What Is Up With Florida Right Now?

[808bass]

Yea I was fishing a man made pond yesterday with the shiners that were barely alive and caught 3 largemouth ranging from 1-2lb... today might of not been the day... thats what I am thinking

[AK-Jax86]

Man I was catching some nice 3 to 4 pounders on shiners and now nothing. An it seems like the shiners are hittin the water and then dying. Idk what is wrong if the water is too hot. The water I get em in from the bait shop is always cold so maybe when they hit the pond water they go into shock an die or something idk but I keep wasting my money. Buying bait is one thing but if u buy em and they die or you don't catch anything that sucks even more.

[SirSnookalot]

That is what I hear. My boss laughs and says wait til then and you won't fish bass ever again. Most people don't even fish freshwater up here except the river and that is mostly stripers. They love their sheepshead and kingfish in addition to the reds.

Pretty much how it happened for me, except I still bass fish.

Mullets runs are awesome, doesn't mean that's it's easy. Sure many times it's astrike a cast but just as often the bait is so thick they don't look at artificial. I've had times that I've casted over an hour into busting fish without a strike. That's the time to use live bait, sounds strange, not really if you know how to present your bait among the tens of thousands natural bait swimming around. The trick is to clip a fin, or cut the bait and make it swim different as it's in distress, your bait stands out and probably will be closer to the bottom of the bait pod. You freshwater guys, don't think clipping a fin on a shinner works, try it, you might be surprised. Fish are are fish, I don't care what body of water they are in.

[AK-Jax86]

Finally got one today after a huge fishing drought

I was using a 5" senko red shad colored. I will post the pic when I get to my computer

[808bass]

I've had no luck on Fire N Ice plastic worm when I was catching everything last year on them.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I've been absolutely stroking Largemouth lately on ripbaits in the 8 to 10 foot range. Baits like the Pointer 78XD and the Staysee 90 V3. Both in the Ghost Minnow color. Nothing huge. A handful of threes and fours, with countless dinks mixed in. Fish are all hitting it when paused for 3 to 5 seconds. The bite has slowed down a bit on them though. The Peacock bite is going off right now with the warmer temps. Pick just about any bait that's flashy and moves very quickly and you'll probably get bit. Slow rolling, and I mean slow rolling, swimbaits like the 6" Hudd is still picking up an occasional better quality Largemouth also. Weedless Shads and Grass Minnows are an almost guaranteed bite right now as well. Both of those are producing smaller fish, but fun nonetheless.

[MCS]

Pretty much how it happened for me, except I still bass fish.

Mullets runs are awesome, doesn't mean that's it's easy. Sure many times it's astrike a cast but just as often the bait is so thick they don't look at artificial. I've had times that I've casted over an hour into busting fish without a strike. That's the time to use live bait, sounds strange, not really if you know how to present your bait among the tens of thousands natural bait swimming around. The trick is to clip a fin, or cut the bait and make it swim different as it's in distress, your bait stands out and probably will be closer to the bottom of the bait pod. You freshwater guys, don't think clipping a fin on a shinner works, try it, you might be surprised. Fish are are fish, I don't care what body of water they are in.

Yes sir, read about that in an article talking about using pin fish. Don't fish live bait much, ocasionaly when with my kids I will throw a tiny bluegill they catch under a float. I always mean to try it but never recall at the moment. But I prefer lures and to work all areas I can, you know keep moving instead of sitting around.

The whiting bite was on at the beach today. tide was out, the people that where catching crossed to the sandbar and cast out from there. They were catching them almost every cast.

[AK-Jax86]

BOOM 7" BEAST to end my 8 day fishing drought, caught him on a 5" senko. Looks like the HAWGS are back and biting like crazy now in my pond LOL

[Sam Fisher]

I've been absolutely stroking Largemouth lately on ripbaits in the 8 to 10 foot range. Baits like the Pointer 78XD and the Staysee 90 V3. Both in the Ghost Minnow color. Nothing huge. A handful of threes and fours, with countless dinks mixed in. Fish are all hitting it when paused for 3 to 5 seconds. The bite has slowed down a bit on them though. The Peacock bite is going off right now with the warmer temps. Pick just about any bait that's flashy and moves very quickly and you'll probably get bit. Slow rolling, and I mean slow rolling, swimbaits like the 6" Hudd is still picking up an occasional better quality Largemouth also. Weedless Shads and Grass Minnows are an almost guaranteed bite right now as well. Both of those are producing smaller fish, but fun nonetheless.

I had a blast this weekend. Peacock on a top water fly's 25+ in 2 hours.

[Diggy]

I had a blast this weekend. Peacock on a top water fly's 25+ in 2 hours.

Thats nice right there. I may give a go at them on the weekend. Ive only been fishing snakeheads and catching bass on accident. If nothings biting Ill goto mayans and bream

[pondslayer]

Bass bite is definately down in north Florida. But i've benn hitting the Intra-Coastal waterway in jax and doin ok ive caught a few flounder specks red and hooked a few good lady fish... but live shrimp will definately work too. i saw about 100 reds feeding in low tide on shrimp but didnt have any live shrimp to fish with.. The freshwater bite is down but the salt is still looking good for you guys up in jax that wanna try it give it a go!

My main bait of choice for salt and fresh is the tsunami blue shad swim bait! Ive caught alot of bass on it (not lately tho) and lately the red, tout and flounder have been lovin em. I call it my fish slayer check it out!

[MCS]

Bass bite is definately down in north Florida. But i've benn hitting the Intra-Coastal waterway in jax and doin ok ive caught a few flounder specks red and hooked a few good lady fish... but live shrimp will definately work too. i saw about 100 reds feeding in low tide on shrimp but didnt have any live shrimp to fish with.. The freshwater bite is down but the salt is still looking good for you guys up in jax that wanna try it give it a go!

My main bait of choice for salt and fresh is the tsunami blue shad swim bait! Ive caught alot of bass on it (not lately tho) and lately the red, tout and flounder have been lovin em. I call it my fish slayer check it out!

Thanks for the info. I was gonna check out the little jetties or down at the inlet at vilano.

[AK-Jax86]

Thanks for the info. I was gonna check out the little jetties or down at the inlet at vilano.

Have you had any luck with the bass? I haven't caught anything... But I did catch a big ass turtle, on a senko, that I thought was a bass when I was reeling it in. They may be slow on land but they are fast in the water

[808bass]

Nah, but I'll be headed out this weekend and following week to find em.

[JSPOONE]

BOOM 7" BEAST to end my 8 day fishing drought, caught him on a 5" senko. Looks like the HAWGS are back and biting like crazy now in my pond LOL

yeh that is a monster there.. been having the same problems as u up here in Va. not getting bit and if i do it is by dinks

[MCS]

yeh that is a monster there.. been having the same problems as u up here in Va. not getting bit and if i do it is by dinks

Dude the summer killed me last year in VA.....It is hard fishing up there already, so much pressure, not too many smaller ponds to fish, then add heat. My buddy up there now is getting skunked everytime.

[MCS]

Have you had any luck with the bass? I haven't caught anything... But I did catch a big ass turtle, on a senko, that I thought was a bass when I was reeling it in. They may be slow on land but they are fast in the water

Went monday for probably 30 mins and got one your beasts size, maybe a quarter inch bigger but who's counting, was supposed to go this morning but plans changed, going to try tomorrow, might try a new spot dunno yet. I will keep yall posted. Friday evening I think me and the old lady gonna try and get in on some saltwater action.

[AK-Jax86]

Went monday for probably 30 mins and got one your beasts size, maybe a quarter inch bigger but who's counting, was supposed to go this morning but plans changed, going to try tomorrow, might try a new spot dunno yet. I will keep yall posted. Friday evening I think me and the old lady gonna try and get in on some saltwater action.

I was gonna go salt water fishing this weekend too because I am sick of not catching anything on freshwater. I was out this morning and caught another small one probably 10" or so. The big ones must be hiding or too lazy to bite anything they have to work for

[JSPOONE]

Dude the summer killed me last year in VA.....It is hard fishing up there already, so much pressure, not too many smaller ponds to fish, then add heat. My buddy up there now is getting skunked everytime.

i have a couple small ponds around here next to my work and never see any1 fishing them but they are hidden behind buildings

[Diggy]

Im like 40 shades blacker and my nose is peeling. Im almost purple

my friend told me this is the darkest Ive ever been, that sun is no joke

I may need to do some bass fishing so I can stand in one spot for a few hours

[AK-Jax86]

i have a couple small ponds around here next to my work and never see any1 fishing them but they are hidden behind buildings

well you need to get behind those buildings and fish em to see what they produce, you will probably have good luck since you never see anyone fishing them

[AK-Jax86]

Im like 40 shades blacker and my nose is peeling. Im almost purple

my friend told me this is the darkest Ive ever been, that sun is no joke

I may need to do some bass fishing so I can stand in one spot for a few hours

What were you doing that you got so dark fishing I hope.

and wouldn't standing in one spot for a few hours get you even darker than you are? Maybe you should do some indoor activities

[Diggy]

Yes, from fishing, too much. Ive been walking the banks for miles in the sun catching snakeheads. The repeated casts and uneven terrain makes the sun more brutal....I can sit an fish senkos under a tree covered area all day or catch peacocks in a much shadier area than where I have been fishing. I may have to invest in one of those hasmat suits soon. I dont think I could stay indoors any more than I do now unless its raining and even then its still time to fish. I think a boat would take away the pain somewhat

[Deadeye-1]

I live in Florida also around the pasco/tampa bay area and I have noticed that after TS debby.. the fish are gone

This has surely had an effect. At least in two ways.

1) With the introduction of some much needed rain, the water levels have greatly gone up in Central Florida. In the past weeks I have been able to fish in places where there was no way that I would of been able to do before. If my boat is now able to get into these spots, you can bet that the Bass have moved into them as well. With the Bass moving into new areas it greatly spreads out the population and you may not be catching in spots where you used to. Higher water allows fish to feed in areas that offer a new/different food source. There are new weed beds now covered in water. One spot I fish I can hear fish splashing as they feed way back into the woods--- where there is no way I able to get to them. They have not left or stopped feeding just changed where they do it. It's up to you to find out where they have gone.

2) With the increase in water runoff due to the rains, there has been a new influx of Tannic Acid from the Cypress Trees introduced into the waterways. This causes the fish to feel "sick" and may not be feeding like normal until either they adjust to it or it gets diluted.

Fishing for me has now been hit or miss. One week I caught 14 with 7 being of legal keeper size, had I chose to keep any. The following week I fished the same area and caught 2 small dinks. Two days later a friend fished the same waters and caught 13 with 5 keeper sized. Several days later fished it again and caught only 4, but two were 4 lbs and 6 lbs.

The Bass are there. In Florida we don't have the deep drop offs and ledges that are talked about fishing this time of year, so what do we need to do? I'm finding that the Bass that are born in the shallow weedbeds and live their lives in them don't seem to move all that much when the weather gets hot. Fishing seems the best at first light and late afternoons.

Another idea is to fish rivers where there is current, and most likely some dropoffs.

Good Luck.

[MCS]

I was gonna go salt water fishing this weekend too because I am sick of not catching anything on freshwater. I was out this morning and caught another small one probably 10" or so. The big ones must be hiding or too lazy to bite anything they have to work for

Went out this morning to a new spot, got chewed up by skeeters. Didn't fish it long, but saw a few nice top water strikes and I had a light tackle with me, no top water. No worm bites and the spot is hard to fish due to the brush and the reeds, but it looks like it might produce a good one. These ponds are about 10 yrs old. They are the two ponds on racetrack one is right opposite the dog track entrance. there is even a little spot to park. Looks like they were hanging out by the edge of the reeds and busting fish that were coming up to bust the bugs. give it a try, take bug spray.