There has been one constant complaint this week at the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Kissimmee Chain presented by Battery Tender: “It’s cold!”
Anyone who thought they would be seeking refuge from winter’s fury was disappointed when Winter Storm Fern ushered in the coldest air of the year (and in years) to Central Florida. Now, of course, things could be worse. There’s no snow or ice to deal with, unlike in many other parts of the country right now.
“Cold in Florida isn’t like cold in Arkansas,” two-time B.A.S.S. champion Fred Roumbanis said. “I don’t know if it is the humidity or what, but Tuesday felt like it was negative 20. My hands and toes were so cold.”
But even the slightest temperature change puts a sour taste in a Florida bass’ mouth, especially ones that were about to hit the nest.
“(The cold) shuts them down,” Florida native Terry Scroggins said. “Even catching a limit could be tough for a lot of guys. A lot of the bass have been up shallow, and those are the ones that get hurt the most.”
To state the obvious, practice has been particularly challenging for the field this week, particularly after an opening day where everything was just about perfect.
“On the first day of practice, I could have had 25 pounds,” Roumbanis said. “And I was just running around fishing because the weather was right. The bass knew the front was coming and they fed. Everywhere I pulled up I got bit, knowing it was probably misleading.”
Water temperatures have tanked since, dropping almost 15 to 18 degrees depending on the section of the chain, and the shallow bite has all but evaporated. A mini warm-up is expected during the first two tournament days before the next major front arrives on Saturday’s final competition day.
“Florida and the cold don’t mix,” 2025 College Classic Bracket champion and Sunshine State native Tripp Berlinsky said. “After seeing the water temperature on the last day of practice, I don’t think it is going to be good enough for the bass to push up like crazy.”
Along with the weather, water levels are also playing a big role in where anglers are finding these bass. Lake Toho is currently a little higher than usual, while the other lakes in the chain like Lake Kissimmee are much lower than usual.
Toho is also the cleanest of the lakes right now, according to Scroggins, who is returning to B.A.S.S. after several seasons fishing with MLF.
“I feel like Toho is the strongest right now,” the five-time B.A.S.S. winner said. “The bottom lakes are dirty because they are low and the wind has been blowing like crazy. It just doesn’t look good.”
All signs are pointing to a tournament where offshore hydrilla and shellbeds will dominate. With forward-facing sonar not allowed in this event, dragging baits will be important tools to getting bites.
“It will be mostly grass oriented,” Berlinsky said. “This year, the bottom composition hasn’t really mattered. They are in the middle chasing bait (a lot of times). I’ll be dragging the edges of grass and shell patches.
“If we had (Garmin) LiveScope, there would be some 30-pound bags for sure.”
While grass is a general constant in Florida, history doesn’t necessarily help. Roumbanis checked several places where he had found vegetation in the past, only to find it bare.
“In another event, I didn’t have to run too far to fish some amazing grass. It’s gone,” he said. “Then I found grass in other areas. It seems to shift. The offshore grass, it’s weird. There is some stringy grass that is really hard to fish through. You could hear the bream in it when the water was warm, and I got some hellacious bites in practice with a Frog Factory Mongrel.”
Even though the conditions are as tough and unusual as they are, Scroggins, Roumbanis and Berlinsky all agree: It is going to take over 20 pounds of bass a day to win this tournament, but 10 pounds a day will be a success for many.
