Fishing the Harris Chain for the First Time?

The following information is provided by Phil & Judy Kelley, Realtors
Lake County Florida's Lakefront Property Specialists
 

The Harris Chain can be a formidable challenge to most bass fisherman. No other bass fishery in Florida has more diversity of water color, depth, structure and general conditions than this vast body of water.   No matter how you like to fish, you can find bass that will respond to your way of fishing.  Unfortunately many fisherman, including many pros, struggle on the Chain and are mentally defeated before they even put a line in the water.  Here are a few tips that should help you to improve your odds.

The Harris Chain is a trophy bass fishery not a numbers fishery.

After fifty years of fishing Florida waters, I know of no better place to catch big bass.  A five pound bass in these lakes is a common occurrence and an eight or nine pound fish is nice, but not all that rare.  Many 10 and 11 pound fish are caught each year, and in the spring if you don't have at least a 5 fish 20 pound sack, don't even bother to weigh in. 

Until recently, Lake County had very aggressive weed control.  In the eighties when the lakes hosted the Mega Bucks tournaments, the Chain was rich with offshore hydrilla.  Today, lake managers take their job seriously and manage hydrilla closely.   This lack of obvious offshore cover makes Harris Chain bass harder to locate and less likely to concentrate.   This also means that you must become a better structure fisherman and learn to fish specific spots instead of patterning large areas.  

The water in the Harris Chain is not as dark as it looks.

Depending upon the time of the year and the area, the Harris Chain water color can vary from dark brown to green to clear.  Each lake and area has it's own water characteristics.  The brown or green water color is caused by floating algae only a few inches thick.  Algae is a microscopic plant.  When the sun shines on the water it causes the tiny plants to bloom covering the water like a blanket injecting oxygen into the water column.  The water under the algae blanket is much clearer than the surface.  Murky water positions the fish shallower, making them easier to catch.  In these conditions, adjust your tactics to match the conditions by using noisy lures like Rattle Traps and paddle tail worms.  The fish are there, you just need to find them and make them bite.

The best place to start is the canals.

The numerous Harris Chain canals are full of pads, grass, drop offs and underwater structure.  The enclosed area makes fish easier to find and most anglers have less trouble catching these resident fish.   Texas rigged plastic worms work year round along with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and top water lures.  Generally speaking, the deeper canals have better fishing.  However, during the spawning season, January through April, the shallower canals also hold large fish and the water clarity can be right for sight fishing.

You can always find fish with a crankbait.

Year in and year out, the best all around lure for finding fish on the Chain is a crankbait.   This is classic power fishing where the object is to cover as much water as possible.  High percentage spots include eel grass beds, pads, drop offs and ridges.   Choose your lure to match the water depth and structure conditions.  Lipless crankbaits get the nod for shallow conditions and divers running close to cover work in all depths.  Use chrome patterns on sunny days and chartreuse or shad colors in low light.

The Harris Chain is a flippers paradise!

Most of the visible cover in the Harris Chain is Kissimmee Grass.   Kissimmee grass grows on hard bottom in one to six feet of water and is prime fish habitat.  The best way to fish this cover is by using the flipping technique.   Use heavy line, just enough weight to get through the grass and your favorite plastic bait.  Two colors work especially well here; June bug and Black/Blue.  Flipping works year round, but comes into it's own during the spawning season when the biggest bass of the year are shallow.    Monster fish roam this grass and you can expect to be broken off occasionally, even using 25 pound test.  Look for main lakes points, small islands of grass or any area that contains more than one type of cover.

Enjoy yourself and have fun.

Central Florida is a beautiful place to be, especially in the winter months.  Huge oaks reflecting on the water sit high on green hills draped in hanging moss.  Birds and wildlife of all description go about their lives making a living without visiting Walmart or worrying about their mutual funds.  A beautiful spring day on the Harris Chain is one of God's wonderful gifts and should be enjoyed and relished.   Fish hard, but keep everything in the right perspective and you will have fun and be a better fisherman in the long run.