soflabasser

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Good report, thank you for posting it. I also enjoy fishing with my loved ones and prefer it over fishing with anyone else.

Congratulations on catching your first bass on a spinnerbait. They are one of my favorite lures for bass fishing.

Hearing the spinning reel drag scream with a big saltwater fish is one of my favorite sounds. Also like the sound a old Penn Senator makes when a big shark takes the bait. Beats catching a bass that's for sure!

There are at least 3 types of fish that are called sheepshead in North America. The California sheepshead, the freshwater sheepshead, which is also known as the freshwater drum, and the saltwater sheepshead from the south. The saltwater sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) from the south is the one that looks like it has human teeth. They also taste good so most people keep them if they are of legal size.

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum

I use whatever technique I feel will be most effective when I am fishing, and this includes techniques that are considered "old school".

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It must be terrible to be a snowbird that hates iguanas yet they still move to South Florida knowing very well that we have iguanas and other exotic animals. Screaming "get off my lawn" won't work much on iguanas, they will keep eating your lawns. Iguanas are here to stay and you might as well learn to live with them and enjoy the South Florida version of Jurassic park.

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Some of the bass I catch in South Florida are golden colored and you can barely see the lines you speak of it at all. Have also caught some big bass with very clean looking golden coloration with dark lines, which to me are the most beautiful colored largemouth bass I have seen. These bass come from some extremely clear waters we have down here.

I have caught a couple muskies while on vacation up north and used a wire leader to prevent bite offs. I also use wire leader for the big barracudas I catch in South Florida since these fish also have big sharp teeth that will easily destroy most lines. Bass will still bite lures with wire leaders and I have caught some big northern strain largemouth bass as bycatch while fishing for muskies.

I agree that it is almost impossible to get rid of all the exotics we have, so its best to learn how to live with them and keep the population down of the ones that are actually dangerous ( pythons, nile monitors, nile crocodiles, lionfish,etc). Iguanas are herbivores and don't eat meat so you don't have to worry about them unless your a plant. A couple very strong cold fronts can help lower the population of exotics but it doesn't look like we are going to have any real cold weather in South Florida anytime soon. Florida is the fishing capital of the World and I won't be surprised if we are in the top 10 of most different species of animals in the world!

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I am glad we have iguanas in South Florida since they are a beautiful animal and are interesting to look at while I am fishing. Also enjoy the variety of fish we have and its something that brings millions of dollars of tourism to Florida since many people want to catch peacock bass, clown knifefish, bullseye snakehead, etc. The ocean is less than 60 minutes from my house in case I get bored of freshwater fishing.Weather is quite nice and we don't have to worry about snow and miserably cold winters.Beats being in a flyover state at least for me!

Reminds me of some people I know that are always reading about fitness, act like fitness experts, yet can't run a simple 10K or squat twice their bodyweight.lol Well said

Native snakes are not to be feared but should be respected. Sounds like the prankster had a very good time finding out who's terrified of snakes.

Looks like a fun event.

How long have you lived in Florida? Red tide is something that happens every once in a awhile on the West coast of Florida. The fish will rebound a while after the red tide goes away. In the meantime you can fish the East coast which has plenty of tarpon,snook, redfish, and more.

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum

When it comes to bass fishing nothing compares to time spent wisely on the water.

Many types since I have a open mind. I do micro fishing for tiny little fish to freedive spearfishing in wrecks,reefs, and bluewater. For bass I have fished with spinning, baitcasting, fly fishing,2 foot rods, yo yo reels,etc. Wreck fishing is also fun since its a tug of war game with very powerful fish.

There are plenty of woman who are very talented at bass fishing and have caught bass over 10 pounds. We have many of them in Florida, including some with +15 pound largemouth bass PB's. Check TrophyCatch and be prepared to be humbled.