Atsushi catching another largemouth bass on Lake Toho using Live wild shiners. This young man caught a bunch of great bass.
December is always a great month for bass fishing in Florida. Cooler temperatures have rolled into Central Florida and sparked the bass to bite our offerings. Live wild shiners and artificial lures are catching some great numbers as well as some very nice trophy bass. You will have plenty of option for Central Florida Bass Fishing. Lakes such as World Famous Lake Toho, East Lake Toho, Butler Chain of Lakes and the Conway Chain of Lakes. All of these lakes can and will produce some great bass fishing in Florida.
Cooler water temperatures have now moved the bass up to shallower waters as most are getting ready for the big spawn. As early as the first week of December we have seen bass beds, anywhere from one foot of water to eight feet of water deep. Smaller buck bass, the males, will be fanning with their tails to create these bass beds for the females to come lay their eggs, and then the males will guard the beds.
Classic sign of the male is the sore or sores you will find on the lower side of their tails, which is a classic sign they fanned a bed or two. Despite the fact that the males will be the ones guarding the bed, you can bet the farm, the big female is never really far from the bed herself. Many times I have had clients on the water searching for that big gal only to have her charge out from close by cover to snatch our baits to assist the male in protecting the bed.
Here in Florida, fishing beds is very common, as many see it as a great way to target and catch that trophy bass everyone wants. It is fine to do this, but I cannot stress enough, if you do catch one in this manner to please land her and hold her properly, with one hand supporting her belly, take your picture and slide her back in the water gently. This will reduce the stress on her and she will still spawn.
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