N Florida Mike

Well,we made it through hurricane Matthew.Caught this one along with a nice catfish and some big bream.All the extra rain water has turned em on Spent the morning getting a generator going and helped an old man cut up his big oak that fell on his truck. Here's the fish,jon boat full of water after the storm.

The storm center went by about 30 miles offshore.Our beaches area is bad I hear.Historic flooding.In my area,we had 60-70 mph winds but just in gusts.My Jon boat is Full of water.Around 12 inches deep. The lake hasn't got up as far as the highest on record ( yet ) It's still a foot lower somehow.Got debris all over the yard but nothing serious. Thankful.Thankful for us.But those at our beach need our prayers and support.

They're now saying the mouth of the st Johns River has had the highest storm surge since 1898.My lake is still 2 feet lower than the highest I've ever seen it.But we have several hours to go.Power went off 1/2 hour ago. Saw this homely bird out in the 40 mph winds.

It's starting to get nastier here now.Wind Is really picking up.Pouring rain.Somebodies pontoon boat has come loose out on the lake. mike

Thanks,D.Yeah,my main concern is family safety.Im " not skeered " too much anyway.We live 16 miles inland also. As far as taping the window, I read where the powers that be don't recommend it so I didn't.But they are wrong about as much as they are right,so......

I am in the Jax. FL area.We are expecting Matthew today.The storm seems to have jogged east slightly,which is potentially good news.I have most of my immediate family with me here at the house.2 Grandkids,daughter,and wife.My son lives 1/2 mile down the road. So far so good.Spent all day yesterday getting ready.Just when I thought I was done,something else would get my attention.This is pretty uncommon for us here.I was a little kid when Dora hit us directly.I remember it very well.We had sustained winds of 80-90,with gusts over 100.Had fun with that one,felt completely safe.No damage to our house then. So,we live on a lake,as some of you know.We are high up,but live right by the outflow spillway that goes into the ditch/ Creek that goes into the St John's river over 1 mile away.One concern is that the lake will have bad flooding .I cleaned the ditch and spillway yesterday to maximize outflow.This morning,even though it rained hard overnight,the water level had not risen.So my hope and prayer is that the drain can go faster than the rain. Another concern is winds.I have a lot of stuff,traps,equipment,boats,yaks,tools out back.Looks like Fred Sanford's junkyard!.I put up all I could.I have 2 open air structures with most everything else under it . Also have a cracked window that concerns me. This is our concerns.I really want would appreciate your prayers.I will update later.

just had another one last night.Its the one where I'm parked with the boat and trailer at an old bait store.Things keep happening and I never make it on the water. This happened to me at least once,when a bearing went out on the trailer tire once while trying to get to stick marsh.We were at the bait shop for several hours!

I've dreamed about catching bass in the yard where I grew up( there is a little water in the lawn in the dream) My other recurring fishing dream has me fishing in a deep pool in the lake by where I live now.In the dream you can see huge bass down in there.Something Always happens so I don't catch anything there.

aThanks for making me smile.

Try worms.?

Redbreast ( redbreast ) Bluegill , ( males are copperheads ,females are yellow bellies ). Red ear sunfish ( shell crackers,) spotted sunfish (stumpknockers) All these are generally called bream where I'm from

And a bowfin is called a mudfish here in Florida!! One time I was fishing at a little pier in St Augustine Fla.A man and his wife were fishing too.He went to get a snack and he had just got off the pier when she hooked into something big!!She's screaming and reeling with all she had.Everyones watching her pull it up.Husband is running back ,hearing her .About the time he got there , she gets it up and it's flapping! She starts yelling. It's a flounda,its a flounda.Husband takes one look and says disgustedly It's not a flounda,its a stingaray!? A native Southerner would say "Floun- der "2 syllables.Emphasis on " floun "

I don't I could be wrong,but the ponds there seem too new for me.I don't know if they are stocked or not. Julington Creek plantations ponds are stocked and they've been there long enough to produce some quality fish.Just don't fish in people's yards!!It's only 15 min. or so from Nocatee. If you find a good pond or two at Nocatee let me know.I will release any that I catch.

In the summer I get on the water at daybreak,and fish to mid- morning.Or I fish the last 2 hours of the day,or at night.From 10-6 it's hard( on me and the fish.)The fish get very lethargic here in the summer,so the key is to fish SLOW.I catch a fair amount of fish early in the day,using my favorite plastics.I have several that I rotate so the fish don't get too used to them.Sometimes I will try something new that they haven't seen before,or an unusual color. If I'm still out when it gets hot,I fish shade,esp.skipping under docks.4 inch senkos are great for this.I also usually pick up a fish or two on small,isolated weed patches out away from the bank. If you think about it,fish have to eat to survive.So they still will bite when conditions are extreme.But you must put the bait where they are,which is often the hardest place to get it to in summer.Because they won't chase it very much in the summer.It expends too much energy for the return they get. Another summer strategy is to find a deep hole and fish it very slowly with a 10-12 inch worm.I mean cast it out and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.I once caught a 6 pounder after letting a big Mann's jelly worm sit there for 15 minutes!.and I caught 4 fish 5-6 pounds in the same hole that summer . Big bodies of water can be overwhelming so I would start small.Fish small water ponds/ lakes.The fish are more concentrated.If fishing a big water body,I would focus on a few areas that have structure with deep water nearby.Learn to fish them well,then expand your area. Keep at it and you'll succeed! Mike

Google fishing reports for the lake.It will help you know how and increase your confidence in fishing there.Id fish under docks on bright days for starters.

I'm going to get my son to do this,especially now since his saltwater motor was just stolen. It'll be excellent competition,since he's the only one who beat me on our lake.We just did a simple numbers thing.He beat me 16-9.But I will prevail next time!?

No.But a bull redfish came close when I was surf fishing.I estimated that fish at 30 pounds.Hooked him on a finger mullet.He pulled app.3/4 of the spool before I turned him.Was using a whippy 9 1/2 foot whiting rod at the time.He ended up breaking a 30 pound wire leader as he dug in at the last sand bar.

That's because many of the people in Florida aren't natives,esp.south of Ocala.

To be honest,I probably don't fish with them enough to get a legitimate opinion.Wacky rig doesn't cast as far and gets hung up more in my weedy lake.And they love t- rigged anyway.So ....

Weightless t-rigged.Its probably my most used bait now. I try fishing them wacky style and don't catch any. Not that I doubt they work,but not for me.I even had a friend go toe to toe with me on the home lake using wacky senkos,so I know it can be productive.But when I use them,I don't get bit.Had this same discussion with Darren a while back.

As far as a state,Id have to say NC,esp.in the country.My moms family's from there. Overall,its small towns. Where I live,Jax FL area,its a big city with small town friendliness.EXCEPT WHILE DRIVING!!!?

Dropped my fav.spinning reel ( a strada) and the handle broke off.Probably couldn't do it again if I tried .But a friend found a replacement handle for it.Two motors went out on us this year.One is terminal,the other is repairable,and the sooner the better.Inshore Creek fishing is about to get hot!

Thanks!

I thought maybe a gar took a swipe at it on the way down.

Was doing some casting out back yesterday and when I reeled in,this was the result.The fish bit the whole middle out of the Zoom speed craw without getting hooked.I didn't feel the bite either,which is also strange . I also had a fish break my line,and 1/2 hour later caught him.Both bites on the speed craw too.I think I have a burr on a guide with that rod but I can't find it.The craw and hook from the break- off was in his mouth. Sorry for the tilted pic.You can see the bait against the sky.