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I have night fished the Everglades many times Over the years I stopped doing this because as the wind dies down, the mosquitos will carry you away and they are so thick deet doesn’t help that much. I love fishing and catching big bass, but it’s just not enjoyable enough to put up with that crap! Welcome to life in the true tropics!

Most of my adult life I have lived in south Florida. I bank fish 5 days a week and fish the Alley in my boat on weekends. I have been in the Everglade canals with hundreds of gators during low water, and the vast majority are aware and respectful of your presence. But there is always one lunatic in the group at times. I have had one slam the trolling motor one day, and one big male slap the side of the boat with its tail, ticked off during breeding season. It was hard enough that it shook the entire boat. When walking the banks I am much more concerned with snakes then gators. Gators are much easier to see. Always move slow when walking. Never move without scanning your path first. Always look for bubbles close to the bank, this is an indication of a submerged Gator, or it could be just a turtle. Now in our areas, we have pythons, in sufficient numbers that snake hunters out every weekend looking for them, for money. The most important thing I'll tell you is always wear boots when walking isolated banks. I have seen at least a hundred poisonous snakes over the last 40 years. Everything from Pigmy Rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and one python. Never wear sandals or bare feet, snake protection always. The most dangerous one is the one you don't see. Always move slow! Good luck and good hunting!

I have not seen a lot of info on big males and their preference for locations on a lake. I am as curious as you on any studies on the subject.

Thanks for sharing that information. Some may use that info, some may not, but the sharing of fishing information is what is really important. So keep doing what your doing and don't worry about what people think. Just have fun doing it!

I am retired and fish almost everyday from the bank or the boat. My house is surrounded by man made lakes, with flats with thick vegetation surrounding deep drop-offs, with open water. The grass is manicured around the lakes and you can walk it easily. I'll fish an hour in the evening after the heat of the day drops. On the weekend I will take the boat to the everglades, or some other fresh water body. The problem is getting someone to fish, since most are still working, and with my age I hate to go out alone. As my Granny would say, "Youth is wasted on the young!" I never realized what she was taking about until my 70's! Lol I am super happy, I live in a fishing paradise! Black Bass, Peacock, freshwater snook and tarpon, and big clown knife fish. There are no winter breaks or off time, and you are truly living in the tropics! Life is good!

I bank fish at least 5 days a week, and from the boat on weekends. When bank fishing it all depends the structure and weeds of your lake. I AM surrounded by 7 lakes where I can walk the banks, and catch fish. My lakes all have bank weeds that circle the lake. So this eliminates baits with treble hooks. The lakes are all man made, and have deep drop-offs that go straight down 15 to 20 feet, after a twenty yard flat, full of pads and other weeds. I have to use Texas rigged plastics, and one thing I have learned is most fisherman fish too fast, especially when the bite is tough. So slow down and let a reluctant bass see the bait, and slowly move into the strike zone. Next, look for changes in depth, and target these areas. The pad fields end where the ledges begin. I especially look for the greenest veggies close to the drop-off ledge. These areas usually hold fish, that move up and down the water column as bait fish move in and out to deeper water. Two different types of green veggies on a flat, are usually better then just one type. Also an isolated clump on a flat will draw fish from the surrounding open area, especially when the sun is high. If you catch one off an isolated clump, go back, the clump often hold more then just one fish. On tough days I usually let the bait fall on slack line and just sit before moving the bait, and letting it sit again. The bait is often picked up while sitting. Be a line watcher for the slightest movement. When you think your fishing slow, slow down some more. Bank fishing baits. I will use Senkos, Zoom Flukes, U-Vibes, Creature Baits, a variety of worms. I use the lightest bullet weight to get the job done. Usually a 1/32, or a !/16 bullet weight. I want a natural slow fall, and then realistic movement with the slightest twitch of the rod. I can walk a senko or a fluke along the bottom with twitch and slack line. Go to a pool and watch what your baits do their thing, when you twitch the rod tip. You can learn a lot by just observing. Clear water, I use natural colors like watermelon, of pumpkin. Darker stained water, or first light or evenings, darker colors. Black or Junebug. I hope this helps you when bank fishing. It has helped me, be patient and slow down when the bite is tough!

First Light to 11:00 AM Mostly sunny Light wind Temps 89* Water Temp 82.7* No current Water Clear Went out this morning with a good friend, Steve. Started out early, with no bites for the first hour. Switch plastics several times, and soon we were both getting bit on Zoom Flukes with a 1/32 weight. We caught them way back in the pads close to the sawgrass, and deep at the base of the canal ledges. Around 9:00 Steve hooked into a 21" 5.5 pound bass deep at a ledge. She hit with a vengeance, and then made a run. It was the highlight of the day. We called it quits at 11:00. We caught a bunch of keeper size bass, and Steve's brut. We caught 11 total, most on the Fluke and Wacky Worm. Much better then expected after getting over then 20" of rain in the last 2 weeks, and water levels at a high mark.

This article above says it all about Dottie and how she became that big. Nothing natural about it!

How about bass that are periodically feed easy pray which certainly is beneficial to their development? Then are bass from breeding farms allowed? I would expect not! Bass would have to hunt and catch natural pray without the help of government, or outside sources. The Georgia bass was certainly in that category!

I agree, if I come off plane, its idle speed only, especially in our canals.

Dottie and the other California giants are an interesting subject. They are not native to the area, where put in relatively small size lakes, and then feed on a regular basis trout that were stocked in these lakes. Easy targets for the bass population, and big time nourishment. Since the stocking programs have changed, how have catch sizes changed over the last few years. There is little natural about the whole process of producing a Dottie! It was science at its best, fun to catch, but not Mother Nature’s creation!

Hydration is super important especially in our hot humid climate here in Florida. If you wait until your thirsty you waited too long. Drink on a regular basis all day long. There is nothing better then cold H2O! In the hotter months I always take 3x more water then I need just incase I have a breakdown while out in the boat. Dehydration is not a joke, it can kill you! About twenty years ago two University of Miami Biologists went out in the glades in an airboat to study gator stomach contents. The boat broke down, and one walked out to go get help. By the time help arrived the female Biologist was dead from dehydration. It was less then 12 hours later. Take extra water especially when it’s hot!

Canals and lakes are at full pool right now in my area. Don't know about the lake, but I know they have been dumping water in preparation for this thing. Good luck!

We have been dumped on in the last two days. 10” of rain and the levels are going up fast. Bass will be scattered throughout the glades and not concentrated in the deep canals. Focus on flowing water and the positioning of bass around the flow. At least for the next few days. Culvert pipes, weirs, and funnel points should produce some. Things will become more difficult when the flow stops.

The same thing happened to me one time, while bank fishing. I apologized to him and explained I did not see him cast in that area. I have had guys throw over me while casting, and I will not say anything until it happens several times. Then I will explain the rules of common curtesy, just in case he didn't know them. It never went any further that, the vast majority of fisherman are decent people! While out in the boat I have had another boat pull up within 30 yards in front of the direction I'm fishing and fish in the same direction. I LOVE THIS, because it motivates me to keep catching in the water they just finished. I just go IKE with every bass caught. This is the best revenge! In our South Florida Everglades Canal System, this is a common occurrence. After a few decent catches, and a lot of hooping and laughing, they soon move off! I do make sure I take some pics of them, and their boat, and put it on the local fishing sites. Payback is hell!

Call your local elected officials and tell them to increase local pick up. One bag is just ridicules, we have twice a week, they supply two giant trash cans, and we have bulk pickup once a month. Yes we pay for it in our taxes, but its worth it. Could not put up with a your pickup system.

It can't hurt!

Yes, but fish will move back in because of structure that attracted the original occupants!

Thanks for this post. I too am always picking up trash especially when bank fishing in some popular spots. The thing that ticks me off more than any other is, fishing line. Over the years I have picked up hundreds of yards of line our fishing brothers just throw on the ground. Balls of line that can easily become tangled on wading birds. All kinds of line from 50 pound braid to 4 pound mono. It is pitiful that fisherman can be this clueless of the damage this stuff can do. I just don't throw it away, I cut it up, so only little strands are left, and then put it in the trash. Why these people fish, and then could care less about the environment. These are not just cane fisherman.

90% of the time speed is a major factor. Slow down, be alert, drive defensively, and wear your PFD when driving. These thing will and do reduce accidents.

I fished it several years ago for a week from a rented pontoon boat. It was extremely tough for this Flat Lander Boy, might as well been fishing the moon.

I know water levels are getting really low on the southern end.

I fish almost everyday and 5 days a week from the bank. I fish a Super Fluke almost everyday at some time. I always use #3, or #4 EWG hooks, Texas Rigged with thin wire hooks. They work great and seldom miss a hook set. I also use as little weight as necessary for the conditions. Usually weightless or a 1/32 weight. This gives max movement for the bait with just a twitch of the rod tip. If you detect a bite, take up the slack and wait until you feel a little weight then sweep it hard. The thin wire hook make the sticking so much easier, just use good quality hooks. From detection to hook set, only takes a second or two. Don't wait too long or you will get gut hooked fish. I have never had a big bass straighten the thin wire hooks, but I have had snakeheads, and mudfish, they can destroy them. More time on the water will solve the problem.

The snake heads are the worst. Power strikes, lightning fast and rows of teeth. We kill everyone we catch. They become turtle food. They do put up a good fight after being caught. The FWC recommends killing them.

In south Florida we have lots of fish with real teeth. Small bass will sometimes not get the whole bait in their mouth and may tear off the back end. Bigger bass suck the whole thing into their mouth in a fraction of a second. Oscars, gar, snakeheads, mudfish, Mayans, snapping turtles, soft shells will tear up a plastic bait in a heart beat. It often happens in the jungle!