geo g

Mike congrats again on another great outing. That is wonderful the Fellows Family received all that financial and emotional support, from the South Florida fishing community.

Saturday 8/23/14, Alligator Alley MM32 south side, Temp 94*, Humidity ridicules, Clear morning, wind SE 5 - 10, water stained. Went out this morning with Steve Johnson. We got a late start, ,making the first cast at 8:00. This is not a great move since the bite seems to go dormant early. From the ramps at MM 32 south side, we ran west, then under the bridge to the deep holes on the north side. I have not been out there for some time, but I have had some successful trips in the intense heat of the summer at these deep holes. One hole is as deep as 60 feet. On the second cast Steve had a nice 2 pounder to the boat. He was throwing a small jig with a black trick worm. I was throwing a speed worm weighted. I soon hooked into a 3 pounder that attacked my worm from several yards away. You could see the pads moving, and a wake coming. I never get tired of seeing that. Then a few minutes later a big bass that went airborne in the pads, and then twice more once cleared of the pads. On the last jump she became unbuttoned, but both Steve and I got great looks at her. She did put on a show. We stayed in the east hole for an hour and then ran west to the other hole. Although the holes are deep with straight down walls, most bass were positioned under the pads or right at the drop off edge. We caught no fish below 10 feet. We ended the day at 10:30 with 10 bass and one big mudfish between the two of us. The bite just stopped as the sun got high. I wish I could have just touched that big bass, but it was fun just feeling her tug on my line. We had the entire place to ourselves. It seems only the few are fishing out there this time of year. It was brutal hot.

It does happen! You just hit the honey hole. For some reason bass are congregating in a given area. It might be a current thing, it might be a change in depth, it might be a change in water temp, but it is almost always a change in bait fish concentration. Don't move off, just sit there and enjoy the action. If there is food in the area the bass will not be far away.

To me its all about having fun, and relaxation. Fishing is a stress releaver, and a way to be out there with mother nature. There is no place I would rather be, then on the water on a early morning, as the sun comes up, with a good friend, and a tug on the line. I doesnt get any better then that!!!!!

I am ok where I am. I have the everglades with at least 10 different ramp sites and excellant winter fishing. Lake Okeechobee's southern bank is 40 minutes from my driveway, and I have at least 10 twenty acre size lakes within 10 minutes of my house, with manicured bank fishing, quality fish, and unlimitted access. I fish these almost every afternoon. I do like to try different types of plastics, and oouldopen a store with all the plastics I have left over.

Senkos and flukes would be ist choice from the boat or from the shore. In Florida we often have thick, heavy cover. They come through heavy cover without much trouble. They also flat out catch fish all year.

My first choice would be my best friend, and former principal Tom Shaw. I fished with Tom for 30 years, almost every weekend. Tom had a sudden heart attack that took his life April 11 of last year. No one was exspecting thiis and he showed no signs of having a problem. It has left his family and I with a hole in our hearts that will always be there. I would give almost anything for just one more trip. As far as a trip with a Pro. I would pick Bill Dance! He has a respect for people he fishes with, and just an all around good guy. I don't know anyone that does not like Bill.

Mike you are certainly a first class guy, always humble when speaking of others success, and one heck of a fisherman. Thanks for letting us share your journey, through these posts. Looking forward to your next Lox trip.

We have some big native salt water crocks in South Florida. At the ramps at black point marina there are warning signs about the American Crocks. People clean fish in this area and throw the inners in the water, crocks hang in this salt water area. The FPL Power plant in Miami has nesting sites for crocks, and there are a bunch. Crocks are far different then alligators in temperament, explosion, and speed. In Miami Spice Park they found a 7 foot Nile Crock which is a prolific man killer in Africa. If the gators, and crocks, don't get you, the 15+ foot Burmese Pythons and African Rock Pythons might. They estimate thousands of these big snakes thriving in the wild. A gator is the perfect shape for them to swallow. Its never boring while fishing in South Florida!

It is ridicules to eliminate any of your senses when fishing. To think you should only fish at night is ridicules as well. Use all your senses, and during daylight fishing you will see movement in the line before you feel it. Now if you want to fish entirely at night without a moon, then close your eyes and play blind. To give up the importance to sight while fishing is just plain stupid. Using all your senses is the only thing that makes any sense at all, that includes sight, sound, feel, smell, and any other sense you may have mastered. Anything less makes absolutely NO Sense!!!!!

That's why you have to be a LINE WATCHER to get the first indication something is playing with your lure. Feeling the bite is great and should be an attuned sense, but before you feel it the line will jerk, jump, move off, or just vibrate a little even on a slack line. If your not concentrating on that line, at the furthest spot it enters the water, you will not be aware of a subtle bite. Use all your senses, and sight is the one that will happen first, under day light conditions.

Yes there is too much weed when you cant get the boat through it. You risk getting stuck, or burning up the big motor.

Slow roll, has lake Jackson ever come back from the sink hole. I saw it just after the big drain and it was sad. All those bait shops with no water.

I find just the opposite, when I catch one fish, I will often catch a few more in the same area. I fish 6 days a week from the boat and from the bank. I am surrounded by a number of small lakes under 10 acres in size and fish these from the bank almost every evening. Just last week I fished almost an entire lake without a serious bite, and then caught 8 from one small point next to a drop off. This has also happened from the boat, where after an hour of no action covering ground, we will get into them, in one small section of lake. Females after dropping eggs, will move off to rest and then start feeding after recovering. They will often move to the closest drop off for security. If you catch one, don't leave an area, there may be more in the same neighborhood.

Good quality rod, and sensitive line will help you feel the bite. Rock and vegetation may feel like a bump, but they will never pull back. If you feel a tick, or a pull back, take up any slack, and set the hook. Hook sets are free!!! The more experience and time on the water, the better you will get.

From Miami go north on I 75, then Sawgrass Expressway, to 441 north, a mile up turn west on Lox Road, the road dead ends at the ramps. Remember there is a speed limit for boats all throughout Lox. 35 MPH.

Making memories, it doesn't get any better then that! WTG

I would make a few trips to the Stick Marsh, in Fl. Best shot at a really big fish.

The day I caught my personal best was in Feb. during a tough day of fishing at Loxahatchee. I fished with a good friend and we covered a lot of ground and caught about three small bass all morning. It was 12:00 noon and I went to down sizing to a weightless fluke on a spinning rod with 10 pound mono, my lightlest set up.. We were just about to call it quits, and a giant mouth engulfed the bait close to the bank. It was a struggle getting her through all the vegetation with that light rod and reel. She weighted 11.4 and my personal best.

My personal best was caught on a 4" zoom fluke, and I have caught 8 pounders on a 4" zoom centipede. But for years I have heard throwing big black worms under low lite conditions and at night. Big bass will hit anything they think they can swallow, big or small.

I deal with water snakes all the time. I never bank fish with sandals, or bear feet, I always wear ankle boots. I hate snakes but I sure do respect them, they are good at what they do!!!!

No, lots of better tasting fish then bass!!!!!

Good luck, what an awesome opportunity to learn from the best. It all depends on the personality of the pro. I have heard horror stories and I have heard of some great experiences. Good luck on the draw.

Wow that's quite a week!!!!! Doesn't get any better then that.

Move to south Florida in the summer and youll get the same report everyday. Chances of THUNDERSTORMS!!!