Kissimmee Chain/Lake Rosalie

[Florida Bassin]

Sunday the 17th I spent the day on Lake Rosalie with my old tournament partner Rob out in Lake Wales. Our main goal was to do some scouting out on the lake to check several things, the main thing being the water levels. Water levels are easily described as LOW. When you start the day out having to idle thru a canal, motor trimmed up and still rubbing bottom, you know your in for a long day. When we finally made it thru the canal to the lake, we still had to idle close to 200 yards before getting to waters where I could come up on plane.

This lake I had done a bunch of trips on early in the year and it was a great producer of some very good bass, size and number wise, but with waters as low as they were, expectations were not very high. Several of the key areas that bass had been stacked in, were now only maybe a foot deep, if that much. The main ramp was closed as they are completely redoing it, Dock and all being added to it finally. We did watch one group launch a pontoon boat there, backing a good 70 feet into the lake before it finally came off the trailer.

Although the waters were shallow, they did look very clean and we did spot some good sized bass moving about in the grass beds, in very shallow water. We did take some time to work a few lures to catch a couple bass, motor oil colored worms, Junebug Gitem Shads and Gitem Toads did catch us a few good bass. Rattle traps and shallow diving crank baits did pick off a few smaller bass out in open waters. I will make a few more trips out there to keep an eye on this lake, as it is usually the hot lake for big bass during the spawn. There is a ramp right behind Lake Rosalie Bait and Tackle which is just before the point of no return on the road to Camp Mack.

Till my next report
Tight lines and great fishing!
Capt Tim Fey
http://www.bassfishingfl.com