TyTy

That is exactly what I was looking for thank you.

Can someone give me a summary of the bass seasons in Central Florida? Like when does the spawn start and end (approximatly), is the best time of the year considered right before the spawn right? Im looking for kind of a Cliff's Notes of the FL bass fishing seasons. Thank you

Looking for a dove hunt for my wife and I in the Orlando greater area. We are willing to drive wherever if need be. Anyone know of anything?

I've gotten ticked at them before and put a rig out with a small hook and a dead minow on it. They swallow the hook and then you can actually catch them. I bash em on the head then toss em back for the gators.

What is the trick to keeping them off your shiners? They are on my shiners like flys on you know what. Maybe I am in the wrong areas but it seems like everywhere I go they get me. Im surprised bass fisherman don't loath them. They always seem to be chasing bait fish that bass would be interested in. Not to mention all the expensive shiners they take. I was in Lake Monroe the other day and everywhere I went it was like a gar surface feeding frenzy. Couldnt get bit by anything BUT gar.

I am not familiar with that lake but pretty much ever lake in central fl is the same on species: Gamefish: Largemouth Bass Crappie Sunfish/panfish (whatever you like to call them) Trashfish: Gar Bowfin/Mudfish Some have carp (dont see them often) Most all of our lakes have gators but they stay away from people (but not small pets). For lure selection...this time of year your best bet is bass fishing. The most versatile lure for FL bass is the plastic worm texas rigged (google it if you dont know what that is, surely you will find tons of illustrations). I would say plastic worms and if you go to a bait store, shiners under a bobber are your best bet. With the plastic worms, cast them around structure, use as light of a weight as you can get away with depending on wind. If you can try them weightless (the heavier worms at least). With the shiners cast them around structure/weeds/etc on a bobber and see how that works. FYI basically every body of water has multiple bass fishing guides on it. For probably between $250 and $350 you coould hire a guide to go to any number of places around here. Also Turkey Lake has some program with Bass Pro Shops where they rent aluminum boats for a low cost I think. I have never done that but that would be a do it yourself way to get out on the water. I dont know where Old Davenport Lake is but I know where Davenport is. Turkey lake would be a 30 min drive or less from Davenport probably so you could do that if you want to get out on the water for less than the cost of a guide.

George: what is the water level at now? (5/20) It's been raining for four days straight up here in Orlando with a lot of it really heavy...then drizzle...then heavy again. If I wasent going out of town this weekend I would DEFINATLY be down there. With all this rain surely they are going to open the spillways and fill it back up wouldnt they? I am going to kick myself if I get on here after Memorial Day and find out the spillways were open all weekend and everyone cleaned up. DANG! I feel like I am going to miss out. Out of the 5 or 6 times Ive been they have never been open.

Outstanding info senko...thank you! My buddy and I got skunked on Sinclair last September but we didnt hit the docks either. One thing I noticed when we were there but we didnt have time to investigate...balls of minnows right at dusk all around one of the islands on the south side. There must have been 20-40 in the one stretch. We didnt see them getting chased but we werent there for long...we had to go meet up with some folks and were running late.

While we are talking about lodging...I dont suppose anyone knows if it is legal to camp at the Stick Marsh ramp area? Probably not but I have a friend who comes down to fish with me and he is anti-hotels, likes to rough it and he keeps asking me if we can camp there. I can't find anything online.

I mean our shallow, kissimmee grass lined around the edges, no obvious structure, sloping down to a max depth of 12' type lakes. I think these are called 'grass bowls'. When I cant get a bite going on senkos and trick worms around the edges and maybe pitching into the holes...I kind of run out of tactics and sometimes feel lost or that I am just doing the same thing over and over with no result. These are some great tips. Another thing I forgot to mention I will usually try is the docks (if there are any)...but then I am REALLY out of rabbits in the hat. Often when this happens I have plenty of time to fish and I end up just wandering around pitching senkos over and over in and around the edges. It can be kinda frustrating feeling like you dont know what you are doing yet you dont know anything better to try.

The hotels are over to the east in Sebastian on Hwy 1. I suggest you book ahead of time, the time I went we didnt book ahead and I think 3 of the 4 we stopped to check at had no vacancy and it wasent a holiday weekend or anything, just a normal Saturday. I dont think there are any hotels in Fellsmere, there are some rooms for rent though I think. I think one of the bait shops has a cuople rooms for rent.

Okay so here in Central Florida we have all these 'grass bowls' so they call them. When you get to one and you try pitching the edges of the kissimmee grass, maybe try topwater on the edges, whatever it is you do...on the edges and it dosent work, no bites nothing. What is your next step? I guess with me I look for submerged grass that is further out from the kissimee grass but unseen with the naked eye. I try throwing plastics and working that, maybe rattle trap. I would call that my step 2. I really don't have a step three...Im usually kind of lost after that. What is your angle of approach on these kissimmee grass lined Florida lakes that are so prevelant in Central Florida?

12 hours huh? That stinks. That basically makes it impossible to do in the same day...guess that is why most people just buy them. Would be perfect if you lived on a lake...just bait them up by the dock and net them before you go out. I also did not know about that law. I dont want to break the law even if they dont enforce it much so I guess I will take the net out of the boat. I am googling it now but I cant find anything. I guess I could try the small hook/cane pole shiner catching tecnique but seems like that would take a LOOOONG time to get enough to really use.

I have been debating that. I cant go for 2 or 3 weeks after this so Im kinda forcing the trip I guess. Darn it. My thought was to stay out of the thick wood and anchor and fish shiners. Another thing that I did last time I was there that worked well was instead of trying to troll through the wood when the wind picked up I would just troll to a new spot and kind of wedge the boat in between two stumps and then just fish 360 degrees around the boat.

No Im not sure if they are where I am baiting. Do you stick to small ponds and canals and stuff or are you able to catch them on the main parts of lakes, edges, etc? Where do you that Purina Game Fish Food? Never heard of it. I have used oatmeal but I bought some cat food because I read to mix it. I think this weekend Im giong to try baiting up an area and leaving a container or something full of cat food and oatmeal staked at the spot and come back later. Maybe that is it, Im not baiting and giving it enough time. When you say come back later do you mean like the next day or a few hours?

I have read some articles on catching them, I can throw a cast net very well, I have tried oatmeal baiting for them but am not attracting any. Do any of ya'll actually catch your own or does everyone just buy them? So far I have only tried throwing the oatmeal out, havent tried leaving a bait can for them and coming back later. So far I have tried in shallow/weedy shore areas...thoughts? I am headed to the Stick Marsh on Sat and wanted to try it there if possible. I figure after the wind picks up its going to be hard to troll in and out of the wood so I was going to try anchoring up and drifting shiners down wind if I can catch them. Maybe I should just break down and buy some. Always seems like when I buy live bait though a lot goes to waste...hate to spend $50 bucks on shiners and not catch anything and end up tossing them out or giving them away.

My experience in GA/FL has been the opposite of all this anger...I cant count the number of people that come out and tell me 'a guy caught a ten pounder right over there a couple weeks ago'. Its always a 10 pounder and its always right over there. I humor them and act excited and cast several times into that spot. Ive had them stand out there and stare at me like Im definatly about to catch it again. Could some of this issue be the south vs other parts of the country?

I was thinkin the other day while fishing something about this that applies. Not that I am striving to be a profesional bass fisherman but I figure if I did want to be one and I had an unlimited budget...as in I could fish every day all week, travel wherever I wanted, etc. I would probably seek out the best guides on the profesional circuit lakes and fish with one for a few days, then fish by myself, then go to another lake...do the same. That would have to be as close to going to bass fishing school as available to train to go pro.

Good info thank you. I am going to check these all out. John's Lake is the only one listed so far that I have fished. It has some wood here and there but I was more thinking something chaulked full. Like flooded forests basically Maybe what I am yearning for is for a Stick Marsh closer to Orlando

The easiest way to find out who owns a property is the county property appriasers office. Most counties in GA and FL (where I hav experience) have put their records online. If not you can go to the county courthouse but probably not practical. If online... Google "Blank County + property appraiser" When you find the website (usually a .gov) find your way to their online property parcel maps, maybe GIS Mapping, just look for map and click. You hopefully will get to an online map that you can zoom in and out. Usually it will have the parcel lines showing where properties start/stop. Find the pond in question and select it (usually you have to choose the select tool). Details including the current owner should pop up somewhere. If it is city/county/state/department of transportation (DOT), whatever it will say that. If it is a person it will tell you that and you will know who to ask for when you stop by. If it is an LLC, Corp, whatever (often it is) try this... Google your state + secretary of state. The secretary of state tracks corporation registrations in that state. Usually they have a search online. Search the name of the LLC or Corp on their website. It will bring you to a record...click on the record and usually will give you names of officers in the corporation which is probably the owners name.

I recently went through my stuff and took a bunch out. Im a BIG sucker for plastics, there are just so many that look so good in the store but then out on the water I dont have the confidence to hardly tie them on. One thing that has been awesome though, until this past Christmas I had only 1 GOOD rod/baitcaster setup. I was constantly cutting and tying something new on. I got 2 more nice rod/reels for xmas and that is SOOOOOO nice to be able to have 3 rigs setup on the deck...wow I dont know how I fished before! I remember when I only had one I would get this paralysis...I would start seeing fish on the surface when I had a carolina rig on or somtehing and it was like 'AH do I cut it off and tie on that popper or should I fish this ledge before I blow off of it'. I think one thing that helps is to resolve not to overflow out of whatever containers or tackle boxe you have the proper space for. Like right now I know in my crankbait plano box I only have 2 more spaces so the most I could get in there is 4 more crankbaits. Helps to limit my spending at BPS or the WONDERFUL local baitshop I have RIGHT down the street that has a HUGE ROOM of plastics alone.

Besides Stick Marsh...anyone know of any Central Florida lakes with a lot of wood/submerged trees in them? I get tired of fishing weed lines and seeing the same old grass bowls What about any small lakes, like 5000 acres or less, even large ponds that you can put a boat into? Something other than the FWC typical lakes like Ivanhoe and a few others in Orlando. Anything else? Interesting wooded Ocala ponds? Something different.

My Dad bought an al john boat with a 30hp johnson on it new in 94. We used it in salt, brackish, whataever. He let my friends and I use it and we used it HARD in highschool and college. Then after college I used the boat all the time, eventually we sold it to a friend of mine who uses and abuses it. It is still going strong today. Not sure about the VRO system but that little motor is tough and runs great 15 years later. I second the only welded aluminum theory. The above mentioned boat is riveted and we never found a way to keep it dry inside. When it gets wet, enevitably you get a little mixed fuel in the water inside the boat...then you have a wet oil slick every time you are on the water. Not fun to walk on, not fun to clean. I also second that gell coat is not that fragil. I bump mine into stumps and stuff all the time and no damage. Maybe a scratch here and there but it is worth it for the stability, the dry ride, and the storage. Check out Nitro's entry level boats (700 and 750). There seem to be more of these on the used market than any other, at least in my area. I paid $6200 for my 1999 with 115 Mercury. The only thing that has been disapointing is the steering (non hydraulic). Turning my motor at slow speeds is a pain. I intend to add hydraulic as soon as I have extra money. That is something to consider, may want to factor that into a test drive. Everything else about my boat I love. If you do go AL I would definatly do something like a Bass Tracker with a full deck and compartments. It is so wonderful to have compartments for everything and not have gear sliding around all over the place.

Its no coincidence...its a fact. Google does that with gmail and they are going to start doing it with your browsing history (there will be a permanant opt out for the browsing history thing.

What is driving me crazy right now is knowing the fish are biting at the Stick Marsh and not being able to get down there cause of the J-O-B. Wonder what the wife would think if I told her I was taking off a week to go fishing Either loosing or catching a big one (finally now I have had both experiences) really fans the flame within!