“We are looking for a front to come through Thursday and Friday that is going to drop the air temperature down into the mid-70s,” said tournament director Frank Marylander. “It’s not going to be a big cold front, but it may affect the fish.”

Toho is not fishing as well as it should be this time of year, Derylak said.

“We’re catching a few of the bigger bass, but for some odd reason they are just not biting like they should be. I don’t know if it’s because Florida Wildlife is killing too much of the grass which is moving the fish out or if we are just not finding them,” he said.

Or, perhaps the fish have moved into staging areas to get ready for spawning, he said.

“They should be getting to the pockets, getting ready to spawn. That’s what normally happens in December and January. I do expect that with this cooler weather that will probably happen pretty soon and fishing will pick up.”

Right now the bass are still not responding to reaction baits, he said, because the water is still too warm.

“Usually this time of year they start hitting crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and jerkbaits more, but that has not happened yet. We are primarily catching them on worms and jigs, slow-moving baits.”

Derylak, who won the November tournament, is currently leading the points, but that will change as the season goes on, he said, because certain anglers fish better during different seasons of the year. So far the division has held three tournaments; Craig Maxwell won the other two.

“We have to fish four of the one-day tournaments and the two-day tournament to qualify for the top 500 in the nation in order to fish the national championship, which will be held on Lake Eufaula in Alabama next October,” Derylak said.

The Florida West Division opened with a tournament Sept. 12, followed by tournaments Oct. 3 and Nov. 7. The schedule includes: Dec. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 6, March 5, April 2, May 14, June 4, July 9, Aug. 6-7, all out of Southport on Toho.

 

American Fishing Tour – Florida West Division

Sat, Dec 5, 2015

Lake Toho

Southport Park

Call Frank Derylak at (407) 709-1632

http://www.americanbassanglers.com/districts2016.php?Division=21