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After fishing the everglades for 40 years I will give you a few tips. 1). The most important tip: Always take more water then you think you can drink. In summer heat I'll take three times more. 2). When fishing alone always wear an inflatable vest. Enough vests for everyone. 3). I always have a back up battery pack fully charged, for jump starts, emergency cell phone power, lights, even trolling motor emergency power 870 AMPS. 4). On the bottom side of my storage locker lid, I have all the emergecy numbers for FWC, Florida Fish and Game, Florida Marine Patrol, Coast Guard. all besides 911. This saved me one Sunday afternoon in the three pines area of the everglades. 5). An extra long, hand made Paddle, so I can stand on deck and paddle both sides of boat. This can doubles as a push pole. 6). First aid kit 7). Cell phone water proof bag, if phone gets wet communication stops. 8).Tool kit, for simple repairs. Extra wire, duck tape,cord, extra batteries. 9). Powerful flashlight, and reflective mirror, whistle. 10. Don't leave home unless people at home know exactly where you are fishing. 11).sealed snacks in zip lock.

I don't care which way, I'm comfortable either way. Wind will determine which way I will be working. I like to stay in stealth mode and off the trolling motor as much as possible.

That's great your studying, reading, and spending time on the water. It will make you a better fisherman. One of the great tools is to fish with as many of the best fisherman you can find, and watch what their doing. They all have different skills that anyone can learn from. I fish 6 days a week, read, and view all forms of fishing information and have for over fifty years. One thing I have learned a long time ago, is that this sport will humble you quickly. Just when you think your ready to quit your real job, and try to join the real professionals, squeaking out a living living as one of the best, it brings you back to reality! Learn something new every trip, but don't limit it to just personal experience, learn from those around you as much as possible. Join a local club with the goal to learn from other members. While you fish, watch what they are doing. Good luck!

Loxahatchee 2/11/18 6:30-Noon Partly Cloudy Wind ESE 20-25 Water temp 72.5* No current other then wind driven Water light stain Went to Lox (south end) with Rick this morning. The first thing we noticed is they were not releasing water out the south or east canal. The first two hours were perfect, with light winds, and partly cloudy skies. We both started with frogs. I had a Horny Toad, and Rick was walking a hollow body. Within minutes Rick broke the Ice with a nice one. The H/T got no stiffs, so I switched to a Stick Bait and got bit right away. I was walking the S/B along the bottom and as long as I kept it moving, but slow, the bite was good. We both caught some quality bass in the 3 to 4 range, along with some dinks. Around 9:00 the wind increased to a steady 20-25 MPH. Without power Poles, I thought about putting out the drift bag, but just kept fishing. Once the wind climbed, the bite got spotty. We would catch 3 or 4 and then nothing for half hour. We let the wind help us as much as possible by pushing us along the spoil bank. Rick had some chasers on a swim bait out in the open flat, but could not get them hooked up. Most of Rick's bites were on a Hollow Body Frog walking on the surface. Most of my bites were on a weightless stick bait walking slowly along the bottom among the grass. We finished with 23 bass, at least 5 in the 3 to 4 pound range, and a group of dinks. It was a fun day, with good company, and some cooperating fish. Pictures may follow!

I made that decision 45 years ago, to move from NE Ohio, to South Florida. I have not regretted that decision for one second over the years!

I used to Carolina Rig a hollow body tube. I put a piece of Styrofoam inside the tube body, and then Texas rig it with a small #2 wide gap hook right through the styrofoam and tube. It worked well and would float high behind a big weight digging along the bottom. I haven't done that for years, old school stuff, that just worked in grass! Lol

Tough to fish slowly from the boat, when the winds are gusting to 30+.

Wow that's a Hawg!

Congrats Glen, that is nice for you, and the site!!!!

I could not agree more with Toxic, and I fish senkos, stick-os, ace, and several others brands, almost everyday. Not much difference that a bass with their pea brain would ever notice. So buy what is on sale, and the best bang for the buck! You will catch fish, just master some of the techniques of these baits.

This is a great time of the year to fish it. Bedding time! The key right now is the wind, is it going to ease any time soon. Look for areas with two or more different types of weeds together. Fish the area slow and throe, with big worms, plastic stickbaits, jigs,frogs, and lizards. Black/blue, watermelon red, and Okeechobee are great colors.

There are bass in all those man made lakes. They all have bass of various size. Because of flood prevention, they are all connected to the canal systems and everglades, by culverts, or small canals. When flood control turns the big pumps on, they will lower and also rise depending on what they are trying to do with the water supply. So fish are always moving in and out of these water structures. Without this control we would all flood during the wet season.

Reasons they hit a lure. 1). They are conscious of things in their environment. 2). They are curious. 3). They react to movement. 4). They are responsive to vibration especially under low light conditions. 5). They search out all forms of natural food when hungry. 6). They are controlled by a set of basic instincts programmed throughout time. 7). They have a very small brain for their size and not very smart compared to mammals. These are some of the reasons fish can be tricked into hitting a piece of wood or plastic, and then come right back and will hit it again. I hope no one thinks fish are really smart compared to other living organisms. I feel fisherman sometimes perpetuate this belief that fish are smart, because they just can't get it done on a given day

State wide we need to kill every snake head we catch. They are a top predictor and breed quickly guarding the nest from predation. They will decimate the native fish and unlike peas,!dint die off with the cold. It will not eliminate them but just help keep them in check.

Good luck buddy, everyone will be in the same boat tomorrow!

Weather channel said you may get a few hours in the morning with reduced wind. By 10L00 it will be howling again.

Sorry to hear that, especially when your only there for a short time. The lake is so shallow that it will be muddy for a few days, once the wind dies down. It is a super fishery, I can imagine how the new section will be in 7 or 8 years.

By far the Everglades Conservation areas, once the water drops. You could easily catch over 100 bass in a four hour trip, with a bunch of 4's and 5's in the mix. It can get crazy once the dry season returns, its not there yet but it is coming. They need to stop pumping water south from Okeechobee, and go back to a normal water cycle.

I'd go to the Holey Lands, a lot less pressure out there, and the fish are locked into the canal banks, no flats to escape way bank into.

I will be fishing from the bank. I will not abuse myself by going out in the boat in this crap.

You did that bad? Lol I know guys using Chug Bugs, Zara Spooks, Rapala Rip Stops, and Whopper Stoppers in the morning, and then big Black Worms as the sun comes up. They run to the pump station in the south east corner, and then the stump field just to the west of the pump station.

Let us know how you do.

Snags are part of fishing. I get snagged often on Limestone rock walls that are ragged and rough. I would not let it bother me, just re-rig and go at it again. If you throw where they live, your going to snagged once in a while. Proper Texas Rigged will help reduce the snags. I don't throw high priced baits in high risk snag areas.

I have been there four time with a friend that lives in Felesmere. He knows the place like the back of his hand and has still lost props and a skeg off the bottom of his motor. It is a dangerous place to run wide open without experience. While we were fishing we were constantly drifting in stumps, and even got stuck between two stumps. and had to wiggle the boat off. If you don't know an area, go idle speed. You often can't see the stumps and lay downs in the heavily stained water. Don't forget to bring some square bills crankbaits. They can be magical bouncing off all the wood. Just bring a knocker because you will get hung-up. Good luck.

That giant Dwight is holding is a stick marsh bass. Always good to hear from you.