soflabasser

I should probably get a scale like the one that weighed that bass,since it's so generous weighing bass.In all seriousness that bass appears to be 4-5 pounds at most,not 8 pounds. Aint that the truth!That's why it's always a good idea to carry a tape measure and a accurate scale.

Congratulations on your new pb!

Do you have a picture showing you measuring the girth of this bass?

You don't have to use live bait to catch a peacock bass,they bite lures well.Try fishing with Rebel Pop R's,Heddon Torpedo propbaits,and Rapala jerkbaits for both peacock bass and largemouth bass.For the largemouth bass in that canal try using senkos, jigs,and spinnerbaits. These lures should keep you busy catching lots of fish in that canal.

I live in South Florida where there's tons of jacks (along other saltwater fish) and I still greatly enjoy catching bass.Almost half my tackle is freshwater tackle.

You are welcome, it's the part of the canal that is "L" shaped.That whole canal system has good fishing.

Soft plastic/hard plastic lures have their specific times that they can be used effectively.For example,I rather use a Rebel pop r in open water applications and a Zoom horny toad in areas filled with aquatic vegetation.

Those fish are a blast to catch! Jack crevalles are pound for pound one of the best fighting fish.

Try the canal behind Opa Locka airport on Red Road and NW 142nd Street.This canal is loaded with peacock bass and largemouth bass.

Wow,that is by far the fattest bass I have seen at only 19 inches.

These are some good Rebel fishing lure collections! I have a couple old Rebel Pop R's and Rebel Crawfish in my fishing lure collection .

Good report!

When it comes to bass fishing nothing is more exiting than hooking a trophy bass on a topwater lure.

Congratulations on catching a big bass! A bass with a 20 inch girth at 24 inches long should weigh a minimum of 8 pounds.

I agree with you that artificial lures are much more effective in terms of numbers of bass caught in a day than using live bait.I have had multiple trips where I have caught +100 bass on artificials, but cannot recall a day that I passed that many on live bait. It's a hassle collecting enough bait to catch that many bass,but it's easier to catch that amount of bass with a couple packs of soft plastics and a handful of hard plastic lures.

Good report!That frog looks like its been hit hard several times.

Summer can be a great time for bass fishing if you are willing to adapt and improvise to the conditions.Fish early in the morning, late in the afternoon, during cloudy/rainy days,and at nightime. Change the speed of your retrieve until you find the speed the bass respond to.

Always be ready and prepared for the next big bite.

It's mostly personal preference.I only use baitcasters when using big swimbaits and use spinning setups for everything else.So far it has worked very well for me.

Same here in certain spots in the Everglades.They both are fun to catch.

Congratulations on losing the extra weight!

Same here.I have caught well over 200 bass this year alone, all on artificials.

If people want to use live bait let them,as long as it's legal in their area.If using live bait was so easy everyone would have +10 pounders as their personal best(in areas where bass get this big).Live bait fishing is an art in itself and takes years to learn well and there are many times lures outfish livebait, at least in the spots I fish. I have caught more big bass and more numbers of bass on artificials than I have on livebait. With that said, I have been strictly fishing artificial lures for largemouth bass for almost a year now.I do this because I find it easier to fish with lures. I don't have to worry about catching bait,keeping it alive,and playing the stationary waiting game that one has to do with live bait.I enjoy walking long distances when bass fishing, and it's easier to fish this way with lures.

Choose the reel you like best.My favorite spinning reel has a gear ratio that is less than 6.0:1 and I have no problems using buzzbaits and spinnerbaits.

The frog is definitely better than the sunfish. It still makes a great backup lure and gives something different for the bass to hit.