Bass Island Area, Catawba, Marblehead.

Spring-Maumee River, Sandusky River, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Marblehead

Summer-West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel.

Fall-Kelleys Island, Bass Islands, Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba

Yellow Perch Winter-Ice Fishing; Catawba, Bass Islands, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay

Spring-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island

Summer-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Toledo water intake, Metzger’s Marsh Pier

Fall-West Sister Island, Toledo Shipping Channel, Marblehead, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Bass Islands, Toledowater intake

Smallmouth Bass Winter-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead

Spring-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex

Summer-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River

White Bass Winter-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead

Spring-Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River

Summer-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead.

Fall-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead

Additional Opportunities Winter-Bluegill (ice fishing, harbors and marinas); Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay

Spring-Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky Bay

Summer-Largemouth Bass, Bluegill; East Harbor, West Harbor, Channel Catfish; Sandusky Bay

Fall- Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky Bay

Central Basin Fishing Hotspots Walleye Winter- Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.

Spring-same as winter, plus Grand River and nearshore areas from Vermilion - Conneaut.

Summer-Ruggles Reef, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; inshore early, offshore late.

Fall-Huron, Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; eastern locations early

Yellow Perch Winter-Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.

Spring-Breakwalls and nearshore locations: Huron, Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Mentor Headlands, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Summer-Nearshore to offshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut

Fall-Offshore to nearshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut

Smallmouth Bass Winter-Nearshore, harbors and marinas; Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Cleveland artificial reefs

Spring-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs

Summer-Nearshore to offshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Lakewood, Cleveland artificial reefs

Fall-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs

Steelhead Trout Winter-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.

Spring-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.

Summer-Offshore depth-controlled trolling from Lorain Sandbar - Avon, Cleveland - Fairport, Geneva - Ashtabula.

Fall-Piers, beaches and breakwalls from Cleveland east; Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs during high water in mainstems.

White Bass Winter-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain , Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Spring-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Summer-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Fall-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at lake erie central basin fishing report and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed” You can also contact him his e-mail address:
admin@oldfishinghole.com

Click Here To Get Your Free Fishing For Crappie E-mail Course

Crappie Fishing tips: Improve your catch!

To get really good at crappie fishing it is key to start learning a few crappie fishing tips of the trade, to catch fish even when no once else can. It is to your advantage to have a few crappie tips that other crappie fisherman either don’t know or just have forgotten. Instead of coming home with a empty stringer , lets take a look at some crappie fishing tips that will fill your cooler on your next fishing trip.

#1 Fishing Crappie Tip Always catch your bait from the same water you are going to fish. Chances are crappie will spit out anything that is not natural to their habitat.

#2 Fishing Crappie Tip If you fish from a boat and have a fish finder you need to be able to identify large schools of crappie when they show up on your fish finder. When you spot what looks like a upside Christmas tree on the screen this a large school of crappie.

#3 Fishing Crappie Tip When you identify a large school of crappie don’t rush in to fish!cast to the outer edges of the school, you don’t what to sppok the crappie

#4 Crappie Fishing Tip When you locate a school of fish, start by line to the bottom. Slowly crank in your reel counting every turn until you get a hit. Now mark your line with a permanent magic marker , preferably a bright color. The reason you mark your line is so you can go right back to the same depth the next time you drop your line. Repeat this step until the crappie school moves.

#5 Crappie Tip Crappie rise to the bait their eyes are located on the top of their heads so the do not see anything below them. You must make sure your bait presentation is always above them.

#6 Fishing Crappie Tip Use an ultra-light rig that weighs only a few ounces. Crappie are not heavy hitters. Many time they just suck on the bait and if you do not have light tackle you will never feel the hit.

#7 Crappie Tip use 2-4 pound test line , always make sure your is located on a loop, not held tight on the hook ring. The hook needs to move freely to give the bait some play. Remember the more natural the bait looks the more fish you will catch.

Now you are ready for your next crappie fishing trip . If you use all or just a few of the tips above you will improve your crappie catch count. So good luck and good fishing!

Mark Fleagle Webmaster. 30+ Years Of Fishing Experience Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. Click This Link To Find Out More About Fishing Crappie Tip

Old School Bass Fishing Secrets Course

Lake Talquin holds good populations of black bass, Striped bass, white bass, black crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish. Lake Talquin is one of the best black bass lakes during the winter, But if you want to catch specs, bream, and redear sunfish Lake Talquin is the place to be! The Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission Maintains the population of Stripers by stocking. The striper ave. catch size is between 10 and 15lbs but very few stripers over 20lbs are ever caught. The good months for Stripers are normally caught during February, March and April.

Lake Talquin is live bait fishermans dream because of the abundance of natural bait fish that keep the game fish very active. Golden shiner, seminole killfish, sunfish, crayfish, threadfin shad and gizzard shad are the most common forage. Minnows such as sailfin mollies, pot-guts and a variety of others. Also there are other numerous natural baits such as water dogs,sirens,leeches,tadpoles,frogs,mussels,and Insect larvae that the game fish love to eat on Lake Talquin Florida.

Catch your Large Mouth bass along the drop-offs and channels. Move your boat into position and anchor in 6 to 8ft of water so you can toss Texas or Carolina riged plastic worms into the deeper channels In the spring fish the grass flats in 4 to 7 feet of water. Investigate the along the river and creek channels to identifiy spawning paterns. Use plastic worms and minnow imatation lures where the creeks empty into the Lake Talquin Florida.

The best time to catch Stripers on Lake Talquin Florida is in the fall. During the fall and winter you can see an amazing spectical. The stripers school in open water and feed in a crazy frenzy. You can spot them by watching the birds. If the birds are diving on bait the open waters, chances are the there are strippers schooling and feeding on threadfin shad. Fish any artificial bait that imitates these shad. Some suggestions would be to fish Minnow imitations and chugger-style topwater lures. They seem to work well on stripers that are feeding on Shad.

The best live bait for shellcraker and bream is grass shrimp. Shellcraker and bream are very active during from april through may and you can get some great catches. The best time to catch crappie is in the winter months. The best method is to drift or slow troll the open water until you locate the crappie schools. Spider rigging at differnt depths is the best method to locate how deep the suspended schools are.

Area #1 Florida Lake Talquin Picnic Point is a sandbar in one of the widest sections of the Ochlockonee River. There is heavy cover on top of the bar and 5-foot depths along the edge that drop to about 22 feet at midchannel. A jig or crankbait like a Big N worked down the drop is most effective.

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #2 The Smokehouse area off the mouth of Hunter Creek is a flat about 4 feet deep with good spring bass fishing. Stumps and vegetation along the channel provide great cover for both forage and largemouth bass. When the water is running, use deep-diving crankbaits. Plastic worms are also good bets throughout the year. There is good spring fishing when rainfall allows access to the shallows.

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #3 Lake Talquin Fishing Report The Iron Post, also known as the Talquin flats area, has a deep hole at the end of an old submerged channel. Work auger tail and paddle tail worms along the ledge of the adjacent flooded flats for big bass. Topwater stick baits such as the Bomber Long A take smaller, schooling bass during summer and early fall.

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #4 A bend in the river channel directly across from Coe’s Landing is a prime largemouth spot during the winter months. The water drops from 5 feet to 18 feet in the channel. Cast plastic worms and deep-running crankbaits in the stumps and nearby flats. Be careful of stumps.

Area #5 This minor creek channel on the Coe’s Landing side is at the southern tip of what local anglers call the Iron Curtain. Bass hold on sandbar drop-offs along the tiny creek. Using plastic worms along the creek drop-offs, which runs almost to Williams Landing, is effective for winter bass. Target schooling bass here in the summer.

Area #6 The deep channel at High Bluff provides excellent winter fishing for striper and largemouth on live shiners or deep-diving crankbaits. Fish the creek channel that runs from Double Creek to the old wooden pier. Fish the creek channel and pier pilings for big bass and striped bass. For stripers, cast small crank baits, vibration lures, plastic worms, and stick baits in pockets of open water surrounded by lily pads.

Area #7 A 20-foot drop-off near the small island holds winter largemouth that will take plastic worms dragged along bottom and down the drop. In the heat of summer, if bass are not schooling on the surface nearby, a jigging spoon can sometimes entice fish from the depths. A plastic worm, rigged Carolina style, is effective along the edge of the river channel. Bend the hook back into the worm to prevent snags, then drag it back, imparting no movement, through the stumpy drop-off. This is one of the most productive big bass spots on the lake.

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #8 Lake Talquin Fishing Report Fish this delta-shaped inlet with old docks for black bass. Work the shallow drop-off into the cove, a small spring-fed channel called Cootermill Creek, and the nearby Ochlockonee River channel, which averages about 22 feet deep. Fish plastic worms and jig spoons in the holes and drop-offs, and toss crankbaits along edges of the channel. A floating worm snaked through the lily pads in areas with cypress trees and stumps may draw a strike.

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #9 Plenty of shellcracker beds, sometimes more than an acre of them, are found just off the High Bluff area around mid-April. The sandy flats remain loaded with beds for about 3 months. Move in carefully over the stumpy-area. Fish the edges of the flats with spinnerbaits and floating worms for bass. In close, cast small Beetle Spin lures or switch to shellcracker rigs and use crickets or worms.

Area #10 Talquin Lake Fishing Report The mouth of Mews Creek is a good year-round area for schooling bass. Work plastic worms for largemouth where Mewes Creek and Ochlockonee River channels merge. Cast toward the bank then work the creek channel

Lake Talquin Florida Fishing Area #11 The bends on Little River average about 12 feet deep and hold crappie during winter. One method is to use a rake or paddle to scoop a hole in the floating hyacinth, and then check for minnows. If bait is present, crappie are generally below. Drop a live minnow or small jig through the hole in the weed canopy. In the summer, bass and striper school are here, feeding on thick populations of shad. Near here an old boat house collapsed into the water, creating a good spot. This is also a spawning area, from February through May.

Area #12 Pre-spawn bass provide excellent action in the back of Little River Arm. The depth varies from 12 feet in the river channel to 7 or 8 feet along the edge. Work shad-colored crankbaits along the channel during early spring. When there’s a flow, move up the creek and work likely areas with a plastic crayfish or 1/4-ounce, lipless crankbait.

Well I hope the 12 areas identified in this Florida lake Talquin Fishing Report will help on you plan your next freshwater fishing trip to Florida. Lets Go Fish’in!

Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at lake talquin large mouth bass and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed” You can also contact him his e-mail address:
admin@oldfishinghole.com

Bass Fishing Guide for Beginners

If you want to learn to become a successful bass fisher, then you will need to be educated on several useful techniques and methods used by people experienced in the sport. A good beginner tip would be to not purchase a fishing boat until you learn how to fish for bass, then after your skills increase you can determine if you want to make it an on going part of your life. Many people who are beginning in this sport find it resourceful to rent a boat whenever one is needed.

There are also many bass clubs available that you can join which allow you to be able to fish out of the back of someone else’s boat and just share the expenses for the day.

Equipment

Before you begin fishing you will need to select the proper equipment. The first piece of equipment that you should be concerned with is your rod. Fishing rods come in a large variety of different lengths, sizes and weights, but you don’t need to be intimidated by all this or the price tag when you go to purchase your first rod and reel.

Choosing the correct fishing line weight is very important for bass fishing. Beginners should not buy expensive line because you will go through a lot of it while you are learning the basic skills in bass fishing. After you have your rod, reel and fishing line it’s time to choose some good quality bass fishing lures.

Make sure the lures you get are specifically made with bass fishing in mind. During the summer when it is hot the bass like going to the deeper water and there are certain baits you can use for this. However, it is best during regular bass fishing to use a prop bait, especially if there is a bit of wind to help you work with it, it is also a great way to practice with your lures on speed and power.

Beginner anglers often choose the popper baits when learning bass fishing. Choose bright colored popper bait and then cast the line out and let it rest, then pop it back. After experimenting awhile on the amount of drop noise, you can learn to make smaller plugs with less noise, then work on the pause between each twitch of the wrist, then you will be sure to begin catching the bass of your dreams.

Bass fishing can be an incredibly rewarding hobby, one that you will really enjoy, and it is a sport that comes with a truly fascinating history. Bass fishing is known to go back as early as the 18th century and many people today consider it one of the best outdoor sports in the world.

The tarpon is one of the world’s leading sporting fish. Stunningly beautiful and known as the Silver King, their aerobatic antics make them a favourite of anglers worldwide. Each spring thousands of tarpon travel through the harbour in Key West on their way to their breeding areas and fishermen are drawn into town for the chance to do battle with them.

There are many different methods for catching tarpon, the method changing depending on the type of water that is being fished. Tarpon can be found on sand or mangrove flats and also in shallow river inlets. In this case the preferred method is either fishing a fly coupled to a very strong rod and line or using an artificial lure. At other venues such as Islamorada the preferred method is livebaiting with small fish such as pilchards or herring. The preferred fishing style in Key West is using a by-product from shrimp fishing. Let me explain what we mean by shrimp boat trash. Many shrimp fishing boats ply the waters in the Gulf of Mexico and apart from catching shrimp they also catch a lot of small fish called menhaden. These are bagged up in onion sacks and sold as bait to the tarpon fishing boats in Key West.

The method involves the Captain cutting these small fish into small pieces and continually throwing them behind the anchored boat to attract the tarpon. The anglers fish with a whole menhaden on the hook, and it is drifted back in the current down to the feeding tarpon.

The tackle recommended when fishing for tarpon in Key West is very simple. Our favourite tarpon fishing rod is the ABU Conolon Boat, 7’9” 12-20lb test curve. It retails here in the UK for £74.99. ABU also offer a 3 piece version of the rod (the Conolon Boat Traveller) which probably better suits the travelling angler. That one sells for £79.99 in the UK. Incidentally, I use that very same rod whilst fishing for sturgeon on the Fraser River near Vancouver and last year caught my best ever fish with a length of 9ft 1inch and weighing…who knows, with only two of us fishing there’s no way we could lift such a beast but we estimated it at around 400 lbs. Anyhow, back to tarpon fishing. The most widely used reels for tarpon fishing are the Shimano TLD 15 or TLD 20 lever drag multipliers. The TLD 15 sells for around £80 in the UK, whilst the TLD 20 is about £15 more expensive. Whatever reel you decide on, it has to be super free running, since you’re attempting to make your bait drift down in the current at a similar speed to the bait being thrown in by the Captain. I prefer to use the larger TLD 20 because the larger spool turns more slowly when you are running your bait down in the tide with the other advantage that it needs less turns to reel in when your bait has drifted as far you want. You’ll want the reel fully loaded with nylon, I go for the Ande grey in either 15lb or 20lb breaking strain. To the end of that is tied a 10 foot leader of 50 lb fluorocarbon and a large circle hook. Naturally all of the light tackle boats have excellent tackle for you to use should you not have your own.

OK, now down to the fishing. Your captain will have taken you to one of the top tarpon spots, perhaps the entrance to Key West Harbour, the yacht basin, the North West Channel or maybe Bokacheeka. The boat will be anchored at the bow and if there are other people tarpon fishing, their boat will very likely be moored only a few feet away. The plan is that if every boat is chumming then there should be a good supply of bait drifting down to the tarpon, keeping them in one substantial shoal rather than splitting them up. The captain will start throwing in the pieces of menhaden whilst you hook a whole fish onto your hook. There’s a particular way to put these baits on the hook but don’t fret, the skipper will show you how. You now let your little fish drift down the current, paying very close attention to where your line leaves the reel spool. A bite can be quite gentle and will often be just a speeding up of the line leaving the spool. As soon as a bite is seen you need to reel like hell….don’t strike !!. The beauty of a circle hook is that it kind of hooks the fish itself once you tighten the line by turning the reel as fast as possible.

When a tarpon is hooked things will suddenly become hectic, the tarpon will likely leap out of the water and it will definitely start running towards Cuba !!. Remember when playing a tarpon that if he jumps he’ll throw the hook unless you immediately lower the rod to ease the tension on the line. This lowering of the rod is known as “bowing to the King”, and you’ll get plenty of comments from everybody else on the boat if you lose a tarpon because he jumped and you didn’t bow. If the hooked tarpon is of decent size the Captain will release the anchor and set off to follow the fish. It’s not unusual to unhook a fish a mile away from where it was hooked. It can be a long and hard fight but with a bit of luck you will eventually have the fish beside the boat ready for a swift photo before it is safely unhooked to continue its journey to the spawning grounds. I remember a ‘first-timer’ fishing with us one year. He hooked his first tarpon and as it jumped he excitedly asked “how big is that” to which one wag replied “about forty minutes” !!.

The Florida Keys stretch some 100 miles out into the ocean and have water on all sides and there’s fish everywhere. Keys such as Islamorada have built an enviable reputation for world-class sport but for many years now Key West has held the reputation of being simply the best sport fishing location in North America simply for the huge selection of species swimming around the island. Fishing in Key West attracts anglers from around the world and for very good reasons.

The inshore fishing around Key West includes fishing for tarpon, permit or sharks, the reef offers snapper and grouper and offshore there’s a whole host of species including dolphin, sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, tuna and cobia. With such a variety of species and with water on all sides you’ll be hard pressed to find an excuse for a bad day’s fishing whatever the weather gods can throw at you.

Although there are a number of offshore boats working out of Key West, our first love is light tackle fishing. If you’re not a keen angler you will be asking what we are referring to, so let’s start with a quick explanation. The offshore boats tend to be bigger with a more luxurious setup such as a large air conditioned lounge bunks and showers. They motor around the ocean towing a variety of baits behind the boat and once a fish is hooked the lucky angler sits in the fighting chair to bring the hooked fish to the boat. A light tackle boat is somewhat smaller, normally around 26 – 30 ft long, with no accomodation and an open deck. Typically powered by twin outboards, they roar around at impressive speeds which allows them to reach fishing spots many miles from the harbor at Key West. Each person on the boat is armed with a rod and reel, and when a fish bites it is up to the angler to strike and reel in the fish unaided. The offshore captains tend to fish in water at least 200 feet deep whereas the light tackle boats are at home operating in water anything between 20 feet deep for tarpon around the harbor to 200 ft deep offshore whilst fishing for dolphin, wahoo or sailfish.

You don’t have to be an experienced fisher to fish from a light tackle boat, the skippers enjoy nothing better than seeing someone reel in their very first fish. All of the captains are very helpful and they’ll all do their best to ensure that you have a great fishing experience, and maybe a fish or two to take home with you or have prepared at one of the local seafood restaurants. All of the light tackle boats have a large selection of top quality tackle for anyone that doesn’t have their own tackle. All you need to take with you for a great day’s fishing is food and drink, sunglasses, a hat and plenty of sunscreen.

Planned future articles include a more detailed description of a day fishing for grouper, tuna, sailfish or tarpon, but for the time being we’d urge you to book a trip and catch some of our wonderful fish.