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Great job Zcoker! Haven’t night fished out there in 20 years. That was quite a night for you. congrats!

I have had that happen to me. In the Everglades we have canals dug with high banks. In stealth mode with the wind to my back, I have startled them sunning themselves up on these high banks. I have had one dive off the bank and almost land in the boat. Needed a change of underwear after that. When startled they move quick. We see hundreds during low water levels.

Very unusual the lake here in north Georgia is completely iced over. Have not seen this in many years.

Largemouth, smallmouth, peacock, Oscar’s, rock bass, catfish, armored catfish, jacks, Mayans, snakeheads. Some caught in Florida, some in north Georgia.,

Have not had to buy a license in 7 years. Over 65 freshwater fishing is free for residents.

Oh yah, been there done that! Basically the same way. Lucky for me I had a top water tied on, and it was floating with just enough line to reach the top.

Life is often not an easy journey, congrats to you and yours.

Merry X-mas and Happy Holidays to all our brothers. May you all have a safe, healthy, and prosperous year! God bless you all!

As a 40 plus year Florida angler, during the cold fronts you have two choices. 1). go to the heavy cover, pads, grasses and fish slow through these areas. The heavy cover is a blanket especially when the sun is beating down on it. When I say slow down, I mean real slow. The bait your using is a good one, but I would also use creature baits, senkos, even down to zoom centipedes. Downsizing is often a good choice, and goes through the heavy cover better. I have caught fish of all size on these small baits. The trick is to get it in front of their face. Fish the north end of any waters, they are protected from north winds and get a little more warming during winter months. Florida largemouth are affected more than their northern cousins from sudden cold fronts. 2). Go to any sudden drop-offs close to vegetational shallows. We have a lot of this type of structure in south Florida with all our man made canals. Drop-off are often 10 to 15 feet deep, and straight down at the transition point. Bass are often at the bottom, hugging the rock walls especially the side receiving sunlight. I would fish them later in the day after the sun has had a chance to warm the rock. We also get some seepage from the aquifer in these deeper areas which is a constant 72* all year long. It's like soaking in the hottub while waters at the surface drop to uncomfortable levels. Bass will seek this warmer water just like manatees do when they head for spring fed rivers in central Florida. But again slow down and concentrate on subtle bites. These are two place I have keyed in on during any sudden cold fronts.

I have had many moron moments, but I just had one a few days ago. I have been bank fishing the local spots a lot and almost everything has been in the one to three pound range. Then a few days ago I went out and lucky for me, I caught a 23.5", 7 pound bass. I reached for my phone to take a few pics and I left it on the charger at home. The wife asked me how was the fishing tonight, and I told her. The next thing out of her mouth was, NO PIC, NO FISH! I always take my phone., what a dummy. Lol!

I am a relatively slow bottom contact fisherman. It has been successful for me over the years. I will throw out any plastic bait, let it sit until it settles on the bottom. Then I will slow pull it and then let it sit again. I will keep going with this and then change up the movement to a snap jerk off the bottom and then let it sit. I want to feel everything on the bottom. Sooner or later I will find a cadence they like. Slowing down is not a problem, falling asleep is a bigger problem. Lol

I agree with you on night fishing big bodies of water in Florida. I do know Okeechobee can be a dangerous place to run if your not 100% sure of where your at. Many rock shelves, and rock piles especially in the Clewiston area and the east side of the lake. I once lost a half of my skeg on a shell bed while running in the monkey box. Lucky for my there was no breach of the skeg and fluids. I would never do it at night, ever.

i have never fished okeechobee at night, but have fished it many times. I find it a difficult lake to fish since everything changes with wind direction, fronts, water levels, abondent spraying, pumping, and time of the year. I have caught fish in the 8 pound range but no DD. I always use artificials, to me shiners isn’t fishing. To me the guys that do well fish it often and know the subtle changes. Almost everywhere looks good most of the time, except when they spray. I know that there are thousands of DD in the lake, just like Poga.

I too hate fishing alone, the problem is old partners have stopped fishing, or passed away!!!!!!!

Kirt I am your age and besides the fishing stuff. I always prepare in case something goes wrong while on the water. 1). Always leave a game plan especially if I go out alone. Leave the wife, the lake name, the ramp location, the direction I’m fishing, the time to expect me to return. My wife also tracks my phone all the time. 2). Emergency numbers like fish and game are always in the boat. 3. Always wear PFD when alone, even when not running the boat. 4). Take more water than needed in case there is a problem. 5). Don't run as fast as I used too, especially when alone, and always wear the kill switch when running. 6). always take a pee jar so I don’t have to balance on the side of the boat, and make sure you have T/P in the boat. 7). Extra careful on wet ramps when loading and unloading. The older you get the more important these things become.

I have been fishing almost 300 days this year, and doing OK this season fishing more trips from the bank, then in my boat. Because the everglades have had high water levels, and a lot of the bass are way back in the sawgrass flats and untouchable without an airboat, my bass count is down, but the peacock count has been increasing. I have caught peas almost everyday even from the bank and they have been tight to cover. I have caught them using flukes, senkos, and centipedes jerked quickly. A guide I know has been killing Peas on jerkbaits, and propbaits from his boat. Since we haven't had a cold water kill off in a few years, their numbers are climbing. With global warming the Pea's numbers will continue to go up. We are so fortunate to have them, they are fun to catch, and act like a largemouth on steroids. It has been fun!

Don't give up you just never know where or when it will happen. I fished for twenty years without a double digit, and then one very sunny day, with no wind, and no fish from first light to noon. By this time I had downsized to a spinning rod with 10 pound mono, and a weightless zoom fluke, just trying to catch a fish and remove the skunk. I suddenly saw a commotion in some shallow weeds right next to the bank. I threw the fluke into the mix and after a quick twitch, the bait started to swim out of the weeds into deeper water. I set the hook and the fight was on. 11.4 pound largemouth, my P/B on a super tough day, after four hours of no fish. Was I lucky, YES. Was I in the right spot at just the right time, Yes. Was I luckY she decided to swim out of the pad field, YES. You just never know when, but time on the water and perseverance is key. Be out there often, and keep watching what happening around you, and good things will happen. A new P/B is in your future, it just takes time, and some luck!

Never, I fish close to 300 days a year. That’s why I moved to South Florida 45 years ago.

In he long run I would always put my money on the pro. Although someone could always get lucky once in a while. Pros all have a proven records over time on all types of water, and conditions. They don't always produce, but they have been there many times in the thick of the battle.

Got out of fishing for ten years as I got into Morgan Horses in the late 70’s. A fun time for me, but more expensive then fishing and boating by far.

I use a 4600 for frog fishing with 65lb braid, and pitching a jig. Love it. With a bigger hand then most the larger round reel is comfortable all day. I remember Hank Parker using them all the time.

I have been in your shoes, with my 95 year old mother falling, and breaking her humorous bone, a month later dad suddenly passing away unexpectedly in my arms at 95, and then having to put mom in assisted living. Mom adjusted very well to her new surroundings and loves the place. Things will get better, and life return to a more normal pattern. Fishing is always my place to chill and relax, good music, and never any competition. Just enjoying your time on the water, and even better if I can share that time with an old friend. Doesn't get any better than that!

I used to love the magazine and for twenty years read it from cover to cover. I still have hundreds of issues that I will return too and reread. Like many others the economy and the internet have caused me to abandon the publications. It’s sad, but like the newspaper times have changed. Any info on almost anything can be found in seconds by just posting a request.

Caught my PB at Loxahatee in late Nov in the late 80’s at noon on a bright sunny day. 11.4 lbs. like it was yesterday!

Went to the Holey land with good friend Capt. Lou, from first light until 1:00. We had cloud cover, cool weather low 60’s, and lots of wind. I was throwing an array of plastics, slow and deep, and Lou was throwing swim baits shallow and quick. It became a clinic on how to throw a swimbait. It was at least 3 to 1 on the catch rate, and most were very tight to cover. We caught 28 total on a difficult day. Lou’s swimbait caught the majority. Fun day!