N Florida Mike

Growing up we had a big garden out back where we grew onions, carrots , squash, melons, eggplant, greens, corn, beans, ‘ maters , and what not. Also had a few citrus trees. We fertilized them with all the fish guts . My specialty was greens, and corn. We even dug all the azaleas up in the front of our house and planted beefsteak , big boy, and better boy ‘maters. It became a 5 foot tall hedge. We would have so many we had to stake them and tie them on… My uncle in NC always had a much bigger garden where he grew a lot of the same, but just lots more of it. He had a huge cornfield behind his house too. My grandpa sharecropped a farm down the road from their home so it’s in our dna lol. This spring I just plan to put out some mustard greens and beans…

I plan to go today after awhile. It’s supposed to be 82 here today…?

That’s it right there… Sometimes it’s hard to tell if any kind of fish is carrying eggs or not . I don’t keep any bass over 17 inches , so the big egg bearers get released anyway. Any bass under that is fair game if I need some fish. Other fish I don’t worry about although if Im catching plenty I’ll let the obviously pregnant ones go.

We got hooked on both these in the same order…Can’t believe we ever got a fish to the boat with the’33 . That is one slow reel !

I was practicing a little skipping under my nieghbors dock across the canal from me, and the fluke skipped up and got hung on his chair. So I went over to get it and thought, what the heck , as long as Im out I might as well fish a little. So I went down the lake a little ways, and got this one on the fall into the front edge of a laydown with a stiff breeze blowing into it. 19 inch fish. A watermelon seed fluke is my favorite bait here… And yes, it’s short sleeve weather here again. Im off this friday so hoping I can get out again…

The first fish I remember catching was when I was 4 , so it was around 57 years ago. I vividly remember the moment. It was some kind of little saltwater perch. My dad made me throw it back, and it had to be pretty small for him to throw back anything. Dad liked saltwater fishing so we did that a lot. When I was 14 or so , I started fishing the lake I now live on, at first for bream and catfish. One of the first bass I caught was when I was 15, it was a 4 pounder caught on a doughball with a handline! Caught my first artificial -caught bass on a red and white spoon. I think I caught one other bass on it , then discovered plastic worms. So Ive bass fished 45 years or so… This is one of the first bass I ever caught . Think I was 15 . I dont have a pic of the 4 pounder lol…

I wade fished for years in the river with em all around. Sometimes my whole family would go. People had done it around there for many years, and I never heard of anyone getting attacked. I got stuck one evening for awhile around 100 feet between 2 that looked to be 9 footers, but they weren’t hunting for me. They had just came out for their evening cruise. Something about fishing in a kayak around them would make me more nervous than wading with them .

I live on a mud bottom lake and have eaten bass out of it for over 45 years. They are very good if you filet and fry them. I don’t like them quite as good eating them bone - in with the skin still attached. I also like them best under 16 inch. I dont keep any over 17 unless they die on me . I throw the ones I’m keeping in a cooler with water or in a bucket. They are fine because I dont fish after 11 much in the summer. I just go home and filet them. If it’s a road trip and warm I put them on ice for the ride home. They stay in the livewell until then. I dont use stringers much anymore and certainly dont hang them off the boat. Too many turtles, gators, and snakes for that…

When you think “ Pass the buck “ means seconds. When your trash man doesn’t know what to take and what to leave. Where “ megabytes “ mean you had a great day fishing… Seriously though, it’s where you are out in the school playground snd the teacher hollers at the kids to get up on the monkey bars. Why? Because a bull got out of its pasture somehow and is heading our way. ( My experience in 3rd grade) Its where an 11 year old friend of mine killed an 11 and a half foot gator with a 12 guage because it was eating his goats out of his back yard! Its where the main topic at the high school lunch table is what game you killed or what kind of fishing trip you had. Girls were usually 3rd. ? We had a dirt road near us named “ Ol moonshine trail” You could only get through it with 4 wheel drive, or if it hadnt rained lately. My city league softball team were the “ Reds”. Our caps were red man chewing tobacco hats. Fast Forward 35+ years: I get invited to a networking event. I asked where do you meet? She says” At treylor park” I said “ which one ?” She looks at me funny and says “ By the publix” Turns out it’s a restaurant. Is Florida in the 21st century or what?

Yeah, I’m pretty much about catching fish however I can …

I’d learn to skip under docks. You’d be surprised how many boaters can’t do it. They cast around docks and move on. Case in point: I fish with an old friend on his boat. He works the T. motor in front. He can’t skip at all. When I get to a dock, Ive got the chance to skip under it and catch the fish he by-passed. I use a 5 inch yum dinger, texas rigged wieghtless, or a zoom super fluke. Craw type baits skip good as well . The last time we went , I got 2 from under the same pontoon and my friend just watched and shook his head. Its easier to learn with spinning. The motion is like skipping a rock. Find a dock and practice. Just let ‘er fly. You’ll love it… The lower-slung docks are better. Pontoons are best. I’d fish the ends of docks, not the narrow part leading to it. Mike

Shiners!? Artificials: When I fished down there more , I caught most of my fish on 7.5 culprit worms and 8” producto tournament worms fishing cypress and pads. Fishing slow.

My wife used to be OCD about nearly everything. I remember one of the biggest fights we ever had was when she asked me to wash the towels on Sunday. ( Im thinking 9 pm because it’s still sunday. She’s thinking 4 was enough time. ) I think you can imagine the outcome of that one. Another one involved one of my socks being left on the floor?. I was shocked that she wasnt too angry after I somehow left the big freezer slightly open ( with all my dead shrimp and cut bait in there). The problem is, we went on vacation for 9 days starting a few minutes after I didnt shut the freezer!? I could literally write a long book on this subject. I have always done everything outside. Until recently, I did nearly everything inside too, since my wife is semi- disabled. My daughter lives with us now, and shares cooking with my wife, and she does everything in the kitchen, and most of the cleaning. I used to get irritated when first married by all the household stuff, because it cut into my fishing time and other pursuits. I remembered my marriage vows and decided to do things that would make her happier and just love her unconditionally. When I changed and started doing more , she started changing too. We now get along great, and I can fish whenever I want without complaint. ( Unless she has plans,of course )

Sounds like you’re well trained?.

I’d have a talk with him. And be nice, but give him a month to start working and keep the job. If he doesn’t, he has to leave.

Especially if it’s a full or new moon

It’s supposed to be in the 20s here tomorrow night. A couple weeks ago I was seeing signs they were started to bed. Not now! I’m getting everything ready for spring but wont be fishing this weekend. Did put a live bait out the other afternoon, nothing on that even…

My old SUV needs oil every other week. There’s a local chain of convenience stores that sells oil for 4.99 qt . Contrast that with shell stations which sell pennzoil for twice that.

Salt springs run is usually good in February …maybe @GRiver will be along soon, he lives in the general area…

Haha I do a palomar that way. I just moisten it , roll it once or twice between my fingers, and it goes right through. You MIGHT have a one fish advantage but thats it…? Im not an old grumpy “ get off my lawn “ type. But nobody’s fishing out back inside my fenced property unless they ask …And then I have to vet you first…?

This one irks me too. And most of the comments are in favor of the tresspassers too. Yeah, if you’re in my backyard without permission we have a problem…

I’d try live bait regardless of the turtles, I once caught a big soft shell on a shiner and the next cast got a 7 pound bass. My small lake has had similar issues to what you describe. In 2018 I got an 8.1 on a senko. In 2019, a 7.6 on a fluke. In 2020 I had a stellar numbers year, but nothing over 5. 2021 was the worst year for numbers in years and nothing over 5 again. Less fish 4-5. The fishing is still fair but not what I’m used to. I have looked at it from all angles and just can’t figure it out. Maybe I’m just in a slump, Maybe I should go back to live bait myself just to see…?

I used to fish any time. I caught 90 something bream one hot day in july , fishing in 90-98 dgree heat . I fished nearly every day all summer in the heat. Of course, If I got hot Id just jump in and cool off….I was wade fishing a lot then anyway…. Cold weather didnt matter either. I remember going when it was 27 degrees and dropping . Had a catfish pull my canepole off a dock. He was dragging it out ( cane poles float) across the neck- deep water. I jumped in and got it back…I still have the picture of it somewhere…. The water felt warm, but when I got out to walk home the 1/8 of a mile I thought I would freeze. I also would wait too long and get caught in lightning storms, I did get a little nervous about that but not nervous enough to do it again next time. I totally disregarded the elements. Fast forward 40 years: I’m not like that anymore, haha. I pick and choose days that the weather will be most cooperative. Good luck with your quest for fish. Keep on and you’ll get into some. Fish gotta eat at some point no matter what the conditions…

My last company was trending that way. They did give me a nice free eat out lunch when I left after 23 years. When I left I had 1 week of vacation ( that I was forced to take at Christmas), and no sick days,( thank God I didnt get sick the last 7 years I was there). We did get the major holidays off. They took away all the advantages I had accumulated in sales to “even the playing field “ for the fellas that had just started. So after 23 years, I was exactly the same to them as the ones that started yesterday! To add insult to injury, we had to compete daily between each other to get the sorry “ Home Advisor “ leads. The owner would get the lead and just send it to all of us, so we all called the lead at the same time. It was like throwing rotten meat to 4 hungry pit bulls. All in the name of speed and being competitive! The biggest reason I left was that they were planning to hire 2 more sales people. We didnt have near enough referrals with 4 ! So my check just get going down year by year. My current Job was a huge improvement. I made nearly twice as much this year as I made at the last company. No infighting , or micro managing. Now , Im the only sales inspector that only does sales. So thankful I moved.

Baits with added salt seem to work very well. Like Zoom Salty super flukes. Conversly, I tried a garlic scent additive and I had several fish pick up the bait and spit it out immediately. That was the end of it for me.