Edward Medard Reservoir

As temperatures begin to cool down in Central Florida, the bite for warmwater-loving panfish like Bluegill (bream) and Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) will begin to cool down as well. Some nice fish can still be caught using live bait fished below a cork near drop offs and vegetation. As the panfish bite slows down for the winter, Black Crappie (specks) will begin to move shallow as they get ready for the spawn. Speck anglers can find success fishing live baits like Golden Shiners on a light jig head or suspended below a cork near shallow brush and rock piles. Anglers looking for an artificial bite can connect with fish using small jigs, bucktails, flies and small spinners in similar habitats or along the edge of vegetation lines. FWC annually stocks Sunshine Bass at Medard Reservoir, which should become increasingly active as the temperatures cool down. Sunshine bass often congregate near schools of baitfish like shad and will readily strike active lures like crankbaits, jerk baits, spoons and spinners. As an added opportunity, Sunshine Bass will often strike the same live baits used while crappie fishing. So if the spec you thought you hooked starts pulling drag, you might have hooked into a Sunshine! For anglers looking for a more relaxing day of fishing, Channel Catfish and Bullheads are plentiful in Medard Reservoir and are often caught year-round by soaking a variety of baits like chicken liver, shrimp, night crawlers or commercial stink baits on the bottom. When in doubt, the smellier the better for Catfish! Like Black Crappie, Florida Bass will also begin to move shallow during the colder months as they begin to get ready for the spring spawning season. Drop-offs and rocks piles can be productive habitats to target during this time of year as bass patrol the shallows looking for potential spawning sites and fattening up on forage to prepare for the stresses of spawning. Moving lures like crankbaits, chatter baits and spinnerbaits can be an angler’s best friend when searching for a pattern. These baits can cover a lot of water in no time and the flashy action can trigger a hungry bass into biting. Schooling bass can be caught using shad-profile jerk baits and flukes near offshore structures on colder days. During this transitional period fishing patterns may change on a day-to-day basis. Fish holding in shallow water on a warm day can easily slip back into deeper habitats during a cold snap. During the winter months adaptable anglers are often successful anglers. Good luck fishing!