Lake Kissimmee Bass Fishing in the Summer

The Kissimmee River runs 134 miles long and is fed from Lake Kissimmee and four other navigable lakes.  Can you name them all? (Answer at the end of this article)




In this post I share my recent bass tournament experiences on the famous Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. This information successfully earned money in one event and a top 35-finish in another. The combined events should provide anglers insight into how Florida's largemouth bass transition from one seasonal pattern to another. 

American Bass Angler (ABA) Open Tournament Series - April

The event was held on the upper portion of the chain on Lake Tohopekaliga, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  The weather conditions in April had bass in a post-spawn mode. Forage fish such as shiners, lake chubsuckers, shad, and sunfish were spawning. 

Hydrilla control treatments by State agencies were mostly complete. Native eelgrass and peppergrasses plants were finally relieved of the choking pressure from hydrilla and beginning to grow back. For anglers that want to understand more about aquatic plants and control measures, download the free publication "Biology and Control Of Aquatic Plants", or visit www.aquatics.org.


Even though winter winds were easing and southern winds dominated the weather forecasts, water clarity on the upper chain lakes such as Toho, Cypress, and Hatchineha remained dingy.

Dock talk was circulating that bass were feeding and easy to catch in practice on the clearer waters of Lake Kissimmee. The situation was announced that the Army Corp's navigational lock leading from Lake Toho to the lower lakes was being limited to nine boats at a time. Worries of heavy boat congestion and long wait times at the locks were the top concerns on angler's list of uncontrollable factors, including my own. 

First stop in the morning I fished an edge of a Kissimmee grassline. This mixed habitat included torpedograss and knotgrass and is great for finding post-spawn bass. 

"Kissimmee grass"

The morning started fun even though I caught numerous chain pickerel and only two small bass (14") using swimbaits.  I love catching fish and the small pike added a nice start to my day.  After moving to other grasslines, I was able to fill out a small five-bass limit by mid-day. I searched the main lake for clear water and found one area where I caught a few more bass and culled up by mere ounces. I still needed to find bigger fish.

My new mental approach of fishing without pre-conceived notions enabled me to keep an open-mind and totally change my fishing pattern. I have to admit it was unnerving to fish new water (meaning areas I had not fished before) in a tournament. It put me outside my comfort zone and made me leave the fishing pattern that had produced bass throughout the day. I was constantly battled my inner voice which kept telling me "never leave fish to find fish".  

Pushing through my mental war, I spent the last hours of my day fishing shallow water areas that appeared to be older spawning flats.  I was rewarded with catching two big bass on swimbaits, each nearly four pounds apiece! Talk about positive reinforcement! Those two bass really helped increase my 5-fish limit and gained me a final weight of 13.39 pounds.

 

Accepting a paycheck from ABA Tournament Director for 14th place

While the weight was not impressive, it was enough on a tough tournament day to earn me 14th-place money among a field of 73 pro anglers. More reinforcement for my new mental game plan! 

American Bass Angler (ABA) Open Tournament Series  -June

ABA Open Series weigh-in at Camp Mack's River Resort 

Two months later, the June event was held in the heat of summer on the lower section of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.  Most of the lake's bass population had moved into their summer deep water pattern. The shallows were teeming with newly born juvenile fish, and underwater plants were green and growing. Above the water, the sun was bright, air was hot, and the humidity challenged most angler's ability to focus in the summer sun. 

Before this event I was able to spend a few morning hours scouting the three lower lakes: Cypress, Hatchineha, and Kissimmee. Winds and evening rainstorms kept most of the lakes muddy. Lightening storms moved in and ran me off the lake by noon.

For this event we launched out of Camp Mack's River Resort & Fish Camp near Lake Wales on Lake Kissimmee.  Being on the lower end of the change eliminated the need to navigate the #ArmyCorp lock system. 

Launching out on tournament morning as boat 53 put me at a disadvantage for finding any fishing spots in the flowing water canals. Like in practice, overnight storms and winds continued to muddy the water.  I eventually stopped in an area that had good habitat but poor water clarity forced me to move shallower than I wanted. 

I worked the edge of bulrush to catch a quick limit of bass on worms. Both my coangler and I had small limits bass in the first hour. My first stop was a good choice and  set the tone for a fun fishing day.

Bulrush plants provided the habitat for a quick limit of bass

As the sun rose higher in the sky, I began moving around but was discouraged by even muddier water and lack of bass activity. I finally manage to entice a big bass about five pounds to hit a frog lure but lost it when the fish jumped completely out of the water and threw the bait. It would have made for some great TV footage!  In the end it hurt my feelings but fired me up to keep searching. 

Like the tournament before, I knew I had to leave my comfort zone and fish new water In order to catch bigger fish. 

After and hour of searching I finally found clearer water and started fishing this new area. My coangler Wayne earned the first bite on a swimbait and landed a three-pound bass. My first cast drew a hit but I missed the bass. My second cast with a worm picked up a 3lb bass that culled out a small fish.  The fish activity died quickly and I continued the search.  

With two hours left to fish, I picked up my flipping rod and began picking apart the plant habitat. Using a creature bait I found a few more bass resting under mats of heavy plants and debri. My biggest bass was about four pounds and really helped boost my small limit of bass up to 12.21 pounds.  

Keeping an open mind allowed me to switch fishing patterns and rewarded me with a few big fish to cull with.

Back at the weigh-in tanks anglers were talking about the good flipping bite they experienced in heavy plant mats. It always amazing me how similar bass act all across the water. 

While I solved the angler's puzzle of lure and location, it happened too late in the day. My one lost bass cost me a paycheck. Had I landed that five pound bass, I would have culled out a 13 inch bass and gained another four pounds in total weight. 

In the end, my stringer earned me 35th place out of 72 pro anglers. 

Video summary of the Kissimmee tournaments 2016

Direct link to my video summary of the pre-spawn fishing conditions on the Kissimmee chain: 
https://youtu.be/CHyuQlA1k8Q?list=PLB048ACEF1C040D01  

With these two tournaments over, the regular season of the ABA Open Series ended. Top ranked anglers move on to the higher level, two-day championship round.  I am happy to post that I will be among those competing in September. I remain ranked 10th place overall for the year in the American Bass Anglers Florida Central Division Open Series. 

I am really starting to settle into my new fishing approach and gaining confidence in finding bass in a short amount of time. This gives me hope that my journey to becoming a more natural and instinctive angler is moving in the right direction.  

Nice pre-spawn bass caught flipping heavy vegetation

Keep checking back as I share my work on instinctive angling!  Maybe you should give it a try as well. 
Remember to visit the angler plant identification guide presented by TVA.gov,
Jeff     

Answer to question: The navigable lakes that feed the Kissimmee River are West Lake Tohopekaligo, Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchineha, Tiger Lake, and Lake Kissimmee. 

Motivations of a Fishing Dad

Competitive fishing has inspired me to be a better person, to love life, and to appreciate all that is. Competition squeezes an angler's knowledge and skill into an eight hour window, where time is the opponent. Preparation, skill, intuition, and mental toughness are the ingredients required in this game of prowess. 

My first tournament of 2015 was a pathetic representation on my home lake Tohopelaga, FL. Even though I caught about 80 bass during the week and limits each day of competition, I failed to have a good showing. My 122 place finish hurt, and hurt deep. 

While most consider fishing a recreational past-time or fun game, I consider it a way of life.  

When I was young, fishing allowed me to explore nature, gave me a sense of the natural order in life, kept me out of trouble, and provided a mechanism for personal accomplishment in a judgement free arena.  No adults around to tell me what I could and couldn't do. If I caught fish, my technique was good, regardless of how untraditional my method was. 

Back then on my fishing trips, I either observed the fishing conditions accurately enough to catch fish using hunks of plastic and steel lures, or I went home skunked scratching my head about the clues I missed. 

Fast forward 30 years later and the process has not changed. Only the speed of the game. 

I fish to keep in tune with nature, keep grounded with life, remain out of trouble, and gain from the accomplishments of catching fish. ....It's personal, and an individual way of challenging the natural world. 

For some unknown reason I have always been drawn to learning how to live in the wild. Fishing is just an extension of the frontiersman in me. I also find enjoyment learning age old craftsman techniques and scavenging for wild edible plants. Our native Americans knew these things was a way of life and I envy their knowledge. 

As a competitor on the Bassmaster Southern Open tour I push myself against the best, and force myself to fish on new, unfamiliar waters in many states. I thrive for these new adventures and new waterways. 

One day my goal is to complete on a major fishing circuit that does not allow prefishing, forcing competitors to apply instinct and knowledge, rather than  networks and money. 

I constantly tell myself, "to grow we must push ourselves to higher standards and compete against those better than us." To me, instinct is the most valuable asset in nature. 

In order to get better as an angler on the Bassmaster tour, I found I have to get quicker at breaking down fishing conditions on new waters. 

We are always competing against local experts and full-time pros.  However, weather has a way of leveling the playing field. Cold fronts, heavy rains, high flows, and Gail force winds knock most anglers off their game. I like playing on an even field and often benefit from adverse weather. 

Going to new fisheries gives me a high level of anticipation, a chance to do research and apply my scientific background, and a chance to test my fishing theories. The ultimate result is the final exam...the tournament standings. 

So far in my four years on the Southern Open tour I've maintained a top 25% average. While I would have considered this an amazing feat when I was young, it doesn't make me happy. I'm not in contention enough. 

I want to be competitive! I want to put a trophy on my shelf and cash in my family's savings. I want to say that I figured out nature quicker than the other anglers. I want to feel like an accomplished biologist, understanding both science and animal behavior.

The anglers I meet on the tour come from many states and many lifestyles. I really enjoy the family feel of the tour, and welcome new members.

For the rest of 2015, I look to improve my standings and learn the game quicker, so as to be in contention more often!  

Our next Bassmaster Southern Open event is near Montgomery on the Alabama River. I really look forward to catching the hard fighting Coosa River spotted bass in the Alabama River.  Prattville will be the host city and I can't wait to explore the area which the Alibamu and Cousatta Indians called home. To float on this historic waterway will surely produce a nostalgic feeling in me. 

I am forever grateful to our soldiers who provide the freedoms we enjoy.  May God look over them and protect them. 

Thank you for following my blog. I wish I could take all my friends and family on my next tournament adventure, but it's against the rules so we will have to settle for my photos and field notes in my upcoming blog posts.  

Jeff

In Studio With The Three Amigos

Meeting the Three Amigos
Every morning, the pink and purple colors of sunrise push away the darkness of night. On this morning, I was not watching the lavender color of sunrise from the water, but instead I was witnessing radio show host BooDreaux walking up to Clear Channel's media center dressed in all purple.

 

This was my first visit to the "Fishing Florida Radio" show broadcast room. A funny thought made me pause: should I turn and run away now while I had the chance? Once the other hosts Steve and Captain Mike let me in the secured building, I might not be able to escape. I had to suppress my "flight or fight" instinct and join the guys on the show.

Seriously, the three Amigos: Steve, Captain Mike, and BooDreaux, hosted a great radio show and made me feel at ease. Fishing Florida Radio (FFR) has been traveling the air waves for over six years.


Steve Chapman (L) and BooDreaux (R)...thinking.

The first hour of the show we discussed experiences on the Bassmater Open Tour, shared stories about my recent charity events on Lake X and with Kids In Support of Soldiers, and worked on the pronunciation of the acronym A.E.R.F. (Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation). 

 

Bill Biship (L) and Captain Mike Ortego (R) in studio

The other guest was Bill Bishop, a Tarpon flyfishing expert who shared stories as effortlessly as waves lap upon a shore.  Our fishing philosophies between tarpon flyfishing and bass fishing held many similarities. Bill and I shared an understanding of paying attention to how individual fish react to each cast.

In between air times, we discussed our regards for fishing, illustrating, and teaching. Again, our philosophies were a like. Bill authored a book, "High Rollers: Fly Fishing for Giant Tarpon," which demonstrated his love for all three.

My blog is a dynamic book that I use to improve my writing. One day I will share a book of my own with the fishing community, mainly to pass on the fishing tips and techniques I have learned over the years.  The more I write the more fun it seems to become and I look forward to getting a book published.  My friend Stephanie has become my mentor as she is now authored five published paperback books under the name Petie McCarty.  Her books are now available on Amazon.com. Check out "Catch of the Day" if you want a good action story with a fishing theme.

During the radio show I found myself relating to Bill's stories of his evolution as an angler. He spoke of measuring success in his younger years by counting the number of fish he caught per trip. Now, as a seasoned angler, he targets a single tarpon or two in a day to acquire an even higher level of success.

After reflecting on what he said, I found I measure my success by determining the habitat, cover, and lure cadence needed take to catch bass in a tournament.  I am proud to say my biggest bass weighed in a tournament was 11 pounds, 13 ounces from a Florida event. In other states I target the more common but elusive six to eight pound bass.

The pace of my pursuit of working for "one big fish at a time" clashes with Bill's, as my pace is very fast and intended to cover water. Because I usually fish lakes over 10,000 acres in size, I must use "moving baits" to efficiently work as much habitat as possible in two and a half days of practice.  Once I get a few bites, then I focus on the productive types of cover and habitat where I might catch the bigger bass, "one at a time."


Floating On The Radio Waves:

Broadcasting on Fishing Florida Radio was more fun than I imagined. The April 26th show was syndicated on the radio stations "740 The Game", "West Palm Beach's 1230 The Talk Station",  and "Fox News Radio 94.5 WFLA."

The Amigo's conversations were engaging, the stories were enlightening, and the information shared by the Captains calling in to the show made me want to leave the studio and get out on the water! It was awesome to be a part of the whole production!

It felt good to contribute to the bass fishing content of the show and it was nice to have a podcast  recording on ITunes to get a measure of my performance on the show.  We made a joke of everything was going well until I looked down and noticed BooDreaux's purple-funk growing on my right arm.

Ok. Never mind. Here was the joke: In my facebook comments, I shared my worry that the purple growth now on my arm from sitting next to BooDreaux was going to infect me with Barney-song turrets and give me the urge to water my hair like BooDreaux's hat-hair. Again, the guys were great and the radio show was a lot of fun! Boudreaux takes the jokes in stride. I hope he survived the parachute jump the following day.

Anytime you are planning a fishing trip in Florida you should listen to FFR and get the latest info on what species of fish are biting. On our episode, we heard from the Captains how the Cobia bite started picking up last week and the Tarpon bite is just starting. Great stuff!

Similarity in the fishing community amongst the freshwater and saltwater groups is really neat. The freshwater side is just a micro-version of the saltwater side. Fish and habitats are smaller and more limited in freshwater, but every technique is comparable. That's why Bass Pro Shop Orlando has two separate sections that keep inventory of similar styled baits.

Fishing is an friendly sport and is unique in giving anglers the ability to meet and talk with icons in the sport such as Shaw Grigsby, Gary Klein, and Bill Bishop. The professionalism and down-to-earth nature of these top anglers is inspiring. 

Fishing Florida Radio! Please take a minute to visit ITunes or IHeart Radio and check them out.

Thanks for following along.

 Jeff

I just finished a video sharing with anglers my method of saltwater wade fishing in Florida's rich and abundant fisheries of the East Coast Intracoastal. Enjoy.   http://youtu.be/kpCFelTtMZ0

Kirchman Foundation's Lake X-travaganza

Early morning before sunrise a barn owl hoots, making it's call heard on the other side of a calm black-water Florida lake. 

 

All is quite until the silence is broken by the sound of gravel being crushed under truck tires. The first of many fishing boats arrive at the launch ramp of the former Mercury Marine testing site known as Lake X. Long since abandoned as a testing facility, the Lake X property is now managed by the charitable organization of the Kirchman Foundation. 

Lake X-travaganza is one of the many ways the Foundation introduces awareness and understanding of nature, wildlife, and old Florida to kids and parents.

On April 12, 2014, myself and 40 other boat captains arrived at the Lake X property to take a group of nearly 100 kids fishing and to share the outdoors.  Another group of volunteers provided educational programs and workshops at the recreational facilities on shore. 

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Youth Tournament:

I was to captain twin sisters Giovana and Giomara, high school seniors a month away from graduating. Neither of them had ever cast a fishing pole, let alone fished any kind of tournament. 

The tournament organizer, Neal, allowed me to use two Zebco 202 push-button rod and reel combos for the girls. Being they were new to angling, I had hoped to spend the day teaching them to cast and just enjoy a nice morning on this undeveloped private lake. I never knew the trip would turn out the way it did. 

We were boat 35 and at takeoff I motored my Triton boat across the lake to a Cypress tree line in water only two feet deep. 

My experience had taught me that shallow water areas hold the most fish, so I chose an area to give us the highest odds of catching something. To keep the girls from snagging all the grass and trees along the shoreline I tied on artificial worms. Using a weedless Texas-rig technique, I buried the hooks deep into the plastic baits. 

The Zebco reel is a classic beginner fishing reel of many anglers. It is easy to operate and cast.  This push-button style reel was created after World War II when the "Zero Hour Bomb Company" (ZeBCO) begin using its factories to make fishing tackle. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see the girls master casting after only a few tries, and they even developed the ability to cast the worms between Cypress trees.  

Giovana, the oldest twin by 1 minute, caught the first fish of her life, a twelve inch bass!  

Within a half hour her sister Giomara had hooked and lost two nice bass before landing her first fish ever, a thirteen inch bass! 

I was proud to be teaching these first-time anglers all about the great outdoors. The girls battled it out all morning hooking and losing more fish, asking who's is biggest and keeping track of who got the most bites. 

Occasionally, while the girls cast to shallow water, I would make a pitch out to the deeper grass line with my flipping rod.  On one pitch I felt a fish hit the bait, so I handed the rod to the closet girl Giovana. When she reeled down to set the hook the fish nearly pulled her overboard. A five-pound bass came rushing out of the grass like a lassoed bull. Giovana faught with all her might and her sister Giomara helped hold the rod during the battle.  After what seemed like forever I netted the bass. The girls squealed and celebrated at having landed such a big bass on their first fishing trip ever. I was astonished at the size of the bass these "first timers" had landed! 

Not to be outdone by her sister, Giomara began concentrating harder at catching a big fish too. She hooked two bass in the three-pound class that simply pulled off. She continued to get bites but the bass were short striking and threw the hooks.  

After having fished the first area for several hours the bite slowed. I moved to another area to keep the girl's excitement up. It worked, and the sisters began fishing around the new set of Cypress trees with renewed energy.

It wasn't long before Giovana let out a yell that she hooked a fish. I turned around to hear the drag of her Zebco reel scream as the fish peeled the ten-pound fishing line off the reel like thread. At first I thought it was a mudfish, a species that also inhabits the shallows of Florida blackwater lakes. Then my eyes widened as I could see it was a bass worthy of any experienced tournament angler!  

Giovana fought the fish around the boat and wore it down so I could net the giant bass. The bass easily weighed over six pounds, and later at the weighin it earned her the event's "Big Bass" award for the 14-17 yr age bracket. 

Because the tournament was a "one-fish-per-angler" event, Giovana had to cull out and release her five pound bass. Having landed two big bass on artificial worms was an amazing feat for such novice anglers. 

Giomara, the younger sister, was not afraid of touching fish and helped her sister release all the culled bass. 

Giomara had fun casting and catching anything, and ended the day by catching her personal biggest bass just before weigh-in. 

While her fish did not beat her sister's big bass, Giomara did hook into the most bass of the day and earned bragging rights among the sisters.  

These young ladies had landed two quality bass despite having never fished. I was so proud of both girls and their ability to listen to my coaching. 

It was a joy watching the wonder in their eyes as I explained the roles that each bird, plant, and dragonfly played in nature. 

Thanks to the Kirchman Foundation, many kids and parents were able to experience the beauty of nature and it's healing powers at the Lake X property. 

A special thanks goes to Neal Lazarus and Bass Pro Shops for allowing Giovana and Giomara to take home their Zebco combos. The memories attached will likely last a forever. 

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In addition to the Osceola County Sheriff’s department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Teen Sportfishing Association (TSA), and Fishing Florida Radio were key partners at introducing youth to the outdoors and making the event successful.  It was a pleasure working with all the groups. 

To learn more about the educational and outreach programs, click on the links below: 

http://www.kirchmanfoundation.org/

www.teensportfishingassociation.com

www.myfwc.com

www.fishingfloridaradio.com