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Every time you catch a fish it often tells you something. It's not so often what you throw but how you work it. If it happens more then once, you might be into a pattern. This has happened to me over the years. It tells me to let it settle and just gently shake the bait like you do when pulling out a over run. I would do what other said by slowing down, subtle shakes and letting it sit again. Always think about what you were doing when the bite occurred.

For me long casts become important in extremely clear water. In south Florida we have weedy lakes but often extremely clear water, filtered by the surrounding cover. Canals in south Florida are often clear because they are surrounded by weedy flats. Making long casts to drop-off lines makes good sense. Let plastics settle, and fish them slowly back. I use a quality floro for plastics most of the time. Another important factor is to keep in stealth mode. With a constant breeze I will but out a drift bag and stay off the T/M. This along with long casts produces, when other techniques do not. Two important factors to consider in clear water settings.

Fish just aren't that picky. If it's in their strike zone, or just close to their hang out, and their hungry they take it. If their that picky their going to die!

You learn valuable lessons every so often. One time I was running the rim canal on Okeechobee. At 50 MPH I hit some wake from another boat and watch two rods and reels go over my head and into 20 feet of dark murky water. Lesson, never run anywhere without your gear tied down. Even if it was less than a mile. The lack of a 10 second effort cost me hundreds of dollars. I never did that again.

Just goes to show just how tough these animals are. They live in a violent world, chasing living organisms through weeds, rocks, downed wood. They are also always escaping from bigger things looking at them as food. They just survive, day after day. That guy is a survivor!?

Lol

The industry makes products to catch fisherman not so much fish. They want you to believe a subtle change in color will make the difference. If bass were that picky they would starve to death. Yes you might want a darker color at night, and earth tones during the day. The key is placement, and proximity to where their staying, not so much color or size.

As a South Florida fisherman most of my life, I fish waters 2 to 6 feet deep 90% of the time, with thick weeds and pads. I just spent a week on Lake Chatuge, a rental home, with a Tritoon Boat, with full electronics, and 150 four stroke. My son and I scoured the lake looking for fish willing to play. 130 feet deep in many places, very little shore vegetation, and lots of points, underwater mountain tops, and some laydowns, and sunken fish attractors. Quite a difference from Lake O, and the Everglades. We saw countless big bait balls, with big arches around the outside. We fished at least 10 hours total and caught 1 suicidal fish. For me it was like being on the moon. We saw a bunch of 4 pound bass in the clear water but everything we threw had no effect. We threw rattle traps through the bait balls with no effect. Jigs and chatterbaits on points, and shallow hill tops. Extremely humbling, but a pleasant change from the waters I normally fish. I have an extra respect for tournament guys that have to fish all kinds of waters on a weekly basis. Has anyone out there fished this beautiful body of water, and had better luck then my experience.

A lot depends on water quality. If good, bass and gar may be in close proximity. Gar will also frequent water with low O2. They will clean up on fish dying and struggling with the poor water quality. Easy pickings for hungry gar.

It could be both. In heavily weeded lakes the weed line often stops at a break line. This happens often on the lakes I fish in south Florida. Break lines can be as much as 10 feet with the weed line ending at the top of the break.

The whole thing is unnatural. Small lake compounds, stocked with Florida strain bass, spoon feed trout for years with no natural fear of bass as predators. Catch and release only, with limited restrictions on the lakes. Nothing about it natural as compared to other big bass bodies of water around the country. Just like the body builders on a stage pumped full of steroids. It's a shame any of these records stand as natural, they should all have asterisks next to them. Just like the Soviet Union in the Olympics during the cold war.

Very sad people can be this stupid. The push for the holy buck!

Lol

Welcome to summer in the south!’ It will stay like this until hurricane season ends. Hopefully we dodge the bullets.

How about a squeeze ball you could take with you all day long and work those muscles in the wrist area, and improve the grip. Do it anytime you feel the need.

Hay don’t worry about getting back on the water, and take your time with rehab. Believe me the water and fish will still be there when your completely recovered. Do something foolish and you could have a big set back. Best of luck and God Bless.

I have lost two combos running the rim canal at okeechobee. Stupidity not strapping down the rods. I did find a team diawa while fishing the airport hole on the east side. It was beyond help and looked like it was sunk for years. To bad it was a high end combo.

I have had several of these happen. 1). Twenty years ago I was fishing a Bill Dance crankbait in the Big 67 canal, the bass broke me off and jump several times trying to get rid of the bait. I thought that bait was gone forever. An hour later, I heard a rattle about a quarter mile away from the original spot. I motored over and found my bait floating on the surface. He finally freed himself from my bait, and I recover it to be used again. 2). I was throwing a weightless fluke on the Loxahatchee flats and while fighting the fish it broke me off. Two hours later I hooked a fish in the same area. Upon landing it I saw my fluke with my #3 gama hook still embedded in its jaw. What are the odds of catching the same fish, still ready to eat again, with my hook and fluke still in its jaw. These are tough critters! 3). One early summer morning my son and I were fishing the everglades canals in the heart of the everglades. The sun had not come up yet and we were in area with islands surrounded by swamp. All of a sudden there was a load cry from a big cat on one of the islands. We then heard a cry from a different cat about a mile away. We sat in silence just listening. The two panthers kept this love affair going for about twenty minutes, with a cry about every thirty seconds. It was an exceptional experience since the one cat was less than 50 yards from us.

I live just east of you on the other side of the glades. There are a bunch of good ramps along Alligator Alley, you can fish Ave Maria university in Naples. There are a bunch of lakes, and canals that hold fish with accessibility in the area. Look at Google earth and zero in on areas in your vicinity. If there is water that holds water all year you will find bass. If your walking banks anywhere down here wear a good pair of boots, there area crawling critters all over the place. Be aware and always careful.

I love fishing on these days as long as the rain is not too heavy, and no lightning. First sign of lightning I take cover. The fish move around and are not as tight to cover. The bite can be excellent.

The most important thing is too slow down under low light conditions. If everyone slowed there would be allot less problems.

There is no one magical lure. Keep your line wet. Make thousands of casts, and good things will happen. Location is more important then what your throwing.

I have fished Turkey Foot several times and have a good friend that is part owner of the golf course. I have fished behind their house which is on the lake and down by one of the holes behind the cart house, with open access to the lake. I have used senko type baits and zoom centipedes in watermelon red color. Did quite well with numbers of small bass but nothing over 2.5 lbs. There is a boat ramp on the lake and sometimes ramps with rip rap is a good place to fish. Plus lots of released bass in that area. With the availability of a boat its a game changer with drop offs and boat docks to hit. With a boat I would go with squarebill crankbaits and look for down wood. Good luck.

The governor should cut all funds for this until an investigation is completed. Then individuals responsible should be put in jail. Someone is getting rich from this spraying and the amount of product being used. When you come down to the bottom line, it's all about greed and corruption.

Your not in touch with what your bait is doing. You may have slack in your line, not watching your line, or using the wrong line for sensitivity. Knowing what your bait is doing is important.