March 17, 2004

CONTACT: Mark Trainor (850) 488-8842
Phil Chapman (863) 648-3202

Largemouth bass are found in almost every freshwater body of water in Florida. With more than 7,500 lakes available, anglers sometimes face a tough decision about where to fish. The following list of Top 12 Bass Fishing Areas aims to help anglers find a quality place to catch either good numbers of bass or to catch a trophy bass. Anglers should be aware of both special harvest regulations and mercury health advisories on some of the following water bodies. For more information on Florida’s freshwater fishing opportunities and fishing forecasts, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC’s) Web site at MyFWC.com.

FWC fisheries biologists selected these Florida lakes and rivers (in no specific order) as top black bass fishing destinations for 2004.

LAKE GEORGE: Lake George is one of the premier bass fishing lakes in central Florida. It is the second largest lake in the state (46,000 acres), and is 18 miles northwest of Deland and 29 miles east of Ocala. Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on Lake George, which includes a 14-inch minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day.

Lake George is one of the many natural lakes on the St. Johns River. It has extensive vegetation that provides excellent habitat for bass. Wade fishing in eelgrass, with plastic worms fished on the surface, and other top water artificial lures, is productive. Fishing with live shiners is an excellent method for catching trophy bass during the spring spawning season.

Hot spots on the lake include Juniper, Salt and Silver Glen spring runs on the western shoreline. In winter and early spring, look for bass to congregate at the jetties on the south end of the lake. Additionally, casting deep-diving crank baits is productive near old dock structures along the northeast shore and off Drayton Island.

There are many fish camps on the St. Johns River just north and south of Lake George; however, the only one located on the lake itself is the Pine Island Fish Camp. There is one public boat ramp with limited parking on the south end of the lake off Blue Creek Lodge Road, north of S.R. 40. A fishing pier is along the east side of the lake at the end of Nine Mile Point Road.

STICK MARSH/FARM 13 RESERVOIR: Created in 1987, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir is synonymous with trophy bass fishing. This 6,500-acre reservoir near Fellsmere, west of Vero Beach, became one of the hottest bass lakes in the country during the past decade. FWC biologists foresee a continuation of excellent bass fishing in upcoming years because the fishery is protected by a no harvest or catch and release rule that requires anglers to release all bass.

Electrofishing samples in 2001 and 2002 indicated good reproduction and growth of bass in the reservoir. The winter/spring 2001 angler survey produced the highest total angler effort on record for largemouth bass since 1994. During this period, anglers caught 65,943 largemouth of which 451 trophy bass (8 lbs. or larger) were caught and released.

Anglers can locate bass throughout the reservoir in a variety of habitats; including woody stump fields, submerged canals and hydrilla. Plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits, soft jerkbaits and topwater propeller baits are effective. Wild golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to catch a trophy fish.

There are a two-lane boat ramp, paved parking lot, picnic pavilions and rest rooms. No gasoline, food, ice or other facilities are available on site. This area is part of the St. Johns Blue Cypress Management Unit.

WEST LAKE TOHOPEKALIGA: Bordering the city of Kissimmee to the south is the 18,810-acre West Lake Tohopekaliga. “Lake Toho” has long been a popular bass fishing lake for both recreational and tournament anglers. In recent years, both Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (B.A.S.S.) and Forrest L. Wood (FLW) bass tournaments have been held out of the Kissimmee lakefront park. Winning weights are routinely in the 18-to 25-pound range. To date, the largest bass documented from the lake weighed 17.10 pounds.

Flipping plastic worms, crayfish and lizards in shoreline vegetation is a common technique among successful anglers. Casting Carolina- or Texas-rigged plastic worms, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits or top-water propeller baits in these areas is also popular. Anglers fishing live golden shiners account for some of the largest bass caught from the lake.

A lake drawdown is under way. Fishing should be outstanding due to concentrating fish into a smaller-sized area. With average rainfall, Lake Toho should be back to normal by Sept.1. Through Sept.1, there is a catch-and-release (no harvest) regulation in effect for largemouth bass on Lake Toho.

During the lake drawdown, boat access will be limited to the following three ramps: Southport Park (south on U.S. 17-92, 10 miles south on Pleasant Hill Road, left on Southport Road for six miles) 2001 E. Southport Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34746 (407) 933-5822; Richardson’s Fish Camp (C.R. 525 Neptune Rd.) to Kings Highway, right onto Pine Island, then right onto Scotty’s Road) 1550 Scotty’s Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34744, (407) 846-6540; and Lake Toho Resort or Big D’s Bait To Go (192 East to St. Cloud, right on Kissimmee Park Road, go to the end on left) 4715 Kissimmee Park Rd., Saint Cloud, FL 34772, (407) 892-8795.

For more information about the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes visit www.floridakiss.com.

RODMAN RESERVOIR: Rodman Reservoir, east of Gainesville and south of Palatka, covers 9,500 acres of prime largemouth bass habitat. Since its creation in 1968, Rodman has been known for trophy largemouth bass. The state’s largest bass of 2000, 15 pounds and 17 pounds, came from the reservoir during March.

Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on Rodman, which includes a 14-minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day. Much of the largemouth bass fishery’s success is due to abundant habitat in the form of stumps and aquatic vegetation and periodic drawdowns. Strong year classes of largemouth bass are produced following drawdowns, which enable a higher percentage of fish to reach trophy sizes.

Largemouth bass are most active during cooler months. Anglers targeting trophy largemouth bass use live golden shiners, either floated under a cork or free-lined. Most big bass are caught in the pool area, known as the “stump fields,” along the river channel. However, many trophy bass come from the area between Cypress Bayou and Kenwood Landing, including Orange Springs. Successful anglers use artificial baits, such as deep-diving and lipless crank baits, spinner baits and soft plastics.

Access to Rodman is available at several locations. Among the most popular are Eureka east and west off C.R. 316, Rodman Recreational Area west of S.R.19 and Orange Springs Recreational Area, Cypress Bayou (Paynes Landing) and Kenwood Landing off S.R.315.

LAKE TARPON: Lake Tarpon is a 2,500-acre lake near Tampa/St. Petersburg in Pinellas County. This lake has consistently produced high quality bass for years. Most fish range from 12 to 16 inches long. However, quality and trophy fish are also present in good numbers. Biologists have observed anglers catching upwards of 20 fish, including an occasional 10-pounder.

Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on Tarpon, which includes a 14-minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day. Anglers are most successful flipping or pitching plastic worms along canal and bulrush edges. Offshore bass fishing is productive for anglers who fish around ledges, humps, coontail and eelgrass beds. Popular lures offshore include shad-imitating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater baits. Fishing with wild shiners and live shad also is effective.

There are two public boat ramps within county parks. Anderson Park boat ramp is on the west shore, off U.S. 19. Chestnut Park boat ramp is on the east side of the lake, off C.R. 611. Some bank access is available in both parks. Boardwalks and piers serve as excellent fishing locations.

LAKE WEOHYAKAPKA (Lake Walk-In-Water): Lake Weohyakapka, commonly known as Lake Walk-in-Water, is a 7,532-acre water body, south off S.R. 60, south of Orlando and east of Lake Wales. The lake has a national reputation as an outstanding spot to catch largemouth bass. Anglers frequently catch up to 25 bass a day with several ranging from 4 to 8 pounds. Weohyakapka also produces many trophy bass exceeding 10 pounds each year. Last year, Walk-in-Water anglers entered 130 bass with a qualifying weight of 8 pounds in FWC’s Big Catch Program. A 15- to 24-inch slot limit regulation with a three-bass daily bag limit (of which only one bass greater than or equal to 24 inches is allowed) is in place to help maintain quality bass fishing.

The best technique to catch trophy bass is to drift live wild shiners over hydrilla weed beds in the northern half of the lake. Hydrilla can pop up anywhere in the lake, so time spent looking for smaller, lesser known pockets may be rewarding. Jerkbaits, lipless rattling crankbaits and plastic worms also produce bass in areas of offshore hydrilla. Topwater lures are productive, particularly chuggers or walk-the-dog type baits. Although topwater baits catch fish throughout the year, summer months offer the best action when schools of bass roam deep-water areas. Flipping soft plastic baits in the bulrush and behind cattails in the northern and eastern areas of the lake also works well January through March. This technique is effective for smaller bass, but the larger females spend most of the year in offshore hydrilla beds.

A public ramp is on Boat Landing Road, which runs east off of Walk-in-the-Water Road, just a few miles south of S.R. 60. There is little access for bank fishing on the lake.

LAKE ISTOKPOGA: Bass anglers who fish the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes to the north and Lake Okeechobee to the south often overlook 28,000-acre Lake Istokpoga. It is situated in Highlands County between U.S. 27 and U.S. 98 south of Sebring, Istokpoga is the fifth largest natural lake in Florida, with an average depth of only six feet. Anglers frequently catch bass up to 8 pounds with many over 10 pounds. An angler caught a 16-pound bass in March 1998.

Bass fishing is excellent throughout the year. From January through April, bass spawn in bulrush and other vegetation along shallow-water areas enhanced during the 2001 drawdown and around the lake’s two islands (Big Island and Bumblebee Island). Flipping soft plastics in bulrush patches and in pockets of submerged vegetation can be productive during the winter.

In spring and summer, topwater lures and jerkbaits worked over the top of hydrilla and pondweed in the south half of the lake are often successful. Weedless spoons tipped with grub tails and spinnerbaits fished over pondweed south of Bumblebee Island are deadly on bass during early morning. Rattling lures (silver, gold and “Tennessee Shad” are excellent colors) also can be effective during summer and fall as baitfish school in open water areas along the north end of the lake. April and October are the best months for anglers looking for cooler weather and lots of bass. A live shiner fished a few feet under a popping cork is the most reliable bait for catching trophy bass.

Lake Istokpoga has a 15- to 24-inch protective (or no-harvest) slot limit for bass with a three-fish daily bag limit, of which only one bass may be 24 inches or longer. All residents between 16 and 65 years of age and all non-residents are required to have a fishing license.

Several fish camps and four public boat ramps provide access to the lake. For more information about lodging and other amenities around Lake Istokpoga, contact the Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce at (863) 385-8448.

DEER POINT LAKE: This 5,000-acre impoundment is seven miles north of Panama City off U.S. 231 and S.R. 77 at Southport. Deer Point Lake is fed by natural freshwater streams and supplies more than 760 million gallons of freshwater daily to Panama City and the surrounding areas.

Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on Deer Point, which includes a 12-minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day. The lake can be accessed by taking U.S. 231 north to Panama City (6 miles) to C.R. 2321 west (1.5 miles) and turn right on C.R. 2311 for (3.5 miles). The ramp is on the left. There are two fish camps on the lake: Cherokee Landing (on C.R. 2301 at the bridge crossing) 10035 County Rd. Youngstown, FL 32466, (850) 722-4902; and Tharp’s Camp (off Resota Beach Road) 4405 Huckleberry Lane Panama City, FL 32409, (850) 265-2330.

Although largemouth bass fishing typically slows down during the winter months, it picks up again in mid-February and March becoming red hot in April and May. During a recent lake drawdown, FWC fisheries biologists tagged approximately 1,000 largemouth bass for a population and movement study.

One thousand largemouth bass weighing up to 11.7 pounds were collected and tagged in Deer Point Lake in February 2003, and the largest trophy largemouth bass caught by an angler in 2003 weighed 12.2 pounds. If you catch a tagged bass in Deer Point Lake, contact the FWC Regional Office on Deer Point Lake by calling the telephone number on the tag (850) 265-3676. Also, if you catch a tagged bass and want to release the fish, clip the tag as close to the fish’s skin as possible. Do not attempt to pull the tag out. Prizes will be awarded for returned tags.

Anglers unfamiliar with Deer Point Lake should try fishing for largemouth bass in the old creek channels of Bear, Cedar, and Econfina creeks with plastic worms, diving crank-baits or rattletraps. Bayou George and the flats area at the confluence of Bayou George and Deer Point Lake are also popular largemouth spots. Also, try targeting docks and boathouses along the creek channels and at the mouth of Bayou George. Anglers should exercise extreme caution during boat operation due to the tremendous amount of flooded cypress stumps and snags found in the lake.

SUWANNEE RIVER: The Suwannee River is a pristine, blackwater stream flowing 213 miles in Florida from the swamp-like region at the Georgia border to salt-marsh tidal creeks at the Gulf of Mexico. Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on the Suwannee and its tributaries, which includes a 12-minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day. v In between are rocky bluffs and shoal areas in the upper reaches and floodplain cypress tree-hardwood swamp borders, lined with water lilies, in the middle sections. The Santa Fe River is a significant tributary and has abundant spring-flow influence, making water clearer, yet more productive, for submerged vegetation and fish food organisms.

Although the Suwannee River is not known for trophy largemouth bass, good catch rates can be expected, and quality-sized bass are frequently caught by anglers. Suwannee bass also occur throughout much of the river system, and fish large enough to qualify for Big Catch Suwannee bass can be caught by anglers in the Santa Fe.

Crawfish are the main food item for bass in the whole river system, so anglers should fish accordingly. Plastic worms, lizards, and crawfish; jigs with orange skirts and pork rinds; and metallic crankbaits are all standard lures that catch fish in the river. While the scenery may change every 20 or 30 miles, the key to catching bass is the same. Deep structure or shallow structure with deep water nearby is what anglers should always look for. Suwannee bass, common in Santa Fe River, prefer current where water moves around cypress trees or in mid-river at low water levels. Changing depths will change locations of current structures.

The lower Suwannee River moves more slowly, and bass utilize shoreline cover of fallen trees and cypress trees on outer bends. Plastic baits, rigged weedless, can catch bass in the pads of inside shallow banks. Live shiners can be fished into brush piles from upstream by letting them float downstream. Small bass will hit a fly or a small floater-diver fished along the bank in the Suwannee.

The estuary is also productive. In the fall when shrimp are in the river, fishing can be outstanding. Tidal creeks offer a unique fishing experience. Boat ramps are found along the entire river but fish camps are few and far between.

EVERGLADES WATER CONSERVATION AREAS 2 AND 3: The Everglades Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) are marshlands intersected with more than 250 miles of canals. WCA-2 has 210 square miles of marsh, and WCA-3 covers approximately 915 square miles of marsh. Originally designed for flood control and water supply, the area provides some of the best bass fishing in the country. The best fishing usually occurs in the spring when dropping water levels concentrate fish in the canals. April is the peak month with angler catch rates as high as 4.1 bass per hour in the L-67A Canal.

Most anglers fish in the canals rather than in the marsh. Anglers work edges with plastic worms and minnow imitations. Flipping into the vegetation is also a popular technique. During high water, anglers will often enter the marsh areas where bass can be found in the open slough areas. The L-67A Canal has trails off of it that are specifically cut to provide boats access to these marsh areas.

The L-67A and L-35B are two popular canals in the area for fishing. The L-67A Canal has access at the north end at Holiday Park, off U.S. 27, where camping and boat rentals are available.

At the south end, it can be accessed at the S-333 water control structure off Tamiami Trail (S.R. 41). The L-35B Canal access is at Sawgrass Recreation Area, off U.S. 27 and has boat rentals. Boat ramps are available at all three sites.

A special bass fishing regulation is in effect in south Florida, including the Everglades Conservation Areas, in which only one bass of the five-bass daily bag limit may be 14 inches or longer. This gives anglers the opportunity to harvest smaller bass but still provides protection from overharvest of fish more than 14 inches in total length.

The highest mercury levels are found in fish fillets in the Everglades, so health advisories should be strictly followed. No one should consume largemouth bass greater than 14 inches in length. For largemouth bass less than 14 inches, women of childbearing age and children under age 10 should not eat more than 8 ounces of bass over a four-week period. Others should limit consumption of bass less than 14 inches from these areas to no more than 8 ounces a week.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Lake Okeechobee is consistently one of Florida’s top producing bass lakes and is also one of the best lakes in the country for bass fishing. Situated in south central Florida, the “Big O” covers 730 square miles, and is easily accessible from Florida’s east and west coasts.

The lake depth increased to 16 feet, early in 2003, due to above-average rainfall in the upper lakes. Due to the drought in 2001, the lake has experienced positive changes in vegetation. As a result, biologists anticipate increased production of young fish in Lake Okeechobee.

Anglers routinely catch bass weighing 10 to 12 pounds. The lake record is 15 pounds, 5 ounces. Lake Okeechobee currently averages 500 bass fishing tournaments a year. Anglers do well fishing in bulrush near Eagle Bay Island, Little Grassy Island and King’s Bar at the north end of the lake. At the south end, anglers are effective fishing in eelgrass in the South Bay area. The largest bass are caught using live golden shiners and casting into, or along edges of, vegetation. Plastic worms and spinner baits are often productive. Casting lures near vegetation often produces the largest numbers of bass.

Lake Okeechobee has a 13- to 18-inch protective (no-harvest) slot limit for bass with a five-fish daily bag limit, of which only one bass may be 22 inches or longer.

Sixteen boat ramps and numerous fish camps surround the lake. For more information, contact the Clewiston Chamber of Commerce at (863) 983-7979 or the Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce at (863) 763-6464.

CRESCENT LAKE: This 15,725-acre lake borders the east side of Crescent City on the Putnam/Flagler county line. Crescent Lake flows into the St. Johns River via Dunns Creek on its north end.

Regional harvest regulations apply to largemouth bass fishing on the Crescent Lake, which includes a 14-minimum size limit, 5-fish daily bag limit and only one bass larger than 22 inches per day.

Past electrofishing samples for largemouth bass revealed one of the highest catch rates recorded for areas on the St. Johns River. Largemouth bass up to 20 inches long were well represented in the sample and good numbers of larger fish (8 lbs. +) were collected.

Fall/early winter fishing tends to be best near deep-water structures such as dock pilings. Preferred artificial baits include plastic worms, spinner baits and crank baits. Live golden shiners are always a popular bait.

Several fish camps provide access to the lake on the western and southern shorelines. A public boat ramp is near downtown Crescent City one block east of U.S. 17, and another is on the northeast shore off S.R. 20/100. Bank access is limited to these facilities.

The FWC will help anglers commemorate outstanding largemouth bass catches through its Big Catch Program. Anglers will receive recognition for catching a 24-inch largemouth bass (18-inches for youth) or an 8-pound largemouth bass (6 pounds for youth). When approved, the FWC will send a full-color certificate featuring the fish caught, personalized with name and details about the catch. For more information on the Big Catch Program, visit http://myfwc.com/fishing/bigcatch/bigcatch.html

FWC