Captain Phil

There have been times on the Harris Chain when if you weren't fishing a Rattle Trap you weren't fishing. Most of these times were back when the water was murky. Since the water has cleared, the Rattle Trap bite has diminished significantly. Almost all of my double digit bass came flipping heavy cover.

Communication is key! Before you book a guide, make your desires and expectations clear. Do not assume all guides are the same. Boating as many fish as possible is a different goal than targeting large fish. Live bait fishing is easier than bass fishing with artificial lures. Some guides are entertainers, others are not. Some guides are teachers, others are not. What is important is that you and your guide are on the same page. Do your discovery before the boat leaves the dock.

Being a bass fishing guide is the worst way you can ever make a living. The hours are long and the pay is little. Many people show up with no skill, no common sense and unrealistic expectations. The only way to be successful is to hang live shiners on a hook and wait for a fish to appear, then hope the angler can hook and land a fish. Truth be known, more money is made selling live bait to customers than fishing. Bass fishing with artificial lures takes skill and experience. Unless the fish are jumping in the boat (not often), it is rare to have a great day. My best customers were out of town tournament anglers who wanted to know how and where I fish. They always wanted me to fish. They were not looking for spots or advice, they wanted to see what I did and then make their own decisions. I met some great people this way, some of them you would know. My second best customers were avid weekend anglers with skill and experience. It was always a pleasure when they booked me and I enjoyed them all. Again, they wanted me to fish. This man came to me from Minnesota in the dead of winter. He told me in Minnesota bass are considered rough fish and trout are the sport fish. I found this odd. He wanted to catch a big Florida bass, so I gave him my favorite Rattle Trap. This was the result.

Here in Florida, fishing pressure is something we deal with on a daily basis. I live on the Harris Chain where the fishing pressure is relentless. There are numerous club tournaments every weekend. It's getting where you can't find a ramp parking spot on a Saturday or Sunday. Add a 200 boat tournament or two into this mix and you have some tough fishing. From my experience, this has the effect of shrinking the strike zone. It also makes the fish more aware of the sounds of boats and fishermen. If you can find active fish in open water, traditional methods can be effective. Unfortunately, with 50,000 acres of water, the fish have a nasty habit of relocating. There are always some fish in shallow water. When they are pressured, they go deep in cover, go almost totally inactive and the strike zone shrinks to almost nothing. This makes flipping the only real option outside of live bait. Stealth becomes important as well as sounds and shadows on the water. It's not an enjoyable way to fish for most people, but it works. Years ago you could run to some place where the fishing pressure was light. Those days are gone. If I am going to fish for fun, I prefer smaller waters like private lakes and golf course ponds. This is the same type of fishing I did as a boy and it's still the same as it was back then.

Spinnerbait

Some years ago I fished with a man who showed me a sunken dock on the Harris Chain. This dock was completely underwater even during droughts. I would often stop by this dock when fishing the area. This dock turned out to be the territory of a large bass with some unique markings. The first time I caught her, she weight 6 1/2 pounds. Over the years I caught her five more times and she gained length and weight each time. The last time, she was a little under nine. That bass is probably dead by now.

I suggest you come back as young Captain Phil. The current one is pretty worn out. ☺️

Years ago the Miami Herald Newspaper ran an annual fishing contest. The contest had many categories, some you would expect and some a little odd. One of the categories was total number of bass released. One angler always won that category. The number of bass he claimed to have caught and released was in the hundreds a day. It got so crazy, some locals complained and sought to have disqualified for cheating. The newspaper sent out an observer to verify his claims and they gave him the prize. This man only fished the Everglades. The Everglades is 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long. Part of the year, the area is a flooded swamp only a few feet deep. In the spring dry season, the flats dry up and all the fish concentrate in the flood control canals which are about 15 feet deep. When the water is high, the fish are scattered and difficult to find. When the water is low, the fishing is incredible. It is nothing to catch over 100 bass a day during a drought. In June, the rain starts and the water rises. The small fish are first to leave the canals. This leaves only large fish left in the canals. Some are double digit fish. Bass fishing in the Everglades is nothing like anything I have ever seen. Often there are so many bass in those canals, the wildlife people remove the limits. I once won a night tournament during one of those times with over 100 pounds of bass. You have to see it to believe it.

Your post brought a smile to my face. The Ole Monster is a finesse worm compared to the worms we threw back in the 70s and 80s. Back when Rodman first opened, we had a worm called the Hawg Hunter. That worm was 15" long, 3/4" of an inch wide with two molded in hooks. It was so heavy you didn't need a weight and it sounded like a whip on the cast. I haven't seen one in years and I have been trying to find one for my collection. I caught dozens of giant bass on that worm. I know of one 17 pound Florida bass caught on it. Big bass eat big food. This isn't always true, but it's true often enough. Big black plastic worms are great night lures. Bring your net!!

Finesse fishing means downsizing. Downsizing works because smaller lines and lures look more natural to fish. From my experience, it works best in clear water. It can also get more bites in highly pressured waters or when fish are inactive. When I was tournament fishing, along with my regular tackle I always carried a spinning outfit loaded with 8 pound line. Close to 30% of the tournaments I won were won finesse fishing when everyone else was throwing big stuff. Except for flipping, it's probably the most all around effective way to catch bass. Two lures come to my mind when I think about my days of finesse fishing, Zoom 4 inch worms and 4 inch lizards. If you really want to get good at finesse fishing, Google Mojo Rig. It's a downsized Carolina Rig and it's deadly on bass.

Not much I can add to this post. All I can say is stay safe. Minor issues during the day can turn into a tragedy at night. Don't ever night fish alone. I did it in my 20s when I was stupid. Here in the deep south, the biggest night fishing issue is bugs. If you are up to the challenge, night fishing can be great. Good Luck!

I was not aware that sunscreen was so controversial? All I know is this. If I wear sunscreen I don't burn. If I don't, I do. That said, sunscreen is a mess. I hate the stuff. My hoodie was just delivered and I can't wait to try it out. Thanks for the all the great feedback!

I am sorry to hear about your father. This photo was taken some time ago. I have completely healed and my cancer has not returned. The spot on my head was about the size of a pencil eraser. The surgeon had to make a large circle cut so the hole would heal. It looked and hurt like hell, but now you can't tell I had surgery. Skin cancer is no joke. My wife is very fair and they are always cutting her up. Back when we were kids, we never used sunscreen and now we are paying the price.

Thanks for the input. I am not allergic to any materials that I know of. As I got older, the heat seems to bother me more. It sucks the energy right out of me. I had a cancer removed from the top of my head a few years ago and it wasn't pleasant (see below). This what happens when you fish for 60 years. Now, I am completely bald and have been coating myself with sun screen. I do have a big floppy hat. I have been wearing my old light weight long sleeve guide shirts, but they don't seem to be as cool as these new shirts. I am definitely going to try these new shirts.

Summer temperatures here in Central Florida are running in the mid to high 90s. I see TV anglers fishing in long sleeve hoodies that I assume are protection against UV rays? I have have heard these shirts are not hot and some are designed to keep you cool. Most seem to be made of polyester, which doesn't sound that cool to me. Any feedback?

Years ago I lived in South Florida during a number of severe droughts where the flats were completely dry. The rough fish in the canals were so thick you could destroy an aluminum prop in a 1/4 mile. To thin out the fish, State Game officials remove all the fishing limits in the everglades. They once held a night time bass tournament out of Holiday park. I entered the tournament and we fished from 8 PM until dawn. It took over 100 pounds of bass to win that tournament. There were prizes for the most gars and mudfish. The pile of dead rough fish was enormous. Low water like that is tough on fish, but they recover quickly. The Everglades is a special place.

Here's mine. These reels changed everything. They came out just about the time plastic worms did. Back then, we didn't know about worm weights and these reels allowed light weightless worms to be fished. Those old Creme worms were dynamite on bass. Still are!

Major bass fishing game changing innovations in no particular order. 1. Level wind, free spool casting reel 2. Mitchel 300 type spinning reel 3. Electric trolling motor 4. Purpose built bass boat 5. Graphite fishing rod 6. Sonar fish finder 7. Plastic worm 8. Mono fishing line What's your list?

I was in South Florida last week visiting my son. They haven't had much rain this spring and the glades are dry. This pulls fish off the flats and concentrates them in the canals. It's nothing to catch 100 bass a day right now. Most are small but there are giants among them. Better hurry as the late June rains fill the canals quickly. The fishing gets tougher after July 4th. When the water is high, it can be the toughest fishing you will ever see. Finding current is the key.

I started having problems standing in my late 50s. I was a flipper and when standing in my boat I noticed my legs and hips felt like they weighed 500 pounds each. At first, I thought it was my weight, but it got progressively worse. In my 60s, I went to a doctor to see what was happening. They gave me an MRI and told me I had spinal stenosis which is caused by narrowing of your spinal canal. Some people are genetically disposed to this condition. In my case it was caused by arthritis. I sought out the best surgeon I could find and he told me to wait until I was ready. I tried drugs, shots and physical therapy and nothing helped. Three and a half years ago, I had major back surgery which included a fusion of four vertebrae. It was rough, but I can now stand and walk without pain. I am not suggesting anyone go under the knife to fix their back problems. In fact, I will tell you to only do it as a last resort. Getting old is not for wimps! 😈

As long as fishing doesn't cause a problem in your life, fish as much as you want. My son and I fished together for years. We left in the dark and came back in the dark. At my current age, I'm good for 3-4 hours max because my body won't let me fish longer. There was a time when I would fish in any weather. Today, it's often too hot, too cold or too something. I will say fishing can cause family problems. Winning tournaments takes a lot of time and effort. When you see a winning bag of fish, you don't see all the effort behind it. I once prefished 40 hours before a club tournament. I won that tournament with three fish, one I caught previously while prefishing. Don't let fishing take the place of your family. One day you may call home and no one will be there to answer.

I started fishing when I was 12 in about 1959. Living in Miami, I fished mostly canals and rock pits. My best friend and I would ride our bikes 10-30 miles or more to fish a new spot. From our homes in North Dade, the Everglades was to the west and the Atlantic to the east. We caught bass in fresh water and snook in the bays and brackish water. Land Locked tarpon were always a possibility. In the summer, my father would drive us to the pier on the ocean where we would spend the night fishing and sleeping on the pier. South Florida was a different place back then. I built my first boat in my parent's garage out of an 8' by 4' piece of plywood and some planks for the sides. My first real boat was a 15' aluminum car topper. My first bass boat was a 15' Terry bass with stick steering and a 50 Johnson. I later upgraded to a 16' Terry with a 75. I fished my first B.A.S.S. State Federation Tournament in that boat. When I got home, I bolted on a 135 Johnson. It wasn't much faster, but it looked like it. A Terry dealer sponsored me and I bought a red white and blue Terry American Bass Fisherman. Later, there were Hydrosports, Rangers, Skeeters, a Gambler and a 22' Storm I had custom built. As I went along, I owned a bunch of offshore and flats boats too. When I got older, I struggled with launching and loading a big boat, so I went with aluminum boats. My current Ranger RT 178 is my last boat and after that I will be back on the bank where I started. I get a ton of emails from people who ask about bank fishing. Luckily, there are still places here where you can fish from the bank and do reasonably well. Thanks for indulging my reminiscing on these pages. If you are just starting out, keep fishing and you will too some day.

I came across this photo on the web recently. It was suppose to have been taken in 1923. It brought back so many memories for me, I thought about posting it here. This is the way I started bass fishing. Back then, bass fishing was a poor man's sport. We weren't fishing for our dinner, but we fished without many things we take for granted today. Most bass boats were small back then. A 25 hp motor was huge. There were no pedestal seats, you sat on planks. Trolling motors did not exist, so we took turns at the paddle. Reels were like fishing with a boat winch with the handles turning on every cast. Lures were heavy chunks of wood or spoons made of metal. Lines were thick and black. Despite all this, some things were similar to today. A few people caught more bass than others. There were more fish back then and they were bigger. Boat ramps were dirt and never crowded like today. Like today, bass fishermen were an enthusiastic bunch. We bragged about our catch and competition among anglers was high. No one painted their name or sponsors on their boat. We knew who the real fishermen were. You will notice that there are no other boats in this photo. That's the way it was. Enjoy!

I tow my RT178 with a 2020 Ford Explorer with the standard 4 cylinder turbo. Tows like it's not there.

Orange Lake is on a comeback. Years ago, this lake was one of the best big bass lakes in Florida. It is spring fed and can go through periods of very low water levels. There is a huge hole in the bottom that has been filled numerous times. This dries out the bottom and has the positive effect of rejuvenating the bass population via a natural draw down.