Southeastern Go-To's
June 23, 2009
If you’ve ever been to Florida you realize that each of our lakes tend to have their own water color, as well as depths, vegetation, even tides. That is what makes Florida fishing so fun -- the variety. The vegetation also makes Florida one of the best places to throw Senkos and topwater. Here are a few of my secrets for catching fish around Florida.
Clear Water Lakes
Let’s start with lakes and rivers that have a clear water color: Rodman, Sampson, Toho chain (sometimes), Seminole, Sante Fe (sometimes) and Okeechobee (some parts of it). The 5-inch Senko in the 912 color is my go-to bait for these locations in clear water. Every now and then the 208 color can top it, but the first bait of choice for me is 912. I can also say that for certain lakes in Alabama (Wheeler, Eufaula, Tuscaloosa) and North Carolina (Wylie and Kerr), it’s my first choice as well. Something about clear or greenish clear water and watermelon/green pumpkin Senkos, well, they were just made for each other.
Tannic/Stained Water
You’ll also find tannic or what we call “stained” water in Florida. Lakes and rivers with cypress trees typically have this color of water when the water gets in the trees. Bodies of water that come to mind are St. Johns River, Toho Chain (sometimes), Okeechobee (some parts), Sante Fe (sometimes) and the Stick Marsh. My go-to for this situation is the 5-inch 231 Senko. Most people call this the Junebug of the Senko family. Around the St. Johns River you can call it the “Money Senko”.
The second color choice for me when the water gets really dark and “tannicy” (if that’s a word), is the 523 Senko. This is your traditional Black/Blue tip, and man does it produce when it gets tough!
All the other water around the state basically falls into my “other” category; lakes such as the Harris Chain, Okeechobee (some parts), Lochloosa and Toho chain (sometimes). This is when I pull out my trusted Okeechobee favorite; the 5-inch (or 6- inch for the Big O) Senko in color 301. Green pumpkin produces everywhere, but on Okeechobee this is the fish magnet. Overall you can’t go wrong throwing this color in most places around Florida.
Topwater
Now, for those of you that know me, topwater is a true love of mine. Once you get into the post spawn in Florida (continued through the fall) throw the Sugoi Splash in the Baby Bass color. Work it fast in schoolers or clear water, work it slow around grass edges in all types of water. This bait gives you so much excitement on some days that you need a defibrillator to get your heart going again.
If you’re coming to Florida soon, take a twenty year veterans word and bring the colors I have mentioned above. You’ll have a great trip and get a good suntan while you’re here.