FD.

RoLo gave me the idea of the spoon with a trailer but he likes a grub. I was playing with different trailers and stumbled across the fluke. It looks like a swimbait and is nearly weedless and cheap. I rig it with the hook exposed up through the back of the fluke with the spoons' weed guard intact. From the side the combo makes a little bit of a U shape but in the water the action is awesome plus it comes over the top of stuff extremely well. I had several short strikes the other day so I'm working on a trailer hook design that has the same action.

Let's just wait and see what GW has to say.

Take a johnson silver minnow and rig a fluke as a trailer. Run that over the thickest vegetation you can find. Prepare to be amazed.

I did not fall out of the boat, even once, this year. :

You will be fine Andrew. Put in at Grape Hammock and fish the pad line on the east side of the channel. Call when you get here and I will put you on some fish.

That's where the wife and I go when the wind is up. My daughter caught her first five pounder there last year this time. It is a great place to fish and I'm glad you got yourself a big one. How did you catch it?

That's scary, it could be any of US. My thoughts, prayers and a check goes out to the family.

Westchester lake near SR 580 and Countryside Blvd looks good. I have not fished it but I was working in the park several weeks ago and wished I had a rod with me. Lots of bank to walk but there are no boats allowed. If you want to try something further east into Polk let me know and I will try to get you some good info. I will be fishing Kissimmee this weekend and should have a good report.

Not yet, but they are not far away.

I grew up on a lake brim and spec fishing but never for bass. I fished my 1st bassmaster club tourney with a friend of mine in high school and did not catch a fish. I spent the next 20 years making fun of the "morons who have no life" that watch fishing on tv. : Four years ago I met my wife who loves to fish. Then I bought a boat. Then I entered my first tourney. Then I found this site. (It's mostly your fault) ;D Now I'm the moron who watches, reads, thinks, eats, and sleeps bass fishing.

Make sure you post of pic of that aspiring angler and his new stick.

There have been shad hatches in the smaller ponds this week. Crankbaits and rattle traps or even flukes should produce some fish.

Full moon in March with warm, stable weather.

I received my package a few days ago. Another math challenged BR member. ;D They will go in my stocking and I will be so suprised... No name but I assume is was from DFountain. Thanks man, I can't wait to use them on Christmas Day.

http://www.myfwc.com/RULESANDREGS/Freshwater_FishRules_index.htm

RoLo likes the flappin tail warmer swears by the senko But I have always been successful with the 10" ribbon tail in junebug.

Just give me a call Andrew. I have been doing most of my Kissimmee practicing out of Grape Hammock this year. Nicole and I stayed in a cabin in October and loved it. I was there last weekend and the Store/Resturant at SR 60 has re-opened which is good news.

Ditto on Grape Hammock. That's the place to be in a jon boat. You can stay out of the weather plus it's some of the best fishing on the lake. I would try several things depending on the weather. Top water frogs in the pads or a devils horse in open water. Swimming jig in the pads or the opening to the boat trails off of the main river channel. MD crank baits in the openings or over the scattered hydrilla near the channel. http://www.grapehammock.com/

We fished all over the lake. 7 out of 8 spots produced at least 1 fish. The most productive pattern was a shallow diving crankbait or rattle trap in a sexy shad color. They were deeper 6-8 ft holding over submerged hydrilla for the most part.

The Fl regulations for any black bass species is max 5, minimum 14" with only 1 over 22". If you are on a FMA (fish management area) then there will be signs posted at all of the ramps with the amended limits for that particular lake. There are FWC pamphlets at most bait shops that will tell you all of the game fish limits throughout the state.

We had a shimano forum? Never noticed it, won't miss it. As another business owner, I also think Glenn has the right to do what he thinks is best.

Welcome. What part of Florida are you in?

Welcome aboard. If you have any questions about local spots, just ask away. I was in your shoes just a few years ago and I will be happy to help out.

We fished through that cold front today boating 12 bass and 5 pickerel. 1 on a devils horse early, 1 on a fluke and 10 on a med diver crank (shad) in 6-8 ft over sticks or hydrilla. It seems that the front has pushed them back a little deeper. Nothing over 3 lbs.

So after reading this post, I ordered a few of the medium divers in nasty shad. They came in on Wed and I got to throw them today. WOW! Cold front blowing through, 20+ mph winds, and you can still throw them into the wind. Boated 10 fish up to 3 lbs and lost none. Most of the fish had both trebles and several were nearly gut hooked. They were inhaling this bait. I now have a new favorite crankbait.