soflabasser

I have seen more out of state license plates this year than at any other time in my life. A lot of those people come here to fish our waters so the fishing must be very good for them to invest thousands of dollars to fish here. Lake Okeechobee is a far better bass fishing lake than any I have seen mentioned in this thread. There are many lakes in Florida that are better for catching big bass than Lake Okeechobee. The Everglades is probably the best place in the country to catch large numbers of bass. Florida also have some of the best saltwater fishing in the world. I can give more examples but it is not needed. No other state comes close to Florida when it comes to being the best state for fishing.

There is a reason why Florida is known as the ''Fishing Capital of the World'' and why so many people from other states move here. Florida has the best overall fishing of any state, that is fact!

Crankbaits are a very good lure for river bass fishing.

Nobody wants to work for a business that pays less than a comfortable wage so expect to get lots of low skill level people if the pay and benefits is not worth it. Every profession is different so different things are expected from employees. There are professions you do not have to go to college where a person can make a comfortable pay with benefits but those jobs are not as common as the lower paying ones. A seasoned person should get more pay if they are more knowledgeable not just because they have been working longer. For example there are lots of people with +10 years experience in 1 job, yet they are terrible. These types of people do as little as possible to keep a job. A motivated person with a good education willing to learn and work hard is far more valuable to any business so business owners have to be willing to offer good pay for such people.

Like many things in life you get what you pay for. Lots of business owners say it is hard to find good workers these days yet they do not offer much money or benefits when looking for people to work with them. Most people with a decent education and good work ethic will not work for anything less than a comfortable pay and benefits since they earned it. A business that offers low pay with little to no benefits will get low skilled employees like the ones you mentioned.

I have used both mono and braid for topwater fishing and have done well.

Well said! I have noticed that some bass fisherman put bass on a pedestal. Black bass are just overgrown sunfish so if you know what you are doing you will catch them while micro fishing, finesse fishing, power fishing, whichever way you want.

Rebel Pop-R has been made for a long time and they still catch lots of bass.

It would be best to buy a new lure and not worry about getting in the water to get the lure you lost.

Congratulations on your new Personal Best bass she is a beauty. I also catch most of my bass on spinning gear.

I enjoy micro fishing as much as I enjoy catching big game species in the ocean. Not everyone is going to like the same things and that is ok.

The largemouth bass down here eat a combination of native and exotic fish so they grow quick. If you enjoy catching smallmouth bass you will love fishing for peacock bass. I fished with a man that fished for smallmouth for decades before moving to Florida and told me he prefers peacock bass over smallmouth bass.

My favorite lure is the lure that works best on the day I am fishing.

I have fished in several mountain streams, it is nice but I much rather fish in South Florida. There are plants with flowers every single day of the year so I do not have to wait until Spring to see plants flowering.

Welcome to the forum

Anyone who can consistently catch bass without electronics is a much better bass fisherman than someone who has to rely on electronics to find the fish. That is a fact. With that said most people these days are too lazy to learn how to read the water without electronics. A lot of old books teach how to find bass on a body of water without electronics so you can buy one of those books if you want.

A persons height does not matter when it comes to choosing a fishing rod. What matters most is a person's skill in casting. For example a person of average height can out cast and out fish a tall person who does not know how to fish well. Another example is surf fishing where rods 10 feet and longer are often used.

I have seen big largemouth bass in South Florida form schools in lakes. Some of those bass where over 8 pounds. Same thing happens in Japan where big largemouth bass are sometimes seen in schools.

You are welcome @mikey z. I also recommend you use a landing net since it is very useful for large bowfin or places it is hard to use a fish gripper. Have landed many 28 inch or bigger bowfin this way.

Everyone who bass fishes in a place with bowfin should have a fish gripper. It makes holding bowfin and removing hooks much easier. Bowfin are a native species of fish that have existed for millions of years. Pound for pound they fight harder than a bass so they are fun to catch. That is why I release every single bowfin I catch and will continue to do so.

I fished with a man that did very well with the one dollar spinnerbaits from Walmart. He caught lots of bass over 5 pounds including one over 9 pounds. I have caught nice bass on them as well but prefer fishing with Booyah spinnerbaits since they are more durable.

Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico all have introduced populations of peacock bass. Singapore and other Asian countries also have introduced populations of peacock bass so peacock bass can be found in many countries outside of their native range. They are one of the best freshwater gamefish in the world. Would be awesome if Florida would reintroduce the speckled peacock bass again to South Florida. The weather is warmer now than in the 80's and 90's so these fish have a very good chance establishing.

I have done well with medium heavy rods for this type of fishing and other topwaters.

I have caught lots of big creek chubs fishing with worms on a small hook.

Get a couple crankbaits that run different depths. This way you can fish near the bottom, mid water, and near the surface. Crankbaits are easy to fish and one of the best lures you can use for river bass fishing.