Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Outdoors

Freshwater fishing heats up in chilly December

December marks the start of the freshwater fishing season. My log book and field notes reveal the first trophy fish (10 pounds and above) are caught during this month.

As the water temperature cools into the low 60s, baitfish become more active in shallow water. The bass are in these shallow depths to seek suitable areas to nest. They also are feeding in anticipation of the rigorous spawning season ahead.

The areas in which you will find these fish vary from lake to lake. The techniques and types of baits will vary due to different water temperatures, water clarity, bottom depth and contour.

The only thing that will not change, whether you are fishing Lake Okeechobee or Lake Tarpon: Use live bait if you want to catch trophy bass.

Have you ever watched a bass guarding a nest? If you had, you would have seen bream and shiners raiding the nest and the bass trying to chase them off.

During the winter, shiners are not just nourishment for the bass. They are a natural enemy that the bass must kill for its species to exist.

The following is a rundown on what you can expect in some of the state's more productive lakes:

LAKE TARPON: December will mark the beginning of the bass migration to shallow water. Look for bass in 4 to 6 feet of water around submerged grasses such as coontail moss and hydrilla. Work a straight-tail worm, Florida-rigged, with a 1/8-ounce sinker. Dark colors are preferred, but dont be afraid to experiment with different colors.

Topwater and spinner baits in the golden shiner pattern worked slow through the same type of cover also will draw strikes. Crappie, referred to locally as specks, will bite better as it gets colder. You can find them in 11 to 14 feet of water.

The best way to locate them is by drifting with live Missouri minnows and vary the depth. You often will find the fish suspended at a certain depth, and if your bait is not in that target zone, you will not get a strike.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Bass are in every stage of the spawn and can be caught on a variety of baits. The best areas of the lake have been Eagle Bay, Little Grassy, Tin House Cove and North Shore.

The active feeding fish can be caught on spinnerbaits. Use gold and chartreuse in the dirty water and white and silver in the clean water. The bass are bedding in the cattails, so use soft plastics. Green pumpkin and watermelon red are good choices. Shiner fishing also has been fantastic.

Guides are using 8-dozen shiners on half-day trips. Specks are moving into the grass and can be caught on tube jigs. Chartreuse and green have been the best colors. When all else fails, use minnows.

LAKE KISSIMMEE: Bass are in moving water and people are catching fish that are not normally caught.

The mouths of canals flowing into the lakes have been active. Use live bait or artificials. Topwater baits, jerk baits and crankbaits in shad patterns are catching the school-sized bass. Live bait is catching the bigger fish.

Specks are being caught around Marker Nine, Lemon Point and Philadelphia Point on minnows in 5 to 7 feet of water. The fish will continue moving shallower into the grass as the water continues cooling.

Look for this pattern to continue through out December.

WEST LAKE TOHO: The drawdown has begun. The lock on the south end of the lake is open allowing water to drain from West Lake down the Kissimmee Chain. Guide Durwood Day of Southport Park reports the lake is down about two feet. Plans are to bring it down 6x feet by February to allow for cleanup.

The bass will be in the moving water and can be caught easily on artificials. The better fish will be in the open water hydrilla pods. You can catch these fish on silver rattling crankbaits and Carolina-rigged green pumpkin worms.

Wild shiners will catch the bigger fish that hang around the hydrilla. Day advises that during the drawdown fishing will be good. You can get access to the lake through Southport Park and Red's Fish Camp. Just be careful.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright