soflabasser

Interesting subject. I have been fishing for well over 20 years and have no pain caused by bass fishing. I fish with spinning gear mostly. I have been weight lifting for close to 20 years and found that the added strength gained from weight lifting makes fishing much easier for me. Good answer. I agree with you on this.

Well said. Having the best gear does not guarantee you will be very successful in bass fishing, there are plenty of bass fishermen with nice boats and gear yet they struggle to catch 5 pound bass on a consistent basis or rarely catch bass this size. There are those who can fish anywhere, figure out a pattern, and catch quality fish, even from land with inexpensive gear. Being a ''good'' bass angler is relative term and means different things to different people, but for me it means to be consistent at catching big bass in pressured public waters, which is something I am good at. As for helping others, I am more than good enough to be a fishing guide and charge people, yet I help people for free and do not expect money in return. I have helped in boy scout competitions( and other events) and taught kids how to fish, have taught many people how to fish in person, all for free. I do this since I have had the good fortune to have been taught how to fish by many skilled anglers and none of them charged me money to fish with them. They just want me to respect the fishing laws and pay it forward by teaching others how to fish.

Welcome to the forum

Been fishing saltwater for well over 20 years now. I fish for inshore, reef, and offshore species. Sharks in the +8 feet category are my probably my favorite fish to target if I want something that fights hard and hogfish are my favorite fish to catch to take home to eat.

Spinnerbaits are a very good lure to use for river smallmouth bass. I like to use sizes 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz. Choose the color that works best in the area you are fishing in.

I had a very good day of bass fishing this past Saturday as well. My best 5 bass for Saturday was over 25 pounds, all caught from public land on lures in South Florida. I am looking towards to this weekend and got all my equipment ready.

Smallmouth bass where stocked in North Florida in the early 1900's. They where stocked in several North Florida rivers such as the Suwannee and Chipola rivers.

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So far I have caught the following black bass; Florida strain largemouth bass Northern strain largemouth bass Suwannee bass Smallmouth bass Bartram's bass Bartram's bass x Alabama spotted bass hybrid Shoal bass Spotted bass Have caught other fish that are called bass; Temperate bass( True bass unlike the largemouth, smallmouth, etc); Striped bass Sunshine bass White bass Other fish called bass; Butterfly peacock bass Speckled peacock bass Peacock bass hybrids I plan on catching more species of bass in my future vacations.

I have noticed that the best anglers tend to be the ones that learn which techniques work best in the area they fish in and master those techniques. These anglers tend to be very persistent and determined in the way they fish, so its no surprise they do so well in fishing.

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Both months are usually good for big bass in Central Florida.

The fish are always biting in Alligator alley and there is always someone catching bass there. Best way to know is to go there and give it a try. Its spawning season for bass so you have a good chance at catching a big spawning bass.

You still need to know how to swim even if you have a personal floatation device, have a personal location beacon,marine radio, and other things that save your life in the event you fall in.It would be best to get trained by someone who is certified swimming instructor ( and make sure to get references from this person and contact them) or at very least find a friend who is a very good freediver with at least a decade of real life experience freediving in the ocean and have them teach you how to swim. Knowing how to ''swim'' in a little pool means absolutely nothing if your are forced to swim in a lake or ocean because of boat problems. As for staying calm, that is easier said than done and I am sure very few people that post online have ever been in a situation where they had to truly swim well to save their lives. I have been there, done that, and what saved me is staying calm at all times and relying on my training to take me back safety to the shore or boat. All fishermen need to know how to swim, no matter how strong or how brave someone thinks they are. There is no excuse to not know how to swim well and learning to swim well is like anything in life, the more you practice the better you get at it. Always have respect for the water and do not underestimate the water!

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum

Lots of good responses so far. One thing that has not been mentioned is to prevent falling in the water in the first place. Prevention is very important so it would be a good idea to drive safely when bass fishing in your boat. Do not go if the weather is ruff, cancel your fishing trip for a day the weather is better. Do not go without a life jacket and always bring enough life jackets for everyone on board. Do not drive excessively fast in your bass boat since you never know if a big wave hits your boat or you hit something in the bottom. Have a marine radio on the boat. Invest money in a personal locator beacons( for example a EPIRB) since it can help the responders find you easier if needed.

Have noticed that nobody mentioned how fast the bass boat was traveling. What is the maximum speed competitors drive their boats in these types of bass fishing tournaments? Is there a speed limit for the boaters or can a competitor drive the boat as fast as they want to in bass fishing tournaments in Lake Okeechobee? There was 3-6 foot waves with +15-20 mph winds when this event happened, even saltwater boats made for the ocean can have difficulty traveling in these type of conditions.

Nice smallmouth bass, especially since it was caught from the shore.

Treading water is keeping your head above water while your body is vertical. I would not solely rely on threading water to save my life and would focus on learning how to be a strong swimmer ( focus on endurance not speed, speed is nice but doesn't do much for being on the water for long periods of time) and learning drown proofing techniques (from a qualified professional). Swimming is like bass fishing, the more you practice it the better you get at it.

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I came back a couple hours ago from night fishing in Lake Okeechobee from land. It was in the mid 40's-low 50's, very windy, and not the best conditions to fish. I ended up catching a bunch of specks and saw a beautiful sunset on Lake Okeechobee. I would go out on and fish another similar day like this for sure.

Today I went night fishing to Lake Okeechobee from land for some specks and saw how ruff the lake was. Whitecaps where visible from shore and there was lots of big waves. It was very windy, easily +15 mph winds and it was cold for South Florida standards( mid 40's-low 50's). It was very dark tonight, I would not want to be in that water at night. I hope they find the man and hope that boaters learn to drive slower and more careful when on Lake Okeechobee .

My favorite sport is freedive spearfishing. I am more fond of freedive spearfishing than I am of bass fishing, which says a lot how comfortable I am in the water. You have to be a very good swimmer to excel in this sport, and be calm under pressure that most men would not be able to handle ( sharks stealing your catch and you defending yourself). Have done many +10 hour beachdives where I do not touch the floor for the whole duration of the dive. I do lots of running to keep myself in excellent cardiovascular shape since it helps with the endurance needed for long hours of diving. With that said, I will never go on a boat that I feel has a unsafe captain. I will not enter a boat without a lifejacket, other flotation devices, and a good marine radio. I will not go on a boat with someone that likes to ''run and gun'' and drive the boat too fast.

On Friday I watched Jumanji:Welcome to the Jungle. It was ok movie but I prefer the original Jumanji more.