N Florida Mike

Nice way to start the 4th. She Crushed a watermelon red super fluke.

What does the winner get in prizes ?

I am exactly opposite. Out of all the bass techniques, I like jig fishing the least. All I catch with jigs is a clump of weeds each cast. Still tear em up with worms, and any soft plastics for that matter. If it ain't broke , why fix it ? I do believe if you fish the same thing too much in the same water, the fish will get used to it, and your catch rate will decrease.

That's a big deal ! Good job Lake !

My PREFERENCE is late afternoon until dark. I enjoy it more when my works done for the day. But for best success I try to fish like this: Early spring : p.m hours primarily as the water will warm during the day. Late spring : A.m or p.m. Middle of the day for bedding fish. Summer : A.m before the heat. Water has had all night to cool. Night is often good too but I don't do it much. Fall: love the p.m bite , rarely go in the morning, but it's often good too. Winter: pm only, after the water has had time to warm. But as @Catt says " Anytime I can go " is a good outlook. Can't catch any if you're not fishing !

That wasn't an easy decision ! Love fried catfish.

Got to share this sunset with my gr. Daughter going home from a spring fishing trip.

Congrats on your new PB.

Yeah, she was about to pop with eggs, so I let her go.

Had a big rain here today, so I figured the cats would be active. They were.

Man, nice tank there !

" The BEAR " is what we call it down here. I've led an outdoors life here, and had some form of heat exhaustion several times, but only as an adult, and only while working. As I stated in a recent post, we would play outdoors all day long in the summer and just get thirsty, which water out of a spiket would quench. Dad had me out in the yard working since I was a small child, and then playing sport's under tough coaches in the Florida heat. Then working on a farm + The all day fishing trips in all seasons. So, I don't remember hearing of heat exhaustion until I was At least 30, when I got weak one day showing some temp. Workers how to plug a lawn. The point is, it will sneak up on you when you least expect it.Hydrate well before you will be in a hot environment.Cocunut water and water ! The older ( and heavier ) I get, the less I fish between 10 and 6 here in the summer. I was out around 4 the other day and caught a few but it was miserable, even in the shade.

No Florida waters ?? Seems strange. Maybe it'll keep the pressure down.

I was at Academy sports yesterday and they have a good selection , but don't carry the smaller senkos. They do have the dingers, which are cheaper , and last usually for at least 2 fish. In catching fish, I rate the real senkos as excellent and the dingers as good. I've caught fish over 5 pounds with the senko, but not many over 3 with the dinger.

Somebody got a 14 pounder at the Oceanway pond . I didnt hear about that 16 out at pope. For the big uns Try Shiners.

Got my first decent fish in awhile and a few of her friends this evening. They were all over the small June bug yum dingers.

Did you order them online or pick them up at a store?

Got some Mann's Jelly worms from the 70s, and culprit worms from the 80s. That's about it. Man, those tournament worms are money !! Got a few left from the 80s too.

I have been doing it on big fish for years. The main reason I do it is because I believe it gives me an advantage in landing the fish. I know this might be hard for some of you to understand but I have not been able to afford reels with quality drags. I lost more than my share of big fish by " trusting the drag ", despite my best efforts to set it properly.The best spinning reel I've ever owned is a shimano stradic , which has a good drag system.But by the time I bought it I was used to stripping line, so I still do it even with the stradic. I also do a lot of finesse fishing with lighter line, so one little misadjustment, and the line snaps. I now catch 90+% of the big fish I hook stripping line. I don't do it to look a certain way or to hear the drag. I do it because it's become a habit, and it works for me.

I've got a bass pro shops spinning reel that I use a lot for fishing larger plastic baits. When I cast, the bail closes , and so the cast crashes by the boat. I have tried tightening all the screws associated with it but it doesn't help. Any ideas ?

View from a jobsite a couple days ago, looking west across the St Johns River near Jacksonville. I live around 15 min. From there.