Butler Chain

Lake Toho, Johns Lake and Butler Chain Bass Fishing Report Oct 2009

Orlando Bass Fishing Report

The month of October has seen some very good bass fishing action here in Orlando.
Johns Lake has seen some good schooling action in the early morning hours with us catching them on steel shad, gitem shad and curly 7’s.

Most schooling action has been in the Deer Island Cut with some action coming mid lake. Waters are up and bass have new feeding areas due to this, so some of the more common haunts have not produced as well as in the past. Making adjustments to your normal fishing patterns will make a big difference in what you catch, and how much you catch.
Grass beds and offshore submerged hydrilla have been a huge key to success in keeping the action going steady during the day. Top water action is here! Gitem toads and torpedoes getting some good action.

Butler Chain has been pretty typical with the action coming mostly on wacky rigs skipped under docks. We have gotten on a good spinner bait bite as well along with rattle traps and c-rigged gitem warlocks. Lakes Butler and Down have been very good to us especially in deeper waters, working drop offs has seemed to be the spot as well as areas with sunken trees, as the bait fish have been stacking up in these areas pretty good as of late.

Lake Toho has been doing good, with a few runs out there lately steel shad have done very good in open waters, as well as working along hydrilla beds and grass edges. Toads and 10 inch worms have been great coming across topped out hydrilla as well as thru scattered grasses.

November is shaping up to be a great month for bass fishing. Temperatures, water and air are cooling down, making it much nicer to fish than the hot summer months, and with the cooler waters, bass are getting much more active. Live bait bite should be good as usual, and we should have some good top water action as well. Schooling action is typically good in November and we fully expect it to carry on right thru the end of the year. Just take a look at the pictures from previous Novembers and this is what you can expect to happen on any give cast. This is also the time to really start considering that Crappie trip, slabs will be plenty and makes for a very exciting time on the water as well as bass fishing.

Johns Lake and Butler Chain Bass Fishing Report Sept 2009

Orlando Bass Fishing Guides

September has seen some great fishing for us. We had spent several days on Johns Lake and Butler Chain, as well as once again mixing things up by doing some saltwater trips in Port Canaveral and Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.

Freshwater trips have been with artificial baits, mostly using Gitem Curly 7’s and Gitem K.O’s. Main colors of choice have been Florida Grass and Green Pumpkin, steel shad has been a very good producer as well when we have had to hit deeper waters for our catch. Butler Chain had been pretty steady working docks skipping a wacky rig K.O under them, with water levels up, the number of docks that we are unable to skip under have dwindled, but the ones you can get under have still been producing. Lakes Chase and Tibet have done well with the steel shad at the mouths of the canals and around drop offs, working areas in 10 to 16 foot of water.

Johns Lake has seen some schooling action, although the days we were there it was limited, they would surface and be gone within 15 minutes. Spinner baits worked thru the vegetation, scattered grasses and off shore hydrilla, has been a good bet at catching some quality bass, 7 inch worms worked thru thicker grass, slowly swimming them along the top of the slop has produced some very good strikes. Like Butler Chain, Johns Lake is up, and ramp is flooded, so be ready to wade the walkway to get to your boat after launching it.

Pan fish, brim and bluegill have been doing good on red wigglers and have hit fairly good tossing beetle spins both at Johns Lake and Butler Chain. Crappie have been scattered, but when you locate them, the size has not been too bad, with some coming in close to 2 pounds, bigger ones seem to be coming from Johns Lake, and mainly in deeper waters.

Saltwater runs have been nothing short of a total blast, Port Canaveral has had the best mix for us, catching snapper, jacks, blues and a few trout. The Wildlife Refuge has be super. We managed to catch a wide range of fish out here to include snapper, trout, a few small reds, and Erik capped off the trip by catching a very nice 22 inch Triple Tail, yet again, another first for him, great Job Erik!

We actually ended the month with our first cold front, or should I say “cool” front so maybe it’s a sign like last year, waters will cool down sooner turning on yet another season of some good top water action. Water temps for the most part have hung in the mid 80’s with the consistent rains we have gotten which has helped to maintain a good bite for the most part of the summer. October is shaping up to be yet again another fabulous month for bass.

Johns Lake and Butler Chain Aug 2009 Bass and Saltwater fishing Report

Orlando Bass Fishing Guides

August we did a little switch up, we did some fishing on Johns Lake and Butler Chain and had some pretty good trips on both bodies of water. Bass for the most part were holding tight to cover after we had some early morning schooling action on both bodies of water. Gitem curly 7’s in Florida grass and junebug seemed to be the baits that were on fire for us.

The switch up comes with us doing several saltwater trips which have been producing some great fishing action with us catching a wide range of species. Summer time has always been a great time for some serious saltwater fishing and as usual the fish have responded with every run to the coast. Port Canaveral has been one of our favorite areas to fish saltwater and our runs out there have been producing some good grey snapper, mutton snapper, blues, flounder a few trout and some slot redfish.

Live shrimp has been the main bait to keep the action steady and the rods bending, but the DOA Shrimp and the steel shad have had their moments out there catching the reds and the trout for us. Shrimp rigs we have been using a 1/0 circle hook with a split shot weight around docks and bridges to get our catch, with us catching between 30 and 40 per trip, this makes for a very good day of fishing.

If anyone is interested in saltwater trips, just send me an e-mail or call as this action will remain steady thru the rest of summer.

Precious Waters

The Butler Chain of Lakes is a great place to spend time with your family and enjoy the wonder of nature.

By Sarah Kezer
Photo by Anna Cary Photography

There are some precious waters surrounding Windermere. The Butler Chain of Lakes is a source of pride, beauty and recreation for Orange County residents and visitors, who enjoy boating, fishing and recreation there.
The 12 connected lakes are surrounded by old and new Florida homes, including those of celebrities Shaquille O’Neal and Tiger Woods. Lake Down is the northernmost lake, followed by Little Lake Down, Wauseon Bay, Lake Butler, Lake Louise, Lake Isleworth, Lake Chase, Lake Blanche, Lake Tibet, Lake Sheen, Pocket Lake and Fish Lake.
Lake Butler is the largest of the fresh water, sand-bottom lakes. It has an island bird sanctuary, which is off limits to people; but locals often dock their boats there and socialize on the weekends.

Though the scenery is beautiful, the main reason Capt. Tim Fey takes most of his clients out on the lakes is to fish. Fey, a licensed captain with the U.S. Coast Guard, has been fishing Central Florida waters for more than 20 years. “I get people all the way from Canada and United Kingdom and take them to the Butler Chain,” says Fey.

As an experienced fishing guide and Southwest Orlando resident, Fey says the area has clean, deep water and great bass and crappie fishing. Fey says that he and his guests are also usually lucky enough to spot other wildlife ranging from otters, alligators and an occasional eagle.

If you’re looking to take your own boat for a spin on these waters, consider joining the Orange County Sportsman Club. Members of the club enjoy private boat ramp access onto the lakes and additional recreation facilities. There is one public bank access area on Lake Down but parking is limited and usually fills up quickly.

Albert Gallof, president of Orange County Sportsman Club, says that their 1,700 plus members not only get to use the private launch site on Lake Sheen, but can take advantage of their pavilions, volleyball courts and meeting hall. “It’s a great family atmosphere,” Gallof says, “you’d never know we were back here but it is beautiful.” According to Gallof, the county limits the number of members the club can obtain so the waiting list can get pretty long. Gallof says the group can accept about 100 new members each year.

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, the chain of lakes is worthy of special protection because of its natural attributes, so it has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water. This recognition is applied to certain waters to conserve existing good water quality. Most of these areas are managed by the state or federal government as parks, including wildlife refuges, preserves, marine sanctuaries and aquatic preserves. This designation requires that activities requiring a water management district permit such as dredge, fill and pollutant discharge must not significantly degrade nearby Outstanding Florida Waters and be “clearly in the public interest”.

Organizations such as the Butler Chain Conservation Association work to protect the environment. According to their Web site, the association acknowledges that development is inevitable but insists that it can be done without destroying nature’s delicate balance. Protecting Southwest Orlando’s Butler Chain of Lakes ensures that these precious waters are available for future generations to enjoy.

Butler Chain and Johns Lake Bass Fishing Report July 2009

Orlando Bass Fishing Guides

July bass fishing has been good for us here in Orlando. Johns Lake as well as Butler Chain have been fishing pretty good, especially with artificial lures. Johns Lake the waters are up considerably which has opened up a lot of areas for the bass to get cover. Grasses have been a major key we it comes to catching them consistently. Swimming worms across the grasses have produced some great explosions on the surface, as well as catching some quality bass.

Butler Chain has been fishing as expected, with some top water action scattered around the chain and skipping under docks, the ones you can still skip under anyways, as the water is up! Gitem K.O’s have been a great producer on both Johns Lake and Butler Chain, as well as Curly 7’s in Florida Grass and Green Pumpkin.

Private waters have been just absolutely off the hook with fishing. Bass have been schooling pretty steady in deeper waters, where steel shad have been very effective at catching them. Drop shot has worked to some degree, but a Long A has been one of the better options here.
Afternoon showers have helped to keep water temperatures down and stable which has in turn helped to keep the fishing action steady throughout the day.
Remember we are also booking crappie trips again during the fall and in years past we have slammed some good crappie up to 2 ½ pounds! We do a limited number of these trips so it won’t interfere with our busy bass season so book your crappie trip soon!

About Windermere and the Butler Chain

Posted by Hojin on August 20, 2007

Most first time visitors to the area may say that it is a little further away from everything than Dr. Phillips, but for luxury living at its best, look no further than the Town of Windermere. Pristine sand bottom lakes surround this small West Orange community. Boaters and Bass fisherman will love the system of canals that connects eleven lakes known as the Butler Chain of Lakes comprised of Lake Down, Little Lake Down, Wauseon Bay, Lake Butler, Lake Louise, Lake Isleworth, Lake Chase, Lake Pocket, Lake Tibet, Lake Sheen, and Fish Lake. The most popular types of boats to navigate the chain are ski boats, pontoon boats, and bass fishing boats. Lake Butler is the largest lake in the chain and houses a island bird sanctuary commonly referred to as “Bird Island” which many boaters use as a gathering place. A large blue pontoon boat covered in speakers, coolers, and of course a grill named “Grillin and Chillin” is a fixture there on most popular weekends and holidays. Some popular neighborhoods on the Butler Chain include Isleworth, Lake Butler Sound, Kelso, Keene’s Pointe, Windermere Downs, Marina Bay, Osprey Isle, Tibet Pointe, Bay Hill, Emerson Pointe, Cypress Isle, Cypress Point, and Chaine du Lac.

Lake Down is the northernmost lake but when the water levels become too low or high it becomes difficult to make it through the canal to the rest of the chain depending on the type of boat you’re in. Lake Tibet is the second largest lake in the chain and the Bay Hill marina offers a place to buy gas while on the chain. Another place to get gas on the chain is the Orange County Sportsman’s Club on Lake Sheen. A Sportsmans’s Club membership is a sought after commodity in Southwest Orlando because it’s only just a few hundred bucks a year and you get 2 boat ramps, boat storage, clubhouse, and a beach for your weekend boating excursions. The waiting list for membership typically runs at least two years but like many clubs, knowing the right person could expedite the process. To join the legions of boaters waiting to join, membership information can be obtained at 407-876-2010. The only public access to the Butler Chain is at the R.D. Keene Park located on Chase Road in Windermere and during the summer months the 47 parking spaces fill up by the early morning hours. The Lake Down ramp does provide another place for access but there’s no place to park so what’s the point.

Probably the least desirable lake on the Butler Chain, if there is such a thing, is Wauseon Bay because much of the lake is a no wake zone. Dont’ get me wrong, I would take a house on Wauseon Bay in a second. Heck, I’ll take one on one of the canals. The water on this chain are crystal clear and are spring fed. Most lakes in Central Florida such as the Clermont Chain, Conway Chain, Winter Park Chain, Harris Chain, and Lake Toho tend to have bathwater temperatures during the summer months but the water in the Butler Chain remains cool even in the peak summer months. The only complaint I have about the Butler Chain of Lakes is that I can’t afford a house on it but other than that, boat houses on docks are no longer allowed and the pre-existing boat houses have been grandfathered in.

The depth, temperatures, and water clarity also contribute in making the Butler Chain one of the best for bass fishing. It’s a little less renowned than nearby East Lake Toho, but the locals know that the Butler Chain is pretty comparable and a heck of a lot easier to fish. Bass tend to congregate tightly during the cold winter months at the ledges of drop offs which can go as deep as 41 feet then migrate to offshore submerged grass beds in 10 to 20 feet of water. Spring brings spawning season and the best time of the year for bass fishing where bass bed in shallow water which can be a foot or less. There’s so many different types of structures to fish here and most of them are easy to access. Jigging a gold spoon works well in fishing deep water holes like the one on Little Lake Down and popular baits for fishing various structures on the lakes include: Gary Yamamoto Senkos, Zoom Trick Worms, Zoom Flukes, White Willow Leaf Spinnerbaits, and various swim baits suited for really clear water. I really like the chartreuse shad color on my crankbaits and slashbaits and the watermelon color with red or black flecks work well for Senkos and Trick Worms. Fishing on the Butler Chain is a lot more pleasant during the weekdays with far less boaters crowding the waters. The fish bite all year round, but your best chance to catch the bass of a lifetime is during the Spring spawning season. Tim Fey, a resident of SW Orlando, is a well known guide along these waters who authors Bass Fishing Florida, a great resource for finding out what lures are working where.

This chain of lakes makes waterfront living in Windermere the premier location to live in Southwest Orlando. Windermere was given its name from Dr. Stanley Scott, whose father purchased 160 acres in this picturesque location in 1885. Dr. Scott built his home on the shore of Lake Butler, and it is believed by many that he named this town after England’s Lake Windermere. A book entitled Windermere Among the Lakes by Carl D. Patterson, Jr. published in 2005 creates the most detailed account of Windermere’s history.

Today, more than 2,300 people inhabit the Town of Windermere. The community, however, has not based its success on how rapidly it grows, but on how natural and pleasant a community in which it is to reside. Windermere tries to focus on preserving the town’s natural state and strong community atmosphere. The town’s quality of life is its most distinguishing feature. In fact, many of the town streets remain unpaved to continue their commitment to retain the pristine nature of the chain of lakes. The only paved street is 2nd Avenue which leads to Bumby Point, a peninsula that lies between Wauseon Bay and Lake Butler.

For luxury living with a small-town feel, you can’t beat the Town of Windermere. The Windermere Police Department, although comprised of I believe just 3 officers, have a reputation in the area for handing out speeding tickets for going even a mile an hour over the speed limit so beware. They’re probably bored from the lack of crime so I guess I can’t blame them. Other than that, the dirt roads, small town feel, and the canopy of age old oaks makes Windermere a really neat place to call home.

Lake Toho

Butler Chain of Lakes

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