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I was fishing the L67 canal in the heart of the everglades in the three pines area. I was at one of the cuts and fishing with a Bill Dance diving crankbait. I hooked into a big fish and after a short fight the line broke and the fish went airborne several times trying to shake the hook stuck in its face. An hour later and a mile further down the canal there was a rattle from a group of pads along the bank. To my surprise my crankbait was soundly hooked to a pad along the surface and the bass was still attached. It was still shaking the bait and the attached pad trying to rid itself of both. I trolled over and recovered both. That was like hitting the Lotto!

I have a very old one and several recent models. I only throw it at night, and in basic black.

X 2 on this one. Hard to beat a couple of good PB&J's!!!!! and lots of Ice Water.

I often listen to Pandora with my phone and Bluetooth speaker. It is relaxing and helps me concentrate. Its a personal preference and do whatever you enjoy. I can't imagine a truck without a radio!

By far the senko and stick-o baits caught the most fish X 10. Watermelon red, Okeechobee, Junebug, and Morning Dawn.

Babies have a lot of lessons to learn. He just learned one!!!!!!!!!!

I have fished with others for about 35 years and have never charged anyone a penny. I would be going with or without them and appreciate the company. I had one exclusive partner for 20 years and he would often pay tolls and bring breakfast rolls for the trip. The food was greatly appreciated.

Yes Lemurs, whether released on purpose or escaped during Hurricane Andrew, there was a happy population of Lemurs in the trees out in the glades by the Indian Reservation. At least 10 of them.

Thursday 2/4/16, Alligator Alley MM39 north side, 8:30-noon Wind ESE 20+ constant, temp 75* partly cloudy, water temp 65*, Clarity- super clear. Went out this morning west of the river. It was apparent the levels were up as much as 2 feet in the last week. This is apparently pumping from South Florida water Management. The water is gin clear and you can see down at least 10 feet. No sign of fish, even bait fish. Fished until noon without even a bite. I have never been skunked on the Alley but today was the day. Upon getting back to the ramp, I notice a sign saying the ramp is closed until further notice. I went to every ramp from MM41 to MM30 and they all have signs. No Access at the ramps. On the drive back I noticed some serious pumping along 27 and the north/south canal toward holiday park. It seems the fishing is going to be messed up for quite some time in the conservation areas.

I too am old school when it comes to the pros. 1). Hank Parker, because he would keep you laughing while your learning. 2).Bill Dance, a good person, funny, and one of the best all around. 3). Jimmy Huston, funny and a great spinner bait guy. Funny, great sense of humor is an important factor.

You want some stories that sound special. Here in South Florida we usually have seasonal rains and seasonal dry periods. The everglades are effected greatly by these drops in water levels. Usually the glades are three or four feet deep in the great marsh. The bass are way back among the reeds where you can't get to them, and they are feasting on all types of critters among the stems. When the water really drops fish have to find deeper water or become gator food as they become trapped. They have dug canals 10 feet deep all though the marsh to help control the flow of water during heavy rains. During drought times these canals become full of bass that come from miles away to survive the shrinking shallows. During these periods the catching gets crazy. I have been out from 7:00 to noon with a partner and we have caught over 250 bass in five hours. You would come in with your thumb bleeding from lipping fish. Ten in a row on ten casts is not unusual. You would catch fish of all sizes during these periods. It is something really special, and unique to south Florida. This remains until the rains come and they head for the flats again. South Florida is truly a special place with loads of bass, peacocks, freshwater snook, land locked tarpon, Oscars, snakeheads, and about every other type of exotic found in the tropics. Everyone that fishes the glades on a regular basis experiences these concentrated feeding frenzies. Besides fishing, Over the years I have seen a large snake in the marsh, a Crocodile, heard a panther on the spoil banks and islands calling to another cat, Lemurs in the trees bouncing from branch to branch. Never a dull moment in the glades. On a normal year this crazy period will last several months, until the rains come.

Thanks for the report. Always nice when you find a new spot. Keep searching there are hundreds more!

X 3, Especially good at Loxahatchee and lake Okeechobee. They are great any time you have thick cover on the shallow flats. Not so much in the canals, until the water drops and the fish are concentrated.

Went out yesterday in the boat. Two of us caught 20 from 7:00-2:00 most from the north wall of the big lakes. Sorry to here about your day.

Totally different from the boa,t then from the bank. We caught most of ours were the flow was not too heavy. The bass caught were up shallow and in areas where the sun was beating down on the rocks. Most caught on the northern bank of the two big lakes. The sun warmed up the water there and the Florida bass love warm in winter. In any lake, the Warmest water is always on the northern shore in the winter with a north wind. Also the least wind on the northern shore where the levee blocked the wind. Bite was very subtle, with little indication of a bite. Fishing was tough but we found some in isolated pockets. The north and western canals were flowing like a river. That made for tough fishing in those canals.. The east canal was not that bad. Lots of different possibilities in the Holey Lands on any day. Don't give up on out there.

Thanks Rick nice of you to volunteer to do that.

Thanks Tim, I have a nephew who lives in the new development around Nona. I have not fished it yet, but look forward to wetting a line there. I have fished Turkey Lake and did very well. The Boat rental deal is the best anywhere thanks to BPS..

Have a problem posting pics here. Pics are up on another site.

Saturday 1/30/16, Holey Land, Palm Beach Fl., 7:00-2:00, Weather beautiful, water clear, current strong in places to the east, bite very subtle, a high of 70*. Went out today with Steve Johnson a good friend and fellow coach. We got to the ramps early and were the first ones out there. We ran east to the second pump house and fished east. I threw a senko in W/R and got bites right away. Steve threw a Hollow Body, and spinnerbait and got nothing. The bite was a lazy one that you couldn't detect until you moved the bait. Most bites were close to the bank in shallow water. With the bright sun the bass were tanning themselves in the shallow water. Steve switched to a jig and trick worm in basic black. This was to the fishes liking and he got a bunch of hits on this little rig. He also caught the big fish of the day on this combo. We ran into another member, Lou, and his brother in law. It was great to see them out there on the water, its been quite a while. Steve and I ended with 20 bass total and a bunch we missed with the subtle bite. Weather was perfect, and we had just enough action to keep us entertained. After weeks of lousy weather, It was a day to remember!!!!!!!!

When things get tough, slow down, and down size you bait. Look for drop offs in the lake and slowly drag you finesses worm along side the drop off. Many of my bigger fish have hit while the bait was sitting still, at the bottom of the drop off. Don't be in a hurry, let them see the bait and swim over and decide if its time to take the bait. Works everyday for me especially since the temps have dropped. Zoom finesses baits, 4"senkos, zoom centipedes, and trick worms. The bass are there, but not in a mood to chase baits. You will have plenty of time to throw reaction baits, and search baits, when the water temp come up and the bass are more active. Good luck, and catch some big ones. I don't know how you throw a in line spinner with treble hook from the bank in Florida. I would lose that on my first cast. I am always pulling a bait through 20 feet of Lilly Pads or buggy whips, or catching on rock walls. An in line with a single hook and a grub tail Texas rigged is a good choice, and you can slow roll it.

Loxahatchee, It has tons of fish that will never even see a fisherman or a boat, there entire life. It is a huge body of water and you can only fish about 10% of it due to thick vegetation. Always the possibility of a personal best, my P/B was from here. George Welcome a guide on the stick marsh had his personal best out of Lox., and he has had 800 over 10 pounds, 30 years guiding. It fishes like Okeechobee and close to the house. The only bad thing is the Vultures that hang out love to destroy all the rubber on your vehicle. Wipers, window rubber, ect. Always heavy with wildlife officers, and a speed limit on the water and they use speed guns. Funny to see the Bullets, and Allisons going 30 MPH.

Great job catching the peas. They love hot water and can't survive north of Palm Beach. For them 60* water is almost fatal. Summer 90* water, a top water prop bait and the magic starts. Great job finding a few in this weather.

Not so important in south Florida. Most of our lakes down HERE are shallow and full of vegetation. The bass are hanging among the weeds most of the time in 3 or 4 feet of water. The canals are pretty uniform all similar depths except for a few holes. The deep holes are often void of O2. therefore few fish. I do fish drop offs in the canals but you don't need electronics to find them, and they are next to thick vegetation. The O2 is where the vegetation is, bait fish where the vegetation is, bugs, snakes, gators, frogs, are where the vegetation is found. More food in the vegetation then anywhere else. The shade from the hot Florida sun is where the vegetation is. Its totally different then fishing northern lakes, and reservoirs with loads of structure. Heavy line, reaction bites, and fishing back in the junk, that's what it is all about. Go further north and you'll find different situations, where electronics can play a bigger roll. I do like electronics, to check the water temps, look for thermocline depth, and to find my way back home when it starts getting dark.

The Marsh is very dangerous for novices that don't know where they are going. Rental boats would take a serious beating in that place. Thousands of stumps just under the surface. There is no one renting out there, that I know of. Best bet is, get a guide!

Lots of Marsh guides on line. Call around, I'm sure they are all about the same. George Welcome was very popular, but I believe he has had some health issues.