Folks we have been having a blast on West Lake Toho!
Doing our trips out here clients have been having fun catching some quality bass and some good numbers as well. Live wild shiners of course are always a good bet to catch the bass out here year round, but never forget about the fun and satisfaction you can get when your using artificial baits! Took my old neighbor out on a scouting trip to locate some new fish for future trips and all we threw were artificial baits. Senko type baits, worms and spinner baits were producing some good numbers for us as well as some quality bass.

Picture perfect morning with a slight breeze had us working shallow water areas and we watched the bass school in several areas this day, but we opted for the search of the beast, and she did not let us down on this day. Less than an hour into the day this sweet hawg hit one of my own hand poured lures, she put on a great fight thru the hydrilla and was weighed in on the official scales at Toho Marina and a sweet 9.8 pounds, our best five coming in at 22 pounds. Not bad for only 4 hours of fishing.

Capt Tim Fey

Lake Toho

Lake Toho

Capt John Leech this week report numbers and size on Lake Toho, using wild shiners and artificial lures (soft plastic,  fluke & worms, june bug and watermelon color).

Till next time tight lines and good fishing…. From Staff Writer Capt. John Leech

Bass Online Pro Team
888-629-2277

The Mullaley’s came down from Oklahoma to visit with family and friends. While here, they figured lets go bass fishing!  The Mullaley’s were staying in the Orlando/Kissimmee area, so they fished Lake Toho with Captain John Leech. The weather was ugly earlier in the day, but cleared up in the afternoon just in time for the Mullaley’s afternoon trip. Which made them very happy. They caught a total of 20 fish, two or three over 5 lbs. Great Fishing Guys!

Till next time tight lines and good fishing…. From Staff Writer Capt. John Leech (fishing@bassonline.com) BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

BassOnline Staff,

Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that we had a fantastic two days of fishing with Capt. Roger Gonzalez. The first day was for Largemouth Bass in the Everglades. We caught so many fish we lost count. Although that elusive 5+ pounder was never realized, we caught many nice fish larger then what we are used to catching. We even had encounters with several alligators. The second day was for Peacock, and again we caught so many we lost count including a very large 7 lb 22 in that almost gave Capt. Roger a heart attack! Capt. Roger was personable and very instructive which was appreciated.

Steve Myers

The competitors will launch at C. Scott Driver Park, located at 10100 West Highway 78 in the town of Okeechobee, Fla. Anglers may begin fishing at 6:15 a.m. or safe light. The weigh-in will begin at 2:15 p.m. Registration begins at 4 p.m. May 17.

Anglers fishing the Boater Division may weigh in up to five bass, each at least 12 inches long. Co-anglers may weigh in up to three bass. Competitors may only lock through to the Kissimmee River, the Caloosahatchee River and Port St. Lucie Canal.

One of the best bass lakes in the nation, Lake Okeechobee ranks Number 8 on the 2013 Bassmaster magazine list of the top 100 bass waters in the United States. Well-known for producing monster bass, Big O probably holds more double-digit bass than any other lake in the nation. The lake record largemouth weighed more than 15 pounds. About the size of Rhode Island, it covers about 730 square miles and ranks as the largest freshwater lake in Florida, second largest freshwater lake completely within the borders of the lower 48 states and largest freshwater lake contained completely within one state.

The ancient massive lake averages less than nine feet deep. Anglers may find deeper water in the Rim Canal. Huge grass mats and reedy flats cover large portions of inland sea. Many anglers flip the reeds with jigs, tubes or other soft-plastic baits. Others punch through the grass mats with heavy Texas-rigged baits or jigs. Frogs buzzed across the surface or large swimbaits worked enticingly near grass lines can also work well. Toward the middle of the lake, shell beds and other structure can offer some action to anglers throwing Carolina rigs, deep-running crankbaits or other temptations.

During the Feb. 25, 2012, BWS tournament on Lake Okeechobee, Ron Yentz of Fort Lauderdale won the Boater Division with a five-bass tournament limit weighing 23.40 pounds for a 4.68-pound average. He anchored his bag with a 6.28-pound kicker. Yentz caught most of his fish around peppergrass with a copper colored Gambler Big EZ swimbait.

James W. Williams of Apopka set the division lunker standard with a 7.28-pounder that hit a blue Bitters soft plastic bait near the north shore of the sprawling natural lake.

In the Co-Angler Division during that tournament, Zack L. Zwick of Kissimmee, Fla., landed a three-fish division daily limit going 12.38 pounds for a 4.13-pound average. He anchored his catch with a 6.06-pounder. Zwick caught most of his fish in the Harney Pond Canal area with a big worm fished in about three feet of water. Edwin R. Rivera of Orlando won the Co-Angler Division lunker honors with a 7.36-pound mossback that hit a big swimbait fished near Lakeport in about three feet of water.

Click here for Florida fishing license information or call 888-347-4356.

The two-day divisional championship will be held Sept. 14-15 out of Camp Mack near Lake Wales to fish the Kissimmee Chain. At the end of the season, one BWS angler will win the opportunity to compete in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.

For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. Online, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

Raymarine Inc., a world leader in marine electronics, is pleased to announce new additions to its team of Pro Ambassadors for 2013. With the release of Raymarine’s Dragonfly Sonar/GPS for fresh water anglers, Raymarine has joined forces with some of the most respected anglers in the sport of professional bass fishing.

Raymarine’s Pro Ambassadors include legendary veterans and up-and-coming hard chargers eager to make their mark on the professional bass tournament scene. Raymarine’s new elite professional anglers include:

Zel Rowland, of Montgomery, Texas has earned 4 BASS tour event titles and qualified for 13 Bassmaster Classics. Named one of the 35 Top Anglers of All Time by the BASS. Known as “The Topwater King”, this charismatic angler has earned over $1 million in tournament winnings over his career.

Bernie Schultz

Bernie Schultz, of Gainesville, Florida is a seasoned veteran of BASS and FLW pro tours. His achievements include two Canadian titles and two US titles, while qualifying for eight Bassmaster Classics and five FLW Championships. Bernie is also a freelance columnist whose works appear regularly in numerous fishing-related print and online publications.

David Fritts of Lexington, North Carolina is one of the most successful veterans in all of bass fishing, and has been professionally fishing for over 20 years. Fritts is known as the crank bait master and he has used this bait almost exclusively to notch his numerous victories and top-10 finishes with both FLW and BASS tournament circuits.

James Niggemeyer, of Van, Texas is a Bassmaster Elite angler and 16-year tournament veteran. James’ accomplishments include 1 FLW series win, as well as 3 wins and 9-Top-10’s in BASS events. James is widely respected by his friends and peers for his incredible combination of character, perseverance and faith that have brought him much success as a professional angler.

“We are very excited to be aligned with some of the most respected pros in bass fishing,” said Larry Rencken VP of Sales for Raymarine. “As Raymarine continues to develop leading edge technology like Dragonfly with CHIRP DownVision™ we are confident our new partnership will be a win-win scenario for both Raymarine and the pros”

In addition to elite pro bass veterans Raymarine is also proud to announce the addition of two new up and coming competitive anglers:

Trait Crist, of Fort Worth, Texas is an up-and-coming angler fishing the 2013 Bassmaster Opens, and working towards qualifying for the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series. Realizing that her love of fishing was far stronger than her passion for Wall Street, Trait left her career in investment management to become a full-time professional angler.

Steven Wisdom, from Alabama, fishes the BASS Open Tours and the Professional Anglers Association Tournament Series. An avid outdoorsman, Steven is also the president of FoodSource Lure Corportation. Wisdom’s professional fishing career started as a dream at age 6, and the pursuit of that dream has been a lifelong passion for him. A highly competitive angler, Wisdom is on the verge of breaking out and is destined to become one of the all-time greats.

Read more: http://www.floridasportsman.com/2013/05/07/raymarine-grows-fresh-water-pro-ambassador-team/#ixzz2SdvyuaRZ

Lake Istokpoga, a 28,000-acre lake eight miles southeast of Sebring off U.S. 98, is becoming one of Florida’s stellar bass lakes for good reason.

In 2001, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) conducted a full-scale drawdown in an effort to rid the lake of a muck-laden bottom that had built up after years of water-level stabilization that eliminated natural water fluctuations during droughts and rainy periods.

During the drawdown, more than half of the lake’s bottom was exposed to the elements for five months. During that time, a massive mechanical muck removal project scraped 21 miles of lake bottom totaling more than 1,300 acres.

By 2003, the scraped areas were producing eelgrass, a desirable native aquatic plant. And by 2009, quality fish habitat covered 33 percent of the lake, which exceeded the FWC’s expectations.

As a result of the new habitat and aquatic plant life, there was an explosion of the forage base, including grass shrimp, shiners and baitfish. And once again, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and shellcracker had a desirable sand bottom for spawning.

The end result has been repeated successful year classes of bass and panfish supplemented with high growth rates because of the extensive forage.

Istokpoga now offers high yields of bass, among them trophy fish in the 8- to 10-pound range. This winter, a couple of 12-pounders were reported caught and released.

The FWC is using special regulations to create a trophy bass fishery. A 15- to 24-inch slot limit for bass and a three-fish daily bag limit, of which only one bass may be 24 inches or longer, have been successful.

Surveys conducted last year documented the highest largemouth bass catch rate of 0.82 fish per hour since the drawdown.

Much of the success at Istokpoga is attributed to bass clubs and other stakeholders that became actively engaged. In 1997, Lake Istokpoga became a fish management area, and the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee was formed at the request of the Highlands County Commission.

The committee, which provides management suggestions and input to the FWC, includes anglers, guides, fishing camp owners, homeowners associations and conservation groups such as Audubon. Friends of Istokpoga, a nonprofit group, also discusses management programs quarterly, including hydrilla treatment and additional habitat restoration plans.

Similar management practices by the FWC have resulted in success stories for other lakes around the state. Istokpoga is just one example.

Originally presented to the City Council in June 2011, the Florida Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery and Enhancement Center is slated to include a state-of-the-art saltwater fish hatchery, an integrated coastal habitat plant production facility, and a venue for public outreach and education on marine resources conservation. The Council voted unanimously to authorize Mayor Hayward to negotiate a lease for the proposed hatchery at the Bruce Beach site, located south of Main Street west of the Community Maritime Park.

“This is a huge win for Pensacola,” said Mayor Hayward. “This hatchery will be a tremendous asset for our community and our region. Over the past two years, I’ve been fighting every day to make sure Pensacola gets the funding and the resources we deserve. I want to thank Governor Rick Scott for his continued leadership and advocacy for our state and for Northwest Florida.”

The projects would be paid out of a $100 million pot of money from BP from an April 2011 agreement that is overseen by the trustees. Florida has already approved and begun work on seven projects, including several boat ramps, dune restoration, and shorebird and sea turtle habitat restoration.

In the Escambia and Santa Rosa county areas, the projects also include:

• Florida Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery/ Enhancement Center, Escambia County.  Approximately $20 million
• Florida Artificial Reef Creation and Restoration, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties. Approximately $11.4 million
• Pensacola Bay Living Shoreline, Escambia County. Approximately $11 million
• Florida Oyster Reef Restoration Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay and Franklin counties. Approximately $5.4 million
• Scallop Enhancement for Increased Recreational Fishing Opportunity in the Florida Panhandle, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties. Approximately $3 million
• Big Lagoon State Park Boat Ramp Improvement, Escambia County. Approximately $1.5 million
• Bob Sikes Pier Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $1 million
• Perdido Key Boardwalk Improvements, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000
• Perdido Key Dune Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000

“These early restoration projects will help revitalize our precious coastal ecology and restore our area’s natural resources after the damage of the BP oil spill,” said Rep Clay Ingram.  “I am also hopeful that these plans will help ease the economic losses suffered by so many members of our community who depend on the environment for business and recreation.”

“We’re committed to restoring the environment and economy that families have relied upon in the Gulf for generations,” said Gov. Rick Scott. “These $58 million in Florida projects represent a critical step forward in recovering from the natural resource and recreational losses that resulted from the BP oil spill.”