N Florida Mike

At work I go to homes to consult potential customers.Many of them have ponds behind their houses.I try to treat them like I would want to be treated.This often leads to new friendships and makes it easy to ask permission.I have several new ponds to fish this year because of this. You're doing right by asking, so you'll eventually succeed. 2 teens knocked on doors around my lake and got several permissions! I do try to be careful in feeling out the situation.Sometimes my gut feeling isn't good so I don't ask,but the better looking the pond is,the bolder I get!!? I actually fish a little to get permission.I never immediately mention the pond,but I eventually get around to it.Then I might say.I bet there's some fish in that pond etc.And based on the response I may go further and say something like, You wouldn't believe what I've seen come out of ponds like this.Next thing you know,theyre telling me I can come fish anytime,a and I never even have to ask !!

So who do you like and why? I say Go Gators!! They won 2 out of 3 this year in their season series.Lsu has 6 titles though,so they have a great track record. Sec !

Mann's jelly worm 70s-80s Culprit worms and producto tournament worms 80s-90s Flukes 2000s-2012-13 Senkos -2013- present Going back to culprits and tournament worms to rotate baits in the home lake.

No I don't think so.Cant say I know much about it but I'll check it out. Thanks.

No but there was an episode of king of the hill where that happened.It was hilarious.

I won't tell about my hook in the eye ordeal again,but it's amazing that in 40+ years of fishing I've only been hooked 2 other times. I got a small bream hook in my pinky toe by the nail and just rotated it around and the hook just came out.I just got a circle hook in my foot a couple weeks ago and pushed it on through, but couldn't cut it in half.So I put pressure on the hook and cut the skin right down the shaft of the hook until it popped out. It was going to come out very one way or the other,'cause I was going fishing the next day but not by way of the E.R. But after getting the hook in my eye those 2 episodes didn't bother me that much...

This^^^ My lake had a bad kill in 2011.I am convinced that every bass over 2 pounds died.I started catching a few 2 pounders about a year after,then they grew app.a pound a year since then.Caught 4 pounders in 2014,and a 6 in late 2015. Have not caught a bigger one since but they're bound to be out there. I have an over abundance of small fish now that several good sources have recommended harvesting.

Got a crack under the metal plate where the trolling motor clamps on. Any ideas for repair. I'm thinking some kind of marine caulk that would harden in the crack.Cant send a pic for some reason.

Got a crack under the metal plate where the trolling motor clamps on. Any ideas for repair. I'm thinking some kind of marine caulk that would harden in the crack.Cant send a pic for some reason.

Nice catch. I Used to fish the Ocklawaha and Sante- Fe rivers.Never caught a lot,but never got skunked either.They are both app. 1 1/2 hrs away,so I never got to fish them as much as I would have. Every time I fished the Ocklawaha ,something would go wrong.Motor conked out several miles downstream of our camp once,and we paddled 4 hours against a 3 knot current to get back.

I did that on my lake.Tagged about 20 fish and the tag supplier went up on the prices so I didn't order anymore. I caught one of them again around 200 ft from where I caught it the first time within a few months time. Another guy caught another one again.Its been 3-4 years and I haven't re- caught another one.I would really like to do it again if I could find a cheaper alternative.

His mother in law is one of my customers.She seems to really like him.She knows Roland too,of course.When I found all that out I was telling her how much I had enjoyed their shows through the years and she said maybe she could set it up where I could meet them someday.Im not holding my breath over it,but that would be cool.

Judging by some of the pictures you've been posting,youre doing better than you think !. But I know what you mean.Deep water's been a struggle for me too , not that we have comparatively much of it here in FL.

I manage my lake for weeds, so I work closely with our hired aquatics co. A man that lived on the lake did it for over 25 years until he caused a fish kill in 2011. Since then,we are now into our 3rd company.Knowing what I know now,there is no way our local man did it legally.When he treated,nearly every weed in the lake would die,which actually pleased some of the uppity lake owners.Then the water would get murky and stink.He would tell us not to fish or even take a boat out,then ended up killing all the big bass and bream.I wanted to wring his neck. The point is,if it's being done right,no fish should die.I would also hesitate though before getting the gov.involved,which nearly always creates more problems than its worth.If you live on the lake and can get on the board or at least attend meetings and state your case, start there.Thats what I did at my lake .The fishermen need to be heard!. As far as the health of the fish, the more weeds the better for them. And as long as spraying doesn't kill the fish, it's a necessary evil.

Welcome to the forums.

My dad got me started.Caught my first fish when I was 4. My whole family usually went, which was sometimes My mom,dad,brother, an uncle,and 2 aunts.This was in Florida and I still fish a lot of the same areas. In NC I would go with another uncle,a cousin,and my dad.The biggest regret is that I never went with either grandpa because they both worked themselves to death and died relatively young. Both my sons fish,but one would live on the water ( and nearly has at times) These are:My oldest son,me and my dad getting ready to go fishing,and my granddaughter.

I googled it and found a lot of Florida lakes that had been surveyed.I don't have the sites anymore but there were a couple different sources and they were easily found.Dont know about Georgia.

Ive fished a lot of those kind of lakes.I always did well with a moccasin or red shad culprit worm.But you really have to slow down.We all know that fish don't bite all the time but when they slow down,we have a tendency to speed up,which usually produces less fish,at least with plastic worms. I would try to get ahold of the lake contour map and study it, if there is one. Look for close together lines near shore and fish that area. This characteristic shows a steep drop off which bass like,especially with cover nearby. Also look for floating ,isolated patches of weeds,lone cypresses farther out in the lake, and docks.Althogh I haven't fished these lakes much with spinnerbaits,I would try them around grass edges,cypresses etc. And rattletraps sometimes work well in deep holes in open water. Keep us posted.I love fishing those kind of lakes.

Tying knots with his Tongue ?! Speechless !?

You think that's bad?.Just try leaving the FREEZER DOOR ajar for 9 days while on vacation.All my bait ,dead shrimp,and frozen fish,squirrels and such all thawing out.O yeah the relationship grew that year!!?

Wow thanks for starting this.I hadn't heard of him either. Wish I could fish with him someday. God help me to not grumble and complain with my light afflictions...

I fish with experienced, and unexperienced friends,and kids.I treat them all differently.With experienced friends I rarely offer help because they know what to do. I may offer baits I think would help them or offer for them to switch to the front.I make fitting comments like " log salmon " if they reel in a branch,or " if you can't join em, beat em," if they throw a short cast with a big splash.If they get hung up on a tree limb I might say " You after flying fish ?? " The only time in 40+ years I remember getting really mad at a friend was when one of them thought my favorite rod at the time was an ugly stick and did the butt to point thing and snapped it in half.He actually got out of the boat and swam to an island nearby to let me cool off. • With the unexperienced fisherman, I don't tease them.I try to see what the problem is and help.Casting and setting the hook are the worst.Most of the guys I teach are so unexperienced that they know it and really appreciate the help.I have actually done the hook set and handed them the rod thing and they seemed to appreciate it. Nearly all this type will do what I suggest without complaint.When they get better then the teasing may start!? One exception was when I took a good friend bass fishing for the first time.He was a good fisherman but had never bass fished.His first cast he thought he had a fish and was so excited.I told him to set the hook son.He did and it put up a good fight for a cowboy boot!!? I told him to cast back over there and catch the other one!. He was disappointed and mad at me,but he stuck with it and got to where he would often out fish me. •Kids. It's all about them ...

• Caught my first fish on a swim bait. •The first year I've ever done well with a spinnerbait.( So far I've only caught 15-20 but that's more than the last 40 years combined !! )

2.5 to 3

2-2 1/2.