salmicropterus

Well I go back a ways. Started fishing in MO at LOZ, Bull Shoals and Table Rock with minnows and we basically crappie fished and caught the occassional bass. My dad would also use a jighead and a long worm and he called it a "jig and eel" and would drag it on gravelly banks. When they came out with spinnerbaits he just shook his head and laughed. He had an Ambassadeur and spent a lot time picking out tangles and I had a spin-cast Abumatic. I also had some sort of baitcaster but was under strict orders to not cast with it and just use it for vertical fishing. I guess Dad didn't want to be picking any more birdnests than his own LOL. The only fishing show I remember was a guy from Missouri named Virgil Ward. When I was 8 or so I caught a very large bass full of eggs-it weighed 8 pounds and the people at the Indian Point Marina at Table Rock took a lot of pictures and made a big deal about it. I cannot find any pictures of it but maybe it is still there on a bulliten board or something (it'd be the kid that looked like Larry Mondello {you know the kind of heavy dull kid in Leave it to Beaver}. Lot's of memories of fishing and all good. Don't really know why I left it for over 40 years but I'm glad I'm back at it

My sense is that Florida strain bass don't react well to change. There has been a heck of a lot of change these past couple weeks with the water being so cold and now warming up again. Some stability would be good. That being said, I am hearing some good reports particularly of fish coming up on beds. I think the key is find some clean water and go fishing. In the Open last week the bite evolved from a flip bite to a chase bite over the three days with Horny Toad/Cane Toads and Skinny Dippers. I think it's going to get good soon-hopefully this weekend as I have a club T out of Clewiston

2X to the third power

I really agree with this post. For me, it's not so much the "how" but the "when, where and why" that matters. I recognize from the results that others have in tough conditions that there is purpose to the technique but I can't make myelf not cover water and as much as I can. In Forida there is so much flippable cover-how do you decide what to look for? Don't mean to hijack the thread but what is the "why, where and when"?

My info is that the Okeechobee AFS is filled up-I heard that from someone who tried to enter yesterday so that may not be an option. You should check it out for yourself. Besides, that series, the old Stren, is a pretty high level to break in at, particularly at a lake like Okeechobee. Whatever you do good luck and hope it goes well for you

I have met Shaw a few times through a mutual friend and I drove a camera boat for one of the shows. He is an enthusiastic guy on and off the camera and what you see is no false front. Yes, he definitely is pushing product but that is part of the job of running a fishing show where the sponsors pay the production costs. I think at one time Strike King actually "owned" the show

A three-lake trifecta of Amistad, Falcon and Choke Canyon. MY favorite present lake is Lake Kissimmee.

Yes sir. Yep Clausen won and Morris finished 3rd as I recall. Heck of a storm and front blew through on the last day in the AM. Morris' ride back up north against all that must have been a trip!

When they had the Classic at Toho back in 05 (?) a guy went from the launch at the top end of Toho all the way down to the Kissimmee River below Lake Kissimmee. I think it was Rick Morris-that has to be close to 60 miles or so plus two lock-throughs. At the classic this past year at Shreveport, didn't a few lock down so far they only had a two hour window to fish

It may be true that FLW is having "issues" but so is everyone else. I wouldn't draw too much from this though because many of the FLW guys are going to be fishing the FLW series tournament at the same place in two weeks. A few I know saw this as one big pre-fish opportunity for that tournament in addition to the Open being be a good season-starter

I was looking for results on the interenet but didn't see any. Do you know a source for results?

Two things-their growth rate is somewhat faster than a largemouth and more importantly, many of them spawn more than once a year. The fishery can get restored pretty quickly. These fish were introduced by FWC to control the invasive tropicals that were in the water system done south. Over time, with warm winters, they migrated northward and westward but the intent, in picking the peacock to be the predator of choice was to be sure, through nature's temperature control, to never let them get into Lake Okeechobee. So, in a sad way, the theory worked. Someone else also posted about them not getting too big due to these kills-offs. That is because when they were introduced by FWC, they introduced the smallest subspecie of the 4 that exist. The grandes of Brazil are a different subspecie. These down here in SOFLA are called "butterfly" and they are the smallest, even staying somewhat small in comparison to the others down in Brazil

From what I am hearing from my sources, it sounds pretty much like a near total wipe-out north of the Alley-marginally better but not much south of the Alley in Broward and not so bad in Dade. Exceptions might be residential lakes with some depth and maybe a bit warmer water down deep. The biggest problem beyond just the dip in water temps is how prolonged this has been and will be. The days are sunny but windy and there is not any daytime warming of the water so it has been about 10 days now with water temps below 60

Finding the fish.

Lot's of dead P's at MM 41 on the Alley. It takes a couple of days for a fish dying from temperature to actually float. These were see laying on the bottom and in some cases floating

I have a Bass Pro Shop only about 8 miles from where I live and I go there a lot but I do try and throw some business to a local shop. They carry some tackle lines from smaller companies that BPS doesn't carry and I can get shiners in the AM when I take my grandkids out fishing. I might pay a little more there but I'd like to see them stay in business

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them. Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven I was out at Sawgrass on Wednesday and can confirm 1000s of tropical fish kills including Mayans which don't die off until about 52 degree water temp far below any survivability of Peacock. While there are not a lot of peacocks in that system, I think you can safely assume that the Everglades canals (Miami, L-67, the Alley) will have similar temps and similar fish kills including peacocks that are in those systems). If the canals, primarily down in Dade have connection to the Biscayne Aquifer, the temps will usually stay above 60 in those canals and the peacock will survive. Those that have migrated north in Broward, Palm Beach will be hit hard. This is what was originally intended for the Peacock when they were introduced by FWC Thanks for the info! I'm actually planning a trip next month and you seem to know the area, where would my best bet be to catch a pbass in winter down there? Thai, unless I see or hear otherwise that the Ps aren't wiped out up here, down in Dade probably the C-4 system would be your safest bet. It's the system across the highway from the Miami airport. There are other places further south but the ramps and/or the areas can be pretty dicey and I'd hate to steer you there. I'll keep my eyes open up in Broward and let you know about it's situation

I agree with you totally-that is how you get better but did I say there was a 90% chance of rain? We have a lot of people down here not prepared for these kind of condtion and you have to think of everyone in a bass club

A Heddon Lucky 13 which I realize I was clueless on how to fish it (as I still am LOL)

They're still out there. My BPS in Dania Beach Florida has a big selection of them

Our club just cancelled our T for tomorrow out of Clewiston. The 80% precip forecast did it combined with the upper 30s temp. I've heard the same thing about ther bite from a couple of the pros prefishing

I second the Grape Hammock suggestion. We call that building the bunkhouse and they recently refurbished it

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them. Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven I was out at Sawgrass on Wednesday and can confirm 1000s of tropical fish kills including Mayans which don't die off until about 52 degree water temp far below any survivability of Peacock. While there are not a lot of peacocks in that system, I think you can safely assume that the Everglades canals (Miami, L-67, the Alley) will have similar temps and similar fish kills including peacocks that are in those systems). If the canals, primarily down in Dade have connection to the Biscayne Aquifer, the temps will usually stay above 60 in those canals and the peacock will survive. Those that have migrated north in Broward, Palm Beach will be hit hard. This is what was originally intended for the Peacock when they were introduced by FWC

This is all good stuff and thanks to everyone including thosewho PMed me. The Dekas have been good but when you are leaning on the TM in hydrilla and 20mph winds, they poop out too soon. It's the Amp hour deal. The 27s are a pretty tight fit in the Triton and I don't know how I could jam in another two batteries plus that's a lot of weight. I think the upgraqde just mentioned is probably the best course of action. Jigman is right, I have a 1000 A cca starter battery and on a cold morning it can sound sick back there

225 Optipopper with a separate Deka 27 starter battery 1000 cca