N Florida Mike

Redbreast ( redbreast ) Bluegill , ( males are copperheads ,females are yellow bellies ). Red ear sunfish ( shell crackers,) spotted sunfish (stumpknockers) All these are generally called bream where I'm from

And a bowfin is called a mudfish here in Florida!! One time I was fishing at a little pier in St Augustine Fla.A man and his wife were fishing too.He went to get a snack and he had just got off the pier when she hooked into something big!!She's screaming and reeling with all she had.Everyones watching her pull it up.Husband is running back ,hearing her .About the time he got there , she gets it up and it's flapping! She starts yelling. It's a flounda,its a flounda.Husband takes one look and says disgustedly It's not a flounda,its a stingaray!? A native Southerner would say "Floun- der "2 syllables.Emphasis on " floun "

I don't I could be wrong,but the ponds there seem too new for me.I don't know if they are stocked or not. Julington Creek plantations ponds are stocked and they've been there long enough to produce some quality fish.Just don't fish in people's yards!!It's only 15 min. or so from Nocatee. If you find a good pond or two at Nocatee let me know.I will release any that I catch.

In the summer I get on the water at daybreak,and fish to mid- morning.Or I fish the last 2 hours of the day,or at night.From 10-6 it's hard( on me and the fish.)The fish get very lethargic here in the summer,so the key is to fish SLOW.I catch a fair amount of fish early in the day,using my favorite plastics.I have several that I rotate so the fish don't get too used to them.Sometimes I will try something new that they haven't seen before,or an unusual color. If I'm still out when it gets hot,I fish shade,esp.skipping under docks.4 inch senkos are great for this.I also usually pick up a fish or two on small,isolated weed patches out away from the bank. If you think about it,fish have to eat to survive.So they still will bite when conditions are extreme.But you must put the bait where they are,which is often the hardest place to get it to in summer.Because they won't chase it very much in the summer.It expends too much energy for the return they get. Another summer strategy is to find a deep hole and fish it very slowly with a 10-12 inch worm.I mean cast it out and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.I once caught a 6 pounder after letting a big Mann's jelly worm sit there for 15 minutes!.and I caught 4 fish 5-6 pounds in the same hole that summer . Big bodies of water can be overwhelming so I would start small.Fish small water ponds/ lakes.The fish are more concentrated.If fishing a big water body,I would focus on a few areas that have structure with deep water nearby.Learn to fish them well,then expand your area. Keep at it and you'll succeed! Mike

Google fishing reports for the lake.It will help you know how and increase your confidence in fishing there.Id fish under docks on bright days for starters.

I'm going to get my son to do this,especially now since his saltwater motor was just stolen. It'll be excellent competition,since he's the only one who beat me on our lake.We just did a simple numbers thing.He beat me 16-9.But I will prevail next time!?

No.But a bull redfish came close when I was surf fishing.I estimated that fish at 30 pounds.Hooked him on a finger mullet.He pulled app.3/4 of the spool before I turned him.Was using a whippy 9 1/2 foot whiting rod at the time.He ended up breaking a 30 pound wire leader as he dug in at the last sand bar.

That's because many of the people in Florida aren't natives,esp.south of Ocala.

To be honest,I probably don't fish with them enough to get a legitimate opinion.Wacky rig doesn't cast as far and gets hung up more in my weedy lake.And they love t- rigged anyway.So ....

Weightless t-rigged.Its probably my most used bait now. I try fishing them wacky style and don't catch any. Not that I doubt they work,but not for me.I even had a friend go toe to toe with me on the home lake using wacky senkos,so I know it can be productive.But when I use them,I don't get bit.Had this same discussion with Darren a while back.

As far as a state,Id have to say NC,esp.in the country.My moms family's from there. Overall,its small towns. Where I live,Jax FL area,its a big city with small town friendliness.EXCEPT WHILE DRIVING!!!?

Dropped my fav.spinning reel ( a strada) and the handle broke off.Probably couldn't do it again if I tried .But a friend found a replacement handle for it.Two motors went out on us this year.One is terminal,the other is repairable,and the sooner the better.Inshore Creek fishing is about to get hot!

Thanks!

I thought maybe a gar took a swipe at it on the way down.

Was doing some casting out back yesterday and when I reeled in,this was the result.The fish bit the whole middle out of the Zoom speed craw without getting hooked.I didn't feel the bite either,which is also strange . I also had a fish break my line,and 1/2 hour later caught him.Both bites on the speed craw too.I think I have a burr on a guide with that rod but I can't find it.The craw and hook from the break- off was in his mouth. Sorry for the tilted pic.You can see the bait against the sky.

Julington creek plantation has dozens of stocked ponds.Its in NW St John's CT.About 1/2 hour from St Augustine. Although it's semi- private, there are plenty of common areas you can bank fish.Ive fished it for years and never had anyone say anything.Just use some common sense- don't go in people's yards.

My daughter and boyfriend are losing their house in a month....I won't tolerate them moving in.Several reasons.I have a feeling my wife doesn't feel the same way.....

I remember it like it was yesterday.I had gone to drop off some equipment in a neighboring county.On the way back I stopped to get a coffee for the ride back.At the store it was on the TV.The first tower had been hit.I thought that was strange and how did a pilot mess up and hit a tower like that when its so obvious. I drove back into the outskirts of town and stopped to pick up something for the boss.Right after I walked in and was talking about it with the girl worker,we watched the 2nd one hit live.Then we realized what had really happened and I got real mad and wanted to go join up but I was too old. I decided on that day terrorism will not control my life.Im not going to change what I do or my beliefs because of it.

I caught one almost 4 out there on a 5 inch senko,along with 8 other fish one day last spring.Took a friend on July 2nd and we only caught 3 small fish in several hours using all kinds of baits.I heard of a 10 being caught there.

Hey,Thanks for sharing.I had to watch all of them.Lol.

Try skipping under docks from late morning on.Deeper docks that are low in the water are best.Most docks like this consistently hold fish.They will bite a variety of soft plastic baits. Another pattern is fishing a deep hole very slowly with a large worm. And I fish with live bait more in the summer.Shiners or bluegills.Hook em through both lips.Use as small of a hook as you can,so the baits action won't be reduced.I generally won't use a cork in most of the places I fish. I know some people think it's less than sporting to use live bait but if you release the fish,what difference does it make? And even if you don't release it,its OK so long as no laws are broken and you don't get too greedy.

welcome! For carp I bait an area with bread balls and corn.I use a small but strong hook and make a medium to large size bread ball .No cork.Make sure drag is set good.My grandson had one break 25 pound mono!

Carp do well on some weeds.They love niad,which is real common in Florida .They don't like eel grass though.We stocked them in my home lake.They eat like crazy .I snagged a 23 pounder about a year after we put them in at 1 pound or so.I t gained 22 pounds in 1 year!! I don't know the SC laws for them,but in Florida a biologist must approve them for a lake and they have to be sure there's no outlet where they could escape.

Salty Fishinhole same as my wife.Not too appropriate on either one.

I took a friend's daughter fishing once in my bass boat.We launched and got the motor cranked.We were heading down a canal to a lake and she asked me " Why is there all this water in the boat?"I had forgot to put the plug in.The boat was already pretty full so I turned around and got back to the ramp area in time to keep her feet dry and get bailed out.Dont think she told her mama!I know I didn't!?