A new boat ramp just reopened to the public on Lake Hatchineha. From the looks of things they’re still doing some renovations but it’s always nice to have another ramp. There’s plenty of parking and you don’t have to drive down a dirt road meaning you don’t have to clean off all the dirt on your boat when you get home.
I had to check it out today and fished Hatchineha. Much to my surprise, I didn’t catch a single fish out of the reeds. Instead, I caught about a dozen fish doing everything under the sun. The fish were definitely biting, but nothing over 2.5 pounds. I caught my first and biggest fish about 30 minutes into the day flippin in kissimmee grass with a junebug silver Gitem Sugar. I’ve been flippin a lot lately so I broke out a green pumpkin chatterbait with a swim senko trailer and caught a bunch swimming it next to pads. I then checked out the inside of the weed line and caught 3 fish on a frog.
All in all, I like having the new ramp and will keep it in the rotation. It’s free and open all day every day. What more could you ask for?
Heavy Kissimmee Grass Line. Pitch/flip soft plastics in junebug, watermelon red, or redshad into thick kissimmee grass clumps near major point. Use 1/4- 3/8 oz weight. Best in springtime.
Kissimmee grass line-Heavy and scattered grass on NW corner of Little Lake Harris on point just past bridge. Use various soft plastics 1/4-3/8 oz to pitch into grass. Spawners here in spring. Just off this line is deep water and shadraps work well in the summer.
Canal in Little Lake Harris-Canal on east side, directly across from #2 location. Mouth has good Kissimmee grass for pitching/casting 1/4 oz worm or craw in junebug or watermelon/pepper worm. Canal is major spawn area in spring.
Kissimmee grass Patches-This is a great area for post spawn fish. It is NW of the Dead River and has a distinct end to the grass line just before some docks/houses. Deeper 13′ water just 50 feet out from line. Pitch worms and work outside with #7 or #9 shadrap.
Large Pad Field-Large pad field on south Little Lake Harris. Good any time of the year. Junebug trick worms, watermelon red are both good in these pads.
Ninth Street Canal-One of the best spawning areas in the spring. Some heavy bass come out of here. Use gitzits, craws, worms around pads.
Open water near reed island and point- My favorite all around spot. Very dependable. To find it, there is a channel marker near a reed island between Kiss. canal and Cypress canal. The most northern reed island is the key. About 20 yards north of the island, move towards the shore to the north. As you get close to this point, you’ll see a drop to 9 ft. I like working the deep water then moving away from the cypress canal towards the main lake into 4 ft. There is usually quite a bit of hydrilla here. Look for schoolers as well. Use a #7 shadrap, 1/2 ounce rattletrap to search them out. Once found, switch to a worm 1/8-1/4 ounce. A spinnerbait can be gold in the hydrilla pockets. A hard jerk bait can also produce such as a Husky jerk or rattlin rogue. Good in the summer and fall.
Mouth of Cypress canal- Work either side (4-6 feet), the right side is deeper. Worm 1/4 ounce and #7 shadrap right down the middle of the canal. Good schooling spot. Summertime action, great if current moving.
Open water near point-Nice fairly deep area 6-8 ft for rattletraps and #7 shadraps. Watch for schooling fish. Good for summer through fall.
Open water with hydrilla near mouth of Kissimmee canal- Just as the canal to Kissimmee widens into Hatch. usually hydrilla here and some schooling fish. I like to use 1/4 ounce Texas rig Junebug Zoom worm. 7-9 ft deep. Any time of year.
Open water hydrilla- Relatively deep (7-8 ft). Look for hydrilla and pockets. 1/4-3/8 ounce spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits and rattletraps work well.
Buggy whip line- 3-4 ft deep. Pitch 1/4 ounce junebug worm to reeds and pad patches. Usually early to late spring.
Peppergrass field- Bunches of peppergrass patches here in 4-5 ft. I like the willow leaf spinnerbait here working into the patches of grass. Good summertime and spring area.
Deep water hydrilla between 2 main lake points- If hydrilla’s here(8-9 ft), work the deepest line. Use #7 shadrap and rip the edges. A rattletrap can be used in the cuts of hydrilla as well as casting a 1/4 ounce worm. Best in summer.
I found this cool guide to fishing Lake Kissimmee on floridabasslakes.com. I agree with many of the spots outlined here and perhaps found some new places to go hawg hunting. Here’s an explanation of the hot spots outlined on the map below:
1. Brahma Island-Pads/kissimmee grass- East side of island has much pads and kissimmee grass in 5-6 ft of water. Best time late fall through early spring. Pitch red shad or June bug worm in kissimmee grass especially near pad root intersections (1/4-1/2 ounce).
2. Bird Island/Horse island-Kissimmee grass/buggy whips- Work inside edge of grass/pads/whips in 2-3 ft using Junebug worm both casting and pitching. Flip 1/2- 1 ounce black/blue craw in and around grass mats. Summertime spot.
3. Small Grass island just south of Brahma-near the rocks- Don’t get this location mixed up with the entrance to the cut to Grape Hammock. This small grass island (several others next to each other) is just south of Brahma. Work the grass line (4-5 ft) near the island with junebug worms and the outside edge with #7 shadrap. Work towards the cut between Brahma and shore. Work outside hydrilla with rattletraps/shadraps as well as casting a worm (6 ft). This is a summertime spot.
4. North Cove- East side, mix of pads and kissimmee grass- Big Fish spot. Late spring area (May/June). 3-5 ft. Work pads and cuts with chart./white willow leaf spinnerbait. Make sure spinnerbait hits grass/pads as it moves through. Pitch large tailed worms (similar to Gator tail) in redshad/junebug 1/4 ounce weight. Flip craw (black/blue) into mats.
5. Seven Palms- Kissimmee grass and offshore hydrilla- This is a good summertime area if hydrilla is there (6 ft). Work rattletrap fast through hydrilla and Kissimmee grass cuts. Rip it! If hydrilla edge exists, slow worm with Junebug and 1/4 ounce weight.
6. Kissimmee Grass Line- Just exiting the north cove prior to Overstreet Cove- Late spring spot, May-June. Work outside grass line pitching junebug worm with 3/8 ounce weight. 5-6 ft.
7. Deep Hole on North Wets side of Brahma- Summer spot, 9-10 ft. Look for hydrilla or work Kissimmee grass. Use redshad/junebug worm 1/4 ounce.. Rattletrap if hydrilla present.
8. Tiger Cove north side Pads/grass- Flipping/pitching craws and worms 3/8 ounce to grass and pads. 3-4 ft. Springtime pattern.
9. Tiger Creek- Good spot when water flowing strong in creek. Work area just in creek to 100 yards down. Watch for schoolers. Work worms with 1/8-1/4 ounce weight. Use small worms or tube baits as well. 3-5 ft and good summertime to fall spot if current exists.
10. Jackson Slough- Great spot for early spring spawners. Work close to creek mouth all the way out to scattered pads and grass. Some beds not visible next to pads due to dark tannic stained water. Use any typical bait for spawning fish. I like the Zoom trick worm.
11. Open water hydrilla- In the large cove approaching the Hatchineha Canal, there sometimes is hydrilla in 7-9 ft of water. Cast junebug worms (1/4 ounce), flip the matted hydrilla as well(1/2 ounce). Look for the hydrilla south of the canal towards the main channel marker in the middle of the cove.
All the big bags during the Southern Open this past week on the Harris Chain came from sight fishing. Anyone who’s checked out these waters will tell ya that the water’s not clear enough to do it. For the most part they’re right, but there are some areas with clear water.
I believe the biggest sack on day 1 from Sanford’s John Kremer and day 2′s big bag from Brian Hudgins came out of the so called Clear Canal. It’s located on the north side of the Apopka Beauclaire canal. I say this because I went and sight fished in the same area during the full moon 2 weeks prior to the tournament.
This area produces bags over 20 pounds quite regularly during the spawn. Just watch out for the shallow water getting there. The water levels are extremely low and you’ll have to be running on plane to get through some of the areas that are only a foot deep.
The Butler Chain of Lakes in Windermere offers some of the most pristine waters in Central Florida, yet it’s far less renowned than nearby Harris Chain and Kissimmee Chain. It’s the clearest and deepest water you’ll find around here with fantastic bass action.
I like fishing here because it’s totally different from most of the lakes around this area. The clear water and depths lend itself to structure fishing which is not a commonplace in Central Florida. I can break out my deep cranks, swimbaits, and finesse baits. I can fish for bedding fish in 8 feet of water. I can throw topwater in 15 feet of water. You just can’t do this anywhere else around here. Besides, there’s something about being out in really clear water that’s just nice.
Don’t get me wrong there’s shallow fish here as well, but most of the big fish will come out of deeper depths because of the clarity. There’s plenty of timber, reeds, and pads in shallow water if you decide to take that route. I just enjoy structure fishing here, because you just don’t get to do it anywhere in Central Florida. Besides, I heard some saying about 90% of the fish being behind you when you’re throwing at the bank. I’d say it holds true here.
My favorite lakes are Butler and Down. There’s lots of humps and ledges to fish and the key is to find the vegetation or shell beds on these structures. It’s a constant battle locating them because Fish and Wildlife kills them off from time to time. A dock pattern works good as well.
The only public access is located at 10900 Chase Rd at the RD Keene Park in Windermere. I suggest fishing during the week because there’s a lot less boat traffic and the parking lot fills up quite rapidly on weekends.
As far as tackle, my favorite on these lakes are worms, flukes, crankbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits. Stick with watermelon for worms. I prefer the finesse type plastics such as the senko, trick worm, and shaky head worm. There’s a lot of shad here so white flukes also produce quite well on a weightless texas rig or carolina rig. The best colors for crankbaits and swimbaits are white, chartreuse shad, ghost color, or anything that looks more transparent, natural and realistic. Anytime the bass are feeding on shad, a spinnerbait is deadly. If I’m trying to locate some fish, a white or translucent spinnerbait is my go to bait. The best color is white with small double willow leaf blades, but sometimes the bluegill color finds the bigger fish. Often times, jigging it off the bottom will catch the biggest fish out of the school.
When you find hydrilla in the middle of the lake, it’s probably a place to check out pretty thoroughly. Chances are there’s some giants lurking nearby. The only problem is that Fish and Wildlife always kill it off and then you have find another area. I sure wish they’d leave some. I think it’ll be better for the health of the lake as well.
Here’s a map from back in the day from Tim’s Tackle Box on Michigan Avenue. It used to be the biggest tackle shop around Central Florida before the days of Bass Pro Shops. I used to love going in there and hearing all the aerators running with a hint of something in the air… probably reel grease. click to enlarge
The Butler Chain is a fantastic fishery that doesn’t get a whole lot of pressure. It’s the nicest lake near the attractions so I’d check out fishing here if you’re in town on vacation.
Fishing John’s Lake in Winter Garden offers lots of different areas and cover to fish including kissimmee grass, lilly pads, pepper grass, eel grass, timber, reeds, and hydrilla. There’s lots of different ways to catch’em here, but the most effective baits are Gitem KO’s and Warlocks.
My favorite way to fish the senko on John’s Lake is weightless on a texas rig, wacky rig, or carolina rig. This bait just flat out works all day every day as long it’s plum with green flakes (junebug) or watermelon red. You can’t say that about any other bait, but the trick worm is almost as good. My favorite way to fish the trick worm is on a carolina rig, but the texas rig and wacky rig works as well and perhaps better around docks. The best colors for trick worms are junebug, watermelon red, and red bug.
Rattletraps and shallow crankbaits are also really effective here, but you need to find active fish for these baits to work. Rattletraps work best when ripped out of hydrilla, yo yo ing it off the bottom, and cranked between and over grass beds. The best colors are gold with black back and orange belly, chrome with green, blue, or black back, and chartreuse with black back. I tend to stick with Bill Lewis Rat L Traps and Xcalibur Xr50, and the Xcalibur seems to hold up a little better and run a little truer with a better shimmy.
Paralleling weed lines and banging timber with a shallow crankbait is also effective here especially in the Fall. My favorites are the Bandit 200 series and Lucky Craft 1.5. My favorite color for the Bandit is Rootbeer and Copper Perch for the Lucky Craft. You tend to lose a few of these baits on timber so I’ll use the Bandit for this situation since they’re 3x’s cheaper and run just a true.
Early mornings provide the best opportunity for exciting topwater action. The best topwater baits are Zara Spooks, buzzbaits, and frogs. Black really works well for all these baits including the Horny Toad.
One of the most effective baits that’s overlooked on these lakes for pre spawn and post spawn bass is the suspending jerkbait. My favorite is a olive green X Rap Rapala and I like to work them everywhere I use a rattletrap. I’ve even used them to get bass off of beds. You can just drag it into the bed and let it dangle in front of their face for a long time. The firetiger color is the best for bedding bass since it resembles those pesky bluegills they’re constantly chasing away from their eggs. Pre and post areas will be just outside of spawning coves and shallow water flats in the middle of the lake with deep water close by. Just make sure the water is on the clearer side during winter and spring. Slow down the retrieve as the water gets colder in Winter and speed it up during Spring.
If you’re fortunate enough to find hard green hydrilla out here, then I’d go for a gold and black Rapala original floater and a junebug or redbug 10″ worm.
The summers are probably the slowest time for fishing here, and I’d target deep water docks and the handful of places with deep water and cover with senkos and trick worms. Sometimes you can find running water after some of the tropical storms and hurricanes we get during the summer and it can be just phenomenal fishing. The water runs into John’s Lake from Black Lake so it’s the only place to find running water here.
You don’t have to spend a fortune at Bass Pro Shops to catch fish here. Just get some Gitem KO’s & Warlocks, 10″ worms, rattletraps, frogs, and jerkbaits and you’ll catch’em as good as anybody. Now the only thing you gotta do is locate the fish which is the hard part. You’ll catch a lot of small fish here, but there’s also some monsters out there.
The ledger.com out of Lakeland, FL has a neat interactive Google Map wish fishing reports around Central Florida. I think it’s a pretty neat resource to figure out where the fish are. You may have to zoom in once to see which lake you’re looking at or just click view larger map on the bottom left. In any case there’s lots of fishing reports on the map.
You can also check the “Around Polk County” article for a compilation of written fishing reports around town.
A new boat ramp just reopened to the public on Lake Hatchineha. From the looks of things they’re still doing some renovations but it’s always nice to have another ramp. There’s plenty of parking and you don’t have to drive down a dirt road meaning you don’t have to clean off all the dirt on your boat when you get home. 
