Captain Phil

I started night fishing years ago in the summer. I don't believe I have ever fished in 110 degree weather, but the summers in Florida are plenty hot and humid. Lots of advantages to night bass fishing. You have the water to yourself, big fish are shallower and the weather is much more comfortable. Some disadvantages too, like mosquitos and limited vision. Night fishing is not a time to be fishing alone. I did it, but I was young and stupid. Little things become major issues fast. Two friends of mine nearly sunk their boat when they hit an object out in the lake at night. They were lucky to make it back. The Harris Chain had a night tournament every Wednesday night for years. It took some serious weight to win it consistently. I fished Okeechobee at night a few times. It was very scary being on that huge lake in the dark. Catching a nine pound bass on a spinnerbait made it worthwhile.

I only use REC 90 ethanol free gasoline in my Merc 4 stroke. It's readily available here in Florida. My boat often sits for weeks at a time and I feel it's good insurance.

Actually, the photo was taken with some woods behind where Jack was standing. The golf course itself looks to be manicured with scissors. I am waiting for them to tell us we need to wear a black tie to fish there. ?

You don't need an expensive cover to protect your boat seats unless you tow your boat with the cover on. My boat sits in a covered storage lot when I'm not using it. Even though it's covered, I use a light weight cover I bought from Amazon for $50 to keep dust and sun from messing up the interior of my boat. It's easy to put on and take off and it does a great job.

If you want your boat seats to last, covering them when not in use is essential. I always cringe when I drive by a house with an uncovered bass boat sitting in the yard.

Not where I fish. Topwater is always my first choice.

We have old friends that recently bought a home in a golf course community north of Daytona Beach. Across the street from their home, there is a series of small ponds. We visit them often and have been catching bass in the pond. Until yesterday, the fish were about 1-2 pounds. I was fishing with a Zoom Speed worm when I got a solid hit on the bottom of the pond. I set the hook and all heck broke loose. What a fight. The bass was one of the stronger fish I have caught in some time. Jack held the fish up so I could take a photo with my phone. The fish was a real chunk that weighed about 6 pounds. Who needs a boat when you can catch fish like that by walking across the street?

I have the same issue with my neck. As I got older, I find my neck won't turn as far as it did when I was younger. It's a real pain-in-the-neck, as they say. My Ranger RT178 came with fixed guides on both sides of the trailer. It helps when loading, but I often get the bow of the boat off center on the front roller. The Ranger trailer is very short, so I use a hitch extension and it helps a bunch. I don't recommend using one unless your boat is light like mine. I recently installed a two speed winch to help me crank the boat the last few feet on shallow ramps. I tweaked my back with the old winch and it put me in bed for a few days. Ah, the joys of old age! ?

Florida is a big state with numerous diverse fishing opportunities. Everything from the Keys, Everglades Back Country, both coasts, offshore and beyond. Where are you planning to stay? What type of fishing do you prefer? Without more information, it is difficult to answer your question.

I have never used Garmin electronics on any of my boats, so I can't comment on their products. I have used Hummingbird and it was a disaster. Granted it was a number of years ago, but it turned me off so bad I never went back. I built my first flasher from a Heathkit. If you don't know what that is, it's a box of loose parts that you can assemble to make your own electronics. Living in Florida, I fished a lot of salt water as well as bass. Lowrance was what all the charter boats ran, so I went with them. Lowrance has never let me down. I've had Lowrance electronics on everything from 15' skiffs to 40' sport fishing boats. When you are 50-100 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, you don't want problems with your electronics. I don't know if they are the best, but it would take something truly amazing to get me to change.

Back when plastic worms first came out, we were taught to let the fish run before setting the hook. This probably came from live bait fishing where some people believed bass turn a shiner before swallowing it. This lead to many fish being killed when they swallowed the worm so far it could not be extracted without severely injuring the fish. Eventually, anglers got into "feeling contests" with bass, which lead to the "he felt me" fish story. Bass don't inspect worms like you would. They don't have fingers. A bass eats by flexing it's gills sucking in it's prey. Yesterday I caught an 8 inch bass on a 7 inch worm. The hook sticking out one side of it's mouth was almost as big as it's mouth. They can do this because a bass can open it's mouth much farther than you think. If I feel anything different, I set the hook immediately. Back then, hard hook sets were required because the hooks we had were terrible at best. It got almost comical with numerous Harry and Charlie cartoons pointing fun at bass fishermen for their overly vigorous hook sets. I tore the front bass seat out of the floor twice in one morning while setting the hook (actually happened). Today's quality hooks are so sharp the weight of the fish itself will set the hook. If your hooks don't do this, you need to buy better hooks. I still set the hook with a quick upward jerk, but I haven't tore out my seat in a long time. ? Back when I was tournament fishing, I often practiced with my hook points cut off. Those bass would hold onto my bait right up to the side of the boat. Bass are not in the business of expending energy to catch their food, just to let it go free because they suspect you are on the other end. If you lose a fish that way, you are either clumsy or the fish was too small to swallow your bait.

There is no right or wrong in bass fishing. What is important is that you continue to learn and experiment. I remember a Federation Tournament I fished years ago on Lake Toho. I went as a nonboater so my buddy could use his boat. The guy I drew did everything I thought you shouldn't do. He fished with a Zebco 33. He used a weightless worm with the hook placed so that the worm kinked and spun as he reeled it. It was the strangest way of fishing I had ever seen. We were fishing offshore hydrilla with about 2-3 feet of clear water above it. He reeled the spinning worm above the hydrilla and it drove the bass nuts. When we got back to the weigh-in, someone from his club told me he was the Top Rod. Who knew?

First, I change out all my treble hooks with Owner or Gamakatsu round bend Hooks. That said, fish act differently on different days. Sometimes bass hit a lure to eat it. Sometimes bass hit a lure to kill it. Depending upon their mood, they might not even have their mouth open when they hit your lure. On days like that, you will miss fish. On other days they are so aggressive, they nearly swallow the bait. Old timers tell me they wait slightly to set the hook when fishing top water lures. This never worked for me, so I set as soon as I see the hit. No matter who is doing the fishing or how they fish, bad days do happen.

I find most modern reels too fast for spinnerbait fishing. Cadence is significant when it comes to spinnerbaits. Cadence is rhythm. Spinnerbaits work because they put out fish attracting flash and vibration. Every spinnerbait has an optimum cadence. If a spinnerbait goes through the water too fast or too slow, it's fish attracting property is lessened. This does not mean you can't catch a fish on a fast spinnerbait. It means you won't catch as many as you would if the cadence is spot on. The tandem spinnerbaits I use work best when thrown on a 5/1 casting reel. My reel of choice for this fishing is the good old Shimano Calcutta 200 round reel. Any reel with a similar line retrieve would work. My spinnerbait rods are 6'6" graphite medium heavy action rods. I use 20 pound Big Game mono for spinnerbait fishing. I want a little stretch in my line and toughness in heavy cover. Comfort is important with spinnerbait fishing. If a spinnerbait was the only bait you had to use, you would still catch a lot of fish.

10" Culprit original worm in Red Shad with 1/8 oz. weight, not pegged.

I've been flipping since the 80s and have not found any difference in the color of the line I use. I never use a leader when flipping. I like braid for it's strength and lack of stretch. What I don't like is it's rough texture which tends to affect the fall of the bait. My best overall flipping line is green 25 pound Big Game mono. Experiment and see what works for you.

Wow. Waaay too much testosterone!

Living in South Florida for 2/3s of my life, I've caught just about everything that swims down there. Peacocks are hard fighters, but I don't consider them as true Florida fresh water fish. They are exotic transplants native to South America. The Game Commission started stocking them in South Florida Canals around 1984. They are popular mainly because they are easier to catch than black bass. Weekend fishermen complained about poor bass fishing, so they stocked fish they can catch. The same thing happened in Central Florida with Hybrid Stripers. This is not a knock on Peacocks or weekend fishermen, but it is accurate. Truth be known, the hardest fighting freshwater fish in South Florida is a landlocked Snook or Tarpon.

Old men who let their eyebrows grow long and those who don't trim their nose hair. ?

Sure. I'll see what I have. Probably only have a few in the bottom of my rod box. I've caught bass on cheap knockoff Chatterbaits, but nothing like I do on a spinnerbait. Jackhammers are not cheap. For all the money they cost, I would think they would work better than they do. It's probably a confidence thing? So you know, I can't catch fish in a Whopper Plopper either. ?

I don't buy many lures. When I do, I buy quality and price is not an issue. I own lures that cost $20 each. I also own some "blue light specials". Some of my cheap lures work better than my costly ones. I buy knockoff Senkos from an Orlando Tackle Shop that work better than expensive name brand Japanese models. On the other hand, pricier spinnerbaits catch more bass for me 2 to 1. I am very loyal to the baits that work for me. If a bait works, I keep using it. On rare occasion, I will try trendy lures. I bought a box full of Jackhammers when they were all the rage. I couldn't catch a fish on one if my life depended on it. Price is not what makes a lure work, results do.

The glacier grooves around Pelee Island are hot in July. Fish goby colored tube jigs in 15-20 feet of water.

It probably cures ED too, but I don't know anything about that. ???

Some of the best bass fishing I have seen has been fishing below those locks when the water is flowing. Some of those areas are marked with no fishing signs.

As one of those "Old Timers", I can tell you there has never been an ailment or condition that WD-40 has not claimed to fix. I have used it on plastic worms myself. It works just about as good as any fish attractant. What it does is make soft plastic baits shinny and more visible to the fish. It's a good cleaner for reel parts as long as you use a coating of light oil on assembly. What it's really good at is masking fine scratches on metal flake boats. You can make an old bass boat shine like a new penny with a coating of WD-40. I'm not sure if it cures any human ailments, but someone somewhere probably claimed it can. ?