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OUTDOORS COLUMN

The Challenge Of Late Summer

By FRANK SARGEANT

Published: Sep 14, 2007

The pro anglers assembled in Kissimmee this week for the $100,000 Bassmaster Elite Series tournament may find the lakes of the Kissimmee Chain a challenging venue, with the warm water of late September likely to have bass far from their usual shoreline haunts.

However, there is no question these lakes produce some of the best bass fishing in the nation. Lake Tohopekaliga in 2001 set the single-day record B.A.S.S. catch for pro Dean Rojas, who brought in five bass weighing 45 pounds, 2 ounces. Rojas went on to increase his lead for the four-day event, and won with a record 108 pounds, 12 ounces.

So the fish are there, but that event was in late winter, when the water was cool and the fish were active in shallow bedding areas.

What patterns are likely to work now - both for tournament pros and for weekend anglers simply looking for a bass fix?

With bass, as with weather forecasting, there are no absolutes. But one tactic that has been effective for many smart fishermen is to seek out offshore weed beds and plumb the holes there, even though this is a tactic rarely used by most Floridians.

Blessing And A Curse

Many Florida lakes these days are infested with hydrilla, an exotic plant that is both a blessing and a curse. When a lake first gets a dose, usually from a streamer brought in on a traveling angler's boat trailer, the stuff seems to do a lot of good for both water quality and fish populations.

Hydrilla grows rapidly in nutrient-rich lakes like most found in Florida, and it sucks the nutrients out of the black water, turning it as clear as glass. At the same time, it creates many acres of productive habitat for baitfish and baby gamefish as it grows in walls up to 10 feet deep on bottom that was formerly barren.

For a few years, the lake goes gangbusters, producing far more bass than it would have with only native plants. But then the curse arrives; the weeds grow so tall and thick that they jam the waterway from top to bottom. There is little open water for fish to feed in, and some lakes get so thick with the stuff that running a boat through it is a real challenge. Weed control programs can open holes in the stuff, but when the weeds die from spraying, they create a nasty nutrient bloom that turns the water murky - sometimes so bad the water all but dies as a gamefish producer.

However, for anglers who find a good mix of mid-lake hydrilla growth and open water, still available in many lakes at this time of year, this can be the key to late summer action. The deep water around the weeds is shaded, cooler than the shallows and highly oxygenated, and usually holds lots of sizable fish.

The classic tactic is to drift a large wild shiner along the weed walls, and this is by far the best way to catch a trophy bass year-round. However, in the heat of late September, it can be a challenge to keep shiners alive in the bait well.

Dropping plastic worms along the wall is the second-best tactic and also produces a lot of fish. Most experts use 6- to 8-inch worms rigged weedless on 4/0 to 5/0 hooks, with just enough weight to cause the bait to hit bottom.

Plenty Of Options

Some anglers also do well with what is called a "Senko" worm, a smaller worm fished unweighted on a light wire hook and danced as it slowly drifts downward along the edge of the weed beds. It takes patience, but it's effective.

So is fishing a Sluggo or other soft jerkbait in pockets in the weeds. These lures, usually fished without weight, can be darted and swirled through the smallest open pockets of water and often provoke amazing strikes.

It also works well to run a vibrating crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap along the edge of the weeds. The fast-moving lure is a good locator bait, and where you hook one you're likely to find a half-dozen more of the same size at this time of year.

Noted bass writer Larry Larsen of Lakeland likes to run a big spinnerbait over the grass in areas where it has not quite reached the surface; he seeks out depths of 1 to 2 feet over scattered grass, and lets the spinner flitter and dart down into any holes he crosses. The tactic often produces fish over 7 pounds for Larsen.

In addition to Lake Toho, weed holes in Lake Kissimmee, Istokpoga, Rosseau, Tarpon and Panasoffkee are good bets for this type of fishing.

The Bassmaster Elite Series continues through Sunday, with daily weigh-ins at Lakefront Park, 698 Lakeshore Blvd. in Kissimmee. Visit www.espnoutdoors

.com for details.