BassFan Scouting Report
Limits The Goal, But No Guarantees At Tough Toho

Photo: BassFan Chris Lane plans to hole-jump throughout the chain in search of bites here and there.

Toho is a traditional winter or spring stop, but this time, the field faces a late-summer fishery. That spells tough.

The fish reportedly haven't made their move to fall feeding patterns, and water temperatures still hover in the mid-80s. It's made for an overall tough bite so far, as the pros have hunted and pecked through the first 2 days of practice.

Reports paint a fairly bleak picture. Keeper bites are a challenge, and concentrations of fish are a rarity. In fact, more than three bites in a single area is all but gold right now.

Before more about the current state of the bite, here's more about the lake itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho), plus Cypress, Kissimmee, and Hatchineha
> Type of Water: Shallow Florida natural lake
> Surface Acres: 22,700 acres (but can connect through to other lakes)
> Primary structure/cover: Grass and vegetation (many types)
> Primary forage: Crawfish, bream, grass shrimp, shiners
> Average depth: 5 feet
> Species: Largemouths only
> Length limit: 12 inches
> Reputation: Record-setting fishery with legendary potential, but traditionally tough in early fall
> Weather: Stable (meaning no cold fronts in the forecast). Daily thunderstorms expected with daytime highs around 90.
> Water temp: mid-80s
> Water visibility/color: More stained than normal, with less than a foot of visibility (brown)
> Water level: Varies among the lakes, but variance is not extreme
> Fish in: All depths
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Flipping, finesse, crankbaits
> Winning weight: 67 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 12): 42 pounds
> Check weight (Top 50): 16 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for Toho
> Biggest factors: Groups of fish – are they out there? Also the big bite.
> Biggest decision: Which lake?
> Wildcard: A group of big fish that can last for more than a day.

Which Lake?

The Kissimmee Chain presents an interesting conundrum for pros. There's Toho, the primary lake, and the smaller connected waterbodies. But those other waterbodies are reached via lock, which complicates matters by adding time to runs.

In general, those with extensive experience on the chain are more apt to fish multiple lakes, since they have a historic run of spots to try. Those without much experience on the fishery are more pressed for time in practice, and hence more likely to camp on a single lake.

Based on reports, it doesn't seem any one lake is hotter than any other right now. The water's hot everywhere, and stained more brown than the traditional green, which makes things even tougher.

Photo: BassFan Peter Thliveros says he'd be thrilled with 10 to 12 pounds a day.

For the most part, pros are trying to find at least one area with a concentration of fish. The prevailing desire is to avoid long run-and-gun days. An area to camp in is the preferred attack. But again, such areas right now are a rare commodity.

Expected Weights

Toho, of course, is capable of record-setting weights. Dean Rojas once set the all-time BASS weight record here. But that was during spring, when big fish group and move to spawn en masse.

It's a much different story right now. Sure, at least a few 20-pound-plus bags should come in each day, but duplication will probably be almost impossible. Which means things could settle out to as little as 12 pounds a day to make the Top 12 cut.

The bags should be varied in composition too. Some will be anchored by a big fish, with four dinks. Others will be composed of solid 2- to 3-pounders. And a limit is by no means guaranteed.

A quick strike is crucial. Many pros feel the bass are on a night-bite right now, which makes the first hour of daylight the all-important hour. A 10-pound morning will go a heck of a long way in this one.

Field Notes

Below are notes from several pros about their practices.

Chris Lane – Winter Haven, Fla.

"My practice has been okay. It's just real tough fishing down here this time of year. They sprayed and a lot of the mats are gone that the fish usually get under this time of year. And the water's a little dirty. But it never fails, somebody always catches them.

"I'm going to be hole-jumping a bunch of spots, trying to get a couple bites here and a couple there. I've fished all four lakes in practice. Maybe I can catch a couple fish down south, then head back to Toho and maybe get a big fish."

Peter Thliveros – Jacksonville, Fla.

"It's slow, slow, slow. That's nothing to do with the lake, or the areas we're fishing. I just think it's the time of year in this general area. From everybody I've talked to, all the lakes are the same around here.

"I think a big stringer will probably be weighed every day, but I don't think the same people will do it twice. I think you'll see one big stringer from someone, then a couple fish to go with it the next couple of days.

"From what I've seen, there's not much of a flipping bite. But there's a lot of Kissimmee grass, reeds, hydrilla, eel grass, lots of pads, and a few patches of pepper grass. The Kissimmee grass in Kissimmee's in better shape than I've seen in a lot of years.

"For me, 10 or 12 pounds would be awesome. Based on what I've seen, that would be a really good day."

Preston Clark – Palatka, Fla.

"It's about what I thought it was going to be – a very tough bite. I caught a limit of keepers (on Monday), but it only weighed about 6 pounds. I'm thinking maybe 10 pounds a day is going to get you a check in this one.

"First thing in the morning is going to be the best bite. After that, it's going to be tough for the rest of the day.

"I think to get a small limit, it's going to be a small-worm thing. But there's always going to be somebody who catches the big bag. It's out there to be caught. This fishery is famous for big fish, and it's very possible for somebody to go out and catch a 25-pound bag. But to do that in a row for 4 days will be very tough.

Photo: BassFan Preston Clark feels anything less than a Top 12 would be a disappointment for him.

Bernie Schultz – Gainesville, Fla.

"Fishing, to my experience, is really slow. Most of the lakes are discolored. It looks like an algae bloom that's trying to die off. A month ago the water was more green, but it's starting to look like a brown color. And the water's pretty warm. It's just not conducive to a good bite.

"My experience on this lake has been primarily in winter and springtime. I don't know that I've ever fished here in August or September, so I really don't know how to gauge anything.

"I've just been looking for water quality that suits me. Generally speaking, in Florida, cleaner water is better, so I've spent some time trying to find better-quality water that has depth and good cover to it. My preference would be to find one good area that has some protection to it no matter what the wind does. That would be ideal.

"I think you'll see some 20-pound bags caught each day, but it won't be the same guy. Consistency will be a real problem for big weight. I think it'll take more than 12 pounds a day to win, but right now, I'd be real happy with 12 pounds."

Alton Jones – Waco, Texas

"I think it's brutally tough right now – the toughest I've ever seen it. I had six bites the first day (of practice) that I think were keeper-size bass, so I think it's going to be an extremely tough tournament. Some guys may not catch a limit either day, so a limit will go a long way.

"However, I will say that four of those six bites were in one 40-yard stretch, so I'm excited I have one place that seems to be hot.

Photo: BassFan Alton Jones describes conditions as "brutally tough."

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Pros launch onto Lake Toho at 6:50 a.m. ET from Kissimmee Lakefront Park in the city of Kissimmee. Daily weigh-ins at the park begin at 3 p.m. ET.

BassFans can meet the pros at Angler Alley, which takes place today (Wednesday) from 4:00 to 5:15 ET at Orlando Sun Resort (6375 W. Irlo Bronson Hwy., Kissimmee).

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the tournament days. For more weather information, including satellite and radar imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.

> Thur., Sept. 13 - Isolated T-Storms - 92°/75°
- Wind: From the SE at 11 mph

> Fri., Sept. 14 - Scattered T-Storms - 91°/75°
- Wind: From the E/SE at 8 mph

> Sat., Sept. 15 - Scattered T-Storms - 91°/75°
- Wind: From the NE at 7 mph

> Sun., Sept. 16 - Scattered T-Storms - 89°/74°
- Wind: From the NE at 9 mph

Notable

> Look for BassFan's Top 10 To Watch story, which will be published soon.

> After day 2, BASS will declare the winner of its year-end Berkley Heavyweight Award, which pays $15,000 to the pro who caught the most total weight on full-field days this year. Kevin VanDam currently leads that award category with 362-04. Skeet Reese, with 347-07, is 2nd, and Aaron Martens (330-09) is 3rd.