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Speckled Perch Bite Is Strong

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2008

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.

Although windy conditions have been prevalent, speck anglers willing to take a chance on the weather have been rewarded with excellent catches. In most lakes and pits, the specks have started moving in closer to vegetation and grass lines, which means their spawning should begin soon. Anglers reporting speck catches are seeing nearly fully developed roe, also indicating bedding activity will soon start.

Phosphate pits in Polk County such as Teneroc, Saddle Creek Park and Mosaic have been hot spots. Most fish are being caught using live minnows, but a good number of fish that end up in freezers were fooled by small jigs.

One mistake I sometimes see novice speck anglers make is using equipment that is too heavy. You could catch an occasional speck on heavy bass tackle, but scaling your equipment back will make a huge difference. Some of the most successful anglers use nothing more than a bamboo or fiberglass pole, 6-pound test and a small gold wire hook.

On the bass front, Lake Kissimmee is still the No. 1 destination for trophy fish. Several fish weighing more than 10 pounds were caught, including a 12.5-pounder on a wild shiner. The big fish haven't quite moved to the beds but look for the upcoming full moon to get things going.

Anglers who don't have the boat or transportation to take on a Lake Kissimmee or Lake Tarpon can still get in on the big bass action fishing the FWCC's urban ponds. Director Paul Thomas' group has stunned several fish in the 10-pound range in recent surveys, with a few fish approaching the 12-pound mark. A live shiner free-lined near vegetation is hard for a bucket mouth to resist.

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

to tribfishing@aol.com.

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