Zcoker

Pity? Golden Gate? I don’t know where in the world you’re getting your information from, but I live right down the road from the everglades, right down the road from a lotta nice spots, including the ocean. No dreaming on my end. My other home in Safety Harbor is one block from the bay, so no dreaming there either. Florida is full of water, close by for a lotta folks. Yep, it snowed here once. Live here long enough and freezing weather or snow is quite the surprise!

well, yeah, right I know that. We lucky most of the time with sunshine. Just shows that it does get “frigid” down this way, cold for us, cold for the fish. You folks can have it!

South Florida January 33 degrees right there, says it all, one degree shy of freezing. Yep

The fish are there for a reason. Take away that reason, and the fish just may go somewhere else. Some places, though, produce all the time. Maybe not instantly but sooner or later they come to life. I have a number of spots like that, producing quality fish (6lbs and up). It may not happen instantly, but it does happen, one way or another. The secret sauce is to be there casting when it does.

Nothing like the glades! Home away from home. I've gone to many other bodies of water and cannot wait to get back out into the glades. It's a smug feeling, like being at home. Other places do produce but not like the everglades! There's a surprise around ever corner. Big fish everywhere. Not uncommon to catch over a hundred fish a day. Not uncommon to catch trophy fish every outing. Just never know what to expect out there. It's fun and adventurous at every level; I feel content and well satisfied and look forward to returning. For me, that's what fishing is all about! Lil Taste

Nope I’d rather be right where I’m at fishing the south Florida everglades!

Same thing happened to me in Florida when I went to register my OT kayak. The DMV asked me for a title, which was nothing but a notarized bill of sale from the dealer. I went and got that from the dealer and then went to a bank to have it notarized. That was it. Got my 2 year registration. All good.

Doesn't get that cold down here in south Florida. Still gets frigid. Down to the bone. Those kinda nights I steer clear of, favoring the peak heat of the day, those nice chilly Florida winter days where the sunlight dances like a chime. I've caught some of my bigger fish at the peak of those kinda days. The feeding windows are indeed narrower. Bass tend to hit in very small slots, day or night. So being there ready to go is a good first start. First light is a good light. Rocky areas retain heat. Punching the mats equals big fish. Any movement like wind or current is a good omen. Cold weather doesn't mean the fish stop eating, just means that adjustments need to be made.

The word quiet can also be replaced with the word disguise. Things that disguise are things like wind, rain, water clarity, obstructions…anything, really, that masks the fisherman. That’s why night fishing is so great because the cover of darkness disguises the fisherman along with his fake baits.

I buy in to the quiet thing but I’ve caught some awfully big bass in the most noisiest situations imaginable. Heck, I once caught a 7 pounder while bumping around in the kayak while talking on the phone. Moreover, my bait was hanging over the side with my rod loose. Fish just came up and snatched the bait. I’ve also caught trophy sized fish right in the middle of a busy ski boat lane. Many such situations where noise made not the slightest difference! Go figure.

Looked very accessible to me. The water level was a little low but not that low. The boat ramp looked ok. There were about 3-4 trailers in the lot.

I’ve stated to explore Lake Garcia. It’s not sprayed. The water is very clean. It has large deep flats with islands. The launch area is exceptional. The vegetation is nice and green and consistent and predictable. It's producing some quality fish. And it’s 24/7. Just takes time to learn the layout and what those fish want. I’d also have my eye on Lake Placid. The west side of that lake has a nice public boat launch. Deep. Spring fed. BIG bass! As far as Everglades go, you’d be limited to the canals only, which can run for miles and be very boring. Sawgrass or Holiday Park have some nice launch/marina areas for boats with some nice fishing flats. Most of the other large open flat areas down that way are not accessible by boat, just too shallow with primitive launch areas. Of course there’s Lake Okeechobee, but you have to know where to go in that place to get the fish and I really can’t help you with that one. I’m mainly limited to the rim areas, which are so so. Maybe someone else can chime in about big O.

I’ve learned the expensive way and the hard way with rods on a kayak. Four rods for me aboard my kayak, all on the left side of me. Anything on the right side, my casting side, is bound to loose a few guides. All unused rods are secured by lanyard at ALL times. As far as leaving a lure dangling, they’re bound to get wrapped up, especially when you need them quickly! It’s best to secure them and if you don’t have a hook holder, they make some nifty add-ons.

I know for the IGFA length measurements, their measuring device was a requirement. No device, no record. I remember when they were headquarter’d here in Dania, Florida, I had to run down there and pick one up $40 bucks.

Fish? What fish? lol Sometimes I think all those fish in there are conditioned for shiners only! Or maybe I’m just spoiled from the everglades. Sometimes when you go somewhere, you have these fond memories that you just want to force back into existence! Just can’t do it there. I only wish it was like I used to be. Wishful thinking on that trip.

No, at least not upfront, still dirt. Ironically, that little strip of paved road back by stick marsh looked like it got some attention. Looks like they re-paved it.

Only thing that I can say: “ ain’t like it used to be!” The whole lake is practically choked out. The whole northwest side looks like land. The kayak access is totally blocked with only a few creek-like fingers to actually fish in. Looks like they nuked the heck out of it. Lotta dead plants and piled up vegetation. The enhanced area is unrecognizable. I have never seen the parking lot totally empty as if the place was closed. Literally a ghost town! And yet it’s not closed, it’s quite open! Only access for a kayak to the main fishing areas is the main canal, which is a tough run when busy but I really can’t say what’s going on now from what I’ve experienced. I had the whole run to myself. The hardest thing was to see the once beautiful enhanced area now dead and crumbling. Totally empty lot all day! Long canal journey Choked out all over Boat ramp still empty after a days fishing!

Tried wearing my Apple Watch out in the glades at night but every time I moved my arm the light came on, very annoying!

Not such a mysterious spooky question. I think everyone has that feeling of “knowing” when all is right. Can go for anything in life. The gist of it with fishing is in getting everything right in order to assure that strike.

I few of them. The glades is loaded with structure, impossible to define. The heavy braid makes it very easy to break a lure loose. Also, one little kink in the floro can send a whole cast sailing away, literally emptying the spool. The knots, too, if not tied correctly will snap. I just can’t be bothered with all those possibilities. Like I said, briad on all my reels is like a forgotten subject. I’m not worried about where I cast or what I hook. It’s all coming back in to me!

No. I use braid on everything. Strait braid. Once upon a time I played around with floro & mono leaders, floro line, and finally gave up because of all the failures, lost fish, broken leaders, lost lures, just wasn’t for me. And, besides, not the slightest difference in the amount of fish that I catch as well as the size. The use of braid on all my reals is like a forgotten subject. It just works with the least amount of maintenance, lasting a very long, long time.

Only 94? Come on down here to south Florida it’s so hot the water seems to boil. Can’t wait for it to cool off a bit. I’m usually packing up before the furnace kicks in. Then, later, it’s massive lightening bolts or hurricane warnings. Always something going on.

Black all night every night

I can’t say in a million years that I’d recommend fishing alone where I fish, which is deep in the Florida everglades—at night. But most won’t even consider it, so I go it alone. I go it alone because I want to catch big fish, which is when they roam. Took a LOT of time adjusting, but not a ton of time since I fished a lot at night for sharks off our local beaches. Even with that I had to go at it solo since most passed on the invite. Too scared lol Some things ya just gotta cut the mustard by yourself, which is ok. I’m having a ball and look forward to it all the time, any time I can. Those night time everglades top water explosions are like a big cup of the strongest coffee Kaboom!

I’m on the east coast, west palm area Not a good reason, imho. The only way that I’m able to save most all lures when snagged is by having heavy strait braid. I fish the Glades cover all over the place and I can’t remember losing a fishing lure to a snag.