Fun in Tampa

I just had to share this.

I've spent a week so far in the Tampa area. I generally come down here to spend Thanksgiving with my daughter, but had to delay it for a week this year. We've spent a lot of quality time together thus far, and I have the rest of this week down here before heading to the "snowy" GTA on Friday.
I've managed to play golf a couple of times at some very nice courses, and have one more round scheduled for Tuesday.
Yesterday I went fishing in Lake Kissimmee with a professional guide. Dick Loupe used to have a TV show in the 80's and still writes for a couple of magazines and is still a consultant for Abu Garcia. I met him at 7am and we were launched by 7:40.
The man knows this lake. We spent 5½ hours on the lake, drifting through several grass patches and lily pads fishing shiners and swim baits. I boated 31 bucket mouths in total. Most of them were 2-3lb in weight, but we managed to get several above 5lb. The attached pic was of the largest one....a hard fighting 8.2lb girl that looked almost ready to spawn.
This has been an excellent trip so far and not looking forward to shovelling any time soon!

31 bass... that's around as many as I caught in the entirety of last year good job! Sounds like you picked the right guide/lake good luck on the rest of your trip.

Great report... Thanks for sharing. This is on my bucket list of things to do. I would love to drag a boat down there and give it a go on my own for a week.

Kissimmee is a beautiful lake with just LOADS of vegetation. You could take your pick of the type that you want to target, as well as water clarity and type of bottom type. Fishing pressure at this time of year apparently isn't very concentrated. It's a pretty shallow lake all over, averaging 5-6ft everywhere we went. He said the deepest area that he knew of was right in front of the locks and that was only 9ft. But unlike the Kawartha lakes, NO ROCKS!

That my friend is a beauty of a bucket......well done

I know a few members on here who's mouths are going to be watering when they see that beast.. If I could only remember I'd PUTA name down...
I guess if I could catch bass of that size I may like fishing for bass more.. Lol
Great fish and thanks for the report...

Nice fish sounds like you are having a great time . I fished that lake 25 years ago but no 8 lbers but had a good time with buzz baits .

The guide I was with (Dick Loupe) knows this lake like most wives know their kitchen. He's been guiding on Kissimmee since the late 80's.

thanks so much for sharing!!! what a day you had! so jealous. welldone.

If you don't mind me asking, what did the day cost you?

Including lunch and shiners, it was just short of $400.

Love the bass in Florida.Even the small ponds hold nice bass.

When I lived in Boca Raton years ago, I used to catch a ton of really nice bass from a couple of drainage canals that ran alongside the Florida Turnpike. And never had another angler in site. It pays to explore!!

Wowww What an impressive largie!! Gorgeous Bass however you couldn't pay me to go there and fish I like my snow and ice!

Well you could pay me!
Hell, I'd even go for free