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If you fish a lot, we have all been through this from time to time. Your dad gave you some great advice. When things are tough go to your confidence baits and stick with them. Mine are 4" senkos and flukes fished slow and often weightless. I have caught fish of all sizes on these baits, when conditions have been tough for others fishing the same waters. You can fish the entire water column with these baits until you find the target depth. Fish them deep or fish them shallow. Fish them slow or fish them fast. If you see bass schooling and crashing surface bait fish, walk the senko or fluke right through the school. You can fish the thickest cover, or open water with no problem. You can make sudden adjustments without having to switch rods or lures. Its a no brainer on tough days.

Weightless senkos, flukes, and trick worms fished slow. Watermelon red, black or Junebug. These will catch fish anywhere, anytime, from coast to coast.

I have kissed worse then that after a six pack!!!!

PFD is a must when fishing alone.

You know where she lives, so I would go visit her again, with heavier line this time. If you have some rain, there may be current at those pipes. That will often turn a big girl on!!!!!

Sometimes the misses are not bass, but bait fish, brim, blue gill, shell crackers, grapping the ends and tugging, instead of sucking in the bait like a bass. Don't forget Zoom trick worms for your wacky rigs. They are not as thick as senkos, have less resistance when in the fishes mouth, have great movement when jerked, and better when using those smaller hooks, like circle hooks. I have used Zoom Trick Worms wacky for years.

Just last week a couple decided to go swimming at two in the morning behind a Coral Gables neighborhood, two geniuses!!!! A 14 foot American Crock bite the mans hand and he luckily escaped the crock with his hand shredded. They hunted the crock for a week and it died from stress from the capture. They trapped this one before and relocated it but it kept coming back. It was a prolific dog killer. These guys are around the south end of the state.

Follow up with a weightless senko. Try to make it walk back with some stops on the retrieve.

1). Square bill crankbait 2). Spinnerbait 3). Swimbait 4). weighted dark senko

Brazil for peacock. Lake Erie (Putin Bay area) for Smallmouth. Guntersville for Largemouth.

Now that was ugly!!! But an ugly win is better then a pretty loss any day.

Feb., 1990's, 11.4, Loxahatchee, noon, weightless Fluke.

Wherever there is one, there are more in the same area. When they have babies they have them in mass. Keep your eyes open. Good news its not a cotton mouth the head would be a lot wider. I'm always seeing brown or banded water snakes down here, I pretty sure from the picture that's what it is. Look for more!

Tonight the Noles start on their repeat to the top. Gooooooooooo Noles!!!!!!!!!!

It is very true that not all bass the same size hit the same. I have had 8 pound bass barely hit the bait, and 2lbs. hammer it. Once you set the hook you get a true indication of what you have. Down here in South Florida the vegetation is so thick you need to use heavy line, and tight drag to get there head up, and out of the junk quickly. A loose drag when fishing the jungle, and the fish will bury themselves, and wrap around all the junk. This is particularly important if fishing from the bank. You must get their head up quickly and keep it up.

Like someone said you will stir up a lot of bugs into the water. Fish will exploit this, so cast a line in the area and good things may happen.

Alot of the time the person up front has a big advantage. He picks the spots. Lines the boat to hit those spots. He has the ability to give himself every advantage he wants to take. The exception to this is when conditions make boat control an issue. If you have a strong cross wind or head wind, control is a constant problem, then the advantage goes to the back seater. The backseater doesn't have to worry about control, or positioning for the next cast. He just needs to focus on the presentation and the environment around him, and make good casts. Weather can give the backseater the advantage.

If it a private persons property, I would always ask permission first. Example, a farmers pond, or on a fenced in compound. If it is company property without a fence, or a without a NO Fishing Sign, I would just fish it, leave it cleaner then when I first came, and ask forgiveness if someone is upset. In my area of south Florida we have an abundance of common areas full of lakes developers made to provide fill for their development. These areas are open to the public for recreational purposes. Jogging, bike riding, horse trails, and fishing. I always try to leave the area cleaner then when I came. These are an overlooked resource for quality fish.

Down south a big Bowfin, or a big alligator gar, will straighten hooks and ruin equipment. I have caught a big turtle and it was like pulling up a bowling ball. My first trip in my boat in 1989, I went to okeechobee, through Boy Scout cut into Winny"s Cove. I was throwing a big jig and my friend was throwing a black worm. I was getting whipped 10 to 0. All of a sudden I hooked a monster fish that went airbourne as soon as I set the hook. It was the biggest fish I have ever seen live. Two more big jumps in three feet of water and she was gone. We both sat in silence for two or three minutes in total shock. When you look back it was a thrill just to play with her and get a good look, for a years I have been telling that story. Better to have played and lost, then to have never played at all.

Doesnt get much better then that!

Backlash, I hit something two weeks ago just west of that MM41 south side ramp. It was in the middle of the canal but didnt do any visable damage. I thought it had to be a gator.

I agree with Farmer. Get the biggest you can afford, and can fit in your boat. Remember you may be squeezing three batteries in that little storage space. The extra weight may change the dynamics of the boat. Make sure the wirering can handle the juice. So give all this consideration.

Lots of good suggestions. The one I like alot is watch for the birds. Bird activity over a body of water and there will be feeding fish in the area. Also look for visable structure, as stated in the posts above.

Mike congrats again on another great outing. That is wonderful the Fellows Family received all that financial and emotional support, from the South Florida fishing community.

Saturday 8/23/14, Alligator Alley MM32 south side, Temp 94*, Humidity ridicules, Clear morning, wind SE 5 - 10, water stained. Went out this morning with Steve Johnson. We got a late start, ,making the first cast at 8:00. This is not a great move since the bite seems to go dormant early. From the ramps at MM 32 south side, we ran west, then under the bridge to the deep holes on the north side. I have not been out there for some time, but I have had some successful trips in the intense heat of the summer at these deep holes. One hole is as deep as 60 feet. On the second cast Steve had a nice 2 pounder to the boat. He was throwing a small jig with a black trick worm. I was throwing a speed worm weighted. I soon hooked into a 3 pounder that attacked my worm from several yards away. You could see the pads moving, and a wake coming. I never get tired of seeing that. Then a few minutes later a big bass that went airborne in the pads, and then twice more once cleared of the pads. On the last jump she became unbuttoned, but both Steve and I got great looks at her. She did put on a show. We stayed in the east hole for an hour and then ran west to the other hole. Although the holes are deep with straight down walls, most bass were positioned under the pads or right at the drop off edge. We caught no fish below 10 feet. We ended the day at 10:30 with 10 bass and one big mudfish between the two of us. The bite just stopped as the sun got high. I wish I could have just touched that big bass, but it was fun just feeling her tug on my line. We had the entire place to ourselves. It seems only the few are fishing out there this time of year. It was brutal hot.