|
Event -
Florida Bass Fishing |
Trophy Bass Fishing in Florida, Lake Toho Style
| Date: |
8/12/09 |
|
Location: |
Lake Toho,
Florida |
|
Event Date: |
July 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction:
With ICAST done we scheduled in a day of fishing before we flew back to the West
Coast and met up with Orlando bass guide Steve Boyd to target Trophy Bass on
famous Lake Toho for some largemouth fishing, Florida style.
Sunrise on Lake Toho, Florida
Lake Toho is the first
lake in the Kissimmee Chain and has a reputation for producing trophy Florida
strain bass, making it a very popular bass fishing destination for both
recreational and tournament anglers. Many other publications have ranked it as
not only one of the top bass fishing destinations in Florida but the entire US.
Our ride for the day, Steve's
20ft. Triton
Toho is short for
“Tohopekaliga” which means “sleeping tiger” for the sudden storms that can hit
the lake in the middle of summer. The Lake is actually pretty accessible and is
less than half an hour away from Disneyworld. Toho is the largest lake located
in Osceola County and has a total surface area of around 20,000 acres.
Even shallow running jerkbaits
were not immune from Hydrilla in the middle of the lake
In terms of vegetation and
structure Toho is a relatively shallow lake with lots of natural vegetation
including plenty of Hydrilla. For this reason most fishing on the lake is done
with weedless lures or right on top of the water column and Toho is also known
for being an excellent topwater lake when conditions are right.
Steve grew up fishing Toho and now
guides on the lake all year long
For this trip we hooked up
with Orlando Bass Guide Steve Boyd who is a Native Floridian that grew up
fishing on Lake Toho. Steve guides on Lake Toho year round and both Cal and I
were eager to take a break from writing to spend a day out on the water.
Plenty of vegetation lines the
lake
Before heading to the lake
it is best to pay for your fishing license online, it is much easier than
running around looking for a tackle shop that has licenses in stock. The cost
for a 3 day non-resident bass fishing license is $16.50 and a $2.25 surcharge is
added for purchasing the license online, but that extra charge is usually less
than the tax, time, and gas usually required to procure one locally. During the
online purchase process you are given a code which you can print out, this will
serve as your temporary license for the trip.
Steve takes us to different spots
on the lake
Once we got our licenses
online Cal and I decided to pack a few lures we wanted to test in Florida as
well as a few reels just in case. Normally on guided trips Steve provides all
the tackle for clients, who basically just have to show up with a license and be
ready to fish. Cal couldn’t resist bringing some swimbaits and of course being
the Year of the Crank I snuck in a few crankbaits to the Toho bass.
Cal and Steve survey the surface
of the water
Next Section: Time to fish Toho!
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