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Sometimes you just get a couple of hours early. Take what she gives you. Don't fight with mother nature, that's a game you can't win! It took me a long time to realize that.

Just about my least favorite thing to do. I know a lot of southern fisherman that do it, but not me. For me is low reward and a lot of work. I would much rather work a hollow body frog back in cover, or crawl a big worm through the thick stuff.

Just found out that the family switched locations to Keowee, 20 minutes from Clemson. Gangreen any tips?

Danger, danger, never associate humans with food, especially with gators. The mouth you feed will bite you, and for a short distance blinding quick! We see hundreds in a day in the everglades, and if you don't see them it doesn't mean their not there!

Lykes Hunting Ranch, they brought in all types of animals. In the early 70's they put African Lions on the Island they own in the middle of Kissimmee. After a bad drought the lions almost got off the island. So a friend of mine, a police officer, and some other hunters were called in to help track, and shoot them, before they got off and killed someone around the lake. He still has a Lion rug mount from that experience. A buffalo is a pretty tame animal for these guys.

I was once fishing way out in the Everglades in one of the canals that dissects the glades. This canal had a solid rock edge, and suddenly a school of bass started chasing baitfish against the canal bank edge. Suddenly two huge black crows arrived on the seen and landed right on the canal edge where the turmoil was happening. These two crows ran along the bank edge for 50 yards, picking off baitfish driven into the shallows. There was such precision, it was obvious it was not the crows first rodeo. These birds learned this from watching the schooling bass, and made the most of their opportunity! Crows are smart as hell! What a day!

Me too, always vacation at deep mountain lakes in Ga. or NC. Clear water and over 100 feet deep not far from shore. My only success has been with knock-downs near the shore line, and a few docks worked real slow. Florida low-landers don't do well at elevation! Going to Keowee just north of Clemson. Not as mountainous this year, but a lot more boat traffic.

I used to be a top water guy, with rapala jerkbaits, devil horse, chugbugs. For 20 years that was my day, and I was pretty good at it. Big problem was it was feast or famine. Some days you kill them, some days dead. Now I will go weeks without picking up a rod with these baits. I throw plastics 90% of the time and fish the entire water column. It has allowed me to catch regardless of conditions, time of day, and time of year. I also slowed down the speed I fish. Stick with plastics, and experiment with sizes, and colors, until you find what they want. I also fish all forms of cover without hang-ups. Our lakes down here full of thick weeds and made much more water available. Makes a big difference.

The answer in Florida is NO. I have had some pigs just give up the fight early, and some 2 to 4 pounders that were just plan mean, and deep in the water. Until they break water all bets are off.

Spent a week on Chatuge last summer, that was some tough fishing for a flat lander!

I agree with posts that said it all depends on water clarity. Clean water natural colors like watermelon, green pumpkin, and shade colors. Dirty water darker colors like black, junebug, purple and dark with a chartreuse tail. I follow this rule, but some days the fish don’t!

My Weakness is my least favorite thing to do. Flipping for bass in heavy cover. I find it painfully slow to do, low rewards, and after about 10 minutes, I'm off to the closest drop-off and dragging plastics, or cranking deep hard baits, at the base of a vertical wall. Numbers are better, and casting to targets is a lot more fun. I do what I enjoy and eliminate what I don't. That is my biggest weakness, but I simply don't give a d**n! At my age, It's all about having fun. Lol

Wow now that is impressive! Congrats to all involved, and especially Glenn. If your not out fishing, this is a great place to be!

The best piece of advice I can give is when things are really tough, pull out a small worm Texas rigged, find the thickest green veggies and SLOW pull a bait out and often let it sit. It may be like watching paint dry but it has saved many a day for me over the years.

Things I look for in Florida waters. 1). Isolated clumps on a flat. These work like magnets drawing fish from the flat, especially with bright skies. They seek out the shade, on shallow flats. May catch more than one fish off the same clump. 2). Clumps with two or more types of veggies. Usually better than a clump with just one type. 3).Weeds close to significant deep ledges. Early mornings and late afternoons these outside edges can be magical. Especially good just after a significant cold front, fish the ledge deep. 4).Any weeds with signs of movement. Often see pads suddenly move, a dead give away. 5). The brighter the sun, look for the thicker cover. Flip or pitch into the thick green stuff. The greener the weeds the more O2 produced and released into the water. 6). Thick weeds beds with a tight opening between two big clumps. Wind driven current will often position bass ready to ambush bait fish in the opening. This can be big on Okeechobee on windy days.

For shear numbers of fish caught the Everglades system should be included. Hundreds of bass can be caught during a full day of fishing.

Best advice I can give you is don’t go on weekends or holidays!

Saturday 3/27/2021 7:00-11:00 MM 39 - North side Partly cloudy Temp 84* Wind 10-15 SE W/T 79* Clarity - Clear Went to the Alley solo before first light. Upon arriving I realized I had left my phone on the charger at home. Just decided to stay in the dead end close to the ramp. The flat was full of Oscars and gar. Every cast these PITA would mess with your bait. If you threw treble hooks you could catch a 100 Oscars easily. I decided to abandon the top water and crankbait and go deep and slow to find bass. First cast deep they were there. They were not big but they were plentiful. It didn't matter what plastic you used as long as it was deep, slow, and close to the drop-off. By 11:00 I was well done. I finished with 25 bass, at least that many Oscars, and two big gar. A fun day even without any big old girls to play with. I think the bigger bass are gorged full of exotics, which are everywhere!

Florida #1 because you have year round excellent fishing, a large number of all free access Lakes to fish, almost every body of water hold bass, and a number of world class exotic fish beside bass. Peacock being the number one freshwater game fish in the world. Caught everyday in south Florida waters. Then you are never more than 50 miles from some of the worlds best reefs, and salt water game fish. It’s truly a fisherman’s paradise! I moved here 50 years ago and never regretted it for one moment. I fish at least 6 days a week.

It’s not so much the hooking that does the damage, it’s more the removal and whether it’s done properly. I have deep hook bass many times and removed the hooks without damage. Be a line watcher and get an early bite detection, this will go a long way in preventing it from happening in the first place. Study the on line info on hook removal. There are good videos available.

If your fishing from the bank in Florida waters it’s nearly impossible to throw baits with tremble hooks because of all the grass and weeds surrounding the shore line. We also have a lot of drop offs that are coral rock that will snag treble hooks. 95% of the time I’m throwing senkos or flukes to drops offs and weed lines. Texas rigged with 15 pound floro line, I seldom have a problem losing baits fished slow. If I’m going for a reaction bite I will throw swim baits rigged the same way, weedless and rip and jerk. Thick pad fields I will work a frog with 60 pound braid. I never use trebles from the bank, I would lose to many baits.

I agree with you. If I had to pick one it would be overcast. Bright sunny pushes them to seek shade, or deep at the base of drop-offs. Overcast they loosen up, more willing to chase faster moving baits. They also stay active longer. Sunny days they often go into a funk and shut down after about 10:00 am. At least here in Florida!

On the road at 5:30 and headed out Alligator Alley before first light. Almost to my destination, and I feel a strange vibration in the steering wheel. I look back as a chunk of rubber flies off the tire. By the time I stop, I have no tire, and the fender has been ripped off. I pull over on the emergency lane, and that's when I realized hardly NO ONE pulls over to give extra room. Tractor trailers, buses, and mobile homes, are just feet away while your trying to work. Suddenly two trucks pulling boats pull over to help. My guardian angels arrived, with all the heavy equipment needed for an emergency. One guy was a South Florida Bass Guide, Drew's Guide Service, @drews_guide_service. One of the nicest young men. He stayed with me for over a half hour, did most of the heavy work, and had the heavy equipment to get it done quickly. I offered money to pay for their lunch but they both refused. They said they had both been in similar situations, and people stopped to help. They were paying it forward. Drew, and Tom were both exceptional young men. Thank you, you brightened what started as a miserable day. I thank you again, and I hope you caught a PB today!

We are renting on lake Burton this summer, and will have a boat for limited time. Deep mountain lakes are quite different from my Everglades experiences. What would you throw?

Hell yah, your good to go with that old stuff just like you were years ago. You have a whole new generation of fish every few years that have never seen any of it!