Heading back down to Lakeland Area

I will be in Bartow again this Jan. I will be there 21-31. Will the crappie be spawning? This is my second time to the area.
I came down last year from dec27- Jan 5 and it was unusually warm for that time of year. We caught fish but it got hot during the day that week. You think I Should bring my lights to fish at night? I saw some guys last year going to Kissimmee while I was at the bait store . They were fishing only at night and limiting out by 9:30. We were going home in a couple of days so we didn’t go there to try it.
Also a friend of mine told me to go out ofMacks fish camp and fish Kissimmee. I’m not familiar with that area. You guys have any suggestions?
Last year I fished in Garfield everyday. Average about 20 a day. But it got so hot we usually quit by 11 and went back out an hour or so before dark. We drifted with minnows mostly . There was no structure in Garfield it was just a bowl 3-6 foot deep. I would like to find some new places because I may start making this trip every winter.
Any other lake suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I don’t mind to drive 30-40 min.
This list my friend gave me. His grandfather used to live in Lakeland and he fished these lakes?
Surveyor lake,
Lake Buffum,
Walk on Water,
Crooked lake,
Hancock lake,

I know I’ve jumped all over the place with this post lol. But a few of you guys helped me out last year and it was much appreciated.
Thanks

James in Ky



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Hey OJ, same here. I fish the Lake Wales area (Kissimmee, walk in water) for the past coupe of years. Brigemaster's on 60th in Lake Wales will be helpful with information. They've helped me in the past with Kissimmee and the info they provide is truthful. I'll be going down for about 3 weeks over the Holidays which is earlier than normal for me so Im preparing to spend more time in search mode this trip.

Hey buddy! I can't speak to the spawning thing.

Hancock may produce fish, but the ramp sucks and its directly adjacent to the landfill. I'd advise against it.

Never fished Buffum or Surveyor, but Crooked and WiW both produce fish. There are brush piles in WiW, Crooked gets deep (20-30 ft). Kissimmee is well known for crappies.

There are a ton of fishing opportunities within 45 minutes of Bartow, so don't be afraid to go and wing it.

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Originally Posted by sunshine

Hey buddy! I can't speak to the spawning thing.

Hancock may produce fish, but the ramp sucks and its directly adjacent to the landfill. I'd advise against it.

Never fished Buffum or Surveyor, but Crooked and WiW both produce fish. There are brush piles in WiW, Crooked gets deep (20-30 ft). Kissimmee is well known for crappies.

There are a ton of fishing opportunities within 45 minutes of Bartow, so don't be afraid to go and wing it.

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Thanks again Sunshine.


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I'd 2nd on Kissimmee, whole lot of water for crappie population, wish I lived closer, never here of a bad report from there but,,, certainly not complaining about having access to St. John's river Lakes...good luck

Hi James,

I live in Lakeland and have fished this area for a long time. Some feedback on the lakes you mentioned:

Surveyors Lake - hit or miss. I've never had a great day there but there are some nice specks there. A buddy of mine told me about vehicle break-ins at the ramp a few years ago. The ramp is secluded.
Buffum - only fished it twice several years ago and wasn't impressed. If the water is low, you'll have to back your vehicle a ways into the water to get enough water to float your boat.
Walk in Water - used to have plenty of nice specks. Although is gets a lot of pressure, it's a big lake and worth a try.
Crooked Lake - again, it used to be good but the past 5 or so years it wasn't good at all. The few fish I caught were thin, like they didn't have enough to eat. But I haven't fished it in a couple of years. The night fishermen fish the deep holes with minnows.
Lake Hancock - very eutrophic lake; I've never fished it. If you do, make sure to park on the side of the highway about a half mile from the ramp. The buzzards at the ramp will peck off all the rubber gaskets and wiper blades from your vehicle (same with Medard Park aka Turkey Creek Reservoir near Plant City).

Kissimmee is always a good bet.

The spawn is active on the Kissimmee chain now. The other night when I went almost half of the fish I caught had eggs and released to finish the process. I live on the Kissimmee chain and you can catch respectable stringers on most of the lakes but the big slabs are best fished at night. Just my 2 cents

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Also a good source of information is Shiners Unlimited on State Rd 60 just past the road to Camp Mack. He supplies most of the bait shops in Central Florida.

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Originally Posted by fish7777

Hi James,

I live in Lakeland and have fished this area for a long time. Some feedback on the lakes you mentioned:

Surveyors Lake - hit or miss. I've never had a great day there but there are some nice specks there. A buddy of mine told me about vehicle break-ins at the ramp a few years ago. The ramp is secluded.
Buffum - only fished it twice several years ago and wasn't impressed. If the water is low, you'll have to back your vehicle a ways into the water to get enough water to float your boat.
Walk in Water - used to have plenty of nice specks. Although is gets a lot of pressure, it's a big lake and worth a try.
Crooked Lake - again, it used to be good but the past 5 or so years it wasn't good at all. The few fish I caught were thin, like they didn't have enough to eat. But I haven't fished it in a couple of years. The night fishermen fish the deep holes with minnows.
Lake Hancock - very eutrophic lake; I've never fished it. If you do, make sure to park on the side of the highway about a half mile from the ramp. The buzzards at the ramp will peck off all the rubber gaskets and wiper blades from your vehicle (same with Medard Park aka Turkey Creek Reservoir near Plant City).

Kissimmee is always a good bet.

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Thanks for the information I had my vehicle broken into here in Ky a few years back. I can’t stand a thief! Sounds like Kissimmee to me.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobAnderson

Also a good source of information is Shiners Unlimited on State Rd 60 just past the road to Camp Mack. He supplies most of the bait shops in Central Florida.

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Thanks I will be putting in at Camp Mack if I go to Kissimmee. It’s closer to my in laws where I will be staying.
While Night fishing on Kissimmee is there a preferred area to fish? Or just find a deeper hole etc. . Can you get down the canal ok at night? Never been there so just trying to plan ahead . If I need to bring my lights.


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Going to Kissimmee in the morning. Ill post the results in the evening. Merry Christmas all!!!

Put in at the off 60th this morning. No sooner did I get on the water the wind pick up'd and the clouds moved in....WTF!! Couldn't keep the boat in one spot. Nothing in 2 hours so I called it a day. I was using jigs. Give it another try in a couple of days.

I am going tonight, I will post a report tomorrow. Not sure if I will mess with pictures because of the weather .

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:popcorn

So last night started out slow and in turn I ripped lips on the first few. But persistence is the key. The first fish I put in the boat was 2lb6oz and it continued from there. It was a bit windy but I was able to get out of the worst of it. The bite definitely turned on tho. I came in with a bakers dozen and left them hitting hard. I will have some very happy people today when I fry up fresh fish for Christmas dinner. I will post a group photo later. Attachment 362570Attachment 362571

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