Zcoker

Maybe I rely on both intuition and skill. And if you wanna call those art and science, then so be it. I don’t really think about neither of them when I’m fishing. Often with things like art, it depends on how one defines art. I recall the Beeple NFT digital piece going for $69 million. I wouldn't have given 50 bucks for it. Yet it’s called art to the highest standard along with a hefty price tag. I just couldn’t see anything in it no matter how I turned my head. Art is up to the beholder, I reckon. Science is science. Maybe the weather, the technology and so forth. I could also be using a cane pole. Fish wouldn’t care. Art?

Big plans for big fish, making every cast count. I plan to do more surf fishing, maybe one week out in the glades, one week on the surf. Kinda adds spice to the adventure doing both. At least it dose for me. Lotta water to cover in south Florida!

I’ve created most of my advantages, just like I do with any sort of fishing, stacking the cards in my favor to catch what I’m after. Gotta make the best out of any place or any situation. And if you want bigger fish, then maybe ya just gotta go where they live. They ain’t just gonna appear out of nowhere in some dead lake. Gotta be willing to go all out to make things happen, to give you that advantage. Or, as I do, creating my own advantages no matter where I’m at. If I have to drive across my state to a honey hole fishing spot, then so be it. Or fish at night. Maybe I need to take a few more PTO days lol. I work full time as a healthcare regional director of operations yet I still work for NOAA tagging sharks and also bass fish my brains out. So, yes, I know how possible things are with activities like fishing, no matter what one is up against. I create my own advantages and can do whatever I wanna do because my mind is made up, that’s all. If there’s a day there’s a way!

When it comes down to it, I’m all about top water fishing. The visual feedback is what keeps me going back for more. Sometimes, even, I think bass are specifically designed for top water feeding because their eyes are basically on top of their head. I’ve gotten some of my biggest bass on top water lures, and most often on every trip catch a giant. And it all started with sharks. I’m one of the few in the world who has devised techniques along with the lightest gear to catch big sharks from the beach on topwater surface lures. I teamed up with NOAA (national oceanic and atmospheric administration) and for years have used my methods to not only tag the sharks that I catch but also to make it a very exciting sport. Same approach goes for my bass fishing, which I’ve only been doing for about three years now with great success. I apply the same sort of thinking as I do when in pursuit of sharks, an unflinching desire to succeed!

When I hit the water, I’ve already made up my mind that I will get a big bass, or, at the very least, a big hit. So everything that I do from then on is centered around getting that big fish, which most often happens every trip. So it’s hard for me to deny that thought process. It works. I stick with it. And I usually have positive outcomes.

I have to admit that after I fish a few bass tournaments it’s hard to get back into regular bass fishing. I always have to say to myself that “Im practicing.” lol When it comes down to it, I’m all in it for the hunt and the fight. Peace and tranquility and all that jazz goes along with it. It’s around me everywhere and the fact that I know it and see it and feel it, that’s all I need about it. The only thing that I’m gonna meditate on is getting that fish. I want something that tries to yank the rod out of my hands. I want something that bumps and bruises and bites back. Over the years I found that with blacktip sharks. They feed right off the local beaches. They’re big and strong pushing 7 feet 150lbs. They spend half the fight out of the water! Best of all, they pump me full of an adrenaline rush like no other, filling that void. The challenge for me was in trying to figure out a way to actually catch them on a light surf rod using only top water poppers. So I did just that. So to answer your questions when I’m not fishing for bass, tournaments or not, why I’m out on the local beaches hunting for these guys!

Peak? Why, I’m in my prime. I feel better. I fish longer. I fish wiser than I ever used to, but that goes along with just about anything that I do. Gotta balance things. Plenty of spark left. There’s other hobbies in life that are just as rewarding and just as exciting, like racing cars! Plenty of road left in this life!

In the end, it’s all about catching fish, and how you go about that and to what extent is up to you because, ultimately, everything is in your hands. If you feel that you need to mimic someone else’s style or techniques, you’re still the one doing that. Take pride in what you do as a unique individual because nothing in the universe can ever take your place!

As with everything else, folks have their favorites. Certain rods that I use may be meant for something else but I do well using them for other things. Same with the reels. They may all be the same but there’s that one special one that I always reach for. Allowing things to come together to form a connection is what it’s all about. Certain setups that I have are so connected to my style of fishing that I hardly even know that I’m using them.

Good info, thanks! Can only learn about these places by information shared by those who have actually fished them. Sorry about your disappointment. I’d still like to cruise around it on a nice calm night. Often, places that don’t appear to produce much during the daytime come alive at night. One big hit on that lake would probably be worth it. Always a big hit at night, one way or another.

If I were headed to Texas, I’d have O.H. Ivie on my sites. Probably the best chance for a teener on that lake. Haven’t heard much about kayaking it but I’m sure that it’s done. I can only imagine a night excursion! Geez

I have everything setup with rod selection, reel, line, and lure, my confidence baits, the ones that always produce the bigger fish. Then comes the riding around, moving around, which I do a lot of. I really can’t say that I’m tying other baits on, other than changing out plastic worms if I’m throwing those in the daytime. Most of my fishing is done in the darkness, so having everything ready to go just makes sense because I want as little light as possible. Turning on the light to tie on a lure will skunk-out a large area that might’ve produced a giant.

Come on down! A night trip out in the glades would be welcome. I know a few places that are pretty convenient and not so radical, easy launching and so forth. Plus big bass. This gal just the other night on my second cast. They out there waiting!

Yes sir. Takes a lotta time and dedication to make things happen. I see that with you as well. It’s hard to explain this type of mindset to anyone, really. So many barriers to overcome. Can be said for most anything in life.

Pretty strait forward to fish where they’re at, but I can tell you this: I used to fish the Everglades years ago and only caught small ones and it wasn’t until I changed my mindset that I started catching the bigger ones.