Florida Bass Fishing

[bobowski]

I'm going to be in Florida over the Christmas holidays, specifically the Orlando area and I really want to do some Bass fishing while I'm there. I've done some research and it seems as though Lake Toho would give me the greatest chance to catch a trophy. I was wondering if any of you have fished for bass in the Orlando area and if so how was your experience? Any recommendations on guides in the area? Any input would be much appreciated as I'm really looking forward to this trip and would love to hook into some giant bass down there.

Thanks

[Garnet]

There's a huge difference between fishing artificial and shiners.

 

I wouldn't pay a guide to fish shiners rent a boat buy a dozen Shiner (very expensive ) and get after it. Live shiners fixes everything.

[bobowski]

There's a huge difference between fishing artificial and shiners.

 

I wouldn't pay a guide to fish shiners rent a boat buy a dozen Shiner (very expensive ) and get after it. Live shiners fixes everything.

Ya it looks like guides are charging $20 a dozen on top of their rates to use shiners. I'll have to look into renting a boat. Maybe that's a better and more inexpensive option.

[craigdritchie]

Why don't you take advantage of the opportunity and go fish salt water?

 

Seriously - you can catch bass here. Salt water fishing is 100x more fun.

[aplumma]

My vote is for saltwater as well. If you are driving bring your muskie rod and casting spoons . You can cast from the beaches. Bring a medium heavy bass rod and red/white jigheads for the inlets and bays.

 

Art

[OhioFisherman]

Ya it looks like guides are charging $20 a dozen on top of their rates to use shiners. I'll have to look into renting a boat. Maybe that's a better and more inexpensive option.

 

I guess there is a difference in behavior or perhaps smell of wild shiners and hatchery raised ones sold to bait stores, a lot of those guides make a point of specifying that they use wild shiners and not bait store ones.

 

One of the guys that was in our bass club went down to Florida with his wife and kids, took his bass boat, hired a guide for a day and shiner fished and caught a 10+ fish, he didn't do anywhere near as well fishing solo with lures.

 

Limited time and the fish of a lifetime? a guide and wild shiners.

[Garnet]

Turkey Lake is the best deal $30 for flat bottom boat and trolling motor. No live bait from about 7am to 10;30.

 

Its rite in Orlando.

[Henricus]

I was down for March Break in 2014 and went out with AJ's guide service (on lake Toho). As luck would have it I ended up with AJ himself. He had a few other guides on the water that day but they didn't fare nearly as well. We landed 14 bass (+ 1 gar) with the largest just over 7lbs using nothing but gold shiners. At the launch we bumped into the same boat on the way in and out and they reported a terrible day - no shiners. My advice, it's not cheap but it's worth it...and dress warm!

[bobowski]

Why don't you take advantage of the opportunity and go fish salt water?

 

Seriously - you can catch bass here. Salt water fishing is 100x more fun.

Salt water maybe something to think about. I know I can catch bass here but I can't catch a 7+ pound Largemouth here.

 

 

I guess there is a difference in behavior or perhaps smell of wild shiners and hatchery raised ones sold to bait stores, a lot of those guides make a point of specifying that they use wild shiners and not bait store ones.

 

One of the guys that was in our bass club went down to Florida with his wife and kids, took his bass boat, hired a guide for a day and shiner fished and caught a 10+ fish, he didn't do anywhere near as well fishing solo with lures.

 

Limited time and the fish of a lifetime? a guide and wild shiners.

That was my original thinking as well.

 

Turkey Lake is the best deal $30 for flat bottom boat and trolling motor. No live bait from about 7am to 10;30.

 

Its rite in Orlando.

Thanks Garnet I'll definitely look in to this.

[OhioFisherman]

bobowski, some of the logic behind wild shiners fishing is covered in this article.

 

https://www.orlandobass.com/2017/01/shiner-fishing-techniques-master/

 

Just from what I have seen here? it seemed like every doctor, dentist, lawyer, businessman's office I walked into had a 10+ bass on the wall, few if any were more than occasional fishermen, and all that I talked to got theirs fishing wild shiners with a guide.

 

I was in the Tampa area for 5 weeks back in 2009, every freshwater lake and pond I saw looked like a great place for a lunker bass, and with their longer growing season there I guess some produced big fish? A guide takes a lot of the guess work out of it?

 

Even here some lakes are known to produce bigger bass more frequently than others, and most have " spots or areas " that increase your chances, a guide on the lake should know them?

[manitoubass2]

I'd try to do both

 

Saltwater sounds amazing!(never done it) but will in Australia next year. But 10+ bass? Im def. Game to try

[Garnet]

It's just criminal paying a guide to shiner fish. Florida bass are stupid around wild shiners.

[Shloim]

I did pay a guide a couple of years ago, but it seemed very reasonable to me. We had no car were at universal cabana bay and he picked me up, obviously with a nice bass boat, supplied all the gear, I spent another 30-40 on bait we fished for over 4 hours and must have caught 16-20 huge fish. Smallest one was around a 6 lber with a few over 10 for sure. He dropped me off after with a big smile...Well worth the $300 IMO. We fished Butler Lake I believe...

[OhioFisherman]

 

This guy made shiner fishing look easy for his first time, and it looked like he bought them from a bait store? Kind of a cool boat he is in for a rental? Didn't see any pigs caught though.

[OhioFisherman]

http://myfwc.com/fishing/freshwater/sites-forecast/ne/lake-tohopekaliga/

 

Almost 19,000 acres, a pretty good sized lake, picking places to start on your own with limited time could also be an issue.