Captain Phil

Two further pieces of advice. An electric trolling motor is the most important piece of equipment on a bass boat. It's has more influence on your fishing success than any piece of electronics. Go 24 volts minimum. Spot Lock is a wonderful feature. It's not mandatory, but it sure makes things nice. In my opinion, power poles are made to catch fishermen, not fish. In all my years of bass fishing tournaments, I have never seen anyone use them except in docking. Back when I was guiding, I carried two wooden stake out poles so the boat wouldn't swing when shiner fishing. They worked just as well and cost a lot less. My son has power poles on his flats boat. Salt water flats fishing is different, you have tides and the fish are ultra skittish.

The Hildebrandt Snagless Sally was one of the first subsurface spinners that could be comfortably thrown in weeds. Previous to it, most bass fishermen threw Johnson spoons or buzzbait's like those made by Al Foss in cover. Like all Hildebrandt lures, the spinner blades are very high quality. Back in the day, few people fished Bass offshore. There were no electronics to help you, so shoreline weeds were where we fished. The first people who wrote about offshore bass fishing were Jason Lucas and Buck Perry. Kevin VanDam was once quoted as saying there are always some bass shallow. This holds true today as it was back then. I haven't thrown a Snagless Sally in some time. In my boat flipping and pitching have replaced it.

You have to ask yourself "Are you going to fish when the weather is that bad?" Big bass boats are made for fishing big water in whatever conditions exist at the time. My 22' Storm was a useful tool when fishing Lake Okeechobee. It was like fishing off an aircraft carrier in a canal. Weight and fuel costs are also more. Are you willing to buy a $50,000 tow vehicle to tow your boat and pay $100 or more each weekend in fuel just so you can go fishing? By the time you get done, those bass could cost you $500-$1000 each assuming you catch any? 😅

I envy you! East Crooked Lake is full of monster bass. It's a private lake, so you are very lucky to be able to fish it. I friend of mine lived on that lake for years. I watched him feed the fish under his dock. His blue gills were over a pound each. Every now and then one of them would get picked off by a bass looking to be a yard long. Amazing! I paid $27,000 for my Ranger RT178 during Covid. It was rigged as you see in my photo with a 24 volt Minn Kota, triple charger, 75 Merc, Ranger Trailer, two Lowrance GPS Sonar fish finders and an extra butt seat. The dealer also threw in an 8 year factory warranty on the motor. My boat fishes two guys comfortably. I will sell it if you are interested. $45K is too much to pay for an aluminum bass boat. If you have your heart set on a big bass boat, you are not going to be happy until you get what you want and you will be looking to trade up before it's time. Most people finance their boats. Buy a boat you will be happy with long term and keep it ten years. The difference in the payment is less than the gas.

I fished Okeechobee and numerous other Florida lakes most of my life. I currently own a Ranger RT178. My house is a block from the City of Eustis boat ramp. Okeechobee is a different animal. There isn't a bass boat made that will allow you to fish Okeechobee comfortably 365 days a year. Back when I was tournament fishing, I had a custom 22' Storm built just for that purpose. Running 40 miles across Lake Okeechobee on a windy day will shake your bones. I tore up a brand new bass boat in an Okeechobee tournament in the 70s. Lucky for me, the boat was a sponsors. The good news is you probably won't be fishing in that weather. In the last 50 years, I have fished out of just about every bass boat made. Gamblers, Rangers, Hydrosports, Skeeters, you name it. Aluminum boats make a lot of sense in today's fishing. They are cheaper to buy, tow and maintain. They are lighter and easier to load and unload. They generally aren't as fast, but they are fast enough for me. I am very pleased with my Ranger. It runs near 40 mph with a Merc 75 4 stroke and it hardly uses any fuel. It rides much better than many of the other aluminum bass boats. The quality is far superior as well. Would I take it across Lake Okeechobee on a windy day? Hell No! Would I take it across the Harris Chain on the same day? Yes, because I could run the shoreline. The floor in my RT178 doesn't flex in rough weather like some of the cheaper aluminum boats. If you are used to fishing in a Jon boat, I believe you will be pleased as well. If you have any specific questions, I will be happy to answer them.

Most highway gas station restrooms are disgusting. Love's used to be our favorite, but they have gone in the toilet lately (literally). Buc ee's are the best we've seen and their gas is at least 10 to 20 cents a gallon cheaper than the others. Tour the store one time so you can say you did. That's all you need to know.

I always worked 110% at whatever I did. That said, I played 110% as well. Some people struggle with retirement. It happened to me in 2002 when I was in my 50s. Financially I could retire, mentally I wasn't ready. When you go full throttle your whole life, backing off can be depressing. You lose your purpose and much of your self worth. Fortunately, I found another career that was more fulfilling than the previous one. My body finally sent me a message that enough was enough. Retirement does not mean you won't do things that are productive, it means you won't do things you don't enjoy.

Great schooling bass lure.

I had to chuckle when I read your post. Back in the day, all our bass fishing information came from magazines. You couldn't find a magazine without an ad for the Helin Flatfish. His ads were so convincing you would think you would have to get in the bottom of the boat to tie one on. I bought a bunch of them. For some reason, I could never catch a Florida bass on one. I even bought one of their top water lures call a "fish cake". The joke was on me as it was nothing but a chunk of wood with a propeller. People have told me they catch fish on the flatfish. I have a couple in my collection just to remind me that I can't. 😅

Guides prefer shiner fishing to artificials because it removes much of the angler's skill from the equation and it practically guarantees fish in the boat. Anyone can catch a bass on a shiner as long as you are fishing where there are fish. Here in Florida, this means just about anywhere. Although not talked about, some guides make money selling shiners to their customers. At $20 or more a dozen, there is a significant markup and customers can't take unused bait home with them. It is not uncommon to spend over $100 a day on live bait these days. I have fished local tournaments where shiner fishing was allowed. Without exception, the tournament was won on artificial baits. This is no surprise as anglers who fish artificial lures are more experienced. There are times when fishing shiners is the only way to get a bite. Florida bass are notorious for getting lock jaw after a severe cold front. You can catch them flipping, but few casual anglers are skilled or patient enough. My best customers were experienced bass fisherman. Back when I was guiding, there wasn't a lot of information out there. They would rather pay me than spend their time searching through 50,000 acres of water. Today, there are dozens of guides and YouTube videos telling you where and how to fish the Chain.

I've done my share of night bass fishing. We have a weekly nighttime bass tournament on the Harris Chain. In my early days, I fished the Everglades at night during the summer. It was the only way to get away from the summer heat. The fish are in the same places you would fish for them during the day. Vibration and sound becomes their major way of finding food. Top water lures are the obvious choice. You can't see that well, so hangups can be a problem. Here in Florida, alligators are a bigger issue as they love top water lures. I tend to use larger baits at night because they are easier for bass to find. A 9" black paddle tail worm is about as good as it gets. Spinnerbaits also work well. Anything that puts out some vibration will catch bass. You need to be extra cautious when night fishing. Small things can become big problems in the dark. When I was young I fished alone in the Everglades at night. That was stupid, don't do it. If something happens you have someone to help you. Be careful when running. Take it easy and make sure your boat and motor are in good condition and your lights are working. Never run the shoreline at night. Numerous people have been killed running into docks. Night bass fishing can be very rewarding. The bass you catch night fishing will average larger than in the light of day.

Tom, remember when a Lews Speed Stick with a rubber pistol grip handle was the rod to have? I'll bet you had a round Ambassador reel on it too. I know I did. It's a wonder we caught anything back then!

At 15, you are doing better than I did. I built my first boat when I was 16. Built it out of a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood from a local lumber store with planks for the sides. I carried it to the water in the back of my parents 1960 Rambler station wagon. It leaked like crazy, but it was better than sitting on the bank. As long as you can catch fish with what you have, I can't see adding any expensive gadgets. Enjoy your boat and concentrate of becoming a better fisherman. You will have plenty of time for more and better boats.

I own two Shimano Zodias casting rods. They are similar to the Poison Adrena rods but a little cheaper. I compared them both and chose the Zodias. In my opinion, the ADC610MHA 6'10" Zodias is the best worm fishing rod I have ever owned. Paired with a Shimano Chronarch MGL, I can't imagine anything better. It's so sensitive, I swear I can feel the hit before it happens. OK that's an exaggeration, but it's amazing as a worm rod. My longer Zodias is a ZDC72MH-GA 7' 2". I think it's too stiff for worm fishing. I use it for frogs and Traps.

Back in the day we bought it at the drug store. Haven't done that in years. People put pots in their boats so they could dip their baits in the stuff. Very popular with Everglades night fishermen. Today I use spray attractant like BANG. I don't believe the smell is that significant. Oils on your bait disguise bad smells like sunscreen and bug dope, they make the bait shiny and more natural looking and make it slide through cover better. I have tried most of the commercial attractants and they all work about the same for me.

"I love the smell of anise oil in the morning!" 😉

I have some soft plastic baits that are over 25 years old. Sealed from the air, they can last nearly forever. They dry out if kept in those boxes. Try transferring them to kitchen storage bags with some BANG and see if they come back.

I fish frogs and toads mostly in pads. Watch closely behind your lure as you make your retrieve. Big fish will often trail a frog for some distance The bigger the fish, the bigger the wake. If this happens, stop reeling when you get to the edge and let the lure sink under it's own weight. I have caught a number of big fish this way. Dropping back on a strike is difficult to master, but it is effective.

OK. No charge for the Harris Chain Update. ☺️

Been there, done that. When I lived in Miami, we often ran out to Elliot Key 8 miles out in Biscayne Bay. There is a park on the Key where people go to picnic. On one trip I pulled into the marina to dock. In the slip next to me was a boat sitting on the bottom in 6-8 feet of crystal clear water. A 20' boat was tied to the dock with a rope leading down to a cleat on the front. I often wondered how much it cost that boater to raise his boat? I'll bet it was a bunch! 😩

In October, Harris bass are scattered. The bass are where you find them We had a lot of rain this summer and the water level is good. The rain stopped about a month ago, so there is not much current. Bass are starting to move shallow. I am not an offshore fishermen, so I can't be of much help there. I would fish the outside edges of the deeper grass. Flipping plastic worms gets the bigger fish. I once won a local tournament in October with a two fish bag that weighed 17 pounds. My favorite spots are scattered pads. If the water is clear, try a plastic toad. If not, throw a spinnerbait back in the pads. Be persistent and you will catch fish. If the weather is bad, go to the deeper canals where there are resident fish year round. Haines Creek is always an option. The Chain has been hammered by tournaments all year long. The boat ramps are full on weekends. You will do much better during the week. If you want real adventure, try fishing Apopka. It's much better than most people think. Good Luck!

Instead of hiring a guide, why don't you join a local bass club as a non-boater? All the bass clubs I have been part of never have enough. Buy the owner's gas, be friendly and don't talk about yourself. You will learn much more by watching from the back than having a guide bait your hook.

I enjoyed reading about your first tournament experience. Brought back some great memories for me. Fishing tournaments aren't for everyone. Everyone likes to win. Losing is not something just anyone can handle well. Take your time, have fun and don't let your ego influence your fishing. Even the greatest anglers in the world lose from time to time. Tournaments give you a chance to see how your results stack up with other anglers. Some people would rather not know. You will see things and learn things that you will never learn or see on your own. On any given day, you can be a winner or a loser. The most valuable lessons I learned from tournaments were from other anglers. You can often learn more sitting in the back of someone's boat than fishing in the front.

I have owned just about every bass boat brand made since 1970. Some brands are no longer made, some are. I beat the heck out of my boats. I take care of them, but I expect a lot from them. Some bass boats are fancy, some are fast, some are durable, a few do just about everything right. If pure usability and durability is what you want, you want a Skeeter. I have had three of them and they all did what I wanted for as long as I wanted. They aren't the fastest, cheapest, most expensive or the fanciest. They just work and they last like no other bass boat. Outboard motors are where the real issues are.

Or trading in chickens? 😉