George Welcome

Florida GFC: Age and Growth - Growth rates are highly variable with differences attributed mainly to their food supply and length of growing season. Female bass live longer than males and are much more likely to reach trophy size. By age two or three, females grow much faster than male bass. Males seldom exceed 16 inches, while females frequently surpass 22 inches. At five years of age females may be twice the weight of males. One-year old bass average about seven inches in length and grow to an adult size of 10 inches in about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years. The oldest bass from Florida whose age has been determined by fisheries biologists was 16 year of age. Generally, trophy bass (10 pounds and larger) are about 10 years old.

Outstanding - extremely insightful. As so adroitly put: you shoulda been here tomorrow! As to fish moving to another lake: I do believe we don't have the memories that we think we have, and some days we just put in on the wrong lake and don't realize it. However, who can remember?

"George who runs the Stick Marsh Bait and Tackle told me that he prefers the fishing in April and May on Stick Marsh / Farm 13 as opposed to February and March. " Just a slight correction: I don't run Stick Marsh Bait and Tackle - Imagination Bassin Guide Services is my company. Top water time is coming very soon and will last through the two months and more.

Look on west wall: "Fishermen's shack" draw a diagonal line to the se corner, "pump head" South of that line: IDLE Use common sense out here and you will be fine.

That is 100% correct which is why on my page it says: "There are times that no matter how hard we work, and how much we know, the fish just won't cooperate. We make no promises that we can't keep, so we do not offer you any phony guarantee of numbers of fish that you will catch, or size of fish. We do guarantee our best effort on your behalf. Our previous customers will verify that and we can supply a vast list of references." However if you are going to last in this business you best win the majority.

That is important knowledge for fishermen, because most people think that once the female leaves the bed, only the male is left. It is true that the female only guards the nest for a short time before moving away, but other females will come to that nest. The other thing to keep in mind is that this isn't a long, drawn-out process. Once the water reaches the upper 60 degrees, which is ideal, it only takes about three or four days for the eggs to hatch. I think the male will spend about six weeks on the beds as the females rotate through, but the whole spawning season happens over three full moons, bringing a new wave of spawning with get full moon period. Just an addition: remember that this time frame will vary greatly by location. For example, here in the sunny south the spawn occurs from December thru May, with other fish spawning outside that period. Contact your local DNR for the information on your area.

I can only say "wow"! 18 years old and you want to be a guide? Get your education! First and foremost to be successful at this business you need to be an ace of a fisherman. Do you have the experience to be able to show and tell people how to fish? Every day is a tournament out there, but without the luxury of not winning most of the time. You have to produce!

Biggest difference is the decision factor - Florida strain picks up - decides, and spits. If you don't strike on the first tick you probably won't catch them. Northern strain hold longer. Beyond that I have seen no major difference.

Subspecies - Two are recognized: the northern largemouth (M. s. salmoides) and the Florida largemouth (M. s. floridanus). The two look much the same, but the Florida largemouth has 69-73 scales along the lateral line compared to the northern largemouth's 59-65 scales. Florida bass grow to trophy size more readily than northern largemouth in warm waters. Range - Originally, the Florida largemouth was found only in peninsular Florida, but they have been stocked in several other states including Texas and California. Pure northern largemouth bass are not found in Florida. Genetic intergrades between the subspecies, however, occur throughout north Florida. Range to guarantee a Florida largemouth - northernmost extreme follows the Florida weather line which extends from Tampa to Melbourne. Any bass north of that line are either F1 integrades or will soon be.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - here's a few thousand:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - here's a few thousand:

Nothing like being in total agreement. ;D ;D ;D :

For reasons not to do with fishing, I wouldn't want you on my boat since that is your attitude. As for a current report on Kissimmee. Your pretty much left with doing some intensive internet research. You might try calling Camp Mack: Camp Mack's River Resort 14900 Camp Mack Road Lake Wales, Florida 33898 (863) 696-1108 Toll Free: (800) 243-8013

I get e-mails and calls daily asking me: where's the reports? Am I okay? Folks, let me tell you. I have been busier than you know what and have not had the opportunity to keep up with the reports. The following trips have been made since the last report and most have been successful. However, we have had some wind to deal with and when the wind got up the catching fell down. From a low of 1 fish in the boat to a high of 73 fish in the boat, the last month has been most interesting. Kevin Busch of Toms River, NJ on the 23rd of February Mike Quinto of Boone, NC on the 23rd of February Bob Qua of St. Albans, VT on the 25th, 26th, 28th, and 29th of February Bruce Stangle of Silverton, OH on the 25th of February Dave Storm of Stewardson, IL on the 26th of February Bob Qua of St. Albans, VT on the 1st of March Joe Vennarini of Philladelphia, PA on the 3rd and 4th of March Gary James of Greensboro, GA and friends - 4 boats on 5th and 6th of March Joe Justice and Charles of Winabow, NC on the 7th of March Kenny Case of Wantagh, NY and friends - 2 boats on the 8th and 9th of March Jim Poindexter of Lake Oswego, OR on the 11th of March Gary Morgan of Oxford, ME and friends Mike and Fred on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th of March Bill Payne and son Doug of Murray, KY on the 17th of March: 1/2 AM Debbie Marchi and friends Marcie and Bob of VanDalia, OH on the 19th of March: Full Marty Plennet and son Paul of Vero Beach, FL on the 20th of March: 1/2 AM Jim Pardick and friend Jerry of Palm City, FL on the 20th of March: 1/2 PM Jim Pardick and Friend Jerry of Palm City, FL on the 21st of March: 1/2 AM In every case the most productive bait has been the Gary Yamamoto 5" Swimming Senko followed by the 5" Senko and the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap 1/2 ounce. For any of the Gary Yamamoto products used the general rule of color has been simply dark. For the Rat-L- Trap, the color of choice has been chrome/blue w/orange belly. Productive locations: Presently we are in the midst of our extensive spawn. Spawning Habits - Spawning occurs from December through May, but usually begins in February and March in most of Florida when water temperatures reach 58 to 65 degrees and continues as temperatures rise into the 70s. Depending on the year the occurrence of spawn dictates our fishing location and for the last month that has been in the deep south areas of Farm 13, with a smaller area that has produced some nice fish in the area we call the "Back Lot". Fishing the south end of Farm 13 takes considerable care as the stumps are huge and getting seriously hung up on one, or having one damage your boat and very much a possibility. However, with care and patience it is very workable. The producing spots are not seeable due to the dark waters of the Marsh/Farm, but finding them is simple enough. Find a stump, and find a stump. I like to call this our "bump a stump" period. For the most part, the numbers will come from closer to the south levee, and the bigger gals will come from areas further out into the lake. Working the Back Lot presents a bit of difference in that the cover is brush instead of stumps. Casting a weightless Senko, or a spinner bait directly into the brush will give your best bait and production target. Again, patience is key here as the bass move in and out of the area throughout the day. The Back Lot is located up the C54 canal region on the north end of the Marsh. During the early part of the spawn cycle the above mentioned baits will be most effective in producing outstanding catches for you. In the later part of this cycle as the bass recover from the rigors of the spawn, our number one bait switches to everyone's dream bait: the top water. We are about a week away from that period and it will extend well into May. Our best producer in the many choices of top water baits is the Storm Rattlin Chug Bug in 3/8th ounce. Although it is obvious that other top water baits will work, our number one choice is the Chug Bug. Interesting Read about the top water bite on this lake. I hear almost daily concern expressed about the lack of Hydrilla on the Marsh/Farm. During the storms of 2004 a rather stout crop of Hydrilla that was in the lake was completely yanked out and blown out of the lake. Now, with the lack of Hydrilla the question is where to fish. It seems that for many, without the Hydrilla leading them to obvious fishing locations, the catching has become much more difficult. The Hydrilla simply led you to the more heavily concentrated areas of wood. These areas of heavier wood were the openings in the beds of Hydrilla. Knowing a bit about the lake is much more important now, however with some patience and some exploring it's not so difficult to find. Also, knowing the seasonal habits of our bass is much more important now. The Hydrilla will come back, but conditions need to be right. For those that think that there is possibly some from of treatment of the lake's water to keep plant life down: There is no treatment taking place. Treatment would be counter-productive to the purpose of the lake which is first and foremost the clean-up of water run-off from the extensive Fellsmere Farms, but it also would be cost prohibitive. The only treatment that takes place on this lake is the contact spraying of Hyacinth. The spray used is a contact spray only with an extremely low tolerance to dilution. Once it hits the water it is harmless. The Hydrilla will return! Some of the fish caught in the last month: 9 bass over 8-pounds; 3 bass over 9-pounds; 2 bass over 10-pounds. There have been reports of multiple bass over 10-pounds with the grand-daddy report of one that went over 15-pounds. Both numbers and size will be on the increase over the next two months and most of them will come on top water. If you want to sample a bit of this action give me a shout. I still have several openings in April and May and would be glad to share my knowledge of this fantastic body of water. See you out there. If you get the chance swing by and say hi.

I get e-mails and calls daily asking me: where's the reports? Am I okay? Folks, let me tell you. I have been busier than you know what and have not had the opportunity to keep up with the reports. The following trips have been made since the last report and most have been successful. However, we have had some wind to deal with and when the wind got up the catching fell down. From a low of 1 fish in the boat to a high of 73 fish in the boat, the last month has been most interesting. Kevin Busch of Toms River, NJ on the 23rd of February Mike Quinto of Boone, NC on the 23rd of February Bob Qua of St. Albans, VT on the 25th, 26th, 28th, and 29th of February Bruce Stangle of Silverton, OH on the 25th of February Dave Storm of Stewardson, IL on the 26th of February Bob Qua of St. Albans, VT on the 1st of March Joe Vennarini of Philladelphia, PA on the 3rd and 4th of March Gary James of Greensboro, GA and friends - 4 boats on 5th and 6th of March Joe Justice and Charles of Winabow, NC on the 7th of March Kenny Case of Wantagh, NY and friends - 2 boats on the 8th and 9th of March Jim Poindexter of Lake Oswego, OR on the 11th of March Gary Morgan of Oxford, ME and friends Mike and Fred on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th of March Bill Payne and son Doug of Murray, KY on the 17th of March: 1/2 AM Debbie Marchi and friends Marcie and Bob of VanDalia, OH on the 19th of March: Full Marty Plennet and son Paul of Vero Beach, FL on the 20th of March: 1/2 AM Jim Pardick and friend Jerry of Palm City, FL on the 20th of March: 1/2 PM Jim Pardick and Friend Jerry of Palm City, FL on the 21st of March: 1/2 AM In every case the most productive bait has been the Gary Yamamoto 5" Swimming Senko followed by the 5" Senko and the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap 1/2 ounce. For any of the Gary Yamamoto products used the general rule of color has been simply dark. For the Rat-L- Trap, the color of choice has been chrome/blue w/orange belly. Productive locations: Presently we are in the midst of our extensive spawn. Spawning Habits - Spawning occurs from December through May, but usually begins in February and March in most of Florida when water temperatures reach 58 to 65 degrees and continues as temperatures rise into the 70s. Depending on the year the occurrence of spawn dictates our fishing location and for the last month that has been in the deep south areas of Farm 13, with a smaller area that has produced some nice fish in the area we call the "Back Lot". Fishing the south end of Farm 13 takes considerable care as the stumps are huge and getting seriously hung up on one, or having one damage your boat and very much a possibility. However, with care and patience it is very workable. The producing spots are not seeable due to the dark waters of the Marsh/Farm, but finding them is simple enough. Find a stump, and find a stump. I like to call this our "bump a stump" period. For the most part, the numbers will come from closer to the south levee, and the bigger gals will come from areas further out into the lake. Working the Back Lot presents a bit of difference in that the cover is brush instead of stumps. Casting a weightless Senko, or a spinner bait directly into the brush will give your best bait and production target. Again, patience is key here as the bass move in and out of the area throughout the day. The Back Lot is located up the C54 canal region on the north end of the Marsh. During the early part of the spawn cycle the above mentioned baits will be most effective in producing outstanding catches for you. In the later part of this cycle as the bass recover from the rigors of the spawn, our number one bait switches to everyone's dream bait: the top water. We are about a week away from that period and it will extend well into May. Our best producer in the many choices of top water baits is the Storm Rattlin Chug Bug in 3/8th ounce. Although it is obvious that other top water baits will work, our number one choice is the Chug Bug. Interesting Read about the top water bite on this lake. I hear almost daily concern expressed about the lack of Hydrilla on the Marsh/Farm. During the storms of 2004 a rather stout crop of Hydrilla that was in the lake was completely yanked out and blown out of the lake. Now, with the lack of Hydrilla the question is where to fish. It seems that for many, without the Hydrilla leading them to obvious fishing locations, the catching has become much more difficult. The Hydrilla simply led you to the more heavily concentrated areas of wood. These areas of heavier wood were the openings in the beds of Hydrilla. Knowing a bit about the lake is much more important now, however with some patience and some exploring it's not so difficult to find. Also, knowing the seasonal habits of our bass is much more important now. The Hydrilla will come back, but conditions need to be right. For those that think that there is possibly some from of treatment of the lake's water to keep plant life down: There is no treatment taking place. Treatment would be counter-productive to the purpose of the lake which is first and foremost the clean-up of water run-off from the extensive Fellsmere Farms, but it also would be cost prohibitive. The only treatment that takes place on this lake is the contact spraying of Hyacinth. The spray used is a contact spray only with an extremely low tolerance to dilution. Once it hits the water it is harmless. The Hydrilla will return! Some of the fish caught in the last month: 9 bass over 8-pounds; 3 bass over 9-pounds; 2 bass over 10-pounds. There have been reports of multiple bass over 10-pounds with the grand-daddy report of one that went over 15-pounds. Both numbers and size will be on the increase over the next two months and most of them will come on top water. If you want to sample a bit of this action give me a shout. I still have several openings in April and May and would be glad to share my knowledge of this fantastic body of water. See you out there. If you get the chance swing by and say hi.

Boat upholstery shop - have them rebuilt.

Depends on what you mean by thick vegatation: if you are talking about the fields of spatterdock than no to the the southern end. Basically, if there is weed and open water around it, it is good fishing. If it is comepletely filled with spatterdock, you would be wasting time.

1/2 oz.. trap - 2.5 to 3..5 foot retrieval depth.

First let me say that there is no advantage to the platform where I fish. The water is black so unless conditions are extreme you are not seeing the bottom. As for your end comment: "BTW, you must be the one they were talking about, I read something on another guides website that said something to the effect of 'dont go out with some guy with a saltwater flats boat that claims to be a bass fisherman'. I guess that was directed at you. Apparently you arent much of a bass fisherman" Apparently not!!!!! Bear that in mind if you are ever in the market for a guide. Go with that other guy!

Add a poling platform and this is what we fish out of every day.

The term "flats boat" means it was designed to fish "salt water flats". I have yet had a customer that didn't love the fishability of my 20' Hewes Light Tackle. They do have a deficit in the storage areas, but not terribly so. The poling platform does not get in the way.

Diesel today in Fellsmere: 3.99 -

Regardless of why their introduction, their movement north is a weather cycle event only. The first full week of cold weather will push their population southward as the water temperatures drop. The last time they had reached northward was ended in 2003 when cold snap after cold snap drove their boundaries to solely Dade county.

Based on this response only pro-ball players are involved in the sport of baseball and for all the rest it is just a hobby. Fishing is a sport by definition. Generally speaking, the person who does something for fun, not remuneration, is called an amateur (or hobbyist), as distinct from a professional. Note: it is the individual participating that makes a difference in the classification, but the activity itself stays the same.

Florida records: Certified State Record - 17 pounds, 4-1/4 ounces, caught in an unnamed lake in Polk County in 1986. (Please check link for updates) Uncertified State Record - 20 pounds, 2 ounces, caught in Big Fish Lake (private pond) in Pasco County in 1923. Florida has gone the route of discrediting those from the past who are no longer around to defend themself. I, for one, accept the original state record of 20 pounds, 2 ounces.