i am fishing an FBN compete and greet on alligator alley july 31st, I have never been there does any one have any hints or info that might help me find and catch some fish? what kind of cover and structure there is, water color, so on.

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jdscustombaits MONSTER WORMS

The bass are holding tight in the cover after the sun starts getting hot. You got to get back into the weeds. At first light, floating crank baits usually gets some action. I use trick worms (wat/red, wat/purple), but large worms are also effective. Frogs can be very good there as well. I have had some success with DT6 in gold/black cast parallel to the weeds.If you start catching in a area, work that area over real good. Depending where you are, the canals are generally 6-15 feet deep. Watch out when you are passing through the weirs(narrow spots in the canal) because they are VERY shallow(1-2') and there might be large rocks. Use caution.

Vegetation is mostly hydrilla, lilly pads, overhanging trees and sawgrass. Hope some of this helps. Good luck.

Glades hit it on the head with his tips. I've also had a lot of luck with trick worms in bright colors, especially white. Also you can never go wrong out there with a good ole senko. You'll be fishing in some very thick cover... rig accordingly. Good luck let us know how you did!

what are the rules as far as running in there?

what are the rules as far as running in there?

You will be fishing in canals and not lakes fyi. The canals are not very wide so it is good manners to slow down when passing other boats ( you will be 10 to 20 ft away). If you can find an area to enter the "flats", I beleive you need a pole/ flag that is 10ft in length, but I am not 100% sure on that. I don't usually go to far into the flats so if I hear another boat or airboat in the area I head back to the canal. The FWC does patrol on airboats quite a bit out there. Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary.

Also from your original question, I don't think anyone mentioned but the water is very murky/ stained out there. If I can figure out how I will post some pics from out there so you can see what your in for. Also check some of Captain Shanes posts he posted some pics from out there not to long ago.

ok, thanks, I asked about running cause the canal system I fish on the west coast of florida, some you can run some you cant. so are basically saying run just use normal common desency and stop when u get near other boats.

Were are you putting in MM 41?

MM38, im not really sure where it is as im coming from the west coast

Use google earth to get a satelite image of the canal system. You can zoom in there pretty good to get an idea of the canal system. Some of the canals dead end, you will have to go under the alley bridges to continue east or west. The canals banks that have the deeper water are usually best IMHO. Never hurts to throw a big swim bait down the center of the canals too.

As afar as rules, you can run the canals but the common courtesy is to slow down if you encounter a boat unless they wave you through in which case you jump back on plane. Idle under the bridges to go from the north to the south canals or vice versa. 38 is on the north side west of the rest area-that will give you access to the Alley and if you back track east to the Miami Canal if the water is high enough and it should be. As mentioned, best to troll through the weirs (if you look very closely at Google Earth, you can see them-they are tight little passageways on the edge of a berm on either the north or south side. In your pre-fish I would suggest learning the weirs and passages just so you don't have to think about it on T days.

Senko's t-rigged and wacky, floating frogs thrown in the worst places, 10" worm to drag the ledges. That time of year, the fish may have moved off the ledges into the deeper areas so mid-level crankbait, swimbait (try to weighted ones) and even a C-rig can be effective if they've moved deep

Carolina Rig the bridge pilings in mid day.

Carolina Rig the bridge pilings in mid day.

2X and shaky-head too