FD.

Current is not running in the main river channels, YET. It will as soon as we start to get steady rains.

The Kissimmee Chain can be tough this time of year when the fish are done with the spawn and not quite in the summer pattern. Here is exactly how we've been catching them the last few weeks.

Kissimmee Grass and Maidencane are different plants even though they look nearly identical (I can't tell them apart). They have two fancy latin names that I can't pronounce either...

Sorry about being late to this party... I do have some availability in July if you are still looking for a guide. Right now the running water early morning bite is on with fish up to 3 lbs on top water and shad raps. Bigger fish are coming late morning in the pads and grass where the blue gill spawned 2 weeks ago. By noon it's time to get off the water because it's Africa hot...:)

Yea, I have been hanging out with the FWC's biologists too much...they are shoving stuff in my old brain that I really don't need to know.

Yes sir. We have two dominant emergent grass species in central Florida. Kissimmee grass and Maidencane. They look nearly identical (yellow/brownish stalks with green leaves) so I just lump them into "K Grass" as a label. Sorry for not explaining myself better. FD

Josh came over for a Fathers day fish. We started on running water in Hatch and boated a hand full of dinks in the first hour on top water and shad raps. We then decided to go after some bigger fish before the storms got here. Moved down lake to a pad field with scattered K grass in 4 FOW. The next two hours consisted of hand to hand combat with 3+ pounders in the jungle. Best 5 of the morning would have been around 17 pounds with two monsters left for next time, both over 7. Josh's big one of the day. 5.25 lbs

I was on Toho last Friday with a guide trip and had no problems navigating the lake. I give away a guide trip once a month to U.S. Veterans and June's winner was Mike S. Here is the video of him and his buddy having a great time. https://youtu.be/G9WbuIaVBzo

Toho is right where it's supposed to be this time of year, and is the same elevation every June that is has been for the last 60 years. You can find out for yourself here https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/plots.htm The invasive plant managment on Toho is highly regulated by a team of wildlife biologist from the FWC. I meet with them several times a year to discuss the ongoing projects and upcoming plans for the Kissimmee Chain. This is available to anyone and is encouraged by the biologists. https://youtu.be/HbVv9JdUW-Q

Yes there are several on the Chain. The two most important ones are S-61 at the south end of lake Toho and S-65 at the south end of lake Kissimmee. Those are the only two that have locks. But there are many other "control structures" that regulate flows coming in from the surrounding lakes. These flows are available in real time on the South Florida Water Managment website.

Got out for a quick early morning bite... https://youtu.be/to0zwoCHAyc

When you get your trip details figured out, give me a shout. I cover Central and South Florida with Guide Services. Even if you don't need a guide and are going on your own, I provide up to date fishing reports to anyone who asks.

I like a big jerk bait on the edges of the deeper spots fished very slowly. Lots of pauses.

With the cooler temps subsiding over the last few weeks, it's gotten hot here. But the Jerk Bait bite has turned on. I made a quick afternoon trip out on a typical Florida "bowl" lake with a buddy and caught a few. Here is the video report. https://youtu.be/adslUUnw6oY

Toho works for me and I'll likely have an empty back seat.

I'm in for anywhere in Central Florida. Are you still trying to put this together Mike?

The county is supposed to start a dredging project at the mouth of Shingle in November to remove the HUGE shoal that has been growing for the last decade. Shingle will be closed to all boat traffic for 3 months. I just helped a buddy get his boat out. He lives in residential canal before you get to US 92.

Last weekend was the first fall weather we've had and the big girls are starting to come shallow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7YTeqUJXpk

Depending on where the moon is and the weather for the past few days, it can vary. Approaching a full moon with stable weather they are going to be shallow on a hard bottom. They will spawn in the buggy whips, shell bars and even pad roots. If you are on a new moon or a front has come through, that's going to knock them back out to the outside grass lines (staging areas). Shoot me a PM right before your trip and I'll give you the scoop.

Thanks for the complements guys, I appreciate that. I still wander around the halls here at BR from time to time. It's likely that I will be around a lot more in the near future! ?

The fall transition is here. The days are getting shorter, the night time temps are down and the water temps have finally gotten back to the mid 80's. The big girls are moving towards the flats and are on the outside lines. We scrounged up a couple over 7 lbs last weekend on chatterbaits and swim jigs. Not big numbers yet but the Kissimmee bite is about to be ON!

I just re-read this again after posting it 5 years ago. There are probably a few newbies here that could benefit from Rogers knowledge.

Besides being able to choose everything, you can build a higher end rod for a lot less if you do the work yourself.

It's funny how before I started building I thought 6 rods were more than enough. Now I have to decide which 14 are going in the active roster( rod box) each trip. I've had to move some veterans the the DL lately so I called up some rookies out of the shop.