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Largemouth Bass
- Florida's most popular freshwater game fish.
State Record 17 lbs 4-1/4 ounces.
Top Florida
Largemouth Bass Fishing Lakes -
Lake George, Lake
Tarpon, Lake Weohyakapka, Lake Istokpoga, Lake
Okeechobee, Crescent Lake.
Spotted Bass
- Mainly found in Florida Rivers and Streams. State
Record 3 lbs 12 ounces caught in Apalachicola River.
White Bass -
Mainly found in Florida Rivers. State Record 4 lbs
11 ounces.
Suwannee Bass
- Mainly found in Florida Rivers. State Record 3
lbs 14 1/4 ounces.
Striped Bass
- Found mostly in Florida Rivers. State Record 38
lbs 9 ounces.
Black Crappie
- Popular and found in most Florida Lakes. State
Record 3 lbs 13.25 ounces.
Bluegill -
Found in large amounts in most Florida Lakes.
State Record 2 lbs 15.25 ounces.
Redear Sunfish
(Shellcracker)
- Popular and found in most Florida Lakes. State
Record 4 lbs 13 ounces.
Warmouth -
Found in many Florida Lakes. State Record 2 lbs 7
ounces.
Channel Catfish
- Mainly found in Florida Rivers and Streams.
Florida
Bass Fishing
Freshwater
fishing in Florida usually means one thing- bass! There
are more than 10,000 freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds
in this state and the number and size of largemouth bass
that have been pulled out of them each year has earned
it the title of "Bass Capital of the World!"
In addition to the largemouth bass, you'll also find an
abundance of sunshine bass, striped bass and bream.
Florida bass are
well-known as strong fighters, and are fished
recreationally. Depending upon species and various other
factors such as water quality and availability of food,
Florida bass may be found in Florida lakes, reservoirs,
ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, even roadside ditches.
Largemouth bass are known for their overall size and
resistance when hooked, favoring short, powerful runs
and escape to cover such as submerged logs or weedbeds.
Florida Smallmouth bass tend to jump more and fight
aggressively on the surface when hooked, in order to
throw the hook. Florida Bass are usually fileted when
taken for the table, however, more and more Florida bass
anglers are adopting "catch and release"
angling, where the bass are returned to the water after
being hooked and retrieved. Spring is the best
time of year to catch Florida bass, when fish move into
shallow water to spawn. Spawning may occur as early as
January in extreme south Florida and as late as May in
the panhandle, but March and April are peak months. Most
large bass are taken at this time; after spawning, many
large females move to offshore areas.
Florida Bream
Fishing
Every state in the U.S. has its good
and bad points. Florida is no different. While it may
seem that we have more people than you can shake a stick
at, we have tremendous opportunities for fishing.
Quality-of-life issues aside, Florida still is one of
the best places in the country for bream fishing. From
Lake Ocheechobee north to Lake City and into the
Panhandle, there are hundreds of Florida lakes open to
the public, not mention a number of good rivers that are
rarely visited.
These are the top three bream fishing
lakes in Florida:
Lake Kissimmee
Just a stone's throw northeast of Avon
Park is 35,000-acre Lake Kissimmee. Kissimmee stretches
in a rectangular fashion for a dozen miles from State
Route 60 north along the western edge of Osceola County.
As central Florida waters go, the lake is fairly
shallow, with most of it less than 10 feet deep. The
lake has a number of recognizable islands, such as
Stern, Rabbit, Ox, Bird and, the largest of them all,
Brahma Island.
Lake George
Farther north, but having an equally
good reputation for bream fishing, is Lake George. A
hefty 46,000 acres, the lake is due east of Ocala. The
mighty St. Johns River empties into the lake on its
southern end and exits on the north end, to continue its
journey to the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville.
Lake George is shallow, the deepest spots are about 15
to 16 feet deep.
Lake Talquin
One of the best lakes for panfish in
the Florida Panhandle is Lake Talquin. The reservoir
covers 8,850 acres and is south of Quincy in Gadsden
County. Back in the 1960s, the Ochlockonee River near SR
20 was dammed, forming the impoundment. Streams that
flow into the lake include Ocklawaha Creek, Rocky
Comfort Creek and Little River. Lake Talquin has
some shallower areas, but the impoundment is deeper than
your average Florida lake. It is 20 to 30 feet deep in
places, and because of its depth it does not have as
much vegetation as some lakes. Still, it is a good
destination for catching bluegills.
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