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There is alot to be sad for Keeping It Simple Stupid!

SirSnookalot, While bass fishing, I have been picking up two or three peacocks a night in Weston. You know instantly its not a black bass when they hit. A bass with an attitude!

The water never gets too hot for Peacocks!

I fish 20 acre ponds all the time and I make long parrell cast along the bank. Long casts are key. I will throw into thick vegitation and slowly work it out, this helps to prevent spooking. Whenever possible I will make long casts onto a bank and slowly pull it back in the water. You can do this at bends and turns in the bank. The great thing about these lakes, there are no trees on the banks, so your casts are totally unobstructed. Its like fishing a golf course. There are 10 of these lakes close to my house, all have nice bass and peacocks.

In south Florida it has been a hot humid spring and summer. Water temps are 90+ and have been for some time. I have had to fish deep and slow often, and adjacent to ledges. I have caught more big fish from the bank in the afternoon, then in the boat in the everglades. From the bank it is easier to fish slow because you don't have the movement of the boat. Many of the bigger fish have been adjacent to drop off hugging the bottom. From the bank, even on a windy day you can fish as slow as you want and just shake the bait rather then move it. In the early morning and late afternoon bass are more likely to chase a moving bait in the hot water. When the water temps get this high the bass are not as willing to come out and play.

I fish for relaxation. There is nothing better then an early morning on the lake, with a good friend, and a tug on the line. I fish at least 5 days a week. Sometimes from the bank, and some days from the boat. Being a high school administrator, two hours in the afternoon, and any tension is completely gone. It is a form of therapy.

That would be nice!

I have caught several good size ones in the 2 foot range. I found them tough to get off the bottom. I thought I was snagged but every once in a while I could feel a little movement. 20 pound Big Game got them in.

I love throwing them weightless because I can walk them back with a jerk and slack action. Weightless they have great action. The bigger fish this week were caught with a 1/32 bullet weight, and fished very slow. Half were way back in the pads next to the sawgrass edge, and half caught on the outside pad edge along the rock ledge fall. Several were 10 feet deep.

If I am fishing alone with a guide I would not care if he were fishing along with me. I can watch what he is doing and learn from his technique. If I am with my children I would want the guide to help with the kids. I have had several great experiences on Lake Erie with guides.

I hope you get some relief from the discomfort. It certainly make everything more difficult. Good luck!

If you are a guide, and this is your opinion about a lot of your paying clients who you call "untrainable", its time to find a new occupation!

I totally agree, as a Guide if you work hard for the client, teacher them about the ecosystem, and how to best catch fish in the pond, the guide should be compensated for providing a rewarding experience. Its not solely about catching fish, but rather about a positive professional experience. Your paying for his expertise and knowledge, as well as the use of equipment.

Real clear water doesn't have as much organic matter in it which the bait fish love. Where there are bait fish there are bass. I like a lite stain in the water, but hate muddy brown water.

In my opinion part of a quality guide's job is to teach the client how to be successful on a body of water. Great fisherman don't often hire guides, except on unfamiliar lakes. The novice with a desire is most often the one shelling out the cash for a great fishing experience. Not all are guides are great teachers, the ones that are, are kept busy, and some just suck as guides!

Everyone nicks a gill once in a while. If its not too bad they will make it. I have caught bass with old gill injuries where a gill plate was actually separated from the others and that bass fully recovered. Just treat them with care once you land them. Also like the post above said, learn how to unhook a gut hooked fish. There is a trick to it. You will be an expert before long. There are videos on this technique. Be a constant line watcher and set the hook quick after seeing any movement. This will greatly reduce the number of gut hooked bass. I would also find other ponds to fish. There is nothing like variety.

Most of my best fish this year have been early or late in the day, on the outside edge of a weed line next to a drop off. Once the sun gets high that changes considerably to the thick stuff, either floating cabbage or deep in pad fields. Bass use the cover as sunglasses, and the weeds provide Oxygen.

Lots of good suggestions. Senkos, Flukes, Trick Worms are excellent choices that will catch fish of all size, in waters from coast to coast and south to far north. I personally love the 4" senko type bait, in watermelon red, junebug, or black. I fish it weightless or with a 1/32 bullet weight. Throw it shallow or throw it deep, in the thick junk or in open water. Fish it slow, or fish it fast. Dead stick it, walk the dog with it, or just pull it. Its a no brainer. Fish will bite it, just find out what they want THAT DAY!!!!

I always work the yard after lubing the reels. You have to love those old Abu reels, bullet proof and strong as a winch. I still use one all the time and load it 65 lb. braid.

Just a word of warning on Kayak fishing in the heavily infested everglades. I have had a big gator recently come right up to the boat and put his mouth right on the side, then hit the side of the boat with a hard tail shot. I have had them stay right behind the boat for 50 yards as close as 5 feet away. I have fished the glades for 40 years and this is an aggressive year for big gators. Summer is a territorial time for mating, and some these big boys are showing their dominance. I would not want to be in a Kayak, especially by myself. The everglades is not Kansas!!!!!!

I have thought about this question for sometime. You are a professional guide and you have a group of clients out for a day trip. The clients get skunked, do you charge them for this trip, or do you comp them, and right it off? I think the right thing is to comp them and you might get a return trip. A moment of thought, what would you do, and what do the professionals do in these situations????????

Saturday 9/6/14, 6:30 - 10:00, partly sunny, water level up, stained, light east wind, storms at 10:00. Went out with Steve this morning. Quality action last weekend brought us back again. Ran east to the dead end. Started with the hollow frog, one sniff but no takers. I switched to a Texas Rigged 4" senko type bait, and caught a nice 4. I caught a 6 right after a guide with clients fished past us. It was awkward at best. Down the canal we had several more in the 4 pound range. We finished with 9 bass, best 5 went 21+. Again the alley pulls quality over quantity. Storms chased us off the water by 10:00.

If your hung and the lure has treble hooks, don't try to muscle it out. That move has sent me to the emergency room twice. If its a regular hook, I will muscle it back and if I lose the bait, no big deal. I usually let the trolling motor pull me out. Keep you rod down and straight to the snag, it puts no strain on the rod or guides.

Have you tried texting Hackney?

In the brutal South Florida heat and humidity, I fish 6:30AM to 11:00AM, and 4:00PM until dark. In winter its heaven, and I'll fish anytime.