N Florida Mike

Turtles are just a nuisance where I live. I just dont see how a big slow moving turtle can catch enough fish to matter much. Otters- now that’s a different story…

Looks like a redbreast/ pumpkinseed mix?

Thanks, I really appreciate it. @TnRiver46 -Arthur is the best friend Ive ever had- very rare in this life… What I learned was really something I knew but kept experimenting. As you know, I primarily fish plastics. I keep trying to find a spinning rod in my price range ( which ain’t much ) that will fit my 2 best reels. The one I got the other day seemed awesome but I could NOT hook any of the fish that bit on it today. It is a 7’0 medium Diawa something with a fast tip. Felt great with the one fish I caught the other day and at the store but today I learned that its tip is just too light for plastics. Conversely, I didnt miss a fish with my 7’0 MH mod. fast tip lightning rod. Im going to trade in the diawa and get another same lightning rod and I’ll be set for fall. You’d think Id know this after all these years. I also learned my jon boat is leaking again ? Such is life - could be a lot worse.Nothing a little JB weld wont fix… And I just reminded myself to slow my fishing down, which always pays off for me. Felt real confident and comfortable on the water today even though it was a somewhat below average catch… Was needing a little more of that with the way fishing has been this year.

Managed 8 this morning on senkos and speed worms. Lost that many that kept biting the worms in half , and fish that didnt stay hooked…. Had a nice blow up with a frog first cast but he missed. It has been a rough summer here for bass fishing. I did learn a couple things today that I plan to implement from now on. It was a relaxing few hours I needed on the water because… my best friend Arthur is fighting for his life with covid in the ICU. I am very blessed no one in my family has gotten it, but it’s been all around us this time. Our lake association treasurer is in the ICU with it too.

Go to the “Pond boss “ forum. It will be an excellent source of info for you. Stay on here of course, for the fishing tips, reports, etc. Post some of your catches!

I wish y’all the best this year… Until you play Florida…

I catch more fish on the 4. Bigger fish on the 5 .

Someone please win the sec besides them… Even Georgia ?…

6” are great for bigger fish…

I caught a big one once, hooked him at the end of his snout. I still have the scar on my thumb where he got me as I tried to unhook him.

I have more soft shells in my lake than snappers .. They arent too friendly either if you’re trying to unhook them…

They are wrong the most with the wind prediction… Its usually wrong every time it matters anyway…

Usually with my left, since I mostly reel with my left. I prefer fighting the fish with my right …and unhook with my right… I haven’t netted a bass in many years now , because I fish mostly out of a low- slung Jon boat.

That was me in the old days or more. We were on the water at first light and fished til last light…

3-4 hours. Then my lower back is telling me it’s time to stop. Unless Im on a good bite, of course…

It would seem that way, but I dont ever catch many in numbers either. I catch 0-3 fish each time, never more than 3. Many of the fish are lean like that one, which points to overpopulation, or lack of forage, but the pond is full of small bream… I fish with various baits , but the only baits Ive caught fish on are speed worms and flukes. Ive even live bait fished with small bream but the turtles interfere. Had a good run with a bream last week but whiffed with the hookset somehow. Had 4-5 other runs that Im reasonably sure were turtles…

Got a couple in the church pond just after daybreak with the june bug speed worm… Lost the biggest one. It’s Kind of a wierd little pond. Ive fished it off and on for 25 years and haven’t caught anything over 2.5 pounds.

Captain obvious ^^^ ?

Yes, even them…Best leave ol’ smoky at home though!

Id like to come but it’ll be hard with my schedule, unless it’s the last 2 weeks of the year when I’ll be off. Fall is a little better chance for me than spring though… Anyone passing by N Florida is welcome on my lake at least…

My dad taught me the basics .Best man Ive ever known.

Most of my trips to fish are about 30 feet away. I can’t come up with much in the time allotted. Nervous? I haven’t been nervous since I tournament fished in the 80s. On the occasional trip away, I almost always have a friend along. So we talk about life and listen to bluegrass music on the way… On the rare occasion I travel to fish alone. Im listening to same music and do some pondering and prayer. Now that people are always talking on bluetooth, people don’t think Im crazy anymore at stop lights…?

I cant stand Floro for worm fishing because it sinks. The problem with it sinking is that I can’t see the twitch when the bass takes the bait. Another issue is on the hookset. It’s harder for me to tell exactly where the fish is on the hooset , and it seems like you’re dragging a lot of water too with Floro. It’s just hard for me to make an accurate hookset with floro. Im one and done with floro for worm fishing…

It’s been the coolest summer here I can remember. Probably because it’s been raining so much. Not just an occasional t-storm, but it just rains for hours once it starts…

Frog fishing does for me sometimes. I dont know if it’s truly wearing me out, but I quickly tire while fishing it. Im usually good for about 45 minutes , and can’t stand it anymore. More boredom than physical. I make myself do it occasionally, remembering the 7.3 I caught with one . I think if I could just get on a good bite again I would be revived, but it’s been slow with frogs this year …I also try big swimbaits occasionally and get bored AND tired very quickly…