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Alligator Alley MM 30 North Side. 7:00 - 10:30 Bluebird Skye's Temp 80* W/T 76* Light winds Met up with a friend early and headed out before first light. While driving on Alligator Alley I had a blow out on the trailer. So here we are, in darkness, changing a tire, while semi's wiz bye within yards of us. We continued to the closest ramp and headed east on the water. After a two mile run we started working. Every cast our bait was being messed with but it was hard to hook them. The reason was, those were not bass. I put on a Super Fluke and hooked it through the nose with the hook exposed. If you let it sink to the bottom and hard jerked it up,and then on slack line let it sink again, and keep repeating. The bite got crazy. Soon it was every cast. Oscars, Mayans, Peacock, Rock Bass, and Bowfins. The canal is full of millions of these fish. Big ones too. Although the goal was black bass, not one bass bite. You might ask why, when you surrounded by million of exotics of all size, your just too full to move. Its like after Thanksgiving dinner, you just want to find a place to chill for a while! Fun day, but nothing turned out like we expected.

The only other thing I heard was Police were in the parking lot for the next few mornings.

Over the years I have tried to help others that asked for help fishing. With mechanical problems I always stop and try to help. I have towed others miles back to their ramps. If you own a boat long enough we have been in a situation where we needed help. I was out 25 miles from the ramps in the Everglades, with my 12 year old son and had to have Florida Fish and Game tow me back in. I always keep emergency numbers in the boat, and this saved us from serious problems running low on drinking water and a long night with hungry mosquitos. I learned some valuable lessons that day.

A guide pulls a gun on another guide because he is fishing his spot. Stupid is what stupid does! Can you imagine if you hired this guy. One minute of stupidity could ruin a bunch of lives. There are consequences for your stupidity!

Florida is a warm 82 with 8 mph winds! It’s why I live here. Lol

South Florida I am often fishing 3 to 5 feet of water. No need to have the electronics on in the shallows. Stealth mode without the pinging is more important in the shallows.

Over 40 years of owning a bass boat and fishing south Florida I have had good and bad days from all four directions. I often fish the everglades with hundreds of man made canals that intersect the glades from east to west, and north to south. Before a trip I will check wind direction and pic a canal to fish that will provide easy navigation. Being in stealth mode in these canals is a benefit to catching. To do this I will stay off the trolling motor, if the wind is up, I throw out the drift bag, and turn off all the electronics with all the pinging. I have shallow flats on both sides, full of pads and weeds, man made ledges on both sides, and rock piles in 15 feet of water. Being in Stealth mode with the wind pushing the boat silently I am constantly startling gators of all size, wading birds, turtles, otters, and snakes. Bass are not aware of the presence either. Being able to cast to two banks full of vegetation, two ledges, deep rock piles in the depths all the time, can pay-off big time. Great fishing, and being stealth makes a difference regardless of wind direction.

Nice to see these big timers willing to meet and greet with us common folks. Also good to see them enjoying the mother nature just like we do. Thanks for the pic!

Yes not all bass are active and willing to chase baits all day long. But not all bass are inactive at the same time. During less active times, location becomes more and more important. A neutral mood may produce a strike if the bait is put in close proximity to it's location during this time. Pitching and flipping often produce these bites in their comfort zone. Bass will not stop eating for long, so search out actively eating bass willing to chase a bait, or go find where they are resting and produce a bite by dropping a bait in their comfort zone, and make it easy for them.

Only takes a few to ruin it for everyone!

After doing this for over 50 years, the peak times for numbers have been low light conditions early and late in the day. My P/B came at noon on a bright sunny day, go figure!!!!!!

Early 8o's you could fish the warm water discharge at Port Everglades Power Plant full of big saltwater fish.especially during the cooler months. No more, long gone fishing there!

Watch for shinkage!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck, looking forward to your detailed report!

Live baits, I would rather stay home. To me its just not fishing. For me the fun is getting the fish to hit hit your bait because you fooled them with what your doing. Changing the techniques until you find out what they want that day, that hour, that minute. To me using live bait is no challenge, that's why people use it so much when taking a four year old out for his first fishing trip. The bait does all the work.

I fish about 300 days a year since being retired for the last 7 years. of those days about 15 days were from the boat. My house is surrounded by 12 lakes within a 10 minute drive. All are man made lakes, all connected to the everglades water management system, all are loaded with Peacock Bass, Black Bass, Snakeheads, Oscars, Myians, and all have easy bank fishing available access. Great place to live if you love to fish. I fish an hour or two everyday from the bank, and a different location everyday.

I could not agree more. There are some wonderful fisherman always willing to give great advice, and always helping fellow members figure them out. Great job by the leadership and mods, keeping the distractions of the day off the site. Glen has created a site well ahead of the others, and thanks for all that contribute on a dailey basis!

There is nothing like the feel of a balanced new rod in your hand. You can't achieve this feel until it is balanced with the reel. Whether it is heavy or extra light it doesn't matter much, as long as the two are a good match, and balanced properly. It's like finding the right woman, when it's right you just know it, and life from that point on is just better.

That is a lot of people that like to fish. The credit all goes to Glen, and the others keeping watch over the whole thing! Great job guys!

You can RIP my friend, your headed home.

I have 30 years of issues, and let it expire several years ago. Now I go to old issues and reread. Much better than the new issues.

You certainly made a difference in that man’s life. WTG Tom!

During low water times in April and may we can see as many as 50 gators of all size in the waters we are fishing. Only had trouble twice where a mother attacked my trolling motor, and once a giant male slapped his tale along the side of the boat. The whole boat shook from this violent hit. 99% are respectful and keep their distance. Would not want to be in a kayak with either of the nasty ones.

I love fishing, and do it for relaxation. As a old time drummer, I also love music, just as much. Pandora will often be on in my boat, but never loud enough to both others, or the wildlife. People don't always enjoy the music you do, so never infringe on their opportunity to enjoy the outdoor experience.

South Florida for fishing all year long, lots of locations, big bass, your ability to find isolated spots, and most important a thriving population of Peacock Bass, the pit bulls of the freshwater fishing world. They are all over south Florida, and with global warming their getting bigger, and more numerous!