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It depends on where your fishing, the weather conditions, and the season. If you watch MLF pros are thrilled to have a 2 pound bass and consider them a nice bass. After fishing Florida for 50 years I personally consider a 3 pound bass a nice bass. I have caught many in the 8 to 9 pound range but they are few and far between, compared to a good 3 pounder. Even down here some days your the bug, and some days your the windshield. That's fishing for you, you strive for greatness and often settle for the mundane! To me that's the fun of it!

I know some experiments have been done on fish biting. I’m sure the severity of the hooking makes a difference. If it is a normal hooking then about 20 minutes they are good to go again. I have broke off a 3 pound bass with my fluke and a #3 Gama hook. About an hour later I passed through the same area and caught the same 3 pounder with my Gama hook and fluke still attached.

I saw a window in the weather pattern for the last week, so I loaded up early and went to the glades. I have fished the glades regularly for the last few months and have been averaging between 35 to 50 bass in a four hour trip. We have recently had almost 18 inches of rain in the last 5 days. Water levels are way up, and the PH balance has got the bass in a funky mood. First sign of trouble was most of the gators are no longer in the canals. Second sign, very little surface action in the morning. Third absolutely no bites. I fished from 7:00 until 11:00 and caught one bass. I did catch gar and mudfish but only one freakin suicidal bass. Used top water, spinnerbaits, and an array of plastics. I saw a guide out there with a family using live bait and they couldn't buy a bite. Things may be tough for a while until everything adjusts.

Friday 5/22/20 went out again this time to the Alley north side. In four hours caught 37 bass from one to 3.5 pounds. Most caught deep by the drop offs in 8 feet of water. Fun time but felt very hot out there and called the trip because of it. Good luck and happy hunting!

Look at the shore line. Look for flow into the pond, and places where the water flows out. Steeper shore line usually means deeper water from the bank. Look for water plants, pads, where it stops may mean a drop-off. Water Like this I usually stick to Texas rigged plastics so I have less problems with snags, and you can fish right through the weeds. Trebles can get you in trouble quick. H/B frogs are often good top water baits. If its real tough down size baits and slow way down.

I too use a lot of Zoom products. Priced well, hold up well, and make a good product.

Okeechobee is a tough lake to fish if your not on the lake often. Right now it is dangerously low with a lot of rock areas that take out lower units on careless boaters. The lake seldom looks the same with vegetation in areas without it months ago, and floating mats that move around. Spraying has killed off large amounts in other areas. I suggest a guided trip especially if you have never been out there before. Once in the main body, its like being in the ocean. Also boat lanes can get the novice lost and disoriented. Lastly, because the lake is so big and shallow, a strong wind can blow water out of one side of the lake into the opposite side. So areas good one day, can be too low a day later. Dangerous for the novice!

I wear leather boots because we have snakes around here, especially around the waters edge.

Lol you don’t have to run far to catch nice fish at Lox. One of my favs is to go around the spoil bank and fish the back side to the flat. An east or west wind I’ll let it blow me down that flat wall in stealth mode. Caught many big ones doing that.

it’s all about water levels and now it’s at a yearly low. Will be like this until the monsoon starts. They are all locked in the canals, the flats are pretty dry.

your talking my fishing grounds. My personal best was lox 20 years ago. 11.4 at noon on a bright sunny day. Love the glades, I’ve seen more wildlife this year than ever before. Otters and bobcats, along the Miami River north of the Alley. I think because a month of no access.

Very sad but happens often on unfamiliar waters. Prayers go out to all the families involved. This will have a permanent affect on all these young men!

Yes been there done that at the exact same spot! Also loved Charlie Worms, especially Junebug, Tequila, Moccasin, and Red Shad. Charlie's were the best! I was at three pines before first light, I was fishing, I heard a go fast running west from Holliday, and then heard another go fast coming east from 41. I tucked up into the sawgrass and these two yahoos almost had a head on crash in a thick fog. One boat ended up deep into the sawgrass. Lucky they both made a quick right and shut down. I knew it could be bad because visibility was less than 50 yards. I almost hit a big gator running right at the bend north of 41. The gator made a rapid movement with its tail and I got hit by what felt like a garbage can full of water. That was a wake up call to slow down in the early morning.

I used to fish three pines a lot. Don't much now but I'm sure it's still good. Freshwater spring out there keeps the water cooler in summer and warmer in deep winter. It's just too far a run for me in the boat, and 120 mile round trip run in the truck. Still love it out there.

Yes we are in that crazy time. The canals are full, of bass, exotics, and of course gators. I was out there a month ago in the morning six miles north of alligator ally, a large cat was on the islands calling to another one miles away on another island. It was as cool as you can get! This will continue for at least another month until the real rains come.

A lot depends on how familiar you are with the location. If you new to an area I move within a half hour of no bites. But a proven spot I might last an hour.

It’s not always what you throw but how you throw it. Start out fast waking the bait. Then let it go to the bottom and very slow roll the bait. Then slow roll with fast jerks every 30 seconds. Then change colors. Light colors like white and chartreuse in clear water and darker colors in dirty water. Always try to bump objects like wood and boulders. Slow roll through points sticking out from bank. If that doesn’t work take it off and square Bill the area, lastly plastics doing the same progression of techniques. Half of the fishing fun is trying to figure it out, not always catching. If it were always easy it would get boring. Nothing more satisfying then catching when others can’t!. You have to have confidence In what your doing even if they are not cooperating. Time on the water will give you that confidence!

Hook 360 is an up and coming company. I have there stuff and like the quality. Good prices for buffs right now.

Went out today from 7:00-1:00. Caught 50+ bass, a bunch at the cuts. Water levels are real low. Danger at the mm 35 ramp area. The east/west cut past the ramps is so low my tolling motor was hitting rock bottom. Don’t use the big motor there. The bite was good all morning with the cuts producing good numbers at every one. North wind today blew me right down the canal. Made for easy fishing. All caught on an assortment of plastics. A hundred gators in the canal. Great time to fish down here.

I used to use it, but have not for years, now that you brought it up I may give it a try again.

Before senkos I caught thousands of bass of all size on zoom centipedes. Now I throw a stick-o 4” in place of them. Great little bait when things get tough. If they get torn up from catching just turn them around. If both ends get torn just bite off the end, you now have a 3” centipede! Lol

Fished the alley again today, Sunday. Caught 27 from 7:30 to noon. All deep and all on the road side. Another fun day.

I fish at least 6 days a week and catch bass and peacock. If I had my choice I would rather catch peacock then a bass of the same size. It's like a bass on steroids, they fight so much harder, jump higher, take longer runs, and fight even when you lip them. The pit bull of fresh water.

Fished the Alley Wednesday for the first time since the lock down. The ramps are open and the fishing was excellent. It's nice to be back on my home waters. Caught over 50 in four hours, most were deep, and a bunch in the 17" size.

Not all ticks on the line are bass. Often you will feel something but it is a small bait fish just grabbing the tail moving off with it and the hook never gets in their small mouth. As for bass they suck in the bait in a quick motion. when you feel a tick, take up slack first until you feel the weight, then set hard because you don't know the size until the hook is set. Try using thin wire hooks for better sticking ability. #3 and #4 hooks come in a variety of thickness. The thins just stick better than a thicker wire. The thins will work well unless in real thick cover. Also use good quality hooks. Just a few tips.