N Florida Mike

I eat any kind of fish. If I was a condemned man, fried fish would be my choice for a last meal... My favorites in saltwater: Sheephead, red snapper, Flounder, redfish, whiting, black drum ,spots, croakers. I catch all of them except dont get red snapper much because they are offshore and very limited to harvesting . Freshwater: Catfish, esp. “ butter “ cats ( yellow bullheads ) and channels, then brown bullheads. Any kind of bream, but redbreasts are my favorite. LM bass- I keep only 12-15 inch ones to fillet. I will eat specks( crappie) but dont fish for them much...

The first fish I remember was some kind of little sea perch ( my dad said ) that I reeled in when I was 4 in the marsh near Ft Fisher NC on a piece of shrimp. The first decent fish I caught was a 3-4 pound black drum I caught on shrimp while surf fishing at Ocean Isle beach NC. I was around 8 year old , and that fish is what hooked me on fishing for life... The first bass I remember catching on a lure was a 1 pounder I caught on a red and white spoon.I probably caught 2 more ever on that lure. I was 14-15 then.Then I got into the T rig and worms. ? I have no idea what rod and reel I caught it with.

I make a serious attempt on all of them. There’s not many I cant get to, mostly because I fish in the water, not the trees. ?

One time my wife asked me what I wanted for father’s day. I told her a new baitcasting combo would be nice. The next day she took the kids fishing in my jonboat while I was at work and the only thing she caught was a nice baitcasting combo ! I had this happen at least twice: Set the hook on a fish and miss. Worm comes flying out of the water and lands on the other side of the boat. When I reeled up the slack another fish had picked up the worm and I reeled it in. Another time I saw a disturbance on the water and found 2 bass locked together at the mouths. The bigger one had apparently tried to swallow the smaller one head-on. I pried them apart and they swum off. Once I was bream fishing and as I was reeling one in the rod loaded up and a few minutes later I was holding the 4 pound bass that ate the bream! I took a friend bass fishing for the first time. His first cast he thought he had a bite. I coached him on setting the hook. When he set the hook , his rod bowed into a u shape with something heavy on the other end. He was SO excited. When he pulled it up we saw he had hooked a cowboy boot. He had the most disappointed look Ive ever seen. I told him , quick , cast over there again and maybe youll catch the other one ! I took my best friend’s teenage son bass fishing. Out of the blue he remarked about how scared he was of bats. It couldnt have been 5 minutes later when a bat flew between his line and the rod as he was casting out and got stuck. I said “ Hey david , theres a bat on your rod” , or something like that. He acted like he didn’t hear me and didnt notice the bat because he was focused on watching his bait. As I told him again it got unstuck and flew off. He never saw it and thought I was just pulling his chain !?

Another beautiful Florida sunrise...

That’s my favorite months of the year. They will bed in creeks and canals off the river around the full and new moons. Cold fronts mess things up for a few days off and on though...Hoping I can get out there some this year in those months. April too...

Since Id probably be fishing Florida, Id pick Roland or Scott Martin, Shaw Grigsby or Peter T.

A tree along a wooded shoreline seems to work well for my wife...

I mix flour in a bowl with garlic , old bay, and a little salt. Put in the fish, put the top on and shake. Ready for frying!

I like both of them. I was watching the bronze cowboy ( he was in Arizona. ) I heard a familiar voice and lo and behold , my pastor and his wife walked up. Pastor got a laugh when he pranked her by getting her to sit next to him under the guise of taking her picture. She screamed when he moved. ? Small world that I would see them on a video 2000 miles away from their home.

Got a couple in a pond on the work route again. Caught em on a watermelon red yum dinger...

Truth.

I really dont pay much attention to what other people do. I dont watch them enough to see if they’re watching me. Im too intent on my own fishing to care honestly. If they get too close that bothers me. It’s usually novice fishermen or boaters that do that. If someone asks what Im catching em on, I may or may not tell them depending on the situation. Usually I just give vague info like “ soft plastics “ If I get to know someone and they dont seem like theyll keep every fish they catch, I’ll be more specific.

Nothing to it?. ? whoosh. Just my attempt at sarcasm. Its where Im from and who I am.

? Anyone wanna guess?

Naww.. He needin’ some of that Orange and Blue! ??

Dang we’re just warming up slighly from a cold front. 48 last night, but it got down to 32 the other night. Toughing it out !

Purdy fish!

@Catt do you do well with black and blue in different water clarities or all of them? Seems like it works better for me in dingy water. June bug is black with blue sparkle and seems to produce well anywhere, but I havent used it much in dirty water...

The first few times I used pbj senkos I didnt do well. The last couple times, I did. . Still usually do better with watermelon type colors or june bug.

Gator is excellent if cooked right.

Im the most successful with soft plastics. Yam. senkos are great, and zoom super flukes, both Texas rigged with a 3/0 wide gap Gamakatsu hook. I fish them weightless. After casting, watch the line as they will often take it on the fall. If not bit on the fall, Wait 10-15 seconds and gently lift until you feel contact with the bait. A fish will usually be moving with the bait and you’ll feel a distinct peck usually . If its just dead weight, no peck or movement, it’s probably a weed or log. But it doesn’t hurt to set the hook if you arent sure. You will learn the more you do it.

Nice sunset leaving the shop the other day...

You’ll likely get a visit from FWC if you do that.

Getting hemmed in by two 9 foot gators while wade fishing as night fell was kinda crazy...