salmicropterus

What would be a good rod, as to length, action, etc for fishing a swim jig. Assume <.5 oz swim jig, 30-40# braided line or 15-20# Flouroclear. Vegetation is always an issue here so it needs to be beefy enough to get the fish under clear very quickly. What do you dedicated swim jiggers use?

This topic has been discussed a lot (see next page of this group called "South Florida") and also in the section dealing with other species so there is a lot of information for you there. Bottom line summary, the peacock kill was extensive in Broward and Palm Beach and pretty bad in Dade. While there are sporadic catches in Broward your best shot with be the C-4 (Tamiami Canal) or further south like the C-100, C-101 etc. Even there, the catch rates are about half of normal for this time of year

If you get a 1099 whatever amount, you should report. The IRS has a payer/payee EIN/SSN system that cross matches all amounts no matter how small. Not reporting a small amount can trigger a flag which can cause bigger problems. Not worth it. Same thing with not report-don't let a small reporting problem cause a bigger problem besides as one of the posts said, you can offset fishing expense against the income to pay no taxes on that income. It just doesn't make sense to cut those corners

Yeah, how'd that work out for them? LOL. I think KVD's head is locked tight

Absolutely positively Steve Daniel out of Roland Martin's @ Clewiston. Former Elite pro and featured on one of the first Day on the Lake shows on ESPN. He is a teacher and you will learn a lot and he will put you on fish as well PM me and I can give you more info

I think this has been a great thread and it has really got me thinking. I belong to 2 bass clubs with maybe 60 anglers total and there is only a few people who throw a swimjig, maybe a few more if you count in a chatterbait type swim jig and no one drags one around. Most of the water down here doesn;t have man-made strcuture like docks etc but I have done that where there is some. I have just started throwing a swimjig as a surrogate for a spinnerbait-can't say as I have had any real success yet but I will. As far as dragging a jig around I can see it having the same application here as dragging a 10" worm around scattered grass, stick-ups and canegrass with hard bottoms. Maybe this will show the bass something different.

ditto that. that canal is the C-4 and has a lot of LM-the peacocks have taken a hit there but there are some. There is a ramp on the south side of on of the lagoons there right across from MIA airport

I personally wouldn't have any trouble with either of those bags pictured in your post, particularly if you stow and use them as you described Under your legs or on the non-boater seat.. Where its problemmatical is if someone starts leaving plastic boxes out or have multiple bags out even if small. Inevitably it gets spread out and then in the way. A large single bag is pretty good if everything is kept in it.

I was out at Holiday yesterday and we fished the center canal, the upper end of the Miami canal and one of the flats. The numbers were decent in the two canal areas-no size to speak of though. Just typical bank and pad beating with senkos either t-rigged or wacky. Had some bites in the flats and hooked a few. Water temp still hovering around 60. I think if you are after size or need to win a T or qualify for KOTG the flats is the option but that is a zero/hero deal. I hear the Fingers have been good but I haven't been up there myself though I think the winners of the last KOTG qualifier did most of their damage there.

The source of those estimates I gave were from a peacock specific guide who is on the water 300+ days a year everywhere from PBC down to the C-100 and south near Homestead. He in turn spoke to a person from FWC and got some estimates from them that was worse than even his observation was. Up in Palm Beach Gardens I'd be surprised if near any survived that far north. There have been surprises though as some were caught in the Alley out west at MM41. What has been amazing was how bad Dade has been hit. It has been believed that canals down there drawing off the Biscayne Aquafir would maintain water temps at least high enough to have a decent survival rate but the water like in the C-4 got into the mid 50s and pretty much held there 4-5 days back in January. It remains to be seen about the "resi" lakes. I live on one in Cooper City and I am seeing lots of mayans and tilapia swimming around and not a lot of floaters-it's never been a great peacock fishery so I can't speak to that. The lake has some 25-30' holes in it. The guide I referred to is finding some fish but the catch rates are more like 10-12 a day rather than 30-40 or more. Whether that's an indication of mortality or sluggishness-only time will tell

Gold Digger too! my mistake

That is a good job on a tough day! Days like that really make me think hard about getting a Power Pole. On the Skinny Dipper, Angler's in Clewiston carries them. the most popular color is Houdini and they are usually sold out of that one. I've used the Dirty Sanchez (gotta love Andre's names) in the Trixie Shark

90%+ kill rate north of Alligator Alley 50% kill rate at Dade/Broward line 30-40% south of there It's pretty bad but they will come back!

Ditto. I would try and cover water with plastic topwaters or wake baits such as Horny Toad (Ribbet-my favorite), Skinny Dippers and Gambler Flappin Shad. You could have fish in pre-spawn, spawn and even post-spawn patterns. Work both the insides and outsides of grass lines and the advice about sandy or shell bottom and clean water is excellent Florida advice 365 days a year.

Those of you that fish them or imitations, what are you using as to rod specs, line, hooks, weights (if any). Here's my issue. I find a lot of fish with the SD, in fact it's kind of my go-to deal but I miss a lot of fish. I realize that missing fish is part of the deal with a bait and technique like that but what concerns me is the number of fish that are lost after initial hook-up. Yeah, you lose some in the vegetation down here but my percentage is p-poor like 50%. If I could improve that to 75% it would make a huge difference. My setup is a Shimano Crucial rod, 7' MH with a fast tip. It got unintentionally trimmed to 6-10. I use 40# braid to get a little better cast length and 4/0 Gamy weighted hooks although I've experminented with small bullet slip sinkers as well, and sometimes with screw-in nose weights. My sense is that while a good rod the rod may be lacking a bit in backbone. Of course, maybe I just suck too. This has been very frustrating

I think there are a lot of legitimate points of view on both sides of this discussion. For me, I book out my whole year's schedule pretty much at the beginning of the year. If I've got a tournament at a totally unfamilar place what I try to do is get there for a day or two, about 2-3 months in advance, just so I am not wasting so much time getting around when the actual pre-fish time occurs, more proximate to the tournament. I have hired guides to do this-just show me the lay of the land also and to Keri's point, particularly down here in Florida, to show where's not safe to do or go. I don't feel a compelling need to bust off a lower unit to show I'm a good sport. That said, during actual pre-fish, I'd rather find my own spots and figure out my own game plan rather than get a predetermined mindset and not have lot's of Plan Bs. But, if it's within the rules, then it's ok by me if someone else does it- if you don't like it work to get the rule changed or don't fish that trail anymore. BTW, all of the pros I know are meticulous about not violating the "no non-public information" black-out period that all of the top circuits have.

Bring your plastic pushbutton reels to BPS. Offer everything else to the forum here, or ebay. For sure-you will not get anywhere near full value for a reel like that-the program is designed to harvest cheapies. I couple years ago they were reconditioning them and donating them to kid's fishing groups. I don;t know about now

I've got 6 tournaments up there the next 8 weeks. Maybe even I can do good 8-)

Good advice! and just walk before you run. Make it short-get it right then lengthen over time

Tim Fey is good from what I've heard. BTW, isn't Clermont to the northwest of Orlando? Up that way, you'd also have the Harris Chain to consider. Agree also on SM/Farm 13 with Mr. Welcome but it's on the other side of Orlando

I think it's hugely important. Up at the Lake, you fish a lot of bullrush clumps and stick-ups of pencil reeds. It is amazing how often you will get hit just be approaching the same cover from different angles. It is actually a paradise for the non-boater because they can see some great angles even casting back at the clump or stick-up while the boater is focused forward

LM at 8.80# caught at Lake Okeechobee near Clewiston. Caught on a Bass Magic 5.5" hollow body swimbait, Caught at Noon or so in pre-frontal conditions-warm and windy with some cloud cover. No SM down here but largest Florida Peacock (Florida Smallmouth I call them ) at 6.72# caught on a spook-early morning warm day clear sky.

I'd have a conversation with a prospective guide and have a candid discussion of what you want and expect. For example, if you hate watching 6 bobbers with shiners attached, I'd be pretty clear about that so you don't get stuck doing that-after all it's you paying the bill. At the same time, guides don't know what to expect when a new client shows up as to experience, ability, expectations etc. so they may make assumptions to the lowest denominator. Again, what's best for you and the guide is a conversation beforehand

And that is a very good answer to a very good question. You said what I would have wanted to say but better. I love this sport because I like its complexity but sometimes (a lot) I over-think things. I do better when I just fish!

I'm with the other Florida guys here. I've never heard of it being a problem and no one I know of has either. It's not been on the agenda when any of my bass clubs schedule a trip there. Where has this info been posted?