Florida Bragging Rights, Take 3, July 1St - 31St

[AK-Jax86]

Andrew did you catch any pigs last night with Bass Czar at midnight??

It was suppose to be me, czar, and this other member. Then it turned into me and the other member, then just him lol. I was up early with czar that morning fishing and wanted to nap before the midnight fish. I never did and figured I'd stay up. Last time I looked at my phone it was like 11:45 then when u did again it was 2 something lol. But he went by himself for just under 3 hours and he said he pulled in 27 fish his biggest being 11lbs! Me and him are going out Monday morning around 5 so if I have any fish to post I definitely will! I hoping to change my 19, 19, 20, 20, 21.

I've been out so much over past couple days and I keep catching nice fat ones but everything has been 19". This morning I managed 4 of them and a total of 17 fish. My girlfriend came out with me for a little and she caught 7 I had he using the frog and she is hooked lol. She use to use swim baits and cranks cuz she ha constant action but now she's addicted to the top water action that the frogs get.

[BassinLou]

11 pounds!!!! Did he take pics?? How did you sleep thru that?? You can tell you have been fishing too much when you said that everything has been only 19". I wish I had those LOL. We may have to change up the rules a bit and take weight into account. But then you come across scale issues. Not all of us have scales and/or they are all different scales some running heavy and some low.

[AK-Jax86]

I'm not sure if he took pictures I will ask him. I thought I caught nice fish until he showed me the consistent 8, 9, and 10lb fish he has in his phone. His PB is 13 I think and he has caught 15 double digit fish at this golf course since April he said.

[AK-Jax86]

I'm hoping to break my PB multiple times tomorrow morning

[BassinLou]

WHAT???  You are killing me over here. That's awesome. With fish running that big why would you want to come down here??

[AK-Jax86]

Because I have only fished out of a boat once in my life and I want to catch some peacock bass too.

And the golf course, it's actually a community like a mini town, is gated access 1 way in 1 way out and you can't get in without verification so it's not like I can go whenever I want to we have to wait for him to have time away from his family

[BassinLou]

Just came in and caught several beauties. I took page from RVADOG book and decided to fish Turnpike ponds today. I fished 3 of them close to me.  1st pond caught a dink. 2nd pond caught 0. Then the 3rd pond was a GOLD MINE. First catch, caught on the first cast went for 4lbs. Second fish went for 3lb and change. Then the third fish Big Momma went for 6lbs. Best part, all of them came on hollow body frog. The explosions were AWESOME!!! Now the bad news.... Soon after I caught and released the 6lbr. Florida Highway Patrol kicked me out and told me no fishing was allowed in the Turnpike ponds. I pleaded with them to let me stay, but to no avail. With this trip, and the one to the park my total is 98 inches. Woohoo!! I am pumped, and its my B-Day tomorrow. Their lengths are 17inches, 19 inches, 19 inches, 21 inches and 22 inches. I still have some time left for a strong contention in July.

[OkeechobeeAngler]

Way to go Lou. Sorry you got kicked out.The section I've fished on the TP (St. Lucie county) I asked to troopers and was told it was ok as long as you paid the tolls. The was a few years ago though. 

[AK-Jax86]

Awesome fish Lou!!!! Bank fishing ain't so bad hah. I've been exclusively throwing Stanley Ribbit hollow body frogs they love em! Nothing like the blow ups they get. What kind of frogs were you using?

I got you beat by 1 inch, not sure what fstr is at and I know Czar is in the 90s

[BassinLou]

I am coming to get you Andrew!!! LOL. If the trooper would not have kicked me out I honestly believed I was going to catch my PB. The bass I was catching were progressively getting bigger and the strikes more ferocious. I was using a Live Target frog. I love them. I picked up that the bass wanted and aggressive approach today. I would pop the frog hard 2-3 times and let it rest then BOOM!!! AWESOME!!!! Can you still tell I am still stoked from this trip??

[AK-Jax86]

Yea man I love top water strikes. I was telling some like you said those highway ponds hold some big fish. The past few days I have just been throwing a frog and have been getting good numbers of fish and some nice big ones.

Did you catch most of them by the shore line or further out? I have mostly all my luck casting across the shore.

[BassinLou]

I caught them a little off shore. The spot I was at, had good diverse vegetation with pads and patches of grass. Those ponds run deep. What was scary was that the grass surrounding the pond was high, dense, and flooded. Mosquitoes were huge. Thanks to your story about the water moccasin I was paranoid, every where I stepped.

[AK-Jax86]

Yea man the bugs are annoying but I am always on the look for snakes! It just takes 1 moccasin to ruin your day. Some will run but there are some that will stand their ground and attack.

[BassinLou]

Okeechobee Angler, I really do not know the reason why you can't fish there. There were no signs posted any where. He just drove up to the shoulder and with his thumb told me to get out. When I pleaded and asked him why he just said sorry, you can't fish any of these ponds by the Turnpike. Figures... you find a spot with big fish and you are not allowed to fish it. Oh well. I still landed a beauty.

[MCS]

Great fish Lou ! If y'all let me count the one I didn't get a pic I am at 33". Lol going to give a run this week. Take a simple approach, senkos and flukes. Sucks you lost the spot, I lost one of my better ones recently too. I agree, not worth any trouble. There are plenty of spots I will move down the road and fish on! Good luck to all of y'all as we close out July, full moon week I should be at full strength! Lol

[BassinLou]

Thanks Mike. Best of luck.

[OkeechobeeAngler]

I tried searching online if it was illegal or not and couldn't find anything. I did see where someone stated it was illegal to park on the side of the road on the turnpike unless your vehicle is broke down etc. 

[bass Czar]

biggest one today only pulled in 2 in about 2hrs had a few misses also.. was using a swimbait yea AK be killing it with the frogs I never have any luck with any kind of frog

[BassinLou]

Bass Czar, AK mentioned you caught an 11 lbr last night. Any pics of that one?

[BassinLou]

OkeechobeeAngler, I was parked well away from the side of the road and the pond is several yards away as well. Again, the only way to find out why is to talk to a Trooper. Real Bummer.

[AK-Jax86]

It wasn't czar it's our other boy. He is a member on this site hasn't been on in a long time though.

I am going out with him this morning from 5a til whenever. Hopefully I have some good fish to post here!

[MCS]

I tried searching online if it was illegal or not and couldn't find anything. I did see where someone stated it was illegal to park on the side of the road on the turnpike unless your vehicle is broke down etc. 

I think that is what will get you most times. But it doesn't stop people, I see people jsut pull up to these nice ponds off I95 at the world of golf and have at it. There are a couple spots locally here where you can park and walk and sidewalks next to the ponds, I have seen people fishing those.

[MCS]

Thanks Mike. Best of luck.

 

Well I will take the good with the bad. Good I got 7 fish in just over an hour. The bad is none were bigger than 15". But is was fun, good way to start the week.

First one was on a PB&J xfactor stick bait from Gander. next was on a baby bass fluke. Tore the nose so I just nose hooked it, never have before, and the action was great. I think I read it from a Jfranco post. But that landed me 2 more including the biggest. I went back to the stick wacky rigged and got three more decent fish. It was the xfactor wacky stick with the O ring in them, nice kept the bait together after 3 fish, the first one woulda ripped it in half. Not bad for 3 bucks off the sale rack.

[AK-Jax86]

Went fishing this morning with my buddy to some ponds that are over 40 years old.  We get there around 6am and his first cast we hear a monster attack his frog but he missed it, he said he thought it was a 12lb.  Double digit fish are common in all the ponds in this golf community.  At around 7:15 I cast my frog along the bank and see a huge wake come towards my frog and then nothing.  I reel it in and let it sit by some pads.  All of a sudden a 10# comes out of nowhere and grabs my frog I tried to set the hook but it spit it out. 

 

Now to the fish that was landed lol

 

My buddy was using a tilapia colored trick worm on a weighted hook, and I switched to a Tsunami Swim Shad. He was walking along the bank and saw a 15# sitting by a mat.  He throws his worm out and the fish crushed it he went to set the hook but the fish bit the worm off there was about 2" or worm left of the hook. So I cast my swim bait in that area and then out of nowhere two more fish show up next to the massive one. It turns around and as my shad is coming towards it the second biggest one slams it. I set the hook and the fight was on.  Out of nowhere my Pflueger Presidential reel with 30# braid on a 6'9" St Croix Mojo Bass rod, breaks off!! 

 

Then the fish starts going back out towards deeper water. I grab my braid and then manage to pull the fish to land and grab it.  When I took the hook out there was no way it was getting off it inhaled the swim bait.  So we had to postpone our trip and go to Academy Sports and buy a new reel.  I bought a Abu Garcia OrraSX30 with 30# braid. So that fish cost me $130 lol

 

 

 

 

 

24 inches.

 

New Top 5: 19, 20, 20, 21, 24 = 104

[MCS]

How much did that fish weigh?....Dang dude I would tried to get Pflueger to warranty that stuff. Man I fell in my garage on my templar and that thing held up. How much u pay for that Orra? Just an FYI if academy will price match they are online for $80.