Get fresh this weekend

We concentrate a lot on the sea side of fishing, so let's just take a quick look at the freshwater pastime. Jim Lee's weekly report in the Tampa Tribune is as good a place to start as any.
Here's this week's offering. You can read the whole report here

This past week was good, but the water was still cold. By the early part of the weekend, bass action should improve for a short period. Live shiners are the best for attracting bass. Speckled perch catches continue to be very good and are increasing in some areas. Look for the bedding areas in the grass soon.
KISSIMMEE CHAIN: Grape Hammock Fish Camp (863) 692-1500: The water is still cold, and it will be next month before it warms up to any degree. A lot of smaller bass are being caught, indicating a good spawn to come. Speckled perch are the easy catch and will be for a while yet.
LORIDA-ISTOKPOGA: Trails End Fishing Resort and Guide Service (863)-655-0134: Some larger bass are still being taken on occasion. Bass in the 4- to 6-pound range mostly, but with a little warmer weather, the big bass will appear. Specks are the main attraction. Troll with jigs and minnows. They will be bedding in the grass and lily pads soon.
OKEECHOBEE, THE WEST WALL: The lake is mostly too low to fish, but they are allowing the seine nets to take bluegill and shellcracker in the middle of the lake. The commercial operations are doing well, but the guides and recreational anglers are struggling. Some bass and bluegill can be caught in the Rim Canal.
LAKE PANASOFFKEE: Pana Vista Lodge (352) 793-2061: Specks and juvenile bass are the catch so far. You can still catch your speckled perch dinner. It won’t be long until the bluegill take over. Plan ahead, as this is a great bluegill and shellcracker lake.

Sneak up on a snook

The Islander newspaper reports that pompano are starting to make their winter appearance, with good catches coming out of Longboat Pass. Paul Roat says: 'the fish fight like fiends, making for a great catch, and they also make for some of the tastiest table fare around. Jigs are working well to bring in the big ones, which are stretching to 20 inches in size. Trout and redfish also are being caught in the backwaters of Anna Maria Sound, Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia Bay. Shrimp are a good bait choice.'Have you seen the size of some of the snook resting in the canals and back waters near the island? If they are as big as they look the snook season’s start March 1 should be lots of fun...
Happy hooking!
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