Captain Phil

I get a lot of emails from anglers who struggle to catch Florida bass in the summer. I received two this morning, so I thought I would post my input on this forum. August and September are brutally hot here in Florida. Anglers ride all over the lake staring into their fish finders looking for offshore structure. While there are a few productive offshore shell beds on the Chain, most of the big fish I catch in the summer are caught flipping. You can't pull up to any weed line and catch bass in Florida in the summer. You must find "deep heavy" cover. Deep here is five feet or more at the weed edge. You can fish miles of featureless shallow grass here without a bite. Find one with deep water close by and grass that you must fish tiny pockets to get through. If there is a downed tree, old wood pilings, a dock or multiple weed types in that area, you are in the right place. Once you catch a fish, stay there and fish the area thoroughly. Try it at different times of the day. This is slow fishing. You may only get a handful of bites in a day. I use 25 pound big Game Mono, and 5/16 oz. pegged weight. Any dark colored plastic bait will work. Some of the biggest bass I have caught have been caught in August and September fishing this way. If you are not into flipping, fishing bridge pilings can be productive. I remember when Paul Elias discovered Kneel'n and Reel'n under the Howey Bridge. It still works. Cooler weather will be here in the next few weeks. Fishing will pick up right after the first cold front when spinnerbait and rattle trap fishing will start.

For what it's worth. Some years back I had the pleasure of fishing with a well known tournament angler. This particular person is a Classic winner with over $3 million in lifetime tournament winnings. I am sure he could have used any reel he wanted to. His boat was full of Shimano Curado reels.

I am embarrassed to tell this story, but it might help someone, so here you go. Years ago, I was fishing in the Everglades with my wife. We were at least 20 miles out L67 canal in the winter and it was about 45 degrees. This is cold for South Florida. On the way back, we came across two young men sitting on the levy. They had a broken down Jon boat and were shivering with the cold. I offered to tow them back and they gladly accepted my offer. I tied a rope from my Bass Boat to their boat and started to tow them back. At the time, I had an 18' Hydrosport with a 200 Black Max and an offshore prop. The going was slow, so I started to goose the throttle. This worked, so I gave it a little more. My boat was digging in the water with the bow high. All of a sudden, the prop caught and my boat started to plane. I looked back and my wake was washing the Jon boat all over the canal with two bug eyed guys hanging on like squirrels. I backed off and the Jon boat dumped them both in the water. We fished them out of the canal and put our rain suits on them to keep them warm. When we got back to the ramp, they tried to pay me for my trouble. I felt so bad that I didn't have the nerve to take their money.

By law Florida's waterways are owned by the public. This does not mean you can fish anywhere you want. Unfortunately or fortunately, whichever side of the coin you are on, you can not trespass on private property without permission. If there is access to a lake or waterway from a public launch point, residents can not theoretically bar you from fishing in a boat. There have been legal battles over this issue for years. One in particular involved residents blocking a canal. For example, wealthy homeowners who live on the Butler Chain west of Orlando have been attempting to keep out non resident anglers for years. Eventually, someone died and willed land for a public ramp on the chain. The ramp has limited parking. It is only open from sunup to sundown. The officials who are hired to police this chain often harass visiting anglers. I have been stopped numerous times on the Butler Chain subject to a "safety" inspection. On some lakes, I have been bared from using a boat ramp for being a guide. The best course of action is to ask for permission. If you are courteous, respectful and leave the shoreline clean, you may find a lake homeowner willing to let you fish on their property. It helps if you tell them you release all the fish you catch. Never get into a fight with a lakefront homeowner. You will lose that battle.

Not only is this possible, it's probable. If a tournament is on your home lake, there is no need to prefish. Twenty years ago when I was guiding, I supplemented my income by tournament fishing. I knew where the fish were on a daily basis. My guide trips were my prefishing and I fished practically every day in season. I wasn't the only guide fishing tournaments. Was it fair that weekend anglers were fishing against professionals? No, but there was no rule against it. Cheating is stealing. Having a legal advantage is not. Perhaps the person who you think is cheating is more experience than you? Maybe he/she is retired and can fish 365 days a year? When I was in our bass club, the same 3-4 anglers won most of the tournaments. One of our members was a two time State Federation Champion. When I fished the Senior Tournament Tour, I fished against some of the best bass anglers in the world. These guys weren't looking to be on TV or to be sponsored by a bait company. They were so good every time I won one of those tournaments I was stunned. Fish against a group of sixty and seventy year old guys who have been bass fishing since they could stand and see how you do. I have only witnessed two clear cases of money tournament cheating in fifty years. One was in the old American Bass Tournament Trail back in the seventies and once in a Harris Chain Bassmasters Big Bass Tournament about fifteen years ago. Both were exposed and the cheaters prosecuted. I am sure there are some who have cheated in club tournaments. If you have to win that way, there isn't much to gain by cheating. You can strut around and act like a winner, inside you will know you are not.

In today's world, how much you earn is determined by how much revenue you produce. Higher education is a good thing, especially if you are going to be a brain surgeon. It does not guarantee you will be paid more than someone who has less education and more motivation. “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ― Mark Twain

Current is heavy now because of all the rain. Bass can't swim against this current for long, so they position themselves where they can get out of the current and catch bait as it drifts by. You may be able to catch bass on the bottom by casting a Texas Rig worm up current and working it back. Now is a good time for snook and tarpon fishing. Try a Rattle Trap in this current. A 52M Mirrolure is also a good bait to throw at these fish. Use a 30-50 pound mono leader or your line will be cut off on the snook's sharp gill plates. Snook in these canals can grow quite large. South Florida canals are full of bass. They are suckers for a Rapala. There are peacock bass in some South Florida canals. Others will know more about fishing for them than I do. Any body of fresh water in Florida can contain bass. I've caught them in brackish water less than a few hundred yards from the Bay.

I use a spinning rod with 8 pound mono for Mojo baits. I go to it when the bite is difficult. It's a great tournament backup bait when everyone else is power fishing. My preferred Mojo rig is a 1/4 oz. weight and a Zoom finesse worm. It's won a lot of tournaments. You don't hear much about it for good reason.

If you are fishing for fun, changing a lure's hooks may not be a top priority. It's all about how you feel when a fish gets away. If you are serious about fishing, it's a necessity. I have no idea why some lure manufacturers put such junk hooks on their baits? If you don't change the hooks, at least sharpen them.

I haven't found a time of the year when a lipless crankbait won't work. I have caught fish on all colors of the rainbow from all chrome to bright orange. Vibration is what makes these lures work. They work great on heavy braided line. I have been experimenting with 50 pound Power Pro. With this line you can feel the vibrations through the rod. The lure is moving fast, so you don't have to worry about the visability of the line. I lose less fish with this line as well. Once I have a fish on, I set the hook hard a few extra times. Changing the hooks and using this line with the extra hook sets lessens the chance of a big fish throwing the lure. The bonus is I have the confidence to throw the lure into heavier cover. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all? ?

Stained or murky water - Spinnerbait, Rattle Trap, Texas Rig Worm. Clear water - Top Water, Frog, Wacky or Mojo Rig

I went out this morning with my wife. A huge bass tournament was going on. Boats were running all over the place. No bites until about 10 AM, so I headed for a cove in Little Lake Harris where we won the Ranger Owners tournament back in 2002. The water is still hot and fishing is tough. This post got me thinking about Rattle Traps, so I tied on a System One (chrome, blue back, orange belly). I immediately started catching fish. I caught a limit up to 4 pounds in about 20 minutes. I also had a two-on-one cast. My wife snapped this photo. Rattle Traps catch fish when nothing else works.

Rattle Traps. I have been blessed to fish with some great Rattle Trap fisherman. Many of them are gone now. The Rattle Trap is a reaction bait. It will catch fish when nothing else will. You have to experiment with your retrieve. Sometimes you have to rip the lure to trigger a strike. Other times they want it slow and lazy. I have seen times when fishing a Rattle Trap on the bottom like a jigging spoon worked. Jerking your rod on the retrieve makes the lure deflect. Any time the lure touches cover or deflects for any reason can trigger a strike. I fish Rattle Traps with a 7/1 casting reel and 20 pound mono. The half ounce Rattle Trap is my favorite. The Red Eye Shad is a close second. I prefer both silver and gold flash. I have some black and gray Rattle Traps that I only use on dark rainy days. At this time, gold with a black back is working well. I start out with chrome with a green or blue back . The old System One chrome with a blue back and orange belly works well. I carry a red magic marker and paint slashes on the sides of my chrome traps. Some days, the silver flash is what they want, other days it's the gold flash. Not all Rattle Traps are the same. There is something about the manufacturing process that makes them different. It may be the number of beads or how many of them are free to rattle. Whatever the reason, keep the lures that catch fish even if the paint is gone. The Rattle Trap is a murky water lure. I have not had as much luck with them in clear water. Years ago when the Harris Chain water was turbid, Rattle Traps were the only game in town. I have caught some huge fish on Rattle Traps. One bass in particular was so long I couldn't get it in the live well of my Skeeter. I probably own at least 20-30 Rattle Traps. I have a box of old ones in my garage with at least 50 more.

I fished a lot of tournaments in my life. If your goal is to enjoy your time on the water, buddy tournaments are the way to go. You don't have the hassle of fighting over the front of the boat, where you are going to fish and you're happy when your buddy catches fish. Most fun of all is a single big fish tournament. Our bass club held one on the Harris Chain for a number of years and they were very popular. We raised a lot of money and everyone had a great time. Each tournament win may require many hours prefishing. No matter how good you think you are, on any given day someone may be better. Then there are the sponsors, not to mention your family who may be wondering if you have lost your mind. Fishing tournaments is very addicting. Make sure you make time for your wife and family or you may call home late one night and the phone won't be answered.

Rattle Traps were an integral part of my tournament tool bag for years. For a while, it seemed if you weren't throwing a Rattle Trap on the Harris Chain, you weren't fishing. Not all Rattle Traps are the same. I keep the lures that catch fish even when the paint is totally gone. I've tried every hook that is made in an attempt to keep big fish from throwing heavy crankbaits. Unfortunately, nothing is 100%. The majority of my lipless crankbait fishing is done with 1/2 oz. Rattle Traps. I've had the best luck by swapping out the stock hooks with 4/0 round bend Gamagatsu trebles. No matter what hooks you use, you should set the hook hard and get the fish in the boat as quick as you can. Sometimes you can keep the fish from jumping by putting your rod tip under the water. I've lost huge bass on Rattle Traps that have cost me a lot of money. I hate them and will throw a spinnerbait unless I have no choice. Unfortunately, bass don't share my dislike. They love them.

Anything Zoom makes.

That reminds me of an old joke. A boatload of Vikings is rowing down a Fyord. The leader standing in the front of the boat says, "I have good news and bad news. Starting tomorrow, there will be double food rations. There will be all the rum you can drink and the wenches are coming by after lunch." All the rowers cheer. "The bad news is, The Captain wants to water ski!"

There is more to physical condition than staying in shape and eating right. Your genes and accumulation of birthdays are also factors. It's hard for a young person to imagine they will ever be old. With some luck, they will get there. I don't consider myself old. In my mind, I'm the same as I always was. Unfortunately, my body has other ideas. ?

Your age and physical condition will determine how pleased you are with the choice you make. I have had both Jon boats and Kayaks. Kayaks are for younger agile fisherman. They can be difficult to get into and out of. It's only a matter of time until you get wet. With a Kayak, you can fish many smaller waters without a proper boat ramp. Here in Central Florida, we have literally thousands of tiny lakes and ponds, most of them have great fishing. Kayaks are perfect for fishing them. The problem I had fishing in a kayak was with my back. Sitting in a kayak for any period of time is not for old people with back trouble. You can put an outboard motor on a Jon Boat. You can fish with a buddy in a Jon Boat. You can easily mount a foot controlled trolling motor on a Jon boat. Both Jon boats and Kayaks are available used. Both are relatively cheap and easy to sell. Before you make a big investment, borrow or buy both and see which one you like best.

I've been fishing the Heddon Tiny Torpedo for over 50 years. The stock hooks are fine if you sharpen them with a hone. That lure is so small a bass normally engulfs the lure. I've caught bass up to eight pounds on those hooks. No other top water lure comes close to duplicating the sound and pure bass catching action of that lure. Pulled in short jerks, it duplicates the sound of a fleeing shad perfectly. If you add split rings or heavier hooks, you will change the action. The Tiny Torpedo is an excellent cold front lure. When the bite gets tough, I downsize. This lure will keep you from getting skunked even on the toughest days. A Tiny Torpedo works much better on light line. I use 8 pound mono when I fish it. More than once I have been catching bass with a Tiny Torpedo on 8 pound mono, switch to heavier line and couldn't buy a strike. You don't have to throw it into heavy cover to get a strike. This lure calls fish to it. My favorite color is chrome with a black back. Some things don't need improvement. This is one of them.

Every lake is different. Here in Florida, August and September fishing means blazing hot mornings and rainy afternoons. Rising lake levels kicks off our flipping season. As lake levels rise, the fish follow the water level. That's when I get out my flipping stick and go to work. You won't find many fish on sparse shallow banks. Fish the thickest deepest cover you can find. If deep water is nearby, that's a bonus. Some of the biggest bass I have pulled out of weed beds have been caught in August and September. It's brutal sometimes boring fishing, but the rewards can be worth the effort.

A wacky rig works best in shallow water. It's killer on bedding fish. If you are going to fish in deep water, try fishing a Mojo Rig. I fish a Mojo with 8 pound mono and a 1/4 oz. Mojo weight. It's a finesse tactic that has won a lot of tournaments for me. I like Zoom Trick worms for this type of fishing. If the bite is tough, I will go to a 4" Zoom Finesse worm. This rig works especially well if the lake bottom is covered with short grass.

The price tag on the bottom of my Mitchell 300 box is $18.99. That was a lot of money for a fishing reel back then.

Florida fishing pressure is relentless. Before the virus, I could look across Lake Eustis on a Sunday and see a boat once in a great while. Now, it looks like a boat parade. From January until May, there are at least 2-3 tournaments each weekend on the Harris Chain. Some of them have over 100 boats. Are our bass getting harder to catch? That depends on where you fish. If you insist on fishing "community holes", you are going to have a tough time. What you should do is find spots that are not hammered. I have 50,000 acres of water in my back yard. 95% of the bass anglers I see only fish 5% of the lake. I get emails all the time from tournament anglers who want me to tell them where to fish. Seriously? What if your lake is small? Is that the only water you can fish? Some of the best bass fishing I have seen has been in golf course ponds or residential rock pits. Take time to scout out the 90% of water others are missing. This may mean you don't catch fish for a while. What you find may surprise you.

I have an 80 pound Terrova on my boat and I couldn't be happier. I was a Motor Guide guy for years. Finally took the plunge and I will never go back. I've had a pile of Motor Guide trolling motors and they break too. Noisy? Not mine, it's so quiet you can hardly hear it running. The auto pilot feature is fantastic. My Terrova is relatively new. I suspect there have been many improvements in five years time.