Shane Procell

I had heard scattered reports of an occasional snakehead being caught in Palm Beach County. Using Google Earth, I found a canal and a boat ramp that looked promiseing. After the long drive north I got to the ramp only to see it was marked "No Tresspassing" by the sheriff dept. I scrambled on the phone a got a tip from a friend of another launch near by. We started fishing right at the launch. No signs of snakeheads after 45 minutes. Then I had a quick glimpse of a strikeing snakehead. Soon after it was on like donky kong. Monster hookups for several hours. These were consistantly in the 5# plus range and the biggest was 9# even. Iam still amazed at how quick these invasive species are spreading. I can honestly see the day in the next 20 years where the entire south end of Florida (from Tampa to Daytona and south to the keyes) will be covered up with snakeheads. We need help killing the snakeheads! If any of yall want to drag your boat south, i'll gladly provide areas that need some snake wranglers.

Man those look great!

While I was up at Toho..I used the "Ghost Shad" and "Lane Toad" colors. Both had plenty of metallic flake which I believe the bass were picking up on. Both did equally well. I was rigging weightless with a 6/0 Owner EWG Cutting Point hook. I think the weighted screw in hooks work well but I find that on most hits the screw would tear out the nose of the bait. By the end of day 4 I was reeling it across the grass like a buzz bait and when it came to a hole I would pause it and let it dive down. Hits were almost guaranted.

I use them weighted and non weighted. I'am fishing shallow water with them most of the time. I find they work best for me with just a 6/0 Owner EWG Cutting point hook. Usually I just swim them, jerk them or run them across the surface with the tail makeing a ruckuss. They will draw up big hits on top!

Brian welcome to S. Florida and to BR. Keep an eye on the SouthEast section. We get together every once in awhile. Sometimes there are pretty good reports of some of the local fishing hotspots as well. Kill them snakeheads!

Thats a goodun! Congratulations.

Thats a awesome bass...and to do it with your father...incredible!

Good luck. I hope you do well @Tech and with fishing. You have some pretty good fishing on the outskirts of town. I attended Tech for a couple of years before moving to Florida. I'am sure Ruston has changed alot in the last 25 years...loved the small town feel. I found that I could not keep myself away from those local farm ponds. Thats where I became addicted to bass fishing. Iam from Bossier, how about you?

I woke this morning to see my article featured on the Florida Sportsman Homepage. Pretty cool!

That is a fat girl! Nice job.

I'am open November 8-13 and November 22-27.

great video and congrats on the fish.

I would be up for anything if i'am in town.

Thats a lifetime of bass for some anglers. Congratulations.

I have always wanted to fish lake Toho but never had the opportunity. My wife asks me to drive her to Orlando to visit her girlfriends for a couple of days. She could tell I was reluctant so she threw in the kicker....."How about you take the boat and go fishing". She had me with that suggestion. I had only a google earth map and a few words of advice from a couple of fellow anglers. The first four hours were well......intimidateing. There was so much water and it all looked fishy. By noon the first day I had narrowed my hunt down to a small residential cove, mainly because it was out of the wind. I had five rods rigged with a worm, big easy, shad rapala, shad assassin and a rubber frog. I watched the water for a half hour and was noticeing that the sun would peak out and the bass would start busting the shad in a small stretch of grass at the mouth of the cove. Started working the Gambler "Big Easy" and it was clear that I had the right bait within the first few cast. I spent most of the next 3 days in that same stretch of water catching near 100 fish. Most all were taken on the Gambler Big Easy and all while working it on the surface. On day 4 I was exhausted and just wanted to be back in Miami. I had decided the night before that I would give "Shiner" fishing a try. I had never done it and never really had the opportunity. It was very effective! 4 dozen shiners yeilded close to 20 fish. I was surprised that I did way better on the artificials than I did on live bait. I made a few runs to Shingle Creek and picked up a few at the mouth. One nice 7 pounder out front on a small deep running Shad Rapala. The next time my wife ask me to go to Orlando/Kissimmee, i'll be ready with the boat in tow.

Those are incredible! Nothing like fishing with friends.

I have just returned from Lake Toho. A 2 day fishing trip turned into 4 days on the water. Caught around 100 fish, several 5's and a 7. Most were caught on a Gambler Big Easy on grass. After fishing 3 days hard with artificials I tried my hand at shiner fishing on day 4. Ran out of shiners and absolutely crushed them on the Big Easy. 98% of my fish came within a 150ft piece of water. Did catch the 7 at the mouth of Shingle Creek (thanks Lee). The water is 4-8 inches over all the docks. I'll give a complete report when i get the film edited.

What a fish!!!!!!

Thats too cool!

Not yet...It'll be awhile. I have a full rack of Carrot Sticks and Shimano Cumaras that will keep me untill I try out some rods. I was hopeing this thread would die before someone got their feelings hurt

After all that..you deserved a great day. Awesome fish Dwight!

Good job BigCat

Incredible fish...all of them!

Good fishing!

I would not feel comfortable fishing a Yak around alligators. I've seen too many go crazy at the sight of us reeling in fish. Thats scarry enough in a boat...can't imagine being a couple of inches out of the water and a gator chaseing my fish back to the boat