Daily fishing report

Find the baitfish as the water warms to crank up a schoolie bass.

The past few months the talk has been about bass in the prespawn and spawning stages, in which we caught fish in shallow water, finessing fish into eating.

Closer to summer, the bass begin moving from shallow flats and migrate to deep water where they spend the warmer months, and they will follow points and sandbars along the way.

As they travel these routes you will find places they stop, places with one condition in common: baitfish.

To find active bass during the post-spawn period, pay attention to the water, sometimes just a ripple on a calm lake, and for birds diving and feeding on baitfish. These signs can tip you off to spots loaded with feeding bass.

When you come across a school of bass try to discover what the fish are eating. Is it shad or shiners? Look at the size of bait and color. It is important to match a lure to the baitfish. I often have observed fishermen casting lures into schools of feeding bass with little success. The bass will key on the baitfish, and if the lure is not the exact size and color they won't touch it.

The most effective lures are crankbaits, which are available in just about any size and color, and their finishes can fool even the most cautious bass. Crankbaits typically are designed to dive from 1-20 feet.

When bass school the lure is more important than the retrieve speed, but when bass are not schooling vary the retrieve speed, stopping occasionally and making contact with the bottom and structure.

Keep track of how you retrieve a crankbait, so that after the first bass strikes you can duplicate the retrieve.

Bass often are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, especially in shallow water. As we gain more daylight, take advantage of the opportunity to fish for hungry bass. A couple of hours on the lake after work can be a good end to the day, especially when large schools of bass are busting baitfish.

LAKE TARPON: The bass will begin to migrate to deep water. Bass have been caught in shallow water on weightless plastic worms and soft jerkbaits. As they move to deep water, crankbaits and spinnerbaits in shad and golden-shiner colors will catch them around migration areas. Crappie (speck) fishing is slowing, but fish are being caught in 10-12 feet on minnows. Bream fishing has been good and will improve as the water continues to warm; wigglers and crickets are the best baits.

LAKE KISSIMMEE: Bass have been caught around moving water on just about every bait imaginable. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Carolina-rigged plastic worms fished in cuts with good water flow have produced bass as heavy as 6 pounds. Bream fishing is picking up, and anglers have reported catching their limit on wigglers in 3-5 feet.

WEST LAKE TOHO: The drawdown has been postponed until November, and the lake is safe to navigate. Bass fishing has been great. Like at Kissimmee there has been good water movement, and areas with flow are full of active bass. These can be caught on rattling crankbaits and Carolina-rigged worms; green pumpkin has been the best color. Fishing with shiners around submerged hydrilla in 5-6 feet has produced bass to 11 pounds. Specks have been caught in and around grass on tube jigs and minnows. Bream are active in shallow water, and try crickets and wigglers to catch them.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Water levels are up, and the fishing is hot. Bass have been caught on soft plastics in junebug and watermelon seed around eel grass, hydrilla and reeds. Bass have been active in Eagle Bay, Kings Bar, East Wall and around Rita Island. Bream are bedding in 2-3 feet and can be caught anyplace on wigglers and crickets.

- Lenny Crispino guides on Lake Tarpon. Call (727) 938-2379.