Spec Fishing in Polk County

My father law and I have been fishing about a dozen times starting back in late October when that first pass of cold weather come through. We haven't had much luck. A few large specs, but not in any numbers. I am feeling just a little frustrated, and at times, wonder if I am doing it wrong. In the past we have done pretty well with the pattern we are fishing right now, but it isn't paying off now.

Tackle:
10' Fiberglass Cane poles with reels built into them. Fish 6 lb test line down to a swivel with a 3 foot leader of 4lb test. Use a number 1 gold aberdeen hook. A no. 3 lead shot weight, 6 to 8 inches above the hook. Sometimes we fish this with no float, but most often we use a slide float rigged above the swivel with a stop on the line. This allows for quick adjustment of depth.

We also use ultralight spinning reels rigged the same (Slip floats, no.1 hook), especially when fishing the deeper water lakes.

Bait:
Missouri Minnows. Sometimes we use a white or white and red jig threaded onto the no.1 hook with the minnow. We have tried the 'Red' minnows as well. All things seem to be catching at about the same rate... slow.

Our best day has been a 11 fish trip to a local lake in the Winter Haven chain, Lake Howard. Those fish had some size and most had small row in them.

We went out this pas weekend to Howard for a night trip under the full moon and managed to boat a whopping 6 fish (dripping with sarcasm), but only 2 keepers.

Anyone else having much luck in Central Florida? Anyone have some good insight into a better rig (mouse trap!!)

they havent really turned on and stayed there,they have been hot and cold streaks...nothing consistant yet.The cold fronts that are coming thru now will shut them down for a few days,Im looking for the new moon to help,I hope. I use white or chartruse synthetic "hair" jigs and dont use any other kind but thats just me.Head color dont matter but I do reach for a red one.Jigs size is important especially when they are finacky, like right now. Far as the moon goes I have never, ever, ever done anything worth a flip on a full moon and wont even fish it anymore at night.The new moon is better for me or any dark night and thats about the only time I use minnows..is at night.But thats me other people may be differant

Can you provide some detail as to how you fish your jigs?

I use B&M 12 ft jig pole and also a Sam Heaton 10 ft jig pole,but my favorite is an old fiberglass 2 piece 10 ft cane pole that I ran accross by accident, its sort of on the stiff side.I fish the pads and grass,a lot of people just jig them up and down real slow...me I let them hit bottom slow, than jig them up with a twitch of about 6 inches and do that all the way back to the top.Sometimes I'll jig them sideways in a V motion if the pads permitt me.I jig the shady side of a pad as they dont like sunlight,so I have better luck jigging the shady side of the pads. The most consistant is the area where the pads meet the kissimmee grass.I also do better closer to the bottom than the top half of the water colum and I never hardly jig in anything less than 4-5 ft unless I have no other choice.I use Power Pro 1 # diameter 8# test or Fireline 8#..I can feel them breathing on the jig with that type line :) But everybody has their own ideas and Im always will to learn something new,I am by no means a know everything when it comes to speck jigging

Thanks, that is very helpful.

One last thing, whats your favorite jig? We use white Creme Mini Tails on a plain gold hook w/ a minnow when we use a jig at all. Your description is more akin to flippin for bass to me, so I assume you are using a small lead headed jig, and by synthetic hairs do you mean the more rigid hairs not the fluffy hair like a hal fly? I think I seen some of those at Ron's Tackle Box in Lake Alfred. One in a neon red and another in chartruse.

yes the more rigid hair, mine are not "store" bought,they were made by a man in Tenn but has since died. There are all sorts of head designs from a zip head to a round head,to me it dont matter because Im jigging pads and grass and not "open" water.I bought mine by the card and have several cards left.I dont know where you live but on hyway 60 out of Brandon is Turkey Creek,there is a bait store there called Turkey Creek Bait & Tackle..at least it was there a few years back and they use to have a good half way selection of the synthetic hair jigs.Plus the tackle store on 98 north end of Lakeland going out of town towards Dade City,I cant remember their name. Blue Cypress Lake use to have a real good jigg made by a local man but heard he quit making them and down in Okeechobee at the flea market was a guy selling jiggs he made,they were super good jiggs but I havent been there in a while either and dont know if he is still there.Look for somebody who makes them if possiable ,they are usually better than store bought brands.The synthetic hair jiggs or jiggs made with a natural hair like deer,etc ....hold up way better and seem to last forever,more so than those common maribou jiggs which I dont care for and wont use.To each his own,you just need to find out what works for you and adapt to the conditions,it will come in time ,stick with it and dont give up.There is a man on here called Jigging John and knows his jigging but I havent seen him in awhile.If he comes back on,pick his brain too,that guy knows what he is talking about:)

Last time I went down by the Medard Park Reservoir Turkey Creek Bait shop looked open. Had cane poles out front and a few cars in the parking lot. My wife fondly remembered buying bait there on her trips to either the reservoir or Gandy bridge as they sell squid too. She is a Turkey Creek native :).

I visit the shops around me in Auburndale. I'll see if I can't upload some pics of the different jigs I find around at the shops that are unique outside of the normal Malibu types.

that bait store by the little park and lake going east on 92 right outside lakeland over close to the cattle auction also had good selection of jiggs

Saddle Creek bait store. I drive that way every day. I will swing in there and take a look.