Broward County

[globalchaos]

So I have a lot of free time on my hands and took up bass fishing. I'm out west close to Markham Park. Wondering best spots to fish and did I start at a bad time in the year? Just new guy wanting to learn and enjoy the sport. Used to fish as a kid all the time. It's been years and years for me.

[SirSnookalot]

IMO this is the start of the best time of the year for bass in South Florida. In addition to bass there is always a possibility of snook and tarpon there too. This isn't the time of year for ocean inshore fishing

(you aren't too far away), but the offshore bite is on fire, kingfish, sailfish, blackfin and dolphin.

[LgMouthGambler]

There are canals all along Sawgrass and 27. Just use Google Earth and look around for water, thats what I do. Always trying new spots.

[gar-tracker]

You have miles of canals, the canal off 84 the runs east and west from the ocean to Sawgrass.

Any lake in the private developments, like mentioned about the US 27 canal on the west side.

Anywhere out there if its bigger then a swimming pool and deeper then 2 foot.

Right now I would carry a Tiny Torpedo and just parallel the banks as best as you can your bound to drag it by a Hawg on a bed.

Side note: Don't eat anything caught out there. Unless you don't mind having children with 4 eyes and an extra leg.

[globalchaos]

Don't plan on eating anything, just like the thrill of catching. Actually off today and trying to figure out where to go and enjoy the day. Thanks for the help I'll try to check out the recommended spots.

[mg4u2nv]

There are countless places to fish in and around your area. As lgmouth said, google earth is a great tool to use. Im pretty familiar with the sunrise/plantation area. Right now anything imitating baitfish has been great, especially flukes. Love the topwaters like gartracker said also! Good luck and let us know how u did!

[globalchaos]

So I went today on US 27 on the west side canal. Caught 2 or 3, small ones and lost another 3 bringing them in. Just fished off a little dock next to a boat ramp. Still wanting a big one, caught a total of like 6 but all tiny. Probably go again tomorrow, now to find the next place to check out.

[SirSnookalot]

The bass have been getting more and more active with each passing day, it's that time of year. I strictly fish from shore for freshwater, no question a boat is more advantageous to cover a lot more water, but walking canals casting parallel to the shoreline a lot of fish can be found. I tend to stay away from " major " canals and fish the secondary ones. I would suggest to always wear socks, some areas are loaded with fire ants, I've got the scars to prove it.

[gar-tracker]

Also be stealth like on your walk down the bank, a bedding female can be easily spooked from crashing around on the bank.

[globalchaos]

Also be stealth like on your walk down the bank, a bedding female can be easily spooked from crashing around on the bank.

Was putting away my rod and spooked a big one today while walking back. Figured I'd try anyway, didn't catch that one but did get a different one.

[globalchaos]

This was my best one today. I'm hooked.

[globalchaos]

Oops

[BassinLou]

Was that pic taken at US27? I am heading over there on Saturday.

[globalchaos]

Was that pic taken at US27? I am heading over there on Saturday.

No, this was from some lake behind a hotel here in Sunrise.

[BassinLou]

Cool. Enjoy your fishing adventures. Side note: If your in the glades fishing from the bank, keep an eye out for snakes and gators. Just a heads up.

[globalchaos]

Cool. Enjoy your fishing adventures. Side note: If your in the glades fishing from the bank, keep an eye out for snakes and gators. Just a heads up.

Came up on a few gators last time I was fishing the canal along the glades. Scared the hell out of me.

[BassinLou]

They do that. I bank fish a lot too, not in the glades, closer to home and sometimes i am so caught up with what i am doing that scare iguanas from their perches.

[globalchaos]

So I have been primarily been using a watermelon fluke to catch all my fish. I do have a spinner bait and I am curious when and where is a good time to use it?

[SirSnookalot]

I'm not all that privy to Broward canals, but I fish Palm Beach canals daily. Our canals I believe are cut higher, making the use of spinner baits more difficult, I like using them when I'm close to the water in pond or canal when I'm pretty close to the water's edge. This time of year we have a lot of sea lettuce floating around, I'm using nothing but weightless flukes and work them fairly close to the shoreline as a topwater bait. As this is bass time, the results have been excellent. I believe the fish are going after the outline and color isn't important, I'll mix my bag with arkansas shiner, white with blue speckles, albinos and baby bass, see no difference in strike rate.

[shallow thinker]

I can't help you withe the 'where to fish' but never leave home without some stick baits. Yamamoto Senko or Gambler Ace style baits are just money in terms of numbers of fish. Those canals have almost vertical walls cut into limestone so a weightless fluke or Senko rigged texas style will just wiggle and flutter as it falls. It's not as exciting as a topwater strike but will catch fish under most conditions. Just let it fall on a slack line count down a foot per second and watch to see if your line moves. Maybe give it one twitch when it hits bottom and reel it back in. Wacky rigging works if the canal doesn't have too many snags.

[BassinLou]

I have most of my success with spinnerbaits in the winter. Last winter I caught one that went for 6Lbs around Jan-Feb.

[globalchaos]

Anyone use Swim Baits?

I've caught most of my fish using Watermelon seed Flukes. Have a bag of Senko's but hard to use then when I've had my success with the Flukes. Just looking to expand my box. Suggestions?

[LgMouthGambler]

Gambler EZ swimmers.

[CountBassula]

Gambler EZ swimmers.

 

LOL I second that! I watched LgMouthGambler pull out few Bass using this lure from a canal along Sawgrass when we fished together late last year!

 

I've tried a pond near my work (Citrix, Powerline and Cypress) that's next to our parking garage today, used jitter bug and senkos and got nothing, i declared it a fish-free-zone :-P

 

My house is on a small canal in Coral Springs (I'll give you a hint, it's in Maplewood, and I'm on that canal right south of Royal Palm Blvd and west of University Dr, about 1000ft west of Ralph Diaz Memorial Park :-) ), and I've pulled bass, snake head, and cat fish from my back yard in the past, but lately the water level has been low and I don't see any fish there no more. Though right after Isaac storm rolled through, the water went up like 2ft, I almost had water spilling into my pool, and when I walked out past my backyard fence, within feet of me there was water, and a HUGE gar was patrolling the water :-D what a thrill that was!!!

 

anyways, i often fish at the C-14 canal, south of Atlantic Blvd where University Dr crosses it. There's a dog park there, boat ramp, etc. I've caught my biggest bass there, probably a 3lbs monster :-D lately though I've been checking out areas around my house and work, and along the way to/from work. Today I'll be fishing in the canal north of McNab on Powerline.

 

If you live near Marhkam Park we should go shooting there some time :-) and on google maps it looks like it's littered with ponds etc, probably have fish there, but it being a large park, i would guess it's been way overfished, but who knows...

 

M.

[fl_bass]

LOL I second that! I watched LgMouthGambler pull out few Bass using this lure from a canal along Sawgrass when we fished together late last year!

I've tried a pond near my work (Citrix, Powerline and Cypress) that's next to our parking garage today, used jitter bug and senkos and got nothing, i declared it a fish-free-zone :-P

My house is on a small canal in Coral Springs (I'll give you a hint, it's in Maplewood, and I'm on that canal right south of Royal Palm Blvd and west of University Dr, about 1000ft west of Ralph Diaz Memorial Park :-) ), and I've pulled bass, snake head, and cat fish from my back yard in the past, but lately the water level has been low and I don't see any fish there no more. Though right after Isaac storm rolled through, the water went up like 2ft, I almost had water spilling into my pool, and when I walked out past my backyard fence, within feet of me there was water, and a HUGE gar was patrolling the water :-D what a thrill that was!!!

anyways, i often fish at the C-14 canal, south of Atlantic Blvd where University Dr crosses it. There's a dog park there, boat ramp, etc. I've caught my biggest bass there, probably a 3lbs monster :-D lately though I've been checking out areas around my house and work, and along the way to/from work. Today I'll be fishing in the canal north of McNab on Powerline.

If you live near Marhkam Park we should go shooting there some time :-) and on google maps it looks like it's littered with ponds etc, probably have fish there, but it being a large park, i would guess it's been way overfished, but who knows...

M.

I have fished Markham Park and have caught fish there. But it is snagville in some of the lakes