Looking for help - Toho or Harris?

DPS · December 29, 2018, 07:05:34 PM

Hello Florida,

Newbie here with my first post. (I found this site a couple weeks ago and love it.)

My wife and I are looking for a vacation home in Florida and Bass fishing is a priority for me. I'm retired and will have lots of time to fish. I feel like I have it narrowed down to a home on lake Toho or Harris. I would appreciate any thoughts on fishing these chains or anything else that I should be considering.

Thanks in advance!

Doug

Capt. BassinLou · December 29, 2018, 07:23:54 PM

Quote from: DPS on December 29, 2018, 07:05:34 PM
Hello Florida,

Newbie here with my first post. (I found this site a couple weeks ago and love it.)

My wife and I are looking for a vacation home in Florida and Bass fishing is a priority for me. I'm retired and will have lots of time to fish. I feel like I have it narrowed down to a home on lake Toho or Harris. I would appreciate any thoughts on fishing these chains or anything else that I should be considering.

Thanks in advance!

Doug

Welcome to UB, DPS. I live in the southern end of the state, so I will not be any help, but we have several members that live in Central FL and I'm sure they will be along soon and offer you some insight. Best of luck to you.

FD · December 31, 2018, 08:41:06 AM

Welcome to the site Doug.

Toho and Harris are good choices for big fish but living on the water in Central Florida is pricey and those two are on the high end. I would choose Toho, but's that's just based on my fishing experience.

If price is a major consideration, I would lean towards Winter Haven Chain because there are many more options that will be under 300K.

This also puts you within an hour of trailering to Harris, Toho, Kissimmee and 500 other lakes.

Sent from the end of the paved road...

Swede · January 04, 2019, 03:08:09 PM

You listed a couple of great lakes with Toho and Harris. Do you see yourself traveling north out of Florida on regular basis? If so, then Harris better option being north of Orlando. If not, then I'd put Toho a little further up the list. Hurricane evacuation and tourist traffic are worth considering and in general worse from/in Toho/Kissimmee. I like Harris Chain a little better as it is generally quieter and has more secluded canals with homes to choose from. Fishing can be outstanding in both chains with a legitimate chance at a 10 pound bass on any cast. I've used more hard baits in Harris Chain than I ever have in Kissimmee Chain where top water and plastics seem to rule the roost. Are you more of a power fisherman or a little more slow and methodical??

SFL BassHunter · January 05, 2019, 03:08:18 PM

Welcome to UB!

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Coonrod · January 30, 2019, 11:12:26 AM

For quality-of-life, I'd choose Harris. Slower pace, a *little* less crowded than Toho.
I'd rather live in Howey-in-the-Hills or anywhere in Lake Co. than Kissimmee/Osceola Co.

Toho is one big bass factory, full of vegetation and hydrilla. Not very deep.
Harris is deeper in open water, less vegetation in the middle but more interesting bottom structure (shell beds, ditches, etc.)

Both are excellent fishing, just depends on what type of fishing you prefer.

FloridaFishinFool · January 30, 2019, 11:45:31 AM

Quote from: Coonrod on January 30, 2019, 11:12:26 AM
For quality-of-life, I'd choose Harris. Slower pace, a *little* less crowded than Toho.
I'd rather live in Howey-in-the-Hills or anywhere in Lake Co. than Kissimmee/Osceola Co.

Toho is one big bass factory, full of vegetation and hydrilla. Not very deep.
Harris is deeper in open water, less vegetation in the middle but more interesting bottom structure (shell beds, ditches, etc.)

Both are excellent fishing, just depends on what type of fishing you prefer.

^^^This! ^^^ I agree totally! Except on living out there... Fishing, yes, living no. I'd rather live along the St. Johns river and only travel to Toho and Harris. Just too good of fishing on the river that I won't find at Toho or Harris because conditions differ drastically. Those lakes are great fishing places no doubt, but for me the SJR is at the top of my list.

The Toho lakes, east and west get too much fishing pressure for me. Sometimes there are 3 tournaments going on there at same time. Takes a lot of the fun out if for me having to avoid so many other boaters. Harris is not as bad as West Toho.

Oh, another downside to East Lake Toho is the tourist airboat companies tearing up the vegetation daily and leaving it floating all over the lake fouling hooks. Pain in the rear for sure!

Deadeye · January 31, 2019, 07:52:58 AM

Quote from: DPS on December 29, 2018, 07:05:34 PM
Hello Florida,

Newbie here with my first post. (I found this site a couple weeks ago and love it.)

My wife and I are looking for a vacation home in Florida and Bass fishing is a priority for me. I'm retired and will have lots of time to fish. I feel like I have it narrowed down to a home on lake Toho or Harris. I would appreciate any thoughts on fishing these chains or anything else that I should be considering.

Thanks in advance!

Doug

Welcome to the Site Doug, sorry so long to reply, but I've been away.

Both of those Waterways are good and both differ from what I see. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (Toho) offers fantastic fishing where it it rare for me to get skunked. The Harris Chain for me is harder, yet it is Feast or Famine for me there. Both have Big Fish there. Harris tends to be a Deeper (think 25+ feet in places) and Cleaner (think clarity beyond 2-3 ft) than the Kissimmee Chain is.

Either location the Price to Live On the Lake is going to be quite high, if that is not an issue then to me it is a Pick the House you like best and go for it.

Honestly if I was looking to move (I am actually) I would be looking for a place on a smaller, less known lake in the Lake Wales to St Cloud area for my Home. That would give me Great Fishing out my back door and the ability to trailer within an hour to so many choices that you could fish a different lake every day for probably close to a year.

Lee, FD on here, Lives in the Lake Wales area and he can attest to this to be true. Heck even from the Tampa area you are within 1-2 hours of very good fishing and you got bot Salt and Fresh as options and the Gulf is much nicer than the Atlantic IMO.

I currently live in Deltona, which is about halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach. While I have the St Johns River close by, to get to any of the Better Waterways in Central Florida I have to deal with the Orlando Traffic or pay Tolls to try and eliminate some of it. Once again IMO there are much better options SOUTH of Orlando than North of it.

Whichever you choose, keep us informed and join us at one of our Florida Meet and Greet Events.

DPS · February 02, 2019, 11:57:28 AM

Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. We are coming down this week to start looking at homes. I'm leaning toward a development on Toho called Bellalago. It has direct access to the lake and I would have a dock right at the house. So we'll see.

Thanks again for all of the great info. This site is so helpful.

Doug

FD · February 03, 2019, 12:21:03 AM

Quote from: DPS on February 02, 2019, 11:57:28 AM
Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. We are coming down this week to start looking at homes. I'm leaning toward a development on Toho called Bellalago. It has direct access to the lake and I would have a dock right at the house. So we'll see.

Thanks again for all of the great info. This site is so helpful.

Doug

Bella Lagos is nice. I've eaten lunch at the clubhouse several times when I was out on the lake. I have a friend who is retired and lives a couple of miles north of there on Shingle Creek. If you decide on Toho I'll get you guys together to fish.

Sent from the end of the paved road...