Headed To Kissimmee Chain Lakes This Spring, Looking For Advice On Where To Stay And What Lakes To Target???

[wvbasshand]

Me and couple of close friends leave our home fishing grounds of w.v. every spring and go hit different large mouth hot spots around the u.s. This year we've decided to try the kissimmee chain lakes out. In the past I've been "wronged" so to speak by old internet pics and web sites about fish camps. I'm sure you all know what I mean, pics that were taken in the 80's when the place was new, only to find out after driving 20 hours that the place is trashed but yet there are no cancelation polices so your forced to stay there.

We are looking to target lake Toho, but any advice is greatly appriciated. I've read a lot of good things about camp mack, but it isn't on lake toho... So if you have a minute I'll take any good input anyone has on the area.... such as places to stay and specific lakes or locations to hit.... We're not dead set on lake Toho.... Thank you for your time and input....

[FD.]

Toho is out if you want to stay on the water in a decent place.

Campmack.com is closest place to Toho. A 25 min ride by water to the south end of toho.

grapehammock.com is at the south end of Kissimmee and has nice places to stay.

wgriverranch.com is south of S-65 on the Kissimmee River and about a 5 min ride to the south end of Lake Kissimmee and has by far the nicest cabins and is the most family friendly.

There are several other places on the chain but I have not stayed there and have heard many horror stories.

Let me know where you decide to stay and I can hook you up with places to target and local guides if you want.

[wvbasshand]

Camp mack or the river ranch both look good, but it looks like camp mack would probably be the best location.... The river ranch has better amenities, but it looks like that would add to the boating time every morning... or limit us to just kissimmee lake.... Since I've never fished there I don't really know what would be better??? If you were going there in the beginning of april where would you stay??? We care more about the fishing than anything else..... Thanks for the input...

[gar-tracker]

Didn't they build a new hotel down by Camp Mack?

I had to spend a night at Richardson's on Toho about a month ago. I didn't think it could be as worn out as it was 20 years prior. I was wrong

But the people were super nice and hell, it was a fishing trip not a honey moon.

[wvbasshand]

Camp Mack does look like where we're going to go... So my question now is... Where would we want to target???? 35min "ish" boat ride to Toho, or kissimmee, or hatchineha, or cypress lake???? And if anyone has a specific guide to use???? We'll probably get a guide the first day and then go out on our own for the rest of the trip..... We will mainly be using artificial tackle... soft plastics, crank baits, jigs, spinners... but, from what i've read we would be stupid not to go pitch shiners one day! Thank you all for your input, I'd be lost with out a little guidance...

[Nitro 882]

My son and I stayed at Camp Mack 2 years ago and the accomodations were first rate. We fished the Kissimmee River, Lake "Hatch" and Lake Kissimmee.

The waters were new to us, but we still managed to trick a bunch of good fish the week we were there. The weather sucked that year mid Feb. while we were there, with a persistent cold front, but we found fish by punchin' through heavy mats along the shoreline.

The boy caught his personal best 10.25# and that alone made the trip a success.

We considered making the run up to Toho but we were doing OK we thought and didn't want to "leave fish to go find fish".

Have fun where ever you end up.

[FD.]

I don't think Toho is worth the run. Just my opinion.

Cypress is great when the water is running but most of my best areas get beat up pretty bad with a north east wind.

Hatch also is a great running water bite but it is also better on a west wind, at least for me.

All that being said, the north end of Kissimmee is hard to beat during the spawn. You will also be more protected from a likely northeast wind. It is also the least congested with hydrilla.

Specific information is only good for about a week or a cold front, whichever comes first. Send me a PM closer to your arrival date and I will put you on fish. I fish a tournament the last weekend of every month and I will be out practicing about the time you get here and will have good info for Kissimmee.

I will send you a pm with guide info.

[wvbasshand]

Thanks for all the good info.... Ill definitely stay in touch as the trip gets closer.... 10lber punching mats, man thats what I'm looking for..........

[Al Wolbach]

I really don't want to rain on your parade but:

I too go on an annual fishing trip with friends. Two years ago we stayed at Camp Mack for a week. The fishing wasn't to bad despite weather in the 40's. Camp Mack is a great place to stay for a couple of days. Nice motel but absolutely nothing else unless something has changed. Like to eat breakfast before you go fishing? Nothing within 20 miles, maybe further, one way. Forget your toothbrush? Nothing for 20+ miles. This place is in the middle of nowhere and don't leave anything out, it's also famous for it's theives. I do not want to paint a bad picture, the motel is good for a fish camp and the fishing is good, but everything else sucks(for a vacation). I'm really just wanting to warn you of what to expect. My group is probably older and more demanding than yours and in all fairness had nothing stolen but we slept lightly. In my opinion, there are better options.

If you want advice: Okeechobee is only a couple of hours further................Al

[FD.]

Ok, I stay at Camp Mack 3-4 times a year in either the cabins or the campground. I fish with 80 other boats once a month and most of them stay over the weekend and I don't know of anyone who has lost anything. There have been several breakins at the motel during major tournaments in the last 10 years but I would imagine that happens anywhere you pack 200+ boats full expensive gear in a 50 ac property. There is a 24 hr walmart within 20 min and every kind of food you could imagine. There is also a snack bar on the property, the camp mack store, which has necessities, and a new tackle shop.

[Al Wolbach]

Ok, I stay at Camp Mack 3-4 times a year in either the cabins or the campground. I fish with 80 other boats once a month and most of them stay over the weekend and I don't know of anyone who has lost anything. There have been several breakins at the motel during major tournaments in the last 10 years but I would imagine that happens anywhere you pack 200+ boats full expensive gear in a 50 ac property. There is a 24 hr walmart within 20 min and every kind of food you could imagine. There is also a snack bar on the property, the camp mack store, which has necessities, and a new tackle shop.

Lee-It was not my intent to offend or mislead anyone, if I did I'm sorry.

To set the record straight: I have no personal knowledge of any theft at Camp Mack. I was warned before my trip and while staying there(by weekend tournament fishermen). Other than the tournament fishermen I don't even remember who warned me but I received several.

I think you will agree that most of the resturants are near the Walmart, so around 20 minutes away, by your watch. My group likes to sitdown and eat breakfast and we could not fine a resturant open early enough to eat breakfast and be on the water at safe light. Maybe with your local knowledge you know of a place, the folks we spoke with did not. So we were late getting on the water every day after a 40 minute drive for breakfast.

After driving 12 hours to get to the lake I really don't like the idea of driving an hour and a half each day to get something to eat. If you are local these are not problems for you but does impact visitors. I did not see anywhere at Camp Mack to eat, maybe I just overlooked it.

If I were really complaining about Camp Mack I would have discussed the condition of the boat ramps and parking lots at the ramps. Motel parking was very good but a long way from the ramp. I may have overlooked the ramp parking lot because we never did find one in the 7 days we were there. We parked, after launching, in a forested area that made vehicle navigation dangerous at best. I truely can not imagine an 80 boat tournament launching there much less a 200 boat tournament. We have difficulty with 200 boat tournaments here and we have large paved parking lots with multible ramps.

I have stayed in fish camps all over the south and do not expect luxury but my one experience there was my probably my last. I just think there are better places in Florida with equal fishing opportunities and maybe I could at least let someone else know what to expect before they use their annual trip, spend a lot of money, and become disappointed. JMHO..........................Al

[wvbasshand]

Al, your honest opion was greatly appriciated. I checked into a lot of things, and we went ahead and got the liars den at camp mack. We go for the fishing not the amenitys... They have a bar and the cabin has a kitchen i'm good!!!!

[Al Wolbach]

Al, your honest opion was greatly appriciated. I checked into a lot of things, and we went ahead and got the liars den at camp mack. We go for the fishing not the amenitys... They have a bar and the cabin has a kitchen i'm good!!!!

Good for you, enjoy. I hope you catch the fish of a lifetime...........................Al

[South FLA]

Enjoy your Florida trip, hope you catch a HAWG

[gar-tracker]

I was raped at Camp Mack, I was whispering for help but it did no good.

[1234567]

^ LOL

[FD.]

I was raped at Camp Mack, I was whispering for help but it did no good.

The sad news is he had to pay for it.

The happy news - like most single women around camp mack, she had no teeth.

[wvbasshand]

Well then, the WV crew will fit in at camp mack perfectly!!!!