Fishing around UCF/Orlando

[T Rich]

Im just getting back into freshwater fishing after moving up here to Orlando. Does any body know of any good places to fish that are pretty close to UCF? & what baits work good for those spots?
I found an old post with some info about this, but I was looking for more recent opinions.
Thanks!

Btw, I'm mainly looking for bass, but if you happen to know of any places to catch catfish or anything else, I'll give that a try too!

[fishboy]

Most of the little ponds and lakes you see when driving around hold fish.i do not venture into he UCF area Much, but I know there are a lot of nice little fishable lakes around hunters creek which isn't far from there. If you do not mind traveling then turkey lake holds fish, as does shadow-bay park. Just do a maps search over your area, and almost all the bodies of water you see will hold fish. The hard part is getting access to them. When fishing th lakes in my area(Doctor Philips/Bay hill) I only use two baits and I catch fish.
1. A topwater frog... Most any frog you throw will get crushed if that is what they are feeding on on that day. The only thing about the frog, is that if you are fishing from shore you have to get good at making long casts parallel to the shoreline, because this is where most of your hits will come on the frog. I cannot remember a time that a bass hit my frog in open water away from structure. I personally use the zoom horny toad in a green back with a white belly, because the bass like this color, and if you are not having success with the white belly, just rerig the frog upside down for a green belly, and this can alter your results. I have also thrown the live target fog, and while EXTREMELY expensive, they catch fish...
2.zoom trick worm... Watermelon is my overall faverote color in the worm. I use it primarily for fishing open water. Rig it weed less on a weighted hook, cast it out, let it sink and begin twitching. Experiment till you get bites. I have also seen some fish being caught on the purple worm, but I prefer watermelon.

Experiment around with baits and lakes till you find out what works est for you, and let us know how it goes! Good luck out there and Lemme know if you need any help!

[T Rich]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah what I've been doing is looking at google maps for lakes that look easily accessible, where I don't have to worry about being kicked out/getting my car towed lol.. So far I've fished all the lakes off research parkway and some lakes near Waterford, with no luck Maybe I was just going at bad times/days lol. But I have gone fishing with a friend who lives on Semoran, and his lake has a bunch of huge carp, catfish, and bass. He managed to catch a few nice bass last time. We're gonna try our luck there tomorrow, so ill let you know how it goes.

As for frogs, I have a pack of zoom horny toads that are the "tree frog" color. It's like a light green with a reddish color on the bottom. How should I rig those? Because I watched a few videos on YouTube, so wasn't sure which method I should use.

[opiato]

When fishing th lakes in my area(Doctor Philips/Bay hill)

Hey, I live in DP too!

Don't know much about the UCF area either, but to add to the bait list, scented rubber worms, like GULP, get alot of attention for me. Plain black. Might wana bring a pair of gloves for them though cause those things will make your fingers stink all day!

[T Rich]

Yeah I've always fished with plastic worms, but I do want to try out some lures sometime. I've heard that you can use a rapala x-rap for largemouth/peacock bass. Do the color of hooks matter for lures? Because I have a white xrap with silver hooks, that i assume is for saltwater? Am I able to use that in lakes for bass, or would I have to change the hooks?

[Greensn95]

Go buy some rapala flat raps.

[Kevin]

I use the little rapala x raps all the time for bass fishing they work great. i usually use the black and grey one. in almost every lake around my house i can catch bass. theyre very abundant in almost any lake you fish.

[T Rich]

So the silver hooks aren't a problem for freshwater then? Lol

[fishboy]

Yeah, you should be fine... All saltwater hooks can be used in freshwater, but not all freshwater hooks can be used in saltwater. The only reason I do not throw crank baits is because of the weeds, and dept factor in the local lakes....

[T Rich]

Thanks! You guys have been really helpful so far!
I managed to find a decent lake the other day. Didn't catch anything too big, but there was a lot of small bass. I must've hooked into 12, and managed to pull up 7 or 8. All caught on plastic worms. I had tried a Crankbait at first, but couldnt get them to hit it.
What color lures would you recommend for crankbaits/topwaters/spinnerbaits?

Here's some pics though. Like I said, nothing too big lol.. But it was fun!