Central Florida Bass Fishing

Kissimmee, Orlando Area
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The Fish we Catch

Florida Black Bass or Largemouth Bass

The Largemouth or Florida Black Bass got its name because its upper jaw extends to behind its eye. Its coloring ranges from a dark or black back to green or olive-colored sides to a light belly. It has an uneven line of dark spots or bars that extend along its flanks to its tail. The spiny first dorsal fin is highest midway along its length and almost separated (forming a notch) from its soft second dorsal.

Big Lake Tohopekaliga (Big Lake Toho) is known for it’s large numbers of big bass with a lake record of 16.5 lbs. The IGFA all tackle record is 22 pounds 4 ounces caught in Georgia. Florida’s certified state record is 17.27 pounds.

Black Bass are the most sought after freshwater fish because of their wide range and their aggressive bone jarring strikes and the strength they exhibit during the fight. Being active predators they feed on a large variety of creatures and can be tempted to strike at practically any kind of bait or lure, either natural or artificial. Artificials could include plastic worms and grubs, spoons, spinners, crank baits and plugs. For bait fishing you could use worms, crayfish, leeches, minnows or we use large wild shiners in the winter and spring and medium wild in the summer and fall. The fly fisherman could use a variety of artificials such as bugs, streamers, poppers and bucktails.

For tackle we use 7.0’ Shimano spinning rods with Shimano 3500 Bait Runner reels lined with 15lb test. We also have smaller rods and reels for fishing with lures or plastic worms and baitcasting for crank baits and larger plastics. We do not provide fly fishing tackle but you can bring your own. A 7’ to 9’ bass fly rod with fast taper fitted with a fly reel fitted with a #7 to #9 floating line and a 6 to 8 pound leader is what we recommend.

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Speckle Perch or Crappie

Speckled perch, specks, paper mouth, or just plain crappie. The black crappie is a silvery-green to yellowish fish with large dorsal and anal fins of almost identical shape and size. The sides are marked with black blotches, which become more intense towards the back. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins also are marked with rows of dark spots. Crappies have compressed bodies, small heads and arched backs. It has a large mouth with an upper jaw extending under the eye.

Black crappies are excellent game fish and are highly regarded by bait fishermen and artificial-lure anglers alike. They are easily caught during prespawning periods when the fish are congregated in large schools. Here on Big Lake Toho it’s after our first cold front or December thru April. Trolling with small, live minnows or a spinner-fly combination is very productive. They will also strike subsurface flies, small spinners, jigs, and tiny crankbaits. Crappies tend to suspend in midwater, so you may have to experiment to find the right depth. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.

World Record - 4 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in Kerr Lake, Virginia, in 1981,.state record 3 pounds, 13.25 ounces, caught in Lake Talquin, in 1992.

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Bluegills, Shell Cracker or Bream

Common Names, bream, bluegills, shell cracker, or sun perch.

Description - Bluegills have small mouths and oval-shaped, almost rounded, bodies. Body coloration is highly variable with size, sex, spawning, water color, bottom type, and amount of cover. In general, they are somewhat lavender and bronze with about six dark bars on their sides. Males tend to have a copper-colored bar over the top of the head behind the eyes. The breast is silver to slightly blue most of the year, with some yellow or orange during spawning season. Females are generally lighter colored than males. Two distinctive characteristics are the prominent black spot on the rear edge of the gill-cover and a black spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal fin.

Because of its willingness to take a variety of natural baits (e.g., crickets, grass shrimp, worms) and artificial lures (e.g., small spinners or popping bugs) during the entire year, its gameness when hooked, and its excellent food qualities make the bluegill one of the more important sport fish in Florida and the eastern United States. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limits regulations apply. World Record, 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and state record of 2 pounds 15.25 ounces

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Longnose Gar

Longnose, gar, garfish, they are olive-brown or deep green along the back and upper sides, with silver-white bellies. There are a few irregular, large dark spots on the body. The young display scattered spots over both sides, the upper and lower jaws and on their ventral fins. The longnose is generally distinguished from other gars by its longer, more slender body, and especially by its longer, narrower snout. The snout is twice the length of the rest of the head.

Gars are sporty fighters; however, they are not fished for to a great extent. They can be taken with minnows and artificial lures or during daylight by spearing (although not by spear gun) and snagging them with treble hooks. They are popular with bow-fishermen and anglers using frayed nylon cord as a lure snag, which entangles the gars teeth.

Although the flesh of longnose gars are edible, it is not popular. However, the Seminole Indians reportedly prefer gars over other fish. They roast them whole in the coals of open fires. The roe is poisonous to humans, animals and birds. World Record, 50.31 pounds, state Record, 41.00 pounds.

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Chain Pickerel

Chain PickerelPike, river pike, grass pike, jack, jackfish, eastern pickerel, chain pickerel, mud pickerel, black chain pike, duck-billed pike. Chain pickerels are deep olive-green on the back, shading to a creamy yellow on the belly. Olive green blotches are present within distinct black chain-like or interwoven markings on the sides. There is a distinct dark, vertical bar below the eye. The cheek and gill covers are completely covered by scales. The underside of the lower jaw has 14-17 branchiostegal rays. Although not so common as the black bass, chain pickerels are often encountered by bass anglers, especially while plug casting. They are good fighters, especially on light tackle. Productive lures include spinner baits, weed less spoons, surface plugs, crank baits and jigs. Minnows and shiners are a reliable year-round bait. World Record, 9.38 pounds, state record is 8 pounds.

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Baits We Use

For Bass

Golden Shiner The Golden Shiner is a common minnow found in lakes, ponds, marshes. It can grow up to 12 inches long, but is usually much smaller. Golden Shiners are silvery fish, with an olive-colored back and yellowish or reddish fins. Usually, these fish stay close to aquatic plants, but at night they move out into open water. We use large wild during the winter and spring and medium during summer and fall. Large cost from $15 to $20 per dozen and medium cost $9 to $13 per dozen, we will normally get one dozen per angler.

For crappie or specks

We use commercial minnows, price range form$.80 to $1.50 per dozen.

For Bluegills or bream we use crickets, price range form $1.50 per tube to $3 per tube.

With all the bait the captains load it on the boat before we leave the dock.

FISHING CHARTERS

Fresh Water Fishing
Bass or crappie fishing on Big Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee Fl. (Disney area) All tackle and instruction will be supplied along with water and snacks. Live bait must be purchased at the time of the charter. Florida state fishing licenses are furnished by the Captain at no cost to the anglers.

Add $50 per angler additional.
Maximum fishing 6 anglers and non fishing passengers 7, max 13.