Is South Florida Really This Bad In The Summer?

[CountBassula]

I've given it all I've got. Frogs, lizards/swim baits, and now jigs, and I just can't catch the same amount and size fish I was catching 3-6 months ago Am I this bad, or is this really the hardest time to catch bass in S. FL.??? I can only go fishing in the evenings, around 5-8pm, and it's been soooooo slow lately. Today I was jigging and got 1 bass and 1 snakehead in 3 hours of fishing. Not even any missed bites, just those two flukes...

 

HELP!!!!

[AK-Jax86]

It's a lot slower up here but the hours u are fishing are good hours here in Jax so it must be the fish down there. But night fishing during the summer is when the big ones come out. If you can locate them before they shut down watch out!

[AK-Jax86]

I rarely fish for the amount of time that I did today and get skunked! The only strikes I had came between 1am and 4am. After that I didn't catch anything! Went back out at 10a to 1p nothing, then 5p to 7p and nothing!

[Diggy]

Its hot, slow, water levels keep fluctuating from rain n drain.....oh yeah its hot. My bank fishing areas have been a chore to fish. Hopefully Ill have a boat soon. Ive been watching more fishing clips on youtube that actually attempting to fish the past few weeks.

 

I've switched over to wading salt water a bit, even if its slow Im actually swimming somewhat so its not that bad.

[CountBassula]

Its hot, slow, water levels keep fluctuating from rain n drain.....oh yeah its hot. My bank fishing areas have been a chore to fish. Hopefully Ill have a boat soon. Ive been watching more fishing clips on youtube that actually attempting to fish the past few weeks.

 

I've switched over to wading salt water a bit, even if its slow Im actually swimming somewhat so its not that bad.

 

it's rough! and on top of everything else i'm learning the jig, and looks like i picked the worst time possible to learn a new lure... because I don't know if it's me that sucks, or just the conditions in general. i'm fishing the same spots that produced 10+ 5lbs fish in any given outing 6 months ago...

[Diggy]

it's rough! and on top of everything else i'm learning the jig, and looks like i picked the worst time possible to learn a new lure... because I don't know if it's me that sucks, or just the conditions in general. i'm fishing the same spots that produced 10+ 5lbs fish in any given outing 6 months ago...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMJS8pnLCDE

 

its us 

[ClackerBuzz]

here's my painfully slow weightless soft plastic summer method.  i've been killing it lately but it takes a BIG OLD jar of patience.

there are 3 important factors:

 

1 ultra slow retrieve

2 rate of fall

3 small splash/entry

 

I start with a 5 inch senko. if that doesn't work i try a fluke. if that doesn't work i'll move to a 4" tube.  

all weightless.  

if any of these work i'll bump up to a 6 inch senko or a 7-10" ribbon tail worm. sometimes you just have to experiment to find out what soft plastic gives the rate of fall they want. color is the least important factor. i do experiment but keep it simple: green pumpkin, junebug, black, white.

 

retrieve:

cast out a soft plastic and splash down as lightly as possible. allow to fall on a semi-slack line (i don't worry about line size; 6-12 lb has been working all the same).

once plastic settles to bottom dead stick it for a solid 60 seconds (i like to envision a giant bass nosing down on it to pass the time; realistically there probably is a fish inspecting it, just maybe not the monster i prefer to think of  ).

reel up 1-2 cranks of reel handle. you should only bring up some slack in line. it still transmits to the lure though. (resist all temptation to use ur rod tip during this method).

wait 15 seconds.  reel up another 1 crank of slack.  

repeat 4 times.

now ur worm has been still on the bottom 2 minutes. it depends on how much slack you had out but approx the 5-6th time reeling up should finally make contact with worm.  this gentle little bump has been getting a crushing hit for me. 

its been slow and painful but i've been handsomely rewarded while fishing soup bowls in august (Pa soup isn't hot as Fl soup but its all relative and this is a brutal time for our bass just the same). hope it works for ya

[SirSnookalot]

This summer isn't much different than other ones here, I wouldn't take it personal or alter your technique too much.  In the type canals and ponds you fish there is just so much you can do, in summer the bass can be quite lethargic here.  Not that I don't fish for bass 12 months of the year, but I don't make bass my primary focus now.  Florida may not be the best place in the country to catch fish, but it ain't bad and there is always something happening if you are willing to find it.  Bottom line is real simple here in Florida, ya wanna catch fish 365 days of the year, have to fish for a variety species.

[CountBassula]

yea i had a feeling i may need to try a senko again

 

i used to fish a lot of flukes in the past, perhaps i need to give this a try as well...

[MCS]

yea i had a feeling i may need to try a senko again

 

i used to fish a lot of flukes in the past, perhaps i need to give this a try as well...

 

Try a 4" senko or a zoom centipede. both texas weighless or wacky. If it is wacky a couple jiggles, let it fall couple jiggles fall and rest on bottom couple a twitches, If texas rigged I fish similar to what clackerbuzz recommended, sometimes speeding up to a slow drag. Sometimes you get a big fish sometimes a little one, but this way you usually get some fish. I ditched this method of late to try more tradition "big Bass" techniques with no to very little success.....My main point of all that was to say go with a smaller bait, not to recommend retrieve style, I digress.

[AK-Jax86]

yea i had a feeling i may need to try a senko again

i used to fish a lot of flukes in the past, perhaps i need to give this a try as well...

When you don't see a lot of activity like bait fish, bugs, birds, etc then you have to remember slow slow slow! I have went away from soft plastics, to think about it I went away from EVERYTHING and only throw my frogs no matter what time of day or if they are biting it or not lol. But I would always slay fish with senkos, bigger ones always came on a slow extremely slow retrieve... I get too bored fishing that way that's why I moved to other baits such as frogs, cranks, and swim baits because you are constantly engaged I feel

[AK-Jax86]

Try a 4" senko or a zoom centipede. both texas weighless or wacky. If it is wacky a couple jiggles, let it fall couple jiggles fall and rest on bottom couple a twitches, If texas rigged I fish similar to what clackerbuzz recommended, sometimes speeding up to a slow drag. Sometimes you get a big fish sometimes a little one, but this way you usually get some fish. I ditched this method of late to try more tradition "big Bass" techniques with no to very little success.....My main point of all that was to say go with a smaller bait, not to recommend retrieve style, I digress.

We must have posted at the same time.

I never seem to have any luck with the 4" senkos I only have luck with the 6" I have no idea why that makes such a difference and the dinks still love the 6". I find that when I fish frogs fish under 2lbs don't even bother with it, it almost seems like dinks are rare.

Idk if you use swim baits but in ponds with open water not too much grass I have a lot of luck with them. I picked up this h20 swim shad from Academy. It is jointed in 3 or 4 spots and it kind of looks like a trout in terms of color. The fish over here love them. I went to your publix spot the other day when I picked up some groceries and fished there for about 40mins and pulled in 8! Biggest was a little over 2 but still nice catching a lot even if they aren't big it's fun. Haven't use it at OPCC yet but I definitely am next time I go.

[BassinLou]

Martin, you are not doing anything wrong. There is a reason why I have not posted anything yet. It's sloooow. It's also hot..hot..hot. Water levels are fluctuating like crazy. Did you read the article about the water level in the Everglades yesterday? At this pace I will probably not post this month. AK, treasure the spots you have up there. When the fish are "off" they are "off". There's  nothing you can throw at them to spark there interest. Martin, you may have to seriously consider shiners. LOL.

[CountBassula]

Martin, you are not doing anything wrong. There is a reason why I have not posted anything yet. It's sloooow. It's also hot..hot..hot. Water levels are fluctuating like crazy. Did you read the article about the water level in the Everglades yesterday? At this pace I will probably not post this month. AK, treasure the spots you have up there. When the fish are "off" they are "off". There's  nothing you can throw at them to spark there interest. Martin, you may have to seriously consider shiners. LOL.

 

Oh there is something I can throw... DYNAMITE!!!!!!!

[BassinLou]

So far this summer, There are slow days, and then slower days, but somewhere in between there are surprises.

[derekxec]

try going a little later its still day light at that time..if you could go from about 9-12 you probably have a lot better chance

[OkeechobeeAngler]

Shiners or small bluegills.   

[South FLA]

I was out on the Lake this Sunday and did pretty well, caught about 20 fish combined with my partner, Brett, largest went about 4lbs and was caught on a Spinnerbait on an outside grass edge.  The majority of the fish were caught from Sunrise until about 9 AM then we decided to head to the rim ditch since the wind was blowing some rollers in and rocking the boat too much, plus it was HOT.  Ended up catching another 5 or so using T-rigs along the canal bank with overhanging holly trees, in 3-8 feet of water.  The bite maybe slow, but I believe if you get out early you can catch the active bass, after that its a slow methodical presentation or deep presentation w/ crank-baits where schools of bait are known to be.  You can always go Snook fishing along the beach in the early morning or late evening when high tide at or close to peak! 

 

I personally like Summertime fishing, since it keeps the weak of heart, body and soul off the water, and you can be done before 10 AM!

[bass Czar]

I don't understand why a maximum effort for bass in the first place, when bass isn't the hottest ticket in town.  Why put all your effort to catch a fish that's tough now, when 10-20# pound fish can be caught with less effort, of course success is never guaranteed.  Concentrate on bass fishing when the weather cools down, at the very least go for peacocks they like this hot weather.

we love bass fishing that's why

[james 14]

Was on Kiss. chain today. Fished a spot and hit two fish immediately. Spent a bit of time there with only one more fish and when I realized I had wasted too much time I looked down at my sonar to see the water was 97 DEGREES!!! Picked up the TM and left immediately to find cooler water. That's the hottest I've ever seen the water. Fortunately that was only an isolated area.

[fstr385]

I was out on the Lake this Sunday and did pretty well, caught about 20 fish combined with my partner, Brett, largest went about 4lbs and was caught on a Spinnerbait on an outside grass edge.  The majority of the fish were caught from Sunrise until about 9 AM then we decided to head to the rim ditch since the wind was blowing some rollers in and rocking the boat too much, plus it was HOT.  Ended up catching another 5 or so using T-rigs along the canal bank with overhanging holly trees, in 3-8 feet of water.  The bite maybe slow, but I believe if you get out early you can catch the active bass, after that its a slow methodical presentation or deep presentation w/ crank-baits where schools of bait are known to be.  You can always go Snook fishing along the beach in the early morning or late evening when high tide at or close to peak! 

 

I personally like Summertime fishing, since it keeps the weak of heart, body and soul off the water, and you can be done before 10 AM!

thats what Ive been doing. Seems key time has been 630-8am. The only good fish afternoon have been in the salad.

[topwaterrob]

I was out on the Lake this Sunday and did pretty well, caught about 20 fish combined with my partner, Brett, largest went about 4lbs and was caught on a Spinnerbait on an outside grass edge.  The majority of the fish were caught from Sunrise until about 9 AM then we decided to head to the rim ditch since the wind was blowing some rollers in and rocking the boat too much, plus it was HOT.  Ended up catching another 5 or so using T-rigs along the canal bank with overhanging holly trees, in 3-8 feet of water.  The bite maybe slow, but I believe if you get out early you can catch the active bass, after that its a slow methodical presentation or deep presentation w/ crank-baits where schools of bait are known to be.  You can always go Snook fishing along the beach in the early morning or late evening when high tide at or close to peak! 

 

I personally like Summertime fishing, since it keeps the weak of heart, body and soul off the water, and you can be done before 10 AM!

 

You are dead on, I was at the lake yesterday at sun up.  the bite was good until exactly 9 when that sun started beaming.  I was off the water by 10...  Ive also been hitting them from about 5p to dark.  its a long ride for me from broward but it's good fishing for the those small windows...

[fstr385]

Nothing wrong with fishing other than bass, but it is a bass forum. Snook are great fish, and actually good to eat. Many places down here you can fish both in the same water and the same lures.

Fishing the summer stinks, but I like the challenge. Just stinks because its fun to get out in bigger water, but I cant justify driving so far for a few hours. Not that Ive had enough time to hit any local water at a producing time of day lately. One hour so fsr this week lol

[roadwarrior]

We have a section for "Other Species". If you want to talk saltwater please post there.

 

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator