Read this article about fishing on Lake Toho with
Capt. Skip in the Summer.
In fish-rich Florida, a fishing guide can be an
invaluable tool for fishing enthusiasts, skilled and amateur
alike. By Steve Heisler November 2007
It didn't take long: Less than a half hour on Lake Kissimmee
and the reel was spinning, rod tip high in the air, and we
were kickin' bass.
Well, OK, not kickin' maybe, but certainly catching. And if
you're fishing in Kissimmee, then reeling in lunker after
lunker, aided by the best guide, is pretty much the order of
the day.
Doing battle on this day provided a handful of bass,
including a six-pounder that offered the most fight before
being wrestled to the boat. Guide Rob Murchie stood
alongside throughout in his 20-foot light tackle bass boat,
sharing tips on not allowing slack in the line following the
strike.
As Murchie held up a largemouth before releasing it back
into the water, he said, "You can fudge a lot of things but
you need a good hook set to keep the rod bent and put
pressure on the fish."
The Anatomy of a Lake
Lakes like Kissimmee, Cypress, Toho and Hatch are just a
canal ride away if you are into a day of sampling the
waterways. That's just one advantage, Murchie explains as he
navigates his 20-foot light tackle bass boat on Lake
Kissimmee.
"Within 12 miles, you can hop from one to another," he says.
"It gives you an option without losing most of your day."
As he spoke, cattle grazed near the shore of the 30,000-acre
lake, the third largest in the state. Murchie's attention,
however, was focused on the passing undulating beds of
hydrilla, needle and alligator grass.
"The water is clear and we have a chance to get into bigger
groups of fish," he explains. "They should be staging up in
the grass."
Although bass aren't spawning this summer, other guides,
like Terry Segraves, stress the importance of allowing the
grass to guide you. Looking at specific patches of green and
breaking a lake down is his advice. Seek out the lily pads
or hydrilla grass and a fish may be nearby.
Segraves has been a competitive bass fisherman for some time
now, but his greatest memory from his guiding days remains
fresh: A pair of newlyweds who kicked off their life
together with the new wife hauling in an 11-pound lunker.
It's those memories - as well as the chance to catch plenty
of fish - that drive Segraves when he considers the bounty
to be snared in Kissimmee area lakes. And although trophy
fish may be difficult to reel in, expect more action.
"Summer is the best time of year down here," said Segraves.
"It's a good time to catch a lot of fish."
Bass & Blue Gill in Lake Toho
Even in the summer, however, the main draw for these lakes
remains bass. So a bit later that afternoon, guide Skip
Campbell met me at the Toho Marina for some pre-sunset
casting.
The time of day we head out
has a major bearing on our success. As he
quickly points out, fish will bite all day in
the spring, but early mornings and late
afternoon are the best bets in the summer heat.
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The time of day we head out has a major bearing on our
success. As he quickly points out, fish will bite all day in
the spring, but early mornings and late afternoon are the
best bets in the summer heat.
Campbell has been guiding for seven years and specializes in
families and children. With just two of us in the boat,
however, he's particularly attuned to finding that one spot
that will produce fish. The time of day we head out has a
major bearing on our success. As he quickly points out, fish
will bite all day in the spring, but early mornings and late
afternoon are the best bets in the summer heat.
"It's a summer pattern that always happens," Campbell says.
"You have to go early or go late. The water is real shallow
and heats up real fast."
Our late afternoon foray in his 20-foot bass boat produces
some nice fish. A seven-pounder is brought to within a foot
of the boat before spitting the hook. As we meander from
grass flat to grass flat, I pull in a four-pounder and a
1.5-pound buck bass.
Another Lake Toho guide, Chucky Pittman, has been guiding
for three years and leads folks from all over to prime
spots. Along with fishermen from Florida and across the
country, anglers from South Africa and Japan visit often.
"This lake is really famous in Japan," says Pittman, who
figures he gets 80 percent of his business from the
Internet. "When they come here and do the Disney thing and
realize they're just 15 miles away, they have to come here."
Here or any of the other chain of lakes that connect as part
of the Kissimmee waterways. Anywhere along the chain,
shallow water and grass or tree limbs can be giveaways that
a reel is about to start spinning.
On the shores of Lake Toho, Richardson's Fish Camp has seven
cabins and docks under the watchful eye of operator Tom
Morris. The popular fish camp is adjacent to the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
At the FWCC, biologist Marty Mann explains that spots like
the Neptune Road pier, where fish feeders fire food pellets
into the water, lure pan fish and shiners. Bass are usually
hot on their tail.
He says the recent "drawdown" of Lake Kissimmee - scraping
3,500 acres of the 18,800-acre lake - was successful in
firming the lake bottom while increasing water oxygenation.
The result is more fish - and a lot more than bass. Sunfish,
blue gill and shell cracker are among the lake's
inhabitants.
"They'll form clusters or bed, what they call honeycombs,"
Mann said. "Kissimmee is an excellent pan fishery. People
forget blue gill fishing is a lot of fun."
The Best Bait for Bass
A guide's greatest service can be performed even before
casting: selecting the best bait. This time of year, live
bait like shiners doesn't produce the results of a plastic
worm. A 7.5-inch Culprit Ribbon Tail worm, June Bug or Red
Shad are a few of Terry Seagrave's picks. Then there's the
Horny Toad Frog, a plastic frog with a hook that is dragged
across the water. In heavy vegetation? Try the ribbon tail
worm, whose screwed-on weights make it particularly
effective.
Chucky Pittman recommends a Texas-rigged plastic worm, crank
baits or top-water plugs. Choosing the right bait and being
led to a grassy area where biting is good beats the heck out
of a boardroom gathering, says Pittman. "A lot of guys will
get together, get two or three guides and skip out on their
meetings," he says. "Every inch of this lake will have fish
on it."
Bringing them to the surface can take baits even more
inventive than the Horny Toad. Many new baits, with names
like Sweet Beaver, Flirt and Booyah's Swim 'n Jig, are on
display at Big Toho Marina, owned by local angler Mark
Detweiler. The bait display is across from a sign that lists
the water's inhabitants: "Bass, blue gill, mudfish, pickerel
and gar: Best days yesterday and tomorrow
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