Zcoker

If it is anything like his fishing/outdoor stores, should be spectacular. He goes all out with all things. I get lost in his fishing stores down here in south Florida. I go in for few things and come out in even bigger debt! lol

That's great! His stores are second to none. There's a big project of his that has been approved by the county commission for lake Okeechobee. The project is supposed to turn the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area into a world class fishing resort. When I was at Bass Pro recently, most employees were promoting it. Can't wait to see the final results!

Camping out in the Florida marshlands, camping and fishing, roasting hot dogs and enjoying life!

In my experience, bass bite in cycles, day or night, so it's just a matter of catching the cycle to start catching the fish. If nothing is happening, start moving around and eventually things will heat up regardless of most anything. The other day after a cold front blue bird sky I did actually that and eventfully caught an 8.5lb bass. She was hanging out between two clumps of sawgrass, ambushing smaller minnows. Moving around and casting and keeping that momentum has always produced for me.

All were 7-9lbs. Very tough environment for those fish to get much bigger out in the glades because of the water levels dropping to near zero during the summertime. Fish can get stuck and run out of food very quickly. So the big ones are very fortunate, imho, very fortunate and very smart! So hats off to those gals!

Watch those birds! This bird practically landed on my kayak, hung out long enough to get a glamor shot lol then took to the air, swooped down close by as if trying to say, "follow my lead!" Well, sure enough, the birdy was right. One cast got the fish!

More everglades giants from the kayak. Night or day, these big girls put up some wild and crazy fights! Shallow water combat fishing lol Very addicting! All fish released unharmed.

Wind direction is just another variable for all areas, some fair better than others. Here in south Florida, for example, places like Lake Okeechobee can become a mud hole on the south end of the lake with these big winter time frontal winds. Where I fish (everglades) wind direction plays more into my approach. Whatever way the wind is blowing will dictate how I position myself to fish an area as well as lure selection.

Of course. I was only speaking about the sonar alone with no other noise (motors and so forth). Where I fish is extremely tight quarters shallow water and stealth mode is a must. In any event, it's just a hunch included in my approach that the fish might sense the steady pinging of a sonar.

I'll use it on new bodies of water but in places that I fish all the time it only comes on to check out water temp and then off it goes. The rest of it location and so forth is basically in my head memorized. At night it's a nuisance and I like going all dark anyway. Sometimes I feel the sonar pulse fish can pick up on and spook easily or go tight-lip, especially in shallow tight quarters. That may be just a loose hunch but it might also be a solid truth.

Not exactly close. Although the lakes are basically next to each other, the only access to Kenansville from the Stick Marsh ramp is by airboat and then jumping the levy. Other than that it's a 50 mile journey all the way around via YeeHaw junction/441 north to catch Fellsmere Grade Road again on the other side. Kenansville has deeper areas just like most of those impoundments out there, irrigation canals and small lakes and creeks that were there before they flooded them. Kenansville was a cow pasture owned by Knights and when it was sold to the water management district and eventually flooded, so were the fence post along with the barbed wire...so be mindful of that when running out there or, at the very least, know here the post are located. As for the pros going there, it's land of the giants! It's quite small, only 2500 acres, so the chances are quite high to get into a nice fish. First time I was there and with my very first cast I caught a fish over 9.5lbs. I'm sold!

The parking at headwaters was limited by design, or so I've heard. The land is private and there's still some politics involve. I mean, the place has literally been peeled wide open for the entire world, unexpectedly at that. Many locals and local guides kinda took ownership, whatever that means. Maybe they'll start putting names on the parking spaces lol With Kenansville, if you go bring everything you need because there's absolutely nothing out there anywhere. No going back once down that 12 mile road. The ramp at Kenansville is probably the steepest boat ramp that I've ever seen. So be mindful of that. A little intimidating at first but doable.

Man, I feel for ya. I've had similar situations. I now have a detailed "fishing list" in my notes on my phone that I can check every time I take off. I'm also on top of the weather for any given area that I may go fish.

Glad you had a good time and caught nice fish! Headwaters is definitely the place to go here in Florida for a trophy bass. It's one of the few places designed to accommodate them. FWC list 275 over 8 pounds last few years which is catching up with Lake Okeechobee! That's a lotta big ones, considering the difference in size between the two places as well as their age. As far as that boat ramp goes, wow, there's a ton of ongoing drama related to it or, as some call it, dock talk. Lotta drama queens making a fuzz about all kinds of stuff.....parking, grass, speed limits, guides, shiner depletion and so forth. Glad you didn't let it spoil your trip! The road is not so bad early morning before first light but dusts up badly during the hot day. It's 7 miles. Now, if you really want to get dusty, drive the road to Kenansville Lake, 12 miles of it! Kenansville Lake is next to Stick Marsh yet only way to get to it is to go all the way around 50 miles or so. It can be just a productive as Headwaters without the drama and hardly a boat to be seen. Jurassic Park, they call it. Middle of nowhere!

I use the buzzbaits mainly at night in the everglades, especially during the summer months. A nice steady retrieve over the the calm night-time starlit water is a guaranteed BOOM! Although I've tried store-bought buzzbaits, I have resorted to just making my own custom black nickle plated baits. I get the parts and put them together related to a desired "tune", if you will. Seems like the sound or tune is what attracts the bigger fish. The buzzbait is very effective and can get the biggest fish around. I've caught many 8 pounders and up on this bait.

Load up with 50-65lb Power Pro and call it a day. It's all I use in the glades for just about everything. Always try to go to the hung fish and then work it upwards. Never try to pull it toward you through all the mess.

The older videos are actually more interesting to watch than some of these newer ones......or most of the newer ones lol Videos like Bigmouth Forever or Doug Hannon to name a few. Clunn's videos with Fish the Moment are very interesting. I take notice when some these legends speak up and slip out some of their tricks. Lotta good pointers out there. Just gotta dig. Like going to the library in the old days lol

Haha. Punching. That's only one type of area that requires a specific presentation. Down a ways is open water. And that's what I like so much about the everglades, so much versatility when it comes to location, so many neat places to fish all bundled up in the same general area, from open water to the thickest cover, from dense timber to shallow pads. No need to drive all over the land to fish a unique spot. It's all in the glades! In any case, I need heavy stuff to fish it. I tie my 50lb braid to 30 mono leader and slam 'em hard. Not unusual to hook into 7, 8, 9 pounders during a trip. I know some go strait braid but I like a bit of cushion. Floro is probably ok of an by itself. I think tying a short leader piece to the braid offers no give whereas if it was strait floro it'd probably hold up better. Just a thought.

Lake looks nice! The more the merrier when it comes to structure and bass. Seems like your Game & Park is doing a good service by leaving the timber standing. Here's what I contend with in certain areas down here in the everglades. Can get an idea why I go big or go home with my tackle lol

Yeah, man, I just can't chance the floro anymore, especially down here in the Everglades. It may be different in you neck of the woods, I don't know. But the other day was a deal breaker for me, lost another lure on the hookset....$35 gone! So I went back to heavy mono, great confidence, cheap, easy to get....I can whale on this stuff and not worry about loosing lures, fish or sudden breakoffs.

There was a rule change because of alleged board bending...they'd bend the boards to get different readings. Crazy. The Ketch boards are rock stiff. Plus the numbering is clearly visible on the edges of the board. All in all, a great board, easy to read and use.

My biggest bass this year (so far) came off a slow sinking 6th Sense Trace swimbait. She was pushing 9lbs. I tossed the bait into a little cove that was flat slick right next the the edge of a pennywort line. The bait hit the water and then I started a slow retrieve. Next thing I know a giant wake, then double wake, then triple....looked like a massive dark ominous submarine coming strait at the bait pushing all these giant wake swells. I slowed the bait to a near stop and then boom! One of the best hits that I have ever seen this year (so far).

I'm just not trusting the floro anymore around shallow heavy cover, logs, laydowns and so forth down here in the south Florida everglades. I've broken off too many times even using the best Seaguar 25lb floro. I have since switched over to 30lb mono with no issues whatsoever. Hits remain the same. Hookups are solid. Leaders last a long, long time. Plus it's at a fraction of the cost. Good to go.

I think it's more suggestive, if anything or, better yet, a kinda stepping stone for some. I mean, what works for someone may not work for someone else because of the many, many variables. Probably the reason why not so many follow up with positive feedback....or negative feedback from advice given on this site.

If there's one thing one can do in the everglades, get snagged! So I expect it an deal with it. I carry on board my a 36" ARC dehooker hook remover that I use on big sharks. I snag often in the glades and the dehooker gets them out all the time. Just taunt the line, slide into end loop, follow down and pull. Done. Water's not too deep, either, maybe 3-4 feet. Plenty of length for my purposes.