Harris - Kissimee - Central Florida Fishing Report

[CFFF 1.5]

Not sure if this applies to this thread but it is in Central Florida. Had a tournament on saturday out of the S.R. 46 Ramp. Me and my partner rode to Lake Monroe in the morning and struck out. The water was about 1.5 ft low and there was only about 2 foot of water around bethel creek cove, where we were planning on fisihng. We fished the opening to the river and the lake and the didn't catch anything. We headed back up the river to Indian Slough and the water was so dirty it looked like chocolate milk. The visibility was about 8". We went back up the river towards Lake Harney to try and find some schooling bass but none was to be found. All in all it was a really crappy day with winds around 20 mph and constant. We had about 15 boats participating and only 5 or 6 weighed in fish. The winning weight was 14.10 and second was somewhere around the 8+ mark.

[TyTy]

Sat April 5th - John's Lake - 3:45 to 7:30

Weather - Rainy/Thunderstorms

Water Temp 76

Outside Temp 80ish?

Fished submerged grass in 8-12 feet of water on one stretch of northern shoreline about 200 yards long all 4 hours pretty much.  Used a carolina rig with 1/2 oz weight and about 3 ft leader with a green floating worm with red and green flake in it and a small glass rattle I inserted in the tail.  

Caught 3 fish approximatly 2,3,4 lbs.  The 4lber had the head of a 6lber.  Missed 2 or 3 bites, one of them felt like a freight train and the reel SLIPPED OUT OF MY WET HANDS!  By the time I grabbed it...gone.

[b@ssman]

CFFF what tournament were you fishing?

[GobbleDog]

Not sure if this applies to this thread but it is in Central Florida. Had a tournament on saturday out of the S.R. 46 Ramp. Me and my partner rode to Lake Monroe in the morning and struck out. The water was about 1.5 ft low and there was only about 2 foot of water around bethel creek cove, where we were planning on fisihng. We fished the opening to the river and the lake and the didn't catch anything. We headed back up the river to Indian Slough and the water was so dirty it looked like chocolate milk. The visibility was about 8". We went back up the river towards Lake Harney to try and find some schooling bass but none was to be found. All in all it was a really crappy day with winds around 20 mph and constant. We had about 15 boats participating and only 5 or 6 weighed in fish. The winning weight was 14.10 and second was somewhere around the 8+ mark.

Monroe is definately tough fishing. That water is so d**n dirty my worm fishing just doesn't work very well... probably cause they can't see it. I prefer to head north in the St. Johns River and fish the creek mouths and sometimes move into the creeks... I once put a (small) limit together in the Wekiva River.

[alger319]

anyone got some info on Kissimmee Chain, i've been out of town fishin a tourny in Kentucky for the past week, puttin in at southport, and am thinkin of runnin to Hatchineha, Cypress, and lower Toho.

[warmer]

flipping/pitching post spawn areas took the tournaments last weekend. although this moon may pull another wave up, worth a look.

[surfer]

Lake Conway 4-11-08, 5:30 till sunset.

Calm winds building to 5mph SW at sunset.

One toothy critter on the first cast. 1/2 lb speck about 20 casts latter. Both on broken back shad rap. 1lb bass on a tiny minnow. Then as the light changed I caught 3 bass in 5 casts. 2.25, 1.5, 1.5 lbs on the broken back shad rap. One more bass at 1/2 lb at twilight on tiny minnow.

Lots of pan fish nibbling on that tiny minnow lure. If I had any live minnow I think I could have caught 20 1/2 lbers.

[alger319]

Harris Chain sunday April 20. my fishing partner and another good friend fished the sunday tourny without me :-/ . they got third place with 18-3. they fished a canal off Apopka/buclair canal that's hard to get through. they caught all their fish off senkos with exception of one on a LC 1.5. (their big fish was 6-13)

The two boats that placed 1st and 2nd where in the same area , Carlton/ Beuclair. flipping and cranking grass.

[basslovr]

Fished Saturday tourney on Harris chain. Didn't do so well myself catching only one fish and that being only 12.5". Our winner only caught two totalling 6-10. Big fish was also 6-10, but that was the only one he caught. Most fish caught in canals off of Harris. Highlight of my day was having my Spro frog chased by an owl.......3 times. I thought owls were supposed to have good eye sight and be wise.....Don't think this one was.....Just hungry apparently.

Maybe next time I'll do better.

Tight Lines!!!

[GobbleDog]

Sat April 5th - John's Lake - 3:45 to 7:30

Weather - Rainy/Thunderstorms

Water Temp 76

Outside Temp 80ish?

Fished submerged grass in 8-12 feet of water on one stretch of northern shoreline about 200 yards long all 4 hours pretty much. Used a carolina rig with 1/2 oz weight and about 3 ft leader with a green floating worm with red and green flake in it and a small glass rattle I inserted in the tail.

Caught 3 fish approximatly 2,3,4 lbs. The 4lber had the head of a 6lber. Missed 2 or 3 bites, one of them felt like a freight train and the reel SLIPPED OUT OF MY WET HANDS! By the time I grabbed it...gone.

What kind of off-shore grass were you fishing? Last year I remember finding some patches of hydrilla on the north end near the main boat ramp, but wasn't able get any fish off them.  All my fish came off the exposed bullrush (i think that's what it is) in the southern and western areas fishing the tight cover. I'd rather find that off-shore bite like you did.

[GobbleDog]

Lake Conway 4-11-08, 5:30 till sunset.

Calm winds building to 5mph SW at sunset.

One toothy critter on the first cast. 1/2 lb speck about 20 casts latter. Both on broken back shad rap. 1lb bass on a tiny minnow. Then as the light changed I caught 3 bass in 5 casts. 2.25, 1.5, 1.5 lbs on the broken back shad rap. One more bass at 1/2 lb at twilight on tiny minnow.

Lots of pan fish nibbling on that tiny minnow lure. If I had any live minnow I think I could have caught 20 1/2 lbers.

Hey Surf, I fished in last Wed's night Conway tourney. A friend called me at the last minute because his partner couldn't make it. Took 1st place (12.5 lbs) and big bass (3.9 lbs)!  Trick worms and crankbaits working that off-shore grass in the first lake.  That's one for the good guys!!!

[CFFF 1.5]

CFFF what tournament were you fishing?

Deltona Small Boat Club. It is for boats 17' or less and Motors with 40hp or less. We usually have about 15 baots participating. 30$ entry fee and 15 or 20$ dues. It is a nice club to fish if you have a small boat and can't run at 60mph.

[TyTy]

Sat April 5th - John's Lake - 3:45 to 7:30

Weather - Rainy/Thunderstorms

Water Temp 76

Outside Temp 80ish?

Fished submerged grass in 8-12 feet of water on one stretch of northern shoreline about 200 yards long all 4 hours pretty much. Used a carolina rig with 1/2 oz weight and about 3 ft leader with a green floating worm with red and green flake in it and a small glass rattle I inserted in the tail.

Caught 3 fish approximatly 2,3,4 lbs. The 4lber had the head of a 6lber. Missed 2 or 3 bites, one of them felt like a freight train and the reel SLIPPED OUT OF MY WET HANDS! By the time I grabbed it...gone.

What kind of off-shore grass were you fishing? Last year I remember finding some patches of hydrilla on the north end near the main boat ramp, but wasn't able get any fish off them. All my fish came off the exposed bullrush (i think that's what it is) in the southern and western areas fishing the tight cover. I'd rather find that off-shore bite like you did.

The area I was fishin is after you pull away from the ramp and get into that first main body of water, there is that shallow point that extends left to right off the left bank, if you hook around that point and go hard left you will go through the no wake zone into the other part of the lake.

The area I was fishing was from that shallow point to the first dock...along that bank.  I was drifting that stretch repeatedly (the wind was perfect to push me along with a drift sock and no trolling motor was the main reason I started there).  I started by fishing the exposed grass with senkos and didnt get a hit.  Then I moved back and drifted it further out using trick worms, a couple ticks but nothing.  Finally I moved further out from the bank on a carolina rig and that is where I caught my fish.  Out past those exposed weeds there is submerged grass of some sort.  I felt it on the carolina rig as well as saw it on the depth finder.  That is some of the only submerged vegitation I have found, most of it seems to be just what you can see.

[TyTy]

Here you go, this is the spot I was fishing.

[surfer]

Hey Surf, I fished in last Wed's night Conway tourney. A friend called me at the last minute because his partner couldn't make it. Took 1st place (12.5 lbs) and big bass (3.9 lbs)! Trick worms and crankbaits working that off-shore grass in the first lake. That's one for the good guys!!!

Congrats Gobble Dog. That is awsome. How many boats were in it? I think one of my friends was in it too. I haven't heard from him yet.

Update:  My friend was 3rd place (9.1 lb) and walked with thier entry fee and $5 for gas.

He said somthing about a Friday night turney on Conway.  Did you hear about that?

[GobbleDog]

Here you go, this is the spot I was fishing.

Ok, I was fishing the off-shore grass north/northwest of that.  I'll have to give that area a try.  I've got a club tourney in June.  

How deep does that off-shore vegetation go?  7' to 10' range?

[GobbleDog]

Congrats Gobble Dog. That is awsome. How many boats were in it? I think one of my friends was in it too. I haven't heard from him yet.

Update: My friend was 3rd place (9.1 lb) and walked with thier entry fee and $5 for gas.

He said somthing about a Friday night turney on Conway. Did you hear about that?

I know the Wed night crowd held their semi-annual "classic" a few Friday nights ago.  But other than that, I haven't heard of any other tournaments on Conway.

When I fished last Wed, there were 12 or 13 boats.  Apparently, they've been getting a pretty good crowd lately.  I remember 5+ years ago or so, they'd be lucky if 8 boats showed up.

[TyTy]

Here you go, this is the spot I was fishing.

Ok, I was fishing the off-shore grass north/northwest of that. I'll have to give that area a try. I've got a club tourney in June.

How deep does that off-shore vegetation go? 7' to 10' range?

Im not sure.  If you are 1.5 casts from the grass it seems to go until you are just about ready to reel in and cast again.

[warmer]

gobbledog,

have you seen all the spraying they have done @ toho... oh my, i hear it put the skids on an offshore bite.

solid post spawn patterns at kissimme... bass in grass inside and out, not much size, but plenty of bites. flipping creatures and jigs.

[GobbleDog]

have you seen all the spraying they have done @ toho... oh my, i hear it put the skids on an offshore bite.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.   They just can't leave well enough alone?  That stinks.  I caught a mess of bass about a month or so ago working the off-shore hydrilla.  Stuff was healthy too; fresh and crisp without any snot grass or anything on it.  And loaded with bass.

dang

[RoLo]

In Reply-91 of this thread, I mentioned that "the FWC is still well ahead of the curve on hydrilla control (less Toho)"

I had a hunch they'd fix that soon after the National Tournament.

Roger

[John C]

Right you are Rolo.!Finished 5th out of 48 boats a couple weeks or so back,fishing offshore hydrilla. Went back last week couldn't buy a bite.Same place that had produced 2-3 times previously. Go figure.

[warmer]

rolo,

the bite throughout the chain seems "off" in my estimation.  a couple people are on a solid bite in these tournaments, but the falloff is quick, and a lot of people are all but blanking.

i hear people say pressure is what does it with all the people from low water level lakes pounding it.  i dont know if i buy it.

[eustisbassman]

I am new to this board.  I recently moved down here from Jacksonville and live close to Eustis.   I have been fishing the Harris Chain, mostly in Lake Eustis.  Any tips or spots would be appreciated.  

[FD.]

Kissimee out of Camp Mack

Saturday and Sunday Tourney

Winning weight 36+ lbs

Weather  PC   Wind east 5-10

Water 70's   Air 70-85

They have dropped the lake level AGAIN.  Down almost 2 feet from last month.  Saturday was a bust.  I fished in Hatch and Cypress but all my spots were to shallow.  1 fish 2 lbs.

Sunday we ventured into Kissimmee and caught a few flipping a Gambler craw - bowen silver - in wind blown grass in 5-6' of water and cranking the cypress stumps.  2 fish 4 lbs.

Josh and finished 80 something out of 117 boats.