TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bass Fishing Starting To Improve

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2007

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mark Cook.

The water temperature has been stable the past week and according to local guides, lots of males are frequenting the spawning areas as bass are preparing for the upcoming spawn.

While most bass spawn after the first of the year, if we see a few cold fronts start dropping temperatures soon, the females won't be far behind. In fact, Lake Toho saw lots of bass on the beds around Christmas last year.
Lake Tarpon is by far the best bet when looking for largemouth bass. Half-day trips are producing 20-plus bass mainly on wild shiners. The speckled perch bite hasn't turned on completely, but as the mercury starts to drop, the specks will school up tighter.

Area rivers aren't seeing a lot of bass being caught, but at Medard Reservoir things have picked up. While Medard gets as much fishing pressure as any public waterway in the state, the bass population is excellent, according to wildlife biologists.

Flipping the vegetation around isolated islands can catch bass at Medard. I also like to target the fish if you can find moving water. Unfortunately, with a lack of rain the pipes aren't flowing, but it's a good idea to check them after the next downpour.

On the east coast, the redfish and trout bite has been strong on the Banana River near Satellite Beach. While it's a three-hour drive, it's usually worth the trip - plus it's always fun to fish a new place.

For charter trip information, contact Mark Cook at (813) 846-9277 or send an e-mail

to tribfishing@aol.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT