We're coming up on that time of year when bass fishing in Orlando is purely about chasing big bass in search of a personal best trophy. It's the time of year when numbers of bass will go down but quality definitely is on the rise. Of course it's also winter time so not every day is a day that makes the hunt easy.
Our bass in Orlando can spawn from anytime in October to as late as June depending on where you are in the state. Once we get into Winter though many factors go into the bass fishing and all play into the success of a bass fishing trip. Because our lakes are shallow the seasonal weather has more of a stronger effect on each lake. Florida is only about 55 feet above sea level with almost all of our lakes being natural averaging 10 feet or less. These lakes are all heavy with shallow vegetation and perfect habitat for big bass.
Knowing that our bass spawn heavily during the winter months is one key to anglers knowing what to expect from a fishing trip to Orlando. Cold fronts rolling through bring an assortment of weather conditions in the course of a 5 day period. Potential rain, high winds before and after a front and drastic water temperature drops can all be experienced from a passing front. None of which are conditions that are favorable to catching big bass.
That is if you are using artificial lures! The exception that makes much of our trophy bass season successful in Orlando is our ability to target bass with live bait. The use of live bait for bass fishing is unique to Florida and while we do it year round it's the Winter months that it really becomes a major tool. For those that think using live bait is cheating or think it's easy, you are very mistaken.During the winter months we can use shiners 12 inches in length and weigh almost a pound. Ever thrown a 1pound lure? It's an experience that every client should try at least once for the experience of seeing a 10lb bass blowing a shiner out of the water.
Of course the other consideration is getting the most out of your trip. On post cold front days when winds are blowing in excess of 20 mph and water temps are dropping fishing with lures can mean a very difficult day. Live bait can mean the fish of a lifetime. That alone should make using live bait worth the trip.
