soflabasser

Bass get huge in farm ponds,that's for sure.Many guys in South Florida catch double digit bass out of farm ponds,even bass in the +13 pound range. Welcome. Keep fishing your top water frogs since it's a lure that is currently working. Consider fishing at nighttime/low light conditions for having a good chance at catching one of the bigger bass of the pond.You can also try swimbaits.

The bass in South Florida get plenty of sun and none of the bass I have caught have as many dark spots like the one pictured above. Probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Same here.

Interesting catch.I have caught bass with some extra dark spots but never as many dark spots as the bass you caught.

I will remember the year 2016 as one of the best years I have had bass fishing in a long time since I was able to catch 6 bass over 8lbs (with one less than a ounce away from being a +10) and numerous bass over 6 pounds,all caught from land.The year is not over,so I will continue fishing to the best of my ability and hopefully catch more big bass in the few days left in the year.Also met one of my bass fishing goals to make 1,000 post on this forum to share some my knowledge of bass fishing and hopefully help a couple people in the process. For 2017 I would be very happy if I can convince my better half to join me fishing more often since it seems I catch more big fish when she joins me.Another fishing goal I have for 2017 is to catch species of fish that I have not caught before.Looking towards to what the year 2017 has to offer and hope everyone reaches their goals in bass fishing. Added info: December 2016 ended up being one of the best months of bass fishing I have had in several years. My top 5 bass of December 2016 measured a combined total of 119'' inches and a total weigh of +38 pounds. Most bass I caught in 1 day this year was 65 bass(have had several +100 bass days in previous years).Best 5 bass total in terms of length for the year 2016 was 125'' inches. My goal for 2017 remains the same.

Like most things in fishing, rod/reel selection is mostly a matter of personal preference. Fish with whatever frog setup makes you happy,since you will be fishing this setup and not someone else. With that said ,I only use spinning setups for my frog fishing and it works very well for me (I have caught many bass over 8 pounds with these spinning setups).Fish with the setup you truly feel comfortable with and you will be happier than fishing with a setup you don't like. I agree with you 100%.All my frogging setups are stout heavy action rods,I have absolutely no problems whatsoever reeling in a big bass from heavy aquatic vegetation.

It was in the low 80's this weekend in South Florida with a nice refreshing breeze.Saw at least 7 different state license plates,mostly from northern states.

Good advice . Confidence is extremely important in bass fishing, much more important than what gear you have ,even more important than where you are fishing.

That's true.Hopefully they find a way to keep both the bass fishermen happy and increase the population of endangered species in the Delta.

The bass fishing has been on fire for me this whole month and I expect it to remain that way since we are in the pre spawn/spawn now. Coldfronts do slow down the fishing, but you should still be able to catch bass,even on the coldest days. Fishing lures very slow is a good technique to catch bass down here during/after a cold front.

Most of the lakes in my area are filled with hydrilla and have healthy populations of bass.

Largemouth bass are native to Lake Okeechobee and the rest of Florida so this won't happen in Florida.

There is not a perfect answer to this question since changing lures or fishing location depends on many variables. I will often fish the same spot for hours with the same lure if I feel the conditions are right for me to catch a big bass, which I often do.Other times I stay on the same general area and change my lures/retrieve until I find what is working at that moment. When going for large numbers of bass I often change lures/fishing locations to continue catching lots of bass.

hollow belly frogs.

Thank you. I have been fishing South Florida for over 2 decades and love inshore fishing.

Here's a couple lures that I have success with when inshore fishing; Heddon Super Spook Rapala Skitter Walk Bomber Long A Rapala X-Rap D.O.A. Terroreyz D.O.A. Shrimp Gotcha Plug Bucktail jig

Excellent choice . The bass fishing is on fire now since the bass are in pre spawn/spawn mode. Its only going to get better the next couple months. It's going to be in the low 80's this weekend, so you can fish in shorts if you wanted to.

I refuse to lose the first topwater I made.Its my original design and has caught me lots of largemouth bass and peacock bass.I currently have it hanging on my wall with other lures I have made thoughout the years.

Good subject. I have caught lots of big bass on Live Target lures so they have me as a customer for a long time (as long as they continue making quality products ). It doesn't matter to me if I can get another lure for half the price, what matters to me is how effective the lure is and how durable it is.

Thank you, I have been powerlifting for close to 2 decades now,use to be much stronger when I was younger,but I don't lift anywhere as heavy as I use to back then(I am focusing more on cardiovascular sports now).Powerlifting/Weightlifting is a relatively safe sport, if done in a safe way.One must make sure to always warm up,always have good form,have breaks throughout the year in lifting,not lift too heavy, and never,ever overtrain. Athetles of all sports can get hurt, golfers get hurt if they don't train safe ,so safety is #1.You are correct that you can point out those who have been taking care of their health, there's plenty of +60 year old men who are in much better shape than most 20-30 year old men(both in cardiovascular endurance and strength ) .Age is just a number for those that take care of themselves.

Taking care of our health is the most important thing we do for ourselves, and it makes fishing for long hours much easier. I worked out chest and triceps yesterday and have a routine where I train my muscle groups evenly. I don't really train for bodybuilding(aesthetics), but my neck, arms, and calves are more or less the same size since I try to give my body a balanced workout. Doing HIT training today along with some lower body weight training.

A man is no match for a alpha male red kangaroo,not even close.Males can reach weights of +200 pounds of muscle,with huge powerful arms and thighs. They also have large claws that can disembowel the kangaroos opponent. That man was lucky that kangaroo didn't want to kick him.

Get used to seeing alligators down here, they are all over the place,even in home owner association ponds.The one you saw was small one,you can tell by its juvenile coloration. The big ones(+12 feet) are truly an impressive animal,and they have no fear of bank fishermen. Always pay attention to your surroundings and be careful when landing a bass,alligators are master ambush predators and can be right in front of you without you knowing(they like to crawl the bottom of a lake and position themselves in front of the shoreline where a bank fishermen is reeling in a bass).Mating season is even worse,avoid nesting alligators the mama alligators will chase you if you get to close to her nest.

My favorite lake hasn't changed the way you described, but it has changed compared to a decade ago. Lots of people keep bass in this lake,so the average size I use to catch has dropped.Still catch decent ones every once in a while and there's tons of sub 5 pounders.

Nice ,I also enjoy weight lifting. What's your favorite lift? For me it's either Squats or Deadlifts, especially on heavy days where I put 5 plates on each side.