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That is outstanding and it came at a good time, moments of joy! So happy for you, and may God bring some relief to your troubles. God bless!

Nice job, love the quiet waters from the bank.

This guy obviously was not the brightest bulb in the package. With all the people carrying these days, things can escalate quickly. I have questioned some bank fisherman that have moved in closely to an area I'm fishing. Usually don't say anything unless they throw over my line. I do it in a non-confrontational manner, and try to educate them about allowing personal space. I would never give up an area, but I do go "Ike" if I catch one while their still in my area. Nothing better then catching when they are not! Luckily this has not happened much over the years, most even the newbies are very respectable of other's territory.

I would start with weightless Senko, and zoom fluke Texas rigged and the key is fish slow. Throw out, count it down, and then two or three short jerks and let it sit still. Has worked for me from Maine to Florida. Watermelon red is a good color. When you think your fishing slow, slow down some more.

All the time, just go to plan B! There is one guarantee for sure, if your lure is not wet, you can't CATCH anything! Keep something in the strike zone!

It does tell you what you were doing they liked. I would immediately check my hook and change to a thin wire quality hook, unless your flipping heavy cover. The thin wire definitely make for better hook sets. Go back to what your were doing when you got bit.

I only use a Carolina rig on deeper points, and shell beds. I usually use a tube with some Styrofoam inside the tube. The heavy weight will stir the bottom while the tube will rise up when at rest. When you pull the weight the tube will dip down and then slowly rise again when you stop it. This has been good for me in deeper water. The Texas rigged weightless tube will dance in place with just a shake of the rod tip. Save some of your used packing Styrofoam.

All you need is a few hundred gators to change your decision making process. In the everglades your not going wading into grass and weeds for a lure!

Speed and stupidity are always a factor in these crashes! God bless the families of those injured, and passed!

When fishing the Everglades gators are like cockroaches. Tuesday I fished the Miami river deep in the Everglades 7 miles from the closest road. We saw over 100 gators and most are willing to leave you alone. But there is always one rouge in the group. My partner caught a huge mud fish and was trying to release it when a 7 footer rushed the boat trying to steal the fish. It got as close as a foot from the boat. I’m sure it has done it before. During breeding season I had a big male charge the boat. Turn at the last minute and slap the side of the boat with its big tail. This 10 footer was the territorial bully for sure. You just don’t want to be in a small boat or Kayak. That’s for sure!!!! Breeding season with big males, and females guarding nests can be a problem if your not careful. They will usually send a few signs before making a run at the boat.

Lots of snakeheads in those Plantation canals the last few years. I have caught them back to back especially there in Plantation.

Tuesday 3/29/22 Miami River north as far as you can go. First light to 1:00 pm Blue bird skies, not one cloud! Temp 80* wind N15 W/T 78* Met up with Matt and we headed for the Miami River deep in the Everglades. It was a perfect morning with little wind, and cool temps. The water was dead still, so I started with a Zara spook and had several followers. Suddenly as the bait walked, a huge explosion, and the spook and a beautiful peacock were a yard above the water. It was a great fight with several long runs, and several more jumps. For their size there is nothing like a peacock bite. It was a male with a huge knot on its head and about 4.5 pounds. You know almost immediately it is not a large mouth but something special. The top water bite didn’t last long and soon I was throwing Flukes and swim baits, and getting an array of fish from Oscars, Shell Crackers, Mayans, mud fish, gar, and black bass. The bass were all in the 1 pound size with the biggest just under 2. My partner was having simular results. As he caught a big mud fish, his fish was attached by a big gator that rushed the boat. Within inches of his fish he jerked it out of the water and on the deck. I’m sure this gator had done that before to other fisherman. This part of the Everglades is quiet, loaded with wildlife, and 7 miles from the closest road. We saw all types of birds, with raptors, egrets, song birds, at least 100 gators of various size. With hardwood islands surrounding these wetlands, we heard bobcats calling to each other, otters, and snakes. It is mother natures playground. Several weeks ago there were python hunters walking these hardwood hammocks looking for big snakes. So a little bit of the Amazon is present too! I guess it goes with the peacocks, and Oscars. A wonderful day in South Florida!

I could not agree more!!!!!!!!

One of the scariest happenings for me was while fishing Alligator Alley during breeding season for big male gators. Alligator Alley got its name for good reason, thousands of gators. While fishing with the wind from our backs and in stealth mode, we saw a real big gator that was not happy with our approach to his territory. He humped his back out of the water, and vibrated disturbing all the water around him, while making a deep moan. He was about 20 yards from us and was at least 10 foot long and wide. As we approached, he sprinted at the boat and made a shape turn at the last minute slapping the side of the boat with its powerful tail. It was a jarring hit. He made his point, and I hit the T/M at high speed. I always look for this guy while fishing out there, although I see hundreds on every trip, I have never seen a gator as wide as this guy, in that area again. I will give him his distance the next time we cross paths. This one was not the usual in it's behavior. He was clearly the territory bully!

I don't know where you live but I have fished Turkey foot lake in North East Ohio. I have friends that live on the lake and are partner owners of the Turkey Foot Golf Course. I have fished a bunch from their dock, and from the course with their permission. Lots of pad fields all around the lake and the W/M Red Senko has produced nicely around the pad fields. There is a nice ramp at the park adjacent to the main lake. Lots of miles of connecting canals. Water traffic can be difficult at times.

I would much rather buy a house in close proximity to a bunch of lakes then own one right on one lake. If on a lake I would want a dock and boat lift and would almost guarantee I would seldom if ever load it and move off to another lake. Boredom would soon set in and I would fish less. Even when bank fishing, I seldom fish the same lake two days in a row. I don’t need the inflated cost of lake front property, I just need variety of where I’m fishing today, and I get more house and a big out building for all the toys!

I don’t buy it! We often have east winds in Florida, and I have had some great days fishing them. Like everything else there are just so many variables!

Cover as much as possible with protective material. The new long sleeve hoodies with cooling fabrics are great. Good sunglasses, gloves, and sunscreen before leaving the house. That’s about as good as it gets for me.

When I start a trip I will work a bait all the way back to the boat until I figure out where they are hanging. I will also change up the speed and action of the bait during the retrieve to see what triggers them. After two or three caught I will concentrate on what and where caused that bite. Never lose sight of what and where your bait is when attacked! Replicate that!

It is thought by many that during a sudden cold spell bass often move off to the nearest drop off and go deep. Although this often happens, I have found bass hunkered down under thick shallow mats like they just pulled a blanket over themselves. It could be only a foot or two deep. The thick cover holds some heat from the day, provides security, some food sources live there, and ambush points. Look for the thickest, greenest, cover around. Bass don’t always seek the depths during cold fronts. The longer the cold spell the more likely they are to seek out deeper waters.

It all depends what and where I’m fishing. Plastics especially in shallow water I will hold it high and be a line watcher for the slightest deviation in the line. Deeper water I will hold the rod lower because it’s more comfortable. With plastics be a line watcher while working the bait. Don’t fish like a blind man, use all the senses God gave you when fishing, With treble hooks and especially top water I will hold the rod low to get the movement from the bait that I am looking for.

I use super flukes all the time and use the least weight possible to get the job done. Weight in excess kills the action of the bait and causes it to get trapped in rocky places and among weedy anchored plants. I usually use weightless, or a 1/32 bullet weight 90% of the time. This gives lots of action with the slightest twitch. Only go heavier in winds over 15 mph. I often twitch the bottom causing a walking action with the bait. I will change the length of the pauses until I find out what they want that day. Most bites happen after several quick twitches and a long pause. Bass will often pick up the bait during the pause. Resembles a dying fish. The shallower the water the quicker the twitches. Good in pad fields as long as the V on the pad is facing you. Love flukes, and work my senkos the same way. I work zoom super flukes on every trip at some time. I have caught thousands of fish on them over the years. To keep the action of the lure, I will cast with the wind and make long casts without having to add weight that will kill the action. Let the wind be your friend. Use a MH 7’ rod, Lews baitcaster, a 15 pound floro most of the time because it’s Florida.

I always use 100% floro for all my plastics, it sinks, is very sensitive, and tough. Because it’s Florida, with big bass, and heavy weeds, I use at least 15 pound test. Not all floros are the same. Trilene professional grade is my fav. Plastics = Floro! Don’t like using leaders, so braid is out except when flipping, and then straight 65 pound braid in the jungle!

I like renting a big house on the water and the entire familly comes for a week. Rent a boat for the week. Somewhere different every year and walk away with no maintenance of any kind. We will go back to a place we really liked and all the pieces came together. Absolutely no headaches and no work. We have found some beautiful places.

My daughter lives on a 700 acre private lake in Milton Ga. The lake has very limited pressure, with no motors allowed, and only a hand full of kayaks from owners. They have one of the few docks on the entire lake. I have fished it summer, fall, winter, and spring and have caught bass all year long. You do have to change up techniques during different months. I usually use plastics all year, but painfully slow during colder months. It is not NY, but it does get cold in north Georgia. I also am not fishing under the dock, but fishing from the dock.