| Florida's Lake George large mouth fishing is rated | | | | danger and you'll have to keep casting it closer to |
| and reported as another top largemouth lake that | | | | the structure. |
| is nationally known. This article will concentrate on | | | | Area #6 Lake George Point offers single and |
| lake George. We will list 12 Area's on or around | | | | schooling bass to those throwing vibration lures |
| the lake that have been known to hold black. You | | | | and stickbaits near the weedline. Stripers also |
| can also visit the Florida Fish and wildlife | | | | move through this area in cooler months and |
| conservation commission webpage and click on | | | | often will unexpectedly strike a crankbait intended |
| Interactive maps to get more detail information. | | | | for a bass. If you locate stripers, cast |
| Lake George is one of the premier largemouth | | | | Carolina-rigged plastic worms and let the soft |
| bass fishing lakes in central Florida. It is the second | | | | plastic undulate naturally in the bottom current. If |
| largest lake in the state (46,000 acres), and is | | | | you notice the line move, pay attention. When it |
| located 18 miles northwest of Deland and 29 miles | | | | tightens, strike hard. A fish is moving off with |
| east of Ocala. | | | | your worm. Switch to topwater chuggers if the |
| The following Lake Geroge fishing reported areas | | | | stripers start crashing the surface. Stripers love |
| have been identified by the Florida Fish and wildlife | | | | shiners, too. |
| as holding good populations of largemouth bass | | | | Area #7 Drayton Island The Drayton Island docks |
| Area #1 Black Point with one of the deeper | | | | and pilings, and the boat trails that lead to them, |
| drop-offs in this area, offers good fishing for a | | | | hold bass in early spring. Weedless spoons and |
| variety of species throughout the year. Fish a | | | | plastic worms with light, 1/8-ounce slip sinkers are |
| Carolina- or Texas-rigged plastic worm down the | | | | best. |
| open-water drop from 3 to 15 feet for | | | | Area #8 This area adjacent to a marsh offers |
| largemouth year-round. Crankbaits will entice | | | | relatively deep water just off the grass. Bass |
| striped bass in the cooler months. Small wild | | | | move into the grass to spawn and out to the |
| shiners or medium domestic shiners will entice big | | | | grassline in late spring, where a weedless plastic |
| bass strikes, and they'll catch stripers and large | | | | worm will trigger strikes. Use small, dark-colored |
| catfish, too. Starting with the first full moon in | | | | plastic worms and, so as not to ruin its built-in |
| April, use live worms or crickets to catch bluegill | | | | action, use the smallest sinker that takes the |
| throughout summer. | | | | plastic to the desired depth. Beetle Spins also |
| Area #2 Back of Muddy Cove offers springtime | | | | produce. This is a good bedding area for bluegills |
| largemouth bass fishing. It's a good bedding area | | | | April through June. Live bait anglers favor |
| and excellent for sight fishing. Fish spinnerbaits and | | | | earthworms, grass shrimp, or crickets fished close |
| buzzbaits early and late in the day. Best fishing is | | | | to the bottom under a float. |
| often after heavy rains or when the tide has | | | | Area #9 A sharp drop-off to 10 feet, just 30 |
| peaked and starts to fall. This holds true for most | | | | feet from the shoreline, makes the weedline in |
| shallow water. Deeper water on the flat invites | | | | this area especially productive for largemouth |
| more fish. | | | | bass from late spring through late fall. A |
| Area #3 Between Hog Island and Saunders Bass | | | | Carolina-rig will locate fish. Alternately, cast |
| often frequent the cut between Hog Island and | | | | vibrating plugs or small crankbaits for best results. |
| Saunders Cove. Fish weedless floating worm rigs, | | | | Fish are often suspended here. |
| soft plastic jerk baits or weedless spoons. The | | | | Area #10 Work plastic worms or jigs with grubs |
| southwest corner of the island is known for its | | | | down the sloping drop-off for bass. Try different |
| good fishing in the spring and fall. | | | | colors until you find the one that gets the strikes. |
| Area #4 East side of Hog Island On the east side | | | | Solid blue or blue-tailed worms are effective. |
| of Hog Island, with its harder bottom and | | | | Grape-colored worms with green glitter work well, |
| eelgrass, is a feeding flat that yields bass year- | | | | as do Tequila Sunrise, Red Shad, Green Pumpkin |
| around, especially in spawning season. Use | | | | and June Bug. |
| weedless lures and work them through the grass | | | | Area #11 A hard, sand bottom and relatively |
| or topwaters over the grass. Big bass will come | | | | deep water near shore make this a great spring |
| out of the thick greenery for a wild shiner | | | | and summer bass spot. The Carolina plastic worm |
| deployed along the edge of the eelgrass line or in | | | | rig is a lake tradition.. Fish lures that allow you to |
| the small coves surrounded by bulrushes. | | | | adjust your depth - spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps. |
| Area #5 Georgetown Fish the many docks and | | | | This area and others like it, hold schooling bass at |
| pilings along the Georgetown shoreline for | | | | different times of the year. |
| largemouth summer and fall. Drift a floating | | | | Area #12 Kinsley Point on the south end of |
| crankbait into the wooden structure; when it drifts | | | | Drayton Island has good bass fishing year-round. |
| close to the pier, begin your retrieve. Cast and | | | | Fish the visible and submerged pilings off the point |
| retrieve your lures past the structure from | | | | for largemouth and stripers. Anglers using artificials |
| different directions until you can establish a strike | | | | favor crankbaits; live bait anglers score big on |
| pattern. Work the broken-down piers. Piers are | | | | shiners. Plastic worms in dark colors work well in |
| often interspersed with fields of little lily pads, | | | | the wooden structure and along the grassline that |
| called dollar bonnets. Fish them with soft plastic | | | | wraps the point. The direction of the flow of |
| jerk baits, swimming worms, and weedless, | | | | water will tell you which way to cast. Start by |
| ribbon-tailed jigs. Shiners are powerful fish-getters; | | | | bringing the lure back with the current but also try |
| the challenge is to keep the bait near the | | | | casting cross-current. One boat fishing technique is |
| structure. Here's a local secret: purposefully snag | | | | to drift with the current, stern first, using the |
| your line on a small stick or surface vegetation to | | | | electric motor to slow the drift. Cast to the sides |
| keep the shiner in the best spot to catch a | | | | of the boat, toward the direction of current, |
| trophy. Otherwise, the shiner will swim away from | | | | retrieving the lure with the current. |