N Florida Mike

My buddy used to live there and we fished a lot all around there.Some spots we enjoyed were:The Ochlochonee river on the west edge of town.We took float trips down from a dirt ramp on the NW part of town and floated all the way to hwy 90.I caught a red- eye bass in there which is a largemouth sub specie.The trip took all day and was pretty remote back then.We caught lots of bream,specks(crappie to our northern friends),and bass.Another spot was the Bradford chain of lakes.I think it was SW near capital circle.We also fished Lake Jackson off 27 in the N side.Sometimes it dries up so I don't know how it is now.Carr lake near Jackson has some big bass in it I heard, but I never fished it.If you want some great saltwater fishing,go down to the gulf.There are endless opportunities there.And there's lake talquin which I only fished once but it has a good reputation.Lake Seminole is not too far either.There are countless ponds to fish.I would try flukes and senkos , watermelon seed and watermelon red are good colors.Wish I could tell you all the baits but I'd get with the local since I haven't fished there for awhile now.Oh and I have to say it "Go Gators"

He's my third choice.

How could I forget my dad, the man who taught me to fish and so much more! He couldn't fish toward the end of his life due to arthritis. I was his main fishing buddy growing up.

I'm going with Hank Parker.He seems like someone who would want to fish with anyone.His shows are enjoyable because he always seems to genuinely have fun.He also seems to fish common lakes more with success other than stocked ponds.That being said Dance would probably be second,even though he does seem to fish more private well stocked fisheries.

If you could fish with any famous bass fisherman for a day,who would it be and why?

I've been shortening the 5s down to 4 and they last longer.I caught 7 the other day on 2 ysenkos doing this.But I'll try the sticos too.Thanks.

Those swimming super flukes catch a lot of fish but one fish pretty much destroys it.

I think the most bass I caught the fastest was 19 in an hour and a half.Could not get that 20th fish.All on flukes.

One of my most memorable days was catching redfish with my son while wade fishing at Guana river a couple years ago.We got bit nearly every cast for 45 minutes or so on live finger mullet.All the fish we caught were 20-27 inch(no scale).We lost count of how many.After I caught my last fish ,I cast one last time and the handle just came off in my hand- completely stripped from all the big fish.

I'd drag along the bottom and mid-range.We used to do that in winter before the spawn.Probably caught more dragging the bottom but they suspend sometimes also.Also we fish brushpiles with roostertails and do well.

I'd drift fish across the lake with minnows before they spawn and find some shallow vegetation to fish during the spawn.Here in Florida they usually bed in lily pads or along grass beds.And you can actually smell them when they bed.It smells somewhat like a dead fish but not as strong.

Don't really care about the game.When is it anyway.?

We have the St johns river here and I believe its tidal down 100 miles or more.I haven't fished it much in recent years.The patterns I fish are:Cypress trees on High tide,low slung docks,the outer edge of weed beds on low tide , and the shrimp run in late summer.The bass gorge on them.So use live shrimp under docks in late summer.If there's been a lot of rain,you can fish closer to the ocean and in periods of drought they will be further away from the ocean.

Ive never been small mouth fishing so I'd probably have a hard time catching them for awhile.

If you fish a large water body its best to focus on one area of it and learn that good.Otherwise,it might seem overwhelming .

We had planned a camping trip in the Ocala Nat.forest in the 90s.My wife was off so she started early with the kids to a swimming hole on the way to our camp choice(Buck lake).So the plan was for me to meet them at the swimming hole by 630-700.(I got off work at 5).So I get everything loaded up and get to palatka without incident.When I realized I forgot bait shrimp for the trot line.So I stopped at a b/t store , get the shrimp, get back in the truck and my batteries dead! So I get 2 different people to try their cables but its totally dead.So I'm standing there wondering what to do next and a third vehicle pulls up.OLD f-150.Driver gets out and asks if he can help.I said it would be nice if he could take me to the closest parts store(I have no idea -I'm not from palatka and no google back then.Shoot - no cell phone either.)So the old man with the truck says( or rather he SLURS) there's one right down the road and we'll go there if you'll drive.So he's drunk as a coot and I start off driving the truck and he's giving me directions but he's drunk so he's waving his arms and trying to help me find find the parts store.After about 50 yards I realize that if you were rating the brakes on a scale of 1-10 with o being the worst it was maybe a 1.I had to stand up on the brakes to gets to get any result.So we make it to the parts store and its the girls first day on the job.And 100 batteries to choose from.After 15 minutes it ended with her statement " I'll get the manager".So we get the battery,get back in the truck,and clickkkk.Now his battery is dead!!So we go back in the store and get the reluctant manager to break out some new cables and get the truck jumped and I drive the back to the b/t store.I get my battery in and thank the drunk and start on my way.But now his truck won't start!So I try but its no go.And him wanting me to take him back to the parts store.But I just didn't have the heart to drive that truck again.So I justified it by telling him I was late meeting my family ( which I was) and I left him there cussing.The truth is,I didn't think my wife could find the campsite and would be driving around lost in the woods.So I get to the swimming hole and no family.So now I'm not sure if she went on to the camp or went all the way home.(Remember no cell phones)So I choose to go to the camp because its closer,and I'm driving around the lake in the woods and all of a sudden, my middle son jumps out of the palmettos and says Hey dad!Never been so glad to find them.So we get the wife's 4 wheel drive stuck and the next day we all get the runs from drinking water from the melted ice in the cooler.I don't remember if we caught any fish or not.!!!

Nice ! I live on a lake that averages 5 feet deep.I don't use any weight.The fish can spot the bait better if it sinks slower and the action is more natural.Its also easier to get the bait on top while reeling in,which often produces a big hit.

It would be like a division 2 school playing a good Sec team.They might win 1 out of 35 times or so.So,sure KVD could be beaten under any circumstance, just not very often.

I find that they tend to hold deep on very hot days,and come up shallow when it cools down in the evening.So a good place to fish is shallow cover near deep water.There the bass has all its needs met.And in the middle of the day fish the deep water near the cover.Deep holes in open water work well too in the middle of the day.

This has become a crappy subject! Lol

I've never fished those.I have fished a lot of lakes mostly N of Ocala since I live in the jacksonville area.There are numerous lakes app.1 hour s and w of jax.But there's plenty of good fishing in jax too.And saltwater great here too. I heard that!My next trip I plan to go to a spot only 2-3 miles away.I have fished there before a few times without a big fish but I'm SURE there's some bass Up to possibly 14 pounds.I lost a big fish in there twice a few years ago.

That's too bad.Where do you fish in Florida( my home state) ?

I guess it depends on the situation.I lip everything over 3 and pull up the others to where I can grab them.If I had a raised platform boat or used treble hook baits much I might change.I fish in a Jon boat primarily and the net gets in the way and always seems to attract baited hooks.And I don't have any trouble at the boat lipping them.If I lose a fish its usually on the set.

Lol

1.Watermelon seed Zoom super fluke. 2. 4 inch yamasenkos watermelon red/ with black. 3.Red shad Culprit worm . 4.Zoom z- hog Watermelon red. 5.Producto tournament worm. Black grape or black.