The Local’s Scoop on Kissimmee Chain: Fishing is Good, Expect Some Big Ones

Local anglers at Big Toho Marina report plenty of big fish in local tournaments.

June 8, 2020 • Tyler Brinks • Bass Pro Tour

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – If you want to know what lures and techniques are working, a local tackle shop is one of the best places to find out. There are some great tackle stores in Central Florida, including one right at Big Toho Marina, the site of this week’s Toyota Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo.

Mark Detweiler, the owner of Big Toho, shared what’s working right now on his home waters and what anglers are buying.

The Fishing Has Been Great

Since tour-level events on the Kissimmee Chain are typically the kickoff to a season, the late spring and summer bite here is an unknown to fishing fans and most anglers in the field.

It turns out that the fishing can indeed be excellent this time of year, as previously reported.

“The fishing is pretty darn good and they’re catching a lot of bigger bass right now,” Detweiler confirmed shortly after takeoff on Day 1. “Even local Wednesday night tournaments that are three or four hours long are taking 25 to 27 pounds to win for five fish. I think we’ll see plenty of 5- and 6-pounders and might see some up to 9 pounds this week.”

Detweiler believes there will be plenty of healthy 2- to 3-pound bass caught this week, and added that the bite on Lake Toho has been the best in the entire chain.

“The south end of Toho in the hydrilla has been really strong, but the grass flipping bite on Kissimmee can go nuts at any time,” he said. “I don’t think Cypress or Hatchineha (Hatch) will be major players.”

What’s Working?

Florida fishing is relatively simple when it comes to bait selection, and is heavily dominated by soft plastics of a certain color.

“Junebug is always going to be the best-selling color and that is never going to change in Florida. It always works here,” Detweiler said. “One of the best baits right now is the Zoom Magnum Ultravibe Speed Worm fished with a 3/16-ounce weight and reeled through the grass.”

Besides swimming a worm, he believes winding a ChatterBait or tossing a buzzbait or Devil’s Horse prop bait could lead to some big bass.

“There’s a good buzzbait bite in the offshore grass in 5 feet of water,” Detweiler reported. “If the guys can get on the right clump of hydrilla, and there are plenty of them, the fish might be all over it.”

Detweiler also said there’s a flipping bite going on the inside line of grass, but it’s slowly fading.

“Three or four weeks ago, that was the strongest bite, but many of the fish have started to move out to the hydrilla in deeper water offshore,” he said.

When flipping, Detweiler said it’s typically with soft-plastics or a jig.

“Guys are still catching them flipping beaver-style baits and a 1-ounce jig with a big trailer like the Gambler MegaDaddy that gives the bait a big profile and looks like a bluegill,” he said. “They’re pitching it to the grass and then swimming it back and catching them.”