"If the water is moving," Alley said, "the bass will be chasing shad schools anywhere you have a funnel effect. That includes the inflow and outflow areas between the lakes in the chain, and around offshore islands and hydrilla humps. When they are following the shad, lures like the Zara Spook, Pop-R, Rat-L-Trap and other shad-imitating baits are top choices.

"When they are not actively feeding," the guide continued, "they will be holding on the edge of heavy cover in those areas. And my first choice here is a 7-inch Culprit worm in June-bug or red shad. That is one of the most consistently effective lures anywhere on this chain."

While "moving-water fish" is a main key during high water conditions, not all the bass are roaming open areas. Those anglers who enjoy probing weedy shallows should be able to find plenty of action too.

"You'll have a certain percentage of bass that are just about ready to spawn," Alley offered, "and you can find them right back on the shoreline -- as tight to the 'hill' as you can get, and sometimes in just a foot of water. They'll be roaming around there early and late in the day. And when the sun gets up, they just slip into or under any heavy cover in the area."

Worms, spinnerbaits, soft-plastic jerkbaits, and flipping tactics are effective here.

Of course, this all depends upon anticipated high-water levels. If the rains have not materialized, a different set of tactics will be in order.

"They had the lake down to what appeared to be 4 feet low this July," Alley pointed out.

If the water levels stay that low, there will be no moving water this month. Then you have to look for the fish to drop back to boat trails, or the outside edges of whatever heavy cover is available in 4 to 6 feet of water.

"Another key area, if the water stays low, is around the offshore hydrilla humps in 7 or 8 feet of water. These don't have to be much bigger than a couple of living rooms to hold a bunch of big bass under low water conditions," Alley added.

For more details on current conditions and fishing in the Kissimmee Chain or to book a day of guided bass angling, call Reno Alley at Memory Makin' Guide Service. The number is (863) 635-6499.

RODMAN RESERVOIR
A number of lakes in south and central Florida took a hit from the hurricanes of the last few years, but Rodman Reservoir experienced only minimal impact. As one of the most productive lakes in Florida, it has also offered quite stable fishing conditions. That stability extends to fall patterns, and they really haven't changed much over the years.

"Whether we have a mild fall or a cold one, Rodman fish don't change much," agreed Middleburg guide Jim Romeka. "They're going to be staged up on a heavy-cover edge on a deepwater drop. They'll roam the whole area during the spring and summer, but this time of year they concentrate on sharp drops with cover -- either hydrilla or floating vegetation."

Among those areas where anglers traditionally find fish are the Barge Canal, the old river channel through the trees, and the upper river areas near the springs that feed the lake. The main pool and the Deep Creek area can also hold some fish, since they too have sharp drops with cover. But they don't always hold as many as the other areas this time of year.