FD.

150 yds might as well be five miles. I find that if you look at 1000 yds of shore line, there will be a spot 10 yds wide that will produce more fish than the other 990. I use the search bait to find the fish, then hit it hard with a worm, and finally pitch a bug at every thing that looks good. Most of the time I catch 2 or 3 without moving the boat. Last January, the wife and I caught 25 2-3 lbers out of a little pocket in the Kissimee grass that was not 10 yards wide.

I never sit on a bed and sight fish. I always fish for the staging fish either on the way in or out. Bass hate blue gill because they are always around the beds trying to get the fry so a swim bait works well. I start on the first hard break between deeper water and the spawn area and work my way in with a search bait (usually a skinny dipper or a swim jig).

Right now i would throw a swimbait or a swimbait or a swimbait. Big EZ, Skinny Dipper, Super Fluke.

I have three on the deck of my stratos that I have to replace every two years or so because, wait for it, the rubber cover wears out.

Thanks to BocaBruce for the gambler Big EZ's I got in the mail. I was throwing dippers today wishing I had something bigger.

http://www.goballisticcase.com/

Regardless of the carrier, if you own a smart phone get yourself a $40 ballistic case. My galaxy s has been dropped from a front end loader, run over by a tractor, dropped in the parking lot more times than I can count and even in a mud puddle at least once. If you take it out of the case it looks brand new with no problems at all.

So....The're back showboating 1 on 1 trying to see who can get the biggest shoe contract. Pass, I will stick to the ncaa game. At least they pretend it is still a team game.

Happy Xmas to all. Hope to see yall soon.

There are 3 reasons that I have fished tournaments. 1. When I was new to bass fishing in Florida - fished as a non boater in maybe 25 tournaments - It never cost me more than 100 bucks including gas money - I was with the winning boater twice. Where else are you going get a guide for under a Franklin a day. 2. I am a fiercely competetive person and I'm getting old. I played baseball through college, played Polo until I was 38 and have run triathalons. I'm now 45 and my body won't let me do anything but bike and fish. Tournament fishing gets me my competition fix. 3. I fish most of the time with my wife and kids. But occasionally I fish in a team tournament that draws over 100 boats and the best fishermen in the state of Florida just to see how good I am.

My favorite so far! My accomplishment: 2011 was spent fishing with Nicole, Taylor and Nick. I did not catch anything outstanding (7 lbs was my biggest) but they ALL had PB's this year. 2012 - I am claiming that I will be a factor in the 2012 Accent Team trail. I have 3 partners available that are on a roll.

Merry Christmas to you and Keri. This site is wonderful and I agree with you on the quality of people that are here to associate with.

Nice fish Rob. I have got to come down and fish with you guys. That water in the background is awesome looking.

I just replaced mine this spring and they were better than the original. http://www.boatingseats.com/bass-boat-seats-426.aspx

You are most welcome! <<<<<<< That blueberry vibe is what Taylor boated her 7 lber on this summer. And hurry up with that secret bait that is going to help me dominate Kissimmee this year. This is my favorite thread of the year...seeing all the cool stuff everyone gets!

I have a hand control TM on the deck of my stratos with 3 "BIG FOOT" foot switches. You still have to give it direction and adjust speed by hand but on/off is foot controlled. Kind of the best of both worlds.

The catfish in Kissimmee have a fondness for firetiger crankbaits. I caught 2 over 10lbs last year. Got a trash slam one day on a bomber 6a. Catfish, Pickerel, Mudfish.

I was on Kissimmee, Cypress and Hatch on Saturday. Water temps were in the mid 60's, overcast, with a light wind. I expected to see a heavy pre spawn feeding frenzy and could not find any fish. Late in the day in protected waters there were a few fish cruising but not eating. I would say the first weekend in January with good weather would be the first major spawn.

Thanks, and I feel the same way more often than I used to.

"My Content" button is not working for me this morning.

Well I am proud of team FD. They made all the calls on moving, locations, baits and patterns. They fished hard right up to the gun. They fished exactly how I expected them to. The only problem was that it was a typical winter day on Kissimmee. You were either on the fish or you are not. And we were not. They called for North Cove in the am, then a move to the canals on Cypress and then back to Hatch for a few spots on the way back in. One the the best parts is that they knew where they were and what they were doing and why the whole day. Listening to the placing teams talk on stage it was obvious that some of them did not even know what part of the lake they were on and were doing what they were told. It's a little irritating the some of the other captains did not follow the rules as strict as it did. No matter the outcome it was the best birthday I have ever had. I spent the whole day with my favorite kids doing what we all love. Awesome day.

I weight everything over 5 lbs. The kids and I went out on a private lake about 3 years ago and our "best 5" were close to 36. We had 3 over 8 and 2 over 5 and they were all on a spook. That was the only day I have ever pulled any thing close to those numbers.

So I have been awake now for almost an hour. I just woke the kids up, and they are getting ready. As it turns out, I don't even get to much of a coach. No suggestions, can't put them on fish, nothing, nada. So for 2 hours last night we went over strategies and locations. They have to make all the calls and I just drive them to where they want to go. We will see how well they have been taught. I'm so stressed out.

So if you have been around a while you have seen my daughter Taylor (15) and my nephew Nick (14) learn to fish over the past few years. They have even fished with me in tournaments. Well that is all changing now. Saturday they are fishing as a team in the inaugural SAF High School team tournament out of Camp Mack. I get to be their "coach" and boat driver. I'm so excited I could not sleep last night. I may explode before Saturday.