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When things really get slow I always slow down regardless of the bait being used. I have had this happen many times and often have it happens when I am picking out a bird nest, or have to answer a cell call, and the bait just sits on the bottom for a while. This just reinforces my belief that during the summer doldrums slow down and when you think your fishing slow, just stop for a while. I have caught big bass doing this in the 8 to 9 pound range, when nothing would bite for an hour of normal fishing. Be a line watcher while it is sitting still because bites are often soft ticks on the line. Bass that are just investigating this object that entered their domain. This often happens at drop-offs associated with flats close bye. Painful summer fishing!

Without a doubt, cloud cover and a little wind seems to loosen bass up from hunkering down in thick cover, to avoid the sun's raze. When the clouds come, I always go to the closest drop-off associated with a thick clump of cover. They seem to move to deeper water in a hunting mode. Drop-off doesn't need to be real deep, a foot or two may attract them once the clouds roll in. Much more willing to eat in lower light, in summertime conditions.

If your a back seater just cast out behind the boat and when he moves just let out more line so it stays in place even if he moves. You just need to take up loose line before setting the hook.

If your walking those banks out there, don't walk through grass you can't see through all around you. I would at least wear good leather boots and be aware of your surroundings. I have seen many snakes over the years while bank fishing. Some harmless and some poisonous. The gators are usually more scared of you unless they have been feed. Don't ever wade!

Went back to the Alley, Sunday 6/28/20. Went to the deep holes in the canal, and targeted bass hanging in the deeper spots and along the vertical limestone walls. On the depth finder I could see fish deep hanging close to base of the drop-offs. You had to fish slow to get bit. They were not chasing baits and the only indication was a slight tick on the line, and then line slowly moving. Upon setting the hook you could feel the surprising weight of some of these. The surface water temp was 87* at 7:00 in the morning. The temps deeper were considerably less. I only fished until 11:00 PM and caught 11 bass, 2 were 19" long and a 17". The bigger fish all came from deeper waters. If you weren't fishing slow and deep you just wasting your time. This pattern has been consistent for over a month and five trips to the same area. I think the aquifer is pumping water into a few of these deep areas and keeping it cooler with oxygenated water.

I would consider myself a slow fisherman at heart. I fish plastics 90% of the time because that is what I enjoy doing. Throughout the day I will burn a bait just under the surface, Jerk and sit a bait, slow roll a bait along the bottom, snap off the bottom and let it fall back, and dead stick a bait. When I find something that works I will stay with it until a change is needed. When it really gets tough I always go to slow methodical approach. Downsizing and slowing down has saved many a day for me.

If they are spraying and you see dying vegetation from spraying, I would go somewhere else to fish and not come back for at least a month. In Florida we are constantly dealing with fenatic spraying.

I once saw a black bear swimming to an uninhabited island in lake Nantahala in NC. It was early in the morning and I was the first one out on the lake. The bear seemed to know exactly where he was headed. Once on the Island I lost site of it. One of the Native Americans living close bye told me it's not unusual to see them swimming in the morning.

I will give you a few things I always do that seem to work for me most times. If its a tough day I will downsize, slow way down, fish deep, and fish in the thickest greenest grasses and pads I can find. Two types of green weeds is always better then just one type. An isolated clump of weeds is better than a monsterous mass. The isolated clump will work as a magnet to pull bass from open waters, seeking shade. Look for stone walls, drop offs, and giant boulders and fish around the base especially on the shaded side. Just a few easy tips to try out.

4.7 is nice anywhere in the country. Just watch MLF and see how thrilled they are to have a 4.7 anywhere they fish.

I have caught several fish more then once. One time I broke off a 4lb bass on the flats and she swam off with my #3 gama hook and a zoom fluke in tow. About an hour I passed through that same area again and threw out another plastic and set the hook. When I pulled that bass in she had another hook and plastic attached. It was my #3 gama hook and the fluke was still hanging there. Another time I caught a bass with an old gill plate injury that was all healed up. Two weeks later I caught that same fish with the old gill plate injury still healthy and willing to eat in the same area. So localized bass have short memories, and will hit lures time after time.

Went back to the Alley Friday and fished until noon. The fishing has got tougher but I still caught 19 with two just over 5 pounds. Lost a monster right at the boat as I tried to lip her. Huge mouth, and deep, right along the bridge pilings. All caught on plastics, and all caught deep. Big girls are still out there, but most of the gators and smaller fish have moved back into the swamp. As waters continue to get higher these bigger fish are going to move back to where the food supply is and out of reach.

I can imagine the first week open will be a madhouse. Wildlife officers will be all over the place. Is the speed limit forever, or just until everything is completed? It will kill some of those guys with new 400 Merc’s. Lol There should be some big old toads in there. Got to put it on my bucket list. Now if they can just stop them from spraying everything! I like the name Headwaters Lake. The headwaters of one of the most famous bass rivers in the world!

Any news on Felesmere opening any time soon to boats?

I got a piece of 2"x2" stock 10 feet long. Lathe the one end round, and cut a large paddle from plywood, on the other end with wood screws. Cut a notch on the top of the paddle on both sides, to grab a dock or other object and pull the boat in. Cut to fit your needs. Fits in the rod locker perfect. If I need to paddle, I can stand on the front deck and move a lot of water without bending over, and I can switch sides paddling without moving my feet. If I need to push off I turn it around and use the handle side. The whole thing cost less than $7. Seldom use it, but good to know it will get the job done, and easy on my back.

It all depends on how much history I have with a given area or piece of structure. If I'm new to an area I will give a target 4 or 5 casts varying the presentation. I might throw a U-Vibes past the target and burn it along the surface. Then I might throw it out and dead stick it. Then throw past and slow roll it steady but very slow. Then throw the same bait and hop and let it fall and keep repeating. If nothing happens I will throw out right to the target and dead stick for minutes, then a small vibrate and sit again. If nothing works I move to another target. To me changing the presentation means a lot more then changing baits or colors. A bass is not sitting there thinking if it were 4 inches instead of 6 inches I might eat it. Or if it were just watermelon instead of junebug I might eat it. Just not that much thinking going on down there.

I have been fishing over 40 years, and still fish at least 4 days a week. When I was younger I would always try the new baits, and baits others were bragging about. I have friends that frog fish all the time and even if it's not working will stick with frogs. The last ten years I don't even think, or care about what others do. I used to be a top water guy, and now consider myself a plastics guy. I will use an array of plastics and work them different ways until I find a pattern for that hour or even that day. I will work them faster in the morning along breaks and weed lines. As the sun gets higher, I will add weight work them deeper and throw them into thicker cover. The higher the sun I will look for clusters of weeds in open water and work the bases of that cover. I will go to drop-offs and look for bass hugging large boulders and limestone walls sometimes 20 feet deep. With the plastics I can work the surface, midrange, and deep water all with the same baits. I am confident I can catch good numbers and big fish using just these baits. Do what you have confidence in and forget what others are doing.

I fished Alligator Alley Friday 6/12/20. The water is up everywhere but although the fishing has got tougher the last few weeks, there are still plenty of big girls still in the canal. Fished slow and deep with plastics, U-Vibes, Flukes, trick worms wacky, and senkos. Most of my fish were caught right at the drop-offs on both sides of the canals. Lost a monster bass at the bridge cut, but was lucky enough to bring her 30 yards to the boat and with her giant mouth opened wide, and a big head shake, she spit the hook. I was about a foot away from getting my hand on her lip. So big girls are there but I had to fish slow and deep. Caught 19 bass in 4 hours of fishing all in the north side canal. Several in the 5 pound range, and the monster that came off looked much bigger. Good luck if you go, this will not last all summer.

Making memories!

Depends where your fishing. In Florida I have never caught a freshwater eel, and don’t know anyone that has. In New Zealand they are common and get to really big size with a healthy set of teeth. Top notch f the food chain in NZ lakes.

Fish are not as delicate as most believe. I once caught a bass where the entire Gill was detached at the bottom. It was an old injury and the 4 pound bass was doing quite well. Go through the proper dehooking procedures by turning the hook and removing the same direction as the hook went in. The quicker released the better the chance for survival.

Oh yes, that's why you often catch bass of similar size in close proximation to each other. Smaller bass don't hang with bigger ones and most big bass are often loners. Hang with big bass and you can soon be on the menu! Many big saltwater fish will go to mangrove swamps and into freshwater to have young. They are protected from other bigger fish. Mother nature finds a way to protect their future generations.

When I go out fishing I usually always take a friend with me. When I see someone come with six or seven rods I will always check to see how many they use during the course of a trip. Three is the normal number used at the end of the day. The same guy will also bring a 50 pound tackle bag of lures and everything else he has bought. He seldom even opens the bag except for a bullet weight and hook. I had to mention it to him so he would down size and not take over every inch of space in the boat.

I went to college not far from the Arbogast factory in Akron Ohio. Always had one and still do. Only had luck at night with a black jointed jitterbug with a slow steady retrieve.

It depends on where your fishing, the weather conditions, and the season. If you watch MLF pros are thrilled to have a 2 pound bass and consider them a nice bass. After fishing Florida for 50 years I personally consider a 3 pound bass a nice bass. I have caught many in the 8 to 9 pound range but they are few and far between, compared to a good 3 pounder. Even down here some days your the bug, and some days your the windshield. That's fishing for you, you strive for greatness and often settle for the mundane! To me that's the fun of it!