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Central Florida Winter Haven Bass Fishing Report

Posted by scott on January 10, 2019

The past week has been great for taking family trips out on the Winter Haven South Chain of Lakes. The weather had been stable in the mid-to-upper 70’s until the frontside of this current cold front moved in on us yesterday morning. With the colder morning air (58), and 10-15mph NNW winds, and overcast skies I dedcided a little later start (09000) would be our best bet.

I headed to the ramp early and even before launching I walked out to the dock to look for any activity. First thing I noticed was that the gills were not roaming but holding to cover on the “sunny” side of the dockposts and cypress stumps. I had bet correctly.

Leaving the dock the surface temp was steady at 68 which was only a slight drop from early in the week. We started on a deeper grass line out in the main lake on the SW side that runs from 6ft out to 16ft where the bass are nearly always out chasing shad and gills, plus with the clear water the bigger fish spawn out deep. The problem was the clouds & wind. I marked beds (holes in the hydrilla), scattered bass and bait but nothing was moving. For about 30+ mins we only caught 2 fish on white Z-MAN MinnowZ and nothing on the bigger 4”-5” shiners or bigger baits like flukes. The little cartoon light bulb over my head went on.

I moved us back to the N shore but stayed on the outside edge of the grass line in 8’-14’ and BOOM, those fish had the feed bag on! We caught fish on smaller 3”-4” shiners plus the smaller profile Z-MAN MinnowZ & Curly Tailz fished on 1/8oz Z-MAN jigheads. With the combination of a protected shoreline, the sun finally shining, and smaller artificial and live baits we caught a boat load of fish in short order.

Forecast: Even with the current frontal conditions and the forecast calling for a roller coaster ride in temps for the next week, you can catch fish on these deeper lakes. When it’s warmer and less windy you can expand your spots to cover the majority of the lakes and fish a little faster with jerkbaits, flukes, and swimjigs. But, when a front hits find a protected shoreline/pocket/cove, slow down, and downsize your baits whether using live or artificial baits.

I hope this helps you catch more fish and enjoy all that Central Florida bass fishing has to offer!

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6C7905D6-29DB-4893-B6D6-05E8105A407C.jpegSorry for the later than usual report but I was not out on these lakes earlier in the week as I was guiding on the Winter Haven South Chain. I just ran 2 trips the last two days out of Camp Mack and I’m happy with what we found.

The best news here is that we finally have higher water levels between Southport (Lake Toho) and Lake Kissimmee (Hwy 60) locks. We’ve seen waters rise nearly 2ft in the last few weeks which has helped the fishery immensely, and consequently our “catching” trips.

The last 2 days we’ve faced pre-frontal conditions with heavy winds rotating from the E to SSW in the last 48 hours. The lakes are “cleaner” and are closer to the natural “Florida black water” we’re used to here, and surface temps are steady at 68-69 in most places. We fished shell beds off points near drops or creek channels, and also 4’-6’ hydrilla adjacent to spawning flats that were protected. I think I mentioned in my Winter Haven report a couple days ago, I prefer fishing transition and staging areas for the next 4 months. You increase your odds of catching with fishing where both pre-spawn and post-spawn fish are feeding and moving back and forth.

The best live bait is wild shiners (if you can find them) in the 5”-8” range, weightless, 5’ behind a float. As for artificial baits, a Bitters Bait emerald/blue fluke was hands down the best bet. I like this bait in low light or dark water because I feel that the fish can find it easier. After so many years of “field research” on these lakes, I feel confident recommending it to friends. A white & chartreuse swimjig worked for us, along with a Zoom Mag Finesse in watermelon red dipped in chartreuse Spike-it dye.

Forecast: This weekend on the Kissimmee Chain will be an adventure after this storm and cold front blow thru tonight and sit to visit with us for a couple days. If you are out, SLOW DOWN, I mean slow down to the point that a gopher tortoise would whoop you racing down Hwy 27, slow down. Senkos, flukes, and flippin’ baits can save your day. Come Monday it’ll gradually get better.

#LakeKissimmeeBassFishingGuide #CampMackBassFishingGuide #WinterHavenBassFishingGuide #LakeWalesBassFishingGuide #CentralFloridaBassFishingGuide #FloridaBassFishingGuide #GuyHarveyOutpost #OutpostAttitude #TravelInspired #855FLGUIDE #LEGOLANDFlorida #FloridaFishingAdventrures #FishingInFlorida #LakelandBassFishingGuide #DetroitTigers #SpringTraining #RussMattBaseball


61FF342A-73F6-4DD5-8FA1-F38AA295E391.jpegWe closed out the year running 3 trips yesterday, I ran a double and had another boat out across town on a different lake.
It was a beautiful day, conditions were great (minus the heavy winds in the afternoon), the air was 69-83 and surface temps held at 68-69. The only issue was the bass were not following the playbook and it was a rather tough bite. We caught fish and everyone was very happy, it was just not what I had expected.
We caught the majority of our fish on 3”-5” shiners dragged slow over deeper hydrilla in 6’-14’, but did catch a handful on Zoom flukes and Z-Man 4” grubs and minnows. The other boat reported similar conditions and catches. I’m honestly surprised since we’ve had stable weather for a few days after the last front. I’ll have a Kissimmee Chain report at the end of the week.

#WinterHavenBassFishingGuide #FloridaBassFishingGuide #FloridaBassFishingVacation #LEGOLANDFlorida #LakelandBassFishing #LakeWalesBassFishing #KiissimmeeBassFishingGuide #CampMAckBassFishingGuide #GuyHarveyResorts #GuyHarveyOutpost #TravelInspired #OutpostAttitude #855FLGUIDE #SaltStrongFishingGuide


Christmas Gift Ideas

Posted by scott on November 30, 2018

We’re offering a Christmas Special Promotion on all trips and gift cards purchased before Dec 31st 2018.  Use the code “CHRISTMAS” for a 10% discount for either Winter Haven or Lake Kissimmee bass fishing trips, and on gift cards purchased for the favorite angler in your life.

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Central Florida Winter Haven LEGOLAND Bass Fishing

Posted by scott on October 10, 2018

I know the calendar says it’s autumn but we are just cooling off into the low-mid 80’s here in Central Florida so that means fall finally has started for us!  For guests visiting all of our great destinations in Central Florida you should consider a beautiful morning on the water with some awesome bass fishing! We’re just a short drive down Hwy27 from Disney and Kissimmee, the greater Tampa area is not that far and easy for the morning trips, and LEGOLAND is in our backyard. You can book your trip online here, or call or email Capt. Scott at 855-FL-GUIDE (855-354-8433) or Scott@TMCGuideService.com

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#WinterHavenChainOfLakes # FloridaBassFishingGuide #CentralFlorida #LEGOLAND #LakeWales #BalmoralResort #HainesCity #Davenport #VisitCentralFlorida #VisitFlorida #TakeAKidFishing #TrophyCatch #BassFishing #BassFishingCharter


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