CTFishTalk.com: Bass Fishing in North Central Florida - Connecticut Bass Fishing ( CT Bass Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Stratos17 · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 372 Location: Bristol, Ct.

Thinking of making a trip to Florida next Spring for largemouth. Has anyone been on a guided or unguided trip?

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

I'll go on a "guided fishing excursion" (i.e., Disney-speak for "really expensive fishing trip") with my daughter for a couple of hours at Walt Disney World on the 23rd. I think the cost is $260. We'll fish Bay Lake, which is on the other side of the Contemporary Resort from the Seven Seas Lagoon. The record largemouth bass from there is 12 pounds. I'll post a report for sure. Information about fishing at Walt Disney World was hard to find on its website, so here are a couple of links:

http://bookwdw.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/specialOfferDetails?name=Promo&promotionCode=fy09fishing&market=fy09fishing

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/more/fishing-excursions/

More appropriately in response to your question, though, there are tons of small lakes and ponds in northern Florida that are loaded with humongous largemouth bass. If I were heading down there next Spring, I'd definitely surf the web for more information about it.
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fishinguy · Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 44 Location: Danbury,Ct.

Stratos, my mother lives in Naples, FL and whenever I visit it doesn't take long to get to it. I just pick any lake, pond, or puddle and cast a topwater or spinnerbait and get a decent size LMB for the most part. Dawn or dusk are deadly but watch out for mosquitos, they can be brutal. Oh, the gators are a bit of a nuisance as well... Good luck - you won't be disappointed.
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MarkO · Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 330

Peco
I did a guided Disney lake about 12 years ago in February.
Bass fishing in CT really helped me as a cold front moved in the night before and the guide was stumped as what to do. He kept us on the bank until I had to almost hog tie him to get us to "any deeper" water in the lake...in Florida "deeper" is relative.
Anyways, he moved us to a ditch in about 10 feet of water that had some weeds and I slow rolled a spinnerbait over it and nailed a decent 4 pound largemouth.
As the day went on and the fishing continued to be poor, I asked him to find us some part of the lake that had seen sun for most of the morning and might have some running water. He found a drainage pipe that fed into the lake, I casted a rubber worm to it and let it drift into deeper water. No quicker than it dropped out of sight, an identical 4lb bass inhaled it.
Those were the only two bass caught that day and the guide looked astonished. As he was taking my picture with bass number 2, I said to him, "thats how we do it Northern Style", and let the bass slowly swim back to its watery depth. Ok, I didn't actually say that but the look on his face was priceless as this Yankee boy was able to put a few fish in the boat under some extremely tough circumstances.
Two thoughts; don't be afraid to speak up to the guide to make a move if the fishing is not to your liking. Granted, it was me and only one other guest on board so the move, when done, paid off. Lastly, bring a small tackle box of lures/hooks as their selection might not be to your liking. I asked if I could retie something that I brought and the guide was cool with it.
Good luck

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Thanks for the advice, MarkO. The freakish cold we have right now is killing me.
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Phish · Joined: 22 Aug 2008 Posts: 454 Location: West Hartford

Phil -

Get Kevin as your guide down there. He is good and knows what he's doing. I have produced a few shows there and the fishing is hot and cold. Had one day doing a "make a wish" thing with Mike Iaconelli that was very difficult fishing and have had other days that were great. My on-camera PB on camera down there was a 6 pounder caught by Greta Gaines for a "Bass Basics" segment. Ish popped a healthy 7-pounder in a nearby lake on Disney property that isn't open to the public.

Stratos -

If you're going to Florida, get a guide on Lake Toho and fish that chain of lakes. Great fishing. Disney is OK. I was standing with Mark Zona during the Classic on Toho and watched him pop a 7-pounder from the bank behind our set. Rick Clunn caught a 10-pounder on a spinnerbait which I think was big fish and a Classic record at the time. Good fish and plenty of them on Toho.

Stratos17 · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 372 Location: Bristol, Ct.

Thanks for all the replies. Not sure yet......We were concidering Toho....

Peco..make sure to post

Thanks again all !!

flippy · Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 1150

Hey Stratos, I have friends in Florida, if and when you go I could hook you up with somebody, there fishing anyway, probably just charge you for a little gas, or if the timings right you could fish a tourny with them as a non boater, they fish all over especially the Okachobee( i dont know how to spell it)