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Don't worry about it, it happen to everyone once in a while. If they tell you no, they are full of it. It happens to big time pros on the tour. I will tell you one thing, if its tough, go with your confidence plastic and slow way down. Let it fall through the entire water column, then slowly move it and let it sit. It usually works for me on those painfully slow days.

In Florida 90% of our banks are full of weeds especially this time of year. Like Catt said you can fish over it or in it. Forget the treble hooks from the bank, all you will be doing is buying new ones, and lots of frustration. Plastics, with various weights depending on the type of veggies, and the thickness. Fishing over the thick stuff with frogs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, weightless senkos, flukes, big weightless worms, all will work. In the thick stuff, look for weed edges, drop-offs, pad field, with heavy line, heavy weights, stout rods, and slow way down. Once hooked, a must is to get their head up, and surf them over the thick weeds, before they bury themselves in it. That is where the heavy line, and stout rods come into play. Once hooked, you can't play with these fish, they will bury themselves in a heart beat. Proper equipment, and technique will make your job so much easier, especially from the bank.

Thanks guys I appreciate the hefp.

I think the thumb is not in prime condition for summer fishing.

Looking for a not too expensive knife sharpener that will get the job done. Any suggestions out there, need help!

While fishing a bank or a canal, I hate it when someone will motor just past you and then shut down and fish the same direction as you, cutting off your clean water. I just keep fishing, and then go Ike on every fish caught. I make it seem like a monster was caught on each catch. I keep this up until they move off, or they think there is a nut case fishing behind them.

Way to go, the 4" variety will catch big ones along with all the rest. Use as little weight as necessary to get the job done. The less weight the more realistic the movement. Good luck!

Lots of videos on how to get a hook deep in the throat out safely. Follow the videos it works, I have done it hundreds of times over the last 40 years.

The canals are anywhere from 6 to 12 feet deep, the flats are huge areas a uniform 3 to 5 feet deep depending on how much water there is. Much of the flats are just too full of vegetation and weeds to move around in. There are trails in the flats that you can maneuver around in, but just make sure you don;t lose your way on how to get out. They can become a maze with lots of dead ends, especially for the beginners. When they are pumping water you will get a flow out of the flats, into the canals, and then to the pump stations, and flood gates. The cuts to the canals usually become magnets for feeding bass during these periods. If you venture deep into the flats just be aware of how to get out. It can become confusing if you don't pay attention. Good luck!

Your asking questions that have no easy answer. A lot depends on the body of water, the weather patterns, water temp, water clarity, Deep water is all relative, in Florida that could be 6 feet deep, in mountain reservoirs it could be 60 feet deep. Time on the water will solve most of your problems. We have all been through this! Using chicken is just plane stupid, unless you fishing for catfish.

There are spots all over the place. All the parks, along sawgrass, Lake Ida and Osbourne. Go on google earth and scout out any water bodies close to your location. Access will be a problem in some areas.

Water is going way up all over the place. They are turning on the big pumps and pulling water out of the neighborhoods and into the conservation areas. Water in the glades will be climbing fast. The canal fishing will get worse and those that fish the flats will like this. They will be scattered way back in the flats. Also look for areas with current, like culverts, flood gates, pumping areas. Fish the SLACK areas around the moving water. Big bass hang in these areas in ambush mode. A good area would be the cuts from the flats, to the canal. Water flows through the cut. Fish the areas on the sides of the cut where water is not in the direct flow. You know fish have positioned close to these choke areas.

That's the way to do it. If you want to learn a bait, go out with that and nothing else. Soon you will become an expert! Next time the conditions are the same, go back to that log, she may be waiting for you!!!!!!!

I would rather catch nothing then use chicken, or live bait. For me the whole game is, can you make this piece of plastic look live enough for a bass to hit. The casting, and perfect placement is also an important part of it. If I am clicking on all cylinders, and the equipment is working well, I feel good, regardless of what I catch. Its just nice to be out there with mother nature. I will say one tip, if the bite is tough, SLOW DOWN. Put a june bug U-Vibe and crawl and stop along the bottom. This works for me during those hard days.

You need a fishing license to buy fishing gear!!!! That's some crazy crap. Its hard for me to believe that, I don't even need a license to fish freshwater in Florida.

I don't fish at night from the bank in south Florida. We have too many snakes, both poisonous and now pythons up to 17 feet long, and big gators. I have fished at night from the boat, but usually in the summer to avoid the heat, but skeeters will carry you away. To me its not worth the aggravation at my age.

If you come up with a sure thing technique, let us all know!

Richard great your feeling better and catching so fish again. Great form of rehab. Good luck and stay after them.

If its a busy public park don't risk going behind a tree and having a child see you. It could make for a bad day. If its crowded, there is a bathroom somewhere., If not, pack up and go to McDonalds, or another fast food place, then go back and fish. Just use common sense!

Think of a lake as a three dimensional body of water instead of just surface area. Bass will position themselves according to seasonal patterns horizontally, and vertically. Sometimes their shallow and buried in the weeds, downed wood, and docks. Sometimes they move off shore and chase baitfish gathering in baitballs. During prolonged hot weather they will also hang at the Thermocline depth, enjoying the comfortable temps, good O2 levels, as well as baitfish hanging at this level. Sometimes they move to the first deep drop-off and position against the drop-off walls. Sometimes they move deeper and position around any structure they can find deep. As long as the O2 levels are good deep, they will be quite happy deep hugging structure. In lakes, you can't just beat the banks for fish all year long, knowing how deep they are is a key factor in catching fish. There are lures that will maximize your chances at each of these depths. You could write a book on what to use at each depth. You need to do research on line to figure that out for yourself. Good luck my friend, the more time on the water the better you will get at catching bass, all year long.

In south Florida you would seldom fish a summer day if you did not venture out on days when the weatherman predicted afternoon storms., The secret is, as soon as you see lightning, get to safe shelter. Don;t wait until the storm is on top of you. Luckily most of these summer storms don't last long. We are by far the lightning capital of America.

I seldom use it. It has to be real slow before I soak a bait. I'm sure it might help them holding the bait a little longer. If I do use it, I use a Dandy Dipper, which I dip a bait, and then throw it. It makes dipping really easy. It has a screw top which you use when moving from place to place, no spill!. It hooks under a cleat, and actually hangs off the boat, and over the water. Drippings go in the water, not the boat. Nice little tool, for those who use sent a lot. Dipping does leave a sented oil trail in the water as you move the bait.

They drown first!

They sell a small WGH with a small clip on the end next to the eye. These work well. I have used the internal weights that you thread the small hook through, they work great. I have even gone with a Carolina Rig with a small piece of Styrofoam wedged in the belly, and Texas rig right through the weightless tube. It floated high behind that big Carolina weight. This worked great because you can work the tube without moving it with just a little shake. Smallies will slam it.

You bring up two good points that will help that from happening. Set the hook when you feel a solid bite, and use floro for plastics. It is much more sensitive then mono, it sinks, with far less stretch. I feel the same way when I break off a hook in a fish. I hate that! Bass are far more resilient then most people think. I have caught fish with hooks from other fisherman left in them. They aggressively went after mine with a hook in their throat. I once broke off a fish and caught the same fish an hour later with my hook and my Fluke still stuck in its mouth. It was also willing to eat again. I have caught a bass with half the gill plate on one side detached, and it was doing well. They live in a tough environment, and have to be tough to survive. They are supreme predators! Like NHBULL said, review the videos available for removing deep hooks. Much better then leaving hooks in the fish.