Don51

DogBone, have you been chasing any trout down at Little? I would love to be able to fish there right now. Prime time!

I live in Charlotte County. Not exactly the bass capital of FL! I have given up my expectations of size and go out and just try to get bites! I caught a 2.5 on Saturday which is the biggest bass I have caught in a long time! I don't have a great interest in the salt/brackish water fishing.

Once the water cools down some they will hit traps. My first FL fish on a Ratltrap was a tilapia! My biggest disappointment FL fishing is the lack of variety. If the bass aren't biting you can't switch gears. Crappie and panfish behave totally different than they do up north. It's a very frustrating place to fish!

And you are right! It is a very subtle change. We are approaching pre spawn believe it or not! The heat is hanging around and water temps are still high. Some cool nights are on the horizon and the bass will eventually become more active. Right now they still seem to not want to commit to fast moving baits. I get most bites on soft t-rigged plastics. Stick baits and worms along those grass lines should produce. Florida bass fishing is tough! It is not as easy as Roland Martin makes it out to be. LOL

I would take the yak out until ice made it impossible to launch. Glad those days are over! ?

That’s surprising. Crappie and white perch should have been crushing that spoon! Sounds like a weird fall bite going on. ?

Try a chatterbait, spinnerbait, suspending jerkbait, ratltrap and a paddletail. If you cannot get fish on any of those then they are not biting! Lol ? Furnace would be my go to out of those named ponds. Across the street is a good choice also. ?

A kayak tourney was held there over the wknd. Looks like they did pretty well considering the crappy weather. No smallies were found. Let us know how you do. The clock is ticking!

Just give them the respect that they deserve! It is their home! ?

Billington Sea has a variety of fish. It is a good fall pond because it is shallow. Throw chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, cranks and traps. Move around until you locate fish. If all else fails you can go over to Little and fish for trout! Lol. ?

Sounds like he has been very lucky with his encounters!

They are a wild animal and as with any wild animal their behavior can be unpredictable. For the most part I have found them to be more curious than anything else. They will watch you and lose interest and swim off. All bets are off if you stumble across a mother with hatchlings! That is a dangerous situation that you need to immediately remove yourself from!

Some days you just can’t hook them! It happens. ?

As the water gets colder stay with the shallow bog type ponds. Much easier to locate fish. Chatterbait, spinnerbait, jerkbait, rattlers and flukes will all produce.

The bite has to pick up soon. I always liked October and always thought it was one of the best months of fishing. A real good chance of hooking into a monster! ?

Sorry to break the news, but we are not exactly the bass capital! Freshwater opportunities in the general area are very limited. There is a ton of water but most of it is private properties. I used to chase Google Maps but gave it up for that reason. I have been here 4 years and am very disappointed. I have the same 3 or 4 places that I go to over and over. You have to be adventurous and willing to drive to find better fishing. I am just too lazy to chase it! ?

If it is that secluded there has to be fish in there. They were probably holding deep and out of casting range. First time on any new body of water is tough. Sounds like a lot of work to get in there. Hey, you tried something new, you just didn't get the results you were looking for.

That's a good haul from the bank! ?

Dog days of summer! It is tough right now. You have to be out at sunrise and the door usually closes by 10!

Good luck with the rig!

It has just been too hot! The bite is slow everywhere. Go out as early as you can. By 10 a.m. I am off the water as bites become non existent.

Being tough in SWFL is putting it mildly! lol Bites are few and far between. They must be feeding at night. ?

A Sunday Fathers Day at Little! Must have been pretty busy. Are they charging to get in? There was talk at one point of making it residents only and a town sticker would be required. Guess that didn't pan out. I miss fishing that place!

Same guy, posted twice.