N Florida Mike

Favorite: Put me into the t- rigged camp as Well. And it's my favorite because I catch the most fish on them. Specifically,my best numbers baits are: • T-rigged 4 inch senko.For some reason,I don't catch anything if they're wacky rigged. • Zoom flukes. •Zoom trick worms •Culprit worms. ^^^^^^^ I often catch bigger fish with these too. • For bigger fish, Frogs and giant culprit worms. I Will occasionall do live bream or shiners and not ashamed of it.I am a product of where I grew up and who I fished with ! To me,its more work to catch bait and keep it alive and make the presentation than with artificial,but that's another thread ! • I am also gaining confidence with spinnerbaits, and have had my best year ever with them.

I've been around Gators all my life and never had one be a problem but all it takes is once, right ?. When my kids were elementary age I would take them with me in the river and they'd mostly swim while I fished.With all the splashing around one day a gator approached seeing what all the commotion was and when they quit splashing he lost interest.Of course,I made them get up on a dock. But when I have a kid with me I'm more vigilant.I honestly worry more about moccasins though.

I agree. I dont think we have pumpkin seeds in Fla. What threw me off was the dab of orange on the Gill plate

That's a red ear sunfish. We call em shellcrackers in Fla.

I regretted the one bass boat I bought so much that I never bought another one. • I had it in the shop as much as I had it in the water ,actually MORE. • The boat cracked open on the side one day fishing a tournament on Lake George.( 2nd biggest lake in FL) After my tournament days I sold it and bought a Jon boat and little 3 hrs. kicker. I've had it 30 years now. I relate to your need for room though.I can only fish 2 in the jb.

Sorry for your finger but at least it was a nice fish. Hope you put some antiseptic on it.I cut a hook out of my foot a couple weeks ago and didn't. Now it's infected.

Welcome David!

Caught this one on a grape shad culprit worm last week.

Thanks, Hez

Hey great video. Several things you mentioned reinforced what my experiences have been. Like a slow retrieve works best. Also have the problem of the frog not making much disruption on the slop.Ill try the BBS. Is the frog still as weedless though? Seems like it would drag more that way.

You're in Alabama and you like my gator hat? You are a rare bird sir!!?

I respect Gators but am not skeered of them. It's something you get used to in Fla. I used to wade fish the st Johns with them around and never had any get aggressive.Some of my friends wouldn't go with me though.My wife went with me on one of our first dates and the only thing she asked was me to carry her through the fringe of swamp to the hard bottom of the river.I was more than happy to oblige!? But she wasn't scared either or at least didn't show it.

Cool story and pics. I caught my big fish today on the leopard frog looking booyah PC. I'll have to get me a black one and try it.

Hey thanks riverbasser - it worked.

I'll try it. Thanks.

Got out at daybreak today. Lake was slick calm. Pulled out the booyah on my froggin rig. Nothing for 1/2 hr. I turned my head,and when I looked there had been a relatively small blow- up with no noise. Very subtle . As I pulled up to check I felt pressure moving to the right and then realized it was a heavy fish. Fish never tried to jump .It weighed 7.3 pounds. Other than the big fish,I caught 5 more on various worms.One was really cool because I caught it on a late 70s vintage 6 inch grape Mann's jelly worm. Day sha vu!!!

I use a 12 gauge #7 now days cause my eyesight isn't what it once was.I used to use my 22 and just use the sight.There were times I'd use a scope though . I have a 410 too, and that's the grandkids gun if one of them tags Along. These squirrels get moderate pressure so they are often harder to slip up on. I can reach out to them well with the 12 ,and rarely miss. You just have to watch for the pellets when you clean AND when you eat em. I love a slow stalk technique for squirrels.Have not got a dog at present.What kind of dogs do y'all hunt with? My friend had a border collie mix that was named " speedy " cause he could actually run down and catch squirrels.

2 ways I defined depth when I was a teen at the home lake. • I wade fished. When you came to a drop off, you knew it! • When I found the drop off ,I went back with a long cane pole with each foot marked and measured it. Maximum depth was only 9 feet but I wanted to be specific. After I found the deeper holes I just went there and anchored and fished a giant Mann's jelly worm.Big fish hung out there esp. In summer. You can/ could always find fish because the lake is under 30 acres. On a larger lakes and rivers we fished docks,cypress trees and pockets in weeds and weed edges. Nobody I knew fished " offshore" back then.

I don't want to be disagreeable,but I've caught the large majority of the bass I've ever caught on ugly sticks, which is hard to estimate on the number but easily several thousand.And I would say 95% of the fish I caught have been on soft plastics.I rarely miss a fish , and have no trouble feeling the bite.And I have had my primary rod ugly stick for 15-20 years and still going strong, AND they're cheap!. I do agree that a 5 ft rod is too short- that's the problem.I mainly fish my 6.6 mh ugly stick.No complaints A'tall.

I let some kids fish in my backyard,which is the same thing a friend's dad did for me in the same lake.The first group were from the local apartments ,that were built on what used to be cow pasture.They were poor kids and I felt kind of sorry for them and let them fish.But only when I was home.My daughter let them in when I wasn't home and opened my fishing room to them.When I got home they were gone,but nearly every one of my combos were laying all over my backyard and nearly all with backlashes.My daughters fault not there's. They never knocked on my door again!

My nature is to fish as far as possible from other people. I'm with people constantly at work,home,church,the community.So I'm usually alone or with one other person when I bass fish.I fish mostly small lakes that get little pressure. So people rarely bother me. My biggest aggravation is knots in my line,because I fish soft plastics a lot.Just had a big one yesterday in my "work " combo.

What ? No Florida lakes ? Something fishy going on here!!?

Well, its official ! Gators win it.! Great strategy by coach O . putting tomorrows potential pitcher in tonight. Squelched the LSU rally and won going away.

Dang .How did you get that out?