Greetings from the scorching heat of South Florida. Haha! I grew up in Coral Springs, FL (Broward County).
I have been bass fishing down here on and off for 40 years. It started off shiner fishing in Golf course ponds with my father. I got into worm fishing in my teens and use to travel my neighborhoods canals and a few trips to Loxahatchee, which is not too far. Biggest fish ever for me was about a 7.5lbs largemouth from a pond in Eagle Trace golf club with a live shiner/bobber.
I just got back into it after about 5-6 years of just tossing in a line once in a while. I even got my Girl and my stepson into it. Which is a feat to get him off the playstation. I moved into my house a few years ago and I never really fished any of the ponds. I live in a gated community and never saw anyone fishing. Come to find out that the ponds have tons of decent size bass, biggest one I have pulled out is just under 3lbs.
I also took this time to learn to use a baitcaster, well, better than I have before. Its been fun to learn how to fish again on top of catching fish.
Really nice to have some good info, I find that in this sport, you always have something new to learn.