Captain Phil

We have been using a slightly modified version of the Wacky Rig in Florida tournaments for years. Traditionally the Wacky Rig is hooked sideways in the middle. We rig them Texas style in the nose with no lead weight. This makes the worm weedless. We use a small black swivel about 18" above a Zoom Finesse or Trick worm. Looks like a Carolina Rig without the sinker. You can fish this rig in cover where you can't throw an open hook. You can also fish it deeper. Fished on 8 pound line, it has caught many a bag of fish. Deadly on bedding fish in residential canals.

Anyone who has ever flipped and pitched for very long knows how difficult line control can be. Real fishing is not always like you see in YouTube videos. Bass can hit your bait at all points of the presentation. They can take it on the drop, after a bump or two or even as you lift it out of the water. Once they do a variety of things can happen, some of them are not good. Because of this, some people pause the bait just under the surface as they lift it out. It takes years of experience to be a good flipper. My advice is to slow down. If you fish against someone with that level of skill, you are likely to wonder what happened.

This can happen when you are fishing cover that has some height over the water. Reeds are a good example. You must lift your rod high enough to clear the reeds with enough line to reach the water. You can't pitch as the reeds are blocking your pitch. Here on the Harris Chain there are areas where you must reach far back in sticks and bushes to get to the fish and line control can be difficult. If you fish the edges, you will miss most of the fish.

We first learned about flipping from Dee Thomas in the seventies. Back in the fifties Jason Lucas, the Roland Martin of his time, mentioned it at the end of his book "Lucas on Bass Fishing". This fishing method came from an old southern fishing technique call Tullie Dipping or Doodle Socking. Dee adapted it to tournament fishing and "Flipping" was born. When we first tried it, we couldn't believe bass would be right under the boat. It took some time for me to gain confidence in this technique. It works better in some lakes than others. Twenty years ago when the Harris Chain water was the color of coffee, if you weren't flipping you weren't catching. As the water cleared, other techniques became stronger. As you fish, be very observant of the cover so you can detect any movement out of the ordinary. You will learn the see fish activity before you catch a fish. Not all weed beds hold active bass at the time you are fishing them. There are always some bass shallow as long as there is enough cover for them to hide and ambush food. Setting the hook when vertical fishing can be challenging at times. Different fish hit the lure in different ways. Some fish hold the lure motionless and some swim around with it. If they move, they often tangle the line around the cover. Don't get into setting the hook before you find out what's going on. You may find you have 6 feet of slack line heading off into the woods. If you detect weight on the end of your line, crank down and take up the slack being careful not to signal your intentions to the fish. If your hook is sharp, you shouldn't have any trouble hooking the fish. The hooks I use will stick most fish from it's weight alone. If the fish is small, it may fly by your head. It happens. If the fish is big, you may be in for a tug of war. I have been pulled to my knees by a bass a few times. Big fish tend to dive under the boat. When you hook a ten or eleven pound ticked off bass on three feet of line, it can get exciting. Here's an old photo of me with a 10-3 I caught flipping in Little Lake Harris. I had more hair back then. ?

I prefer to buy my baits from a small local tackle shop nearby. They seem to have what I want when I want it and they are a good source of information on what is working locally. It may cost a little bit more, but I feel like I'm helping the local economy. I buy more expensive items like reels on line. No local tackle shop can stock everything.

It's about time. Last summer was a hot one. Here on the Harris Chain, we are starting to see more fish shallow as well. Boat traffic is minimal so far. This is my favorite time of the year as I have the lakes mostly to myself. Since they are leaving some hydrilla, the water has cleared and the numbers of bass has increased.

Flipping, pitching or punching (whatever you wish to call it) is somewhat difficult for some anglers to learn. It takes time to build confidence in this tactic if you want to be good at it. You can often go a long time between strikes. The strikes you get will be worth the wait. When I started I left all my rods at home except my flipping stick. Here in Florida, it works year round. When fun fishing, I prefer to catch bass on top water or on a spinnerbait. When those don't work, flipping is my fall back tactic and it rarely lets me down. When tournament fishing and the bite is tough or I need a big fish, flipping and pitching takes the money. A good flipper can make you wonder what lake he/she was fishing?

The fall of the bait is generally what triggers the strike. The more drops you can make, the more strikes you will get. When fishing dense hydrilla mats, there is no visual indication of a strike. When fishing reeds and Kissimmee grass there can be. Many times you can see the cover move when the fish strikes or moves toward the bait. I can remember a few times when I saw a fish move toward the bait from a foot or two away from the drop. I kept bouncing the lure and the fish ate it. This was in the dead of winter and is not what normally happens. Normally the fish gobbles the lure and I don't know it's there until I lift the bait. This is why you should always check the bait before you lift it off the bottom.

The Shimano Chronarch Bantam 100 was one of the best bass reels ever created. I own a bunch of them and they all still work like new. Until recently when I purchased a new Chronarch MGL, that's all I used. If you can snag a decent one for less than $100, grab it. They are light, strong and smooth as silk. Getting hard to find in good condition. The Bantam 100 was a 7/1 reel, somewhat fast for spinerbait fishing. I prefer a 5/1 Calcutta for that.

From Google Search. Does Bass Pro own Sportsman's Warehouse? Sportsman's Warehouse has entered into a definitive agreement to join the Great American Outdoors Group, parent company of Bass Pro Shops. ... As part of the agreement, Sportsman's Warehouse will be acquired for $18.00 per share in cash.Feb 5, 2021 There was time when I was a huge fan of Bass Pro Shop. In the past few years, they never seem to have what I want. Their bait shelves are empty or picked over much of the time. They have removed most brand name products and replaced them with their own brand. If you want anything particular these days, you will need to order it online. Some people on this forum have expressed their disappointment with Tackle Warehouse. I find their website to be the best. If they are out of stock on something, the website tells you up front. If you click the right spot, they will notify you when it's back in stock. Beats driving for miles only to be disappointed by BPS again.

I paid $3.09 a gallon to fill my boat yesterday here in Florida. My little 75 four stroke Mercury can run all month on that.

Florida has a very long bass spawning season. Some people believe Florida bass can spawn year round. I have fished bass on beds from December until June. This has much to do with the weather. Here in Florida, you may be swimming in your pool on Christmas Day or huddling around a heater. As stated above, not all bass spawn at the same time. It never occurred to me that they may spawn twice or more. Interesting.

Here in Central Florida, I pray for November. The summers are so hot, I rarely fish all day. By 9 AM in July, you could cook an egg on the top of my Mercury. November brings the first cool weather. We have the heater on this morning as it's fifty outside our home. When it drops into the thirties in Florida, little old ladies think about chopping up their rocking chairs for firewood. ? Seriously, November is the start of our bass fishing season. The first cold front sends them shallow and they start to feed up before the spawn which can start right after Christmas. A few years ago, a buddy and I went fishing on a cool Thanksgiving morning while our wives were cooking. We caught two beautiful eight pound bass. You may be surprised to know I own a snow suit. I look like the Michelin Tire Man in the thing. It can get cold here, but it doesn't last long.

Our living room window overlooks Lake Eustis, one of the Harris Chain lakes. The City boat ramp is a block away. Twenty years ago, it was rare to see a boat on the lake during the week. Many times, I was the only person at the ramp. Last winter, people were parking all down the street at the ramps because the ramp parking lot was full. I wanted to buy a new boat, so I went to Bass Pro Shop in Orlando. They had one bass boat on the floor that they wouldn't sell me. I was told there was a three month wait for a new boat and that they couldn't guarantee I would get it in that time. Bass Pro's bait shelves were empty as well. Right now, things have backed off a bit. Fall is the slow time for us. We will see what happens after Christmas. With all this fishing pressure, I have started to fish places where I have never fished before. When things get crazy like this, I fish our smaller lakes. Luckily, here in Central Florida we have many choices. If all I had was one small lake to fish, I would find something else to occupy my time.

Reevaluating your life choices is a good thing. It seems many people are going through that now. Perhaps this will help you? I'm retired, but I worked for over 55 years. I've been an office machine repairman, computer programmer, salesman, business owner, web designer, fishing guide, Realtor, copy writer and consultant. I've had many chances to do what you are thinking about now. You don't need a job, you need an opportunity. Find something you enjoy doing that pays enough money to live on. Be your own boss. This means you will work harder than you will as an employee. You may have to work for someone until you find your own path to success. You won't mind because you will love what you do. Your personal relationships are important. It's a lot easier to be successful when you have encouragement and support. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. At 40, you have time to get it right. Stay optimistic. You don't know what's ahead of you, you only know where you have been so far.

Shimano Zodias 6' 10" Model ZDC610MHA $199. Lightest most sensitive casting rod I have ever used. Makes me smile every time I use it.

One of the greatest bass baits of all time. Throw it on light line with a loop knot. If you can't catch fish on this, take up golf. :>)

My friends and I have been experimenting with spinnerbaits for years. It's amazing how a little change can make a big difference. The thickness of the wire affects the vibration of the lure more than many believe. The way the wire is formed does as well. One of my friends is a multi time Federation Champion. He always adds some purple to his skirts. Spinnerbaits are big fish baits. They mimic the forage larger bass prefer. If I want to catch a pile of 12" bass, I use a worm. If I need larger fish, a spinnerbait is my choice.

I have fished the Tin Roller in the past. I found it too heavy for Florida fishing. Florida bass fishing is generally done in shallow water. The water is also much darker than what you may find in the North. I have better luck with lighter lures and slower retrieves. The Okeechobee Special had a # 4 1/2 rear blade for years. They work better for me with a #4 rear blade. The have noticed the manufacturer has recently switched to the smaller blade as well. If I want to throw a big spinnerbait, I use "The Blade" by Hildebrand. It's a big fish bait here in Florida. Probably mimics a large golden shiner. I don't know if it's made anymore. Here is one from my old stash of baits.

Yes. I am a big fan of Hildebrand spinnerbaits. When you fish a lot of tournaments like I did, you learn what works. Any spinnerbait will catch bass when the bite is on. When the bite slows, it's the small details that make a difference. Hildebrand blade flash is far superior to other blades. The gold body reflects the surroundings making the lure look more natural in the water. These are not the cheapest lures and they are not the strongest. When fun fishing, I don't care if the wire breaks. In tournaments, I switch them out if the wire gets twisted. War Eagle makes a similar bait. I've had so much success with Hildebrand that I stay with what has worked in the past.

In most spinnerbaits, the rear blade is easy to change. The Hildebrand spinnerbaits I use have a quick change feature where all you must do is move a slide to change the blade. Changing the front blade is a major tear down. With a tandem spinnerbait, I don't believe the front blade does much more than balance the lure. I'm not a fish, so I can't verify my thoughts on this. Swapping out blades is tricky business. It's easy to adversely affect the running of the lure. If the wire gets bent out of shape, it can turn a great bait into a casting plug. Pulling the lure too fast can also negatively affect these lures. If you find the fish want a lure bulging near the top, I believe there are better choices than a spinnerbait. So why does downsizing the rear blade work for me? I don't know, but it does. Perhaps my fish see so many Walmart spinnerbaits in a day that my bait looks different? Perhaps I can pull my spinnerbaits slower or deeper? Much experimentation is required to find what your fish want on any given day. This is where having many years on the water has it's advantages.

I own a Zodias 6'10" MH that I use for worm fishing. It's the most sensitive rod I have ever used. I swear if a fish gets closer than 6" from my bait, I can feel it before it bites! Seriously, it's one heck of a rod. Would I use it for jerks baits? Maybe. It's very light, but somewhat on the stiff side.

The Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon are in East Central Florida. If you find yourself in South Florida, drive across the Alley to Everglades City. That's where you will find some of the best inshore salt water fishing in the world.

A problem with the St. John's River is the numerous manatee zones. In some areas you may find yourself idling for miles. The River itself is a great bass fishery. Years ago it was billed as the "Bass Capital of the World". Where you find pads, you will find bass. Paralleling the bank in close with a spinnerbait is also productive.

About thirty years ago, there was a B.A.S.S. tournament on the Harris Chain that set a record for the lowest winning tournament weight. This prompted an article in the December 1992 Bassmaster Magazine called "A Paradise Under Siege" outlining the problems facing Florida bass fishing. Following this article, the State began to take a closer look into this issue. Expensive surveys where conducted. Fisheries biologists descended on our waters. They found deformed alligators and turtles. They blamed the lack of bass on a mysterious"Bass Virus". The water turned a sick brown color and the aquatic weeds died. They also discovered poisonous algae. Beaches were closed and our lakes got a reputation for being a polluted mess. There were enough problems found to cause the State to do something about it. Millions were spent to buy out all the farms around the lakes. Retention ponds were built to catch road run off. Bass limits were reduced. Rough fish were netted and removed. Weed control was taken out of the hands of local politicians and put into the hands of the Fisheries Department. I have been fishing the Harris Chain since 1972. The bass fishing in our lakes is better now than it's ever been. Bass virus is a sign of other problems, not the cause. If you fix what's causing it, the fishery will recover.