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Old 10-03-11, 02:30 PM   #1
bassboogieman
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Default Central Florida???

I'm planning a trip to Kissimme, Fl. Jan 7 -14, 2012 and haven't fished Florida freshwater at all. Planning on Toho & Lake Kissimme and will be staying only a couple miles from Toho. This will be a kayak trip, leaving the big boat at home. Any tips for winter fishing the area would be appreciated as fishing from a 'yak does not allow me bring a "boat load" of rods and lures. I'll have to be a lot more selective on what I take on the water. Thank you.
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Old 10-03-11, 03:18 PM   #2
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If I were you, I'd be fishing Hatchineha and/or Cypress Lake. Kissimmee and Toho are both about 30 miles long and about half that wide. Big chunks of water for a kayak. The two I mentioned are both on the same chain as Kissimmee & Toho only much smaller. Best bait is wild golden shiners. Good luck.
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Old 10-05-11, 04:58 AM   #3
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Default Devils Horse, Trick Worms, 1 Knockers, Skinny Dippers

Not necessarily in that order but have them in your arsenal. Trick worms June Bug or Red Bud, 5/8 Black Chrome or Black Gold 1 Knockers, Houdini Skinny Dippers.
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Old 12-22-11, 05:35 PM   #4
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Thanks Tiger and F16 for your input. We're going to fish the smaller lakes in the 'yaks as suggested, should be just as much fun. We'll have a look a Toho mid-week with a guide, and may find some areas we can go back to with the kayak's.

Times getting closer, will be leaving in just a couple weeks. I'm handcuffed slightly as I need to pack my tackle light, unlike the big Triton where I have everything. I'm planning mostly soft plastic, with lipless cranks and a few topwater & wake baits, possibly a couple swim baits (hard & soft) and few spinnerbaits/chatterbaits. I definitely have room in my vehicle for backups and spares, and some bigger rods for the day with the guide, as I fish short rods mostly from the kayak. Hopefully the weather will be good and the fish coopertive.
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Old 12-22-11, 06:19 PM   #5
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I-----------HATE---------RETIREES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





lol!!!!
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Old 12-27-11, 11:41 PM   #6
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4-5 in swimbaits like the reaction innovation skinny dippers and this other one by gambler lures have been hot on lake "O" this week.
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Old 12-28-11, 09:10 PM   #7
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Hatchineha and Cypress get incredibly rough in the wind for their size. Sometimes they have seemed meaner to me than Kissimmee, now maybe thats because when the wind blows more than 20 I aint bothering with kissimmee.

The only real problem you should have is your gator strategy. Since my outboard has been out of commision, I havent been to florida precisely because I don't want to deal in big gator waters in the kayak. But its doable. I just don't care for it. I have waded florida before, but I wouldn't drive that far to do it.


------------------------------------

On tips and tactics, I have a few guesses, never been there in january (which might help with the gators, come to think of it)...

First, I would find a few creeks and canals and have them researched online, in case some days the wind does come up, it gives you a go to spot. You can load up in some creeks and canals. I know shingle creek runs into toho. I imagine that it is like the creeks on the southern end of the chain that I like (tiger, dead river, kissimmee hatch canal, pig trail).

Lure wise, red shad worms and lots of them. One big, heavy rod to throw them, you wont be flipping. This will double as a spinnerbait rod, which I throw often on kissimmee, throwing into grass and ripping it out.

I would have a second, lighter baitcaster for flukes, split shot and light carolina rigs, and believe it or not - crankbaits - especially in the canals. Those canals have deep water, and often current, and I imagine the bass will be holding along the drops.

You can also fish docks since you are further up in the more commercial part of the chain, skipping worms under them. I always take some pink floating worms.
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Old 12-28-11, 10:57 PM   #8
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Cypress has 3 canals connecting to other water which was in the thinking should the weather be less than ideal. This is my first time fishing Florida, so we'll be looking at several lakes in the general area.

Thanks for the tips Bill, but pink worms? I have a few but never had any fish show any interest, LOL.

Hadn't given the gators any real thought, are they protected or are you allowed to shoot them if they threaten someone in a kayak? I have a .45 cal. revolver and 250 gr of lead should deter them. Heck the "Swamp People" choot em with .22's. And the PA CWP has reciprocal rights in Fl.

Shame you're occupied with school, you could come on down for a few days. Could put you up real cheap - I've got a time share that I had a week to use before the end of Jan. so I figured I'd go someplace warm, where I could fish. But it hasn't really gotten cold HERE yet, not like I expected. Just didn't want to drag the big boat all the way down there, and I'm really getting to like fishing from the kayak.

Last edited by bassboogieman; 12-28-11 at 11:04 PM.
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Old 12-29-11, 03:31 PM   #9
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It could be overreacting to carry a peice, if I did it would be packed in dry storage and only come out if a gator starts to follow. I was followed last year by a 5 footer in mobile, and it was a little unsettling, but I get the feeling it was the same for the gator - he kept his distance. Besides, I coulda taken him.

There are some 11-13 footers in the kissimmee chain, but they generally get that way by staying away.

I don't like the canoe creek canal, lot of chunk rock, dont remember much grass. South port canal is very good, especially the area we called the goal posts where it empties into cypress. Theres a good drop there, that is adjacent to cypress' massive hydrilla flats.

I'm not sure how you could get to the dead river or hatch-cypress canal with a kayak, there might be a cow farming road out there, might not. Check bing maps aerial view. Dead river is hard to get into when the water is lower, although maybe not for a kayak.

Pink floating worms, yep. Pink spinnerbaits too. The water is tanic stained, so every color looks different under water. White spinnerbaits look orange.

I would love to have had the chance to fish there again, but this school mess is really eating into my travel budget. Couldn't afford it in addition to the lack of time.

Be sure to take an anchor and perhaps a wind sock.
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Old 12-29-11, 03:34 PM   #10
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Very good information, thanks again Bill!
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Old 12-29-11, 03:38 PM   #11
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No prob. Take tons of pictures. I might as well enjoy a florida trip vicariously.
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Old 12-29-11, 10:29 PM   #12
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I've never fished that particular chain, but I used to fish Tarpon Lake with my dad in mid winter years ago. And every year, out best pattern was working Rebel brokenbacks over the tops of weedbeds wayyyyyy out from shore. I don't know if your going to run across that kind of water, but I'd be sure to have at least one brokenback on board. Silver/black back worked best by far for us.
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Old 12-29-11, 10:54 PM   #13
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I don't have much to add except to say that I spent countless hours fishing Toho, Kissimmee, St. Johns etc etc during the 70's-80's and 1st 1/2 of the ninety's. Spent 75% of my time free-lineing big golden shiners, regardless of the month. As far as artificials I'd second Keiths big broke back rebel and we used to slay them on a big single blade(gold) spinnerbait with the skirt removed and put a 3 or 4" Sassy Shad (white) in its place. I also remember that on any given day you could usually pattern those fish using a weedline. For whatever reason most of those lakes down there (especially toho & kis.) will have 2 or even 3 weedlines. If you find fish working the "inside of the outside weedline" for example...you'd usually be wasting your time fishing the "outside of the inside" weedline. Funny to me that only a true fisherman could read that last sentence and really appreciate it!..........Good Luck Ken
Ps I'm jealous...and I wouldn't sweat the gators.
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Old 12-30-11, 06:50 PM   #14
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Default yeyeyeyeyeyeyeyemen

Quote:
Originally Posted by emptyB View Post
my respect for you ;-)
thanks emtyb that means a lot coming from a guy like you
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Old 01-05-12, 10:00 PM   #15
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Well it's almost here. We got the j-racks put on and the kayaks loaded today, I need to start exercising more. Them dang yaks are a bit unwieldy when trying to get them on top of a Jeep, but we should get better with practice. The Jeep is about packed, just a few things to add in the morning. Bought a Flambeau Bazooka rod case, pretty nice for the money, I think I managed to get 9 rods (sans reels) in there with a little room to spare. Rods are going up on the roof also, so the rod case was a necessity.

Heading out tomorrow morning, and taking 2 days to drive down - don't want to be beat to death driving straight through and jumping right into fishing the next day. We should be deep into S. Carolina by evening. Be back home on the 15th. I HOPE we have decent weather, and the bass welcome us with open MOUTHS.
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Old 01-06-12, 01:21 AM   #16
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Good luck Buddy, lots of pictures and lots of bass.
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Old 01-07-12, 09:53 PM   #17
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Well we made it, arrived around 3PM today, got settled in and tomorrow the fun starts. Fishing in the area has been pretty darn good from what we are hearing, temp today hit 75. Best part of the trip - after we unloaded everything DOC FORGOT TO PUT HIS REELS IN MY TRUCK, left them on the back seat of his car. He'll be cane poleing tomorrow. Actually he getting them overnighted, so they should be here Tuesday morning - Fed Ex isn't open tomorrow. Can you say my belly hurts from laughing so hard, it really was funny/sad at the same time. Went to BPS tonight so he could buy a couple reels to get him by until Tuesday.
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Old 01-07-12, 10:36 PM   #18
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brucie.......did i tell you i HATE RETIREES? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! kidding of course. have fun, catch em all and POST UP THE PICS MAN!!!!
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Old 01-08-12, 10:38 AM   #19
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I hope the bassboogieman is on a school of HUGE Okee fish right now......dadgum I wish I was there.
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Old 01-08-12, 10:07 PM   #20
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Default not ----

It is not fair
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Old 01-11-12, 11:30 AM   #21
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I am soooooooooooooo jealous! 75 degrees and Bass fishin????
Hope you're tearin em up!
Since Doc forgot his reels, I hope at least one of you remembered a camera

What yak you fishing out of?
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Old 01-11-12, 03:16 PM   #22
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We both have the Hobie Outback models. 12 footer, sit on top, pedal drive. Very nice. Today very windy but we were catching fish................. until the RAIN BLEW IN.

Doc broke the pin that holds the rudder on the kayak, looking for a replacement this afternoon. May require a temportary fix from Home Depot. He wouldn't let me SUPER GLUE IT!

Doc's reels arrived yesterday, he is now a happy camper.................... well at least as happy as Doc can ever get.
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Old 01-11-12, 04:54 PM   #23
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Ha! Jealous again! I'd LOVE to have a yak with Mirage Drive.
Talked to an older couple on Little Platte Lake 2 seasons ago. I was in my lil boat and they were in Hobies.
I went over and chatted em up, since I was in the market for a yak.
They absolutely loved em
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Old 01-11-12, 08:38 PM   #24
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They are NICE, I'll confirm that. What swayed me to the Mirage pedal drive is the ability to have the fins fold flat against the hull by pushing one pedal forward. Makes getting through a stretch of skinny water or beaching easier than removing the drive system - like those on other brands with a different drive system. The only thing I don't like and it applies to any kayak, is keeping tackle behind you - it's not the easiest thing to do retrieving a box of lures or a rod, especially when you're not a limber young man. The pedal system moves the kayak along quite well, isn't near as taxing as paddleing, and leaves hands free (mostly) for fishing. But they are a load of fun and you can get into places you just can't do in a boat.
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Old 01-11-12, 09:13 PM   #25
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Amen to that! I have a 5 gallon bucket behind me and I just don't bend that well anymore!
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