Harris Chain of Lakes

Florida bass

With water temperature continuing to rise throughout the next few months, fishing activity will likely slow down during the midday heat. That doesn’t mean activity will be slow though, as both morning and late afternoon/evening provide ample opportunity to throw topwater lures for aggressive Florida Bass on the prowl for a summer meal. If you see fish hitting bait on the surface, act quickly and throw something out! Fishing a frog over top of pads or through other emergent vegetation can produce an explosion on the surface and ensure the adrenaline gets pumping. Throwing a devil’s horse over clear beds of submersed vegetation can also provide that much needed excitement during the dog days of summer. Lakes Beauclair and Griffin should both make the list of Harris Chain lakes to try these techniques out.

Similar to the last quarter, many fish will be looking for the relief of cooler water throughout the summer. Deep diving crankbaits can help in finding the bass in those cooler depths, and one of the best spots to hit will be the many attractors scattered throughout the Harris Chain. You can find attractors on lakes: Griffin, Dora, Harris, and Apopka. GPS coordinates for all sites are below under the “Fish Attractors” tab. Offshore shell beds and isolated deep vegetation can hold fish as well, which can be found using your boat electronics. While the general trend for bass is to move deep offshore all summer, there certainly are some bass that still utilize nearshore areas during this time of year. Look for shaded areas underneath canopy cover or docks and you’re likely to find some fish. The typical Texas-rigged soft plastic should continue to produce bites. As always, make sure to submit any “trophy bass” (>8lbs) to the TrophyCatch program to collect some great prizes.

Bream (bluegill and redear)

Looking to introduce new anglers to the sport? Or simply fill a cooler with great-tasting, fun fighting fish? This is the season to target bream species, as they will still be spawning throughout the summer, making nests in soft substrate on shallow flats. Both Bluegill and Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) are going to be best caught using live bait (worms, crickets, grass shrimp) around the full moon but are still widely accessible at any time. Scan shorelines looking for beds which can be around vegetation such as lily pads or even in barren flats. Beds will look like a small crater, 1-1.5 feet wide and a few inches deep. These should be available to both shore and boat anglers alike. Artificial lures will also work, with small spinners producing retaliatory bites around the beds. Large Redear are found in good numbers on lakes Griffin and Dora, as well as in Haines Creek and the Dead River. For Bluegill, try Lakes Dora or Harris to start a healthy Bream addiction in a new angler. The public docks around the Harris Chain are great places to go without a boat, including lakes Dora (Gilbert Park), Harris (Venetian Gardens, Hwy 27, Hickory Point), and Eustis (Eustis boardwalk).