Rodman Reservoir Bass Fishing: An Expert’s Complete Guide

Rodman is a flooded river swamp built on the Ocklawaha. Think: standing timber, submerged stump fields, eelgrass and hydrilla lanes, plus miles of reeds and hyacinth mats. That blend of permanent cover and river current fattens bass fast. A long Florida growing season, abundant shad/bluegill/crayfish forage, and periodic water-level drawdowns that reset habitat keep the population robust. It’s a live-bait stronghold (wild shiners) and an artificial-bait playground if you like to flip, pitch, and grind big plastics through gnarly cover.

• January: Pre-spawn staging along the old river channel, oxbow mouths, and inside turns. Slow roll big worms and jigs on hard edges; live shiners near timber produce brutes. Sunny afternoons push some fish to shallow wood for brief windows.
• February: First big waves slide shallow. Flip/pitch creature baits into pencil reeds, pads, and isolated wood in 2–6 ft. Craw-colored lipless and flat-sides tick hydrilla outside spawning lanes.
• March: Peak shallow bite. Sight-fish in clearer pockets; in stain, pitch jigs/texas rigs to dark spots in the pads. A shiner under a float beside a laydown is as close to a sure thing as Rodman gets.
• April: Spawn lingers; post-spawn feed starts. Work prop baits and walkers over eelgrass in the a.m., then slide to channel edge brush with a Carolina rig mid-day.
• May: Shad spawn at daybreak on hard edges (riprap, wood, grass). Chatterbaits and swim jigs shine early; by late morning, drag a magnum worm on shell or hard spots adjacent to the river swing.
• June: Heat moves fish to shade/current. Punch hyacinth mats with 1–1.5 oz tungsten, 65 lb braid, and compact baits. Current at the river mouth/lock areas sparks short, violent flurries—time them.
• July: Summer pattern locked. Fish early/late with frogs over cheese; mid-day, flip vertical wood or soak shiners on the shady side of big timber. Night fishing with big worms on channel edges can be outstanding.
• August: Dog days—either go finesse on edges (speed worm, lighter texas) or go heavy and punch. Afternoon thunderstorms often trigger brief reaction bites—have a spinnerbait ready.
• September: Transition. Young shad roam in the backs of runs and oxbows. Cover water with squarebills, small walkers, and finesse swimbaits until you intersect bait.
• October: Peak fall feed. Wind-blown eelgrass lanes and points light up with chatterbaits/lipless. River bends with wood stack better fish—jig and big worm time.
• November: Bass slide back toward the channel; jerkbaits and lipless on outside grass lines, and jigs on hard breaks. Shiners near deep timber tempt true heavies.
• December: Cool water concentrates fish on classic winter structure. Slow down: football jigs, big worms, and shiners around channel swings, bends, and deep laydowns.

Kenwood Recreation Area & The Timber

Launching at Kenwood puts you in the heart of Rodman’s flooded forest. Idle lanes carefully, then target standing timber edges and stumps that border eelgrass. Work a texas-rig or jig down each side of a tree; if bait is present on electronics, soak a wild shiner. In low light, a walking topwater over grass lanes can draw savage strikes.

Orange Springs & Upper Pool Flats

Here the reservoir opens into shallow, grass-rich flats broken by pad fields and scattered timber. In prespawn, fish the outer grass edges with lipless/flat-sides. During spawn, flip the denser pad clumps and any isolated wood near drains. After fronts, slide to the nearest depth change with a Carolina rig.

Ocklawaha River Channel Swings

The old river snakes through Rodman and is the season-long anchor. Mark inside/outside bends, points where secondary ditches meet, and any hard spots. Drag a mag worm or football jig uphill from the channel lip. When current moves (rain, discharge changes), a medium-diver or spinnerbait can light up.

Deep Creek & Feeder Run Mouths

Where creeks meet the pool, you get fresh water, oxygen, and roaming bait. Early/late, throw walkers and swimbaits across the mouth. When sun gets high, pitch to dark spots—root balls, laydowns, reed clumps—and let a creature bait soak. A shiner under a float at the seam is deadly.

Hyacinth & Mixed-Mats (Throughout)

Rodman’s mats are bass hotels. Target the edges with shade and flow, and any place mats pin to wood. Punch with 1–1.5 oz tungsten and a compact bait, pegged tight. Many bites come on the initial drop through the “ceiling.”

Cross Florida Barge Canal / Buckman Lock Vicinity

Current influence around the canal/lock areas can fire a reaction bite. Cast up-current with spinnerbaits/chatterbaits and let the flow do the work. When it slows, drag a worm on the first hard edge. Mind boat traffic and changing flow.

Rodman Dam Tailrace (Downstream)

Below the dam, current seams and eddies stack fish when discharge is up. Heavier spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jigs score here. Wear a PFD and use caution—current and turbulence can be significant.