South Florida Summer time Fishing....

[-HAWK-]

Heres my story. Since the rainy season has kicked into high gear, summer fishing has gone down the drain. Here is my problem, i get out on the lake real early to fish a local lake. I fish top water plugs and jitter bugs, trick sticks, money minnows and come up empty handed. Water temps at 5:00am 84 degrees!!! So i try to fish the late morning and afternoons, not possible lightning storms everyday. So i decided to take the forums advice and fish at night. Before leaving the house i spray my entire body with insect repellent and head out. Upon arriving at the lake i am totally swarmed by mosquitoes. So i start fishing top water jitter bugs in black, black buzz baits, rattle traps everything. After about 45 minutes of being eaten alive i decide i have had enough. Bass Fishing in South Florida during the summer is just not worth it. I guess ill have to try saltwater next weekend.

[gar-tracker]

You have to change locations within the lake, were are you fishing IDA? Osborn? The summer is my favorite time to fish in Florida, Move to deeper water, Carolina rigs in the canals or drop offs, they move deep.

After the morning shad frenzy ( if you find it ), move to the closest deep water. And fish slower.

[-HAWK-]

When i do fish in the afternoons im fishing deep water with jigs, c-rigs and t rig large worms fished painfully slow. The problem is the afternoons are hard to fish when the thunderstorms pop up out of nowhere and hell breaks loose. My main complaint is fishing afternoons has been difficult with all this rain. Also fishing at night is a death wish among the mosquitoes.

Lakes i have been fishing are:

Lake Wellington

Lake Victoria

Private community lakes around Royal Palm Beach

Lake Ida

[Irish_Bassman]

my father and i used to take a couple big citronella candles out with us when we catfished in illinois. set one at each end of the boat. that and i would smoke a cigar every now and then. that seems to thin them out as well.

[-HAWK-]

The mosquitoes are bad this year!!! I litterally walked through a wall of mosquitoes on the way down to the lake. Maybe its just Wellington, how are the mosquitoes around the rest of the state?

[CookieMonst3r]

I'm in North FL and the mosquoitos, don't hammer me. :-/

[earthworm77]

I'm in W. Central right on the Gulf, bugs aren't bad at all and I do a ton of night fishing. Scale your baits down during the heat, you may start catching more fish. Check out Holiday Park and Saw Grass Rec. I've fished both, along with Osborne and done well.

[fivesixone]

At night, keep the boat moving at all times possible and try to wear long sleeves and pants if bearable. Will help with less mosquito bites... Them things are a pain in the ***!

Today I was hitting up some canals near Boynton and 441 as well as Boynton and the Turnpike, found a pretty good new spot, nailin' some nice bass but it was so d**n hot out my shirt was completely covered in sweat.. The bass keep bitin' though, so keep cool and keep fishin!

[gar-tracker]

Holiday Park and saw grass are awful far when you have the Loxahatchee canals right next to you. My buddy fished IDA yesterday he said it sucked, real dirty because of the recent spraying, Those private community lakes are all basically old rock pits that are very deep. I agree with scaling down, the storms are just something we have to deal with down here, iv had some great fishing as they move in, tends to turn the on at times.

[TyTy]

You ought to try a mosquito burner thing.  One of those things you put the cartridge in and pin it on your back and it burns the cartride. Dont know the name but they work good hunting.

[quant PT]

You ought to try a mosquito burner thing. One of those things you put the cartridge in and pin it on your back and it burns the cartride. Dont know the name but they work good hunting.

Its called a thermocel.  I use them when I hunt in the lowcountry.  They work great.  It uses a small gas cartridge to fuel a burner which warms a pad with insect repellant.  Once you turn it on you just set it down next to you.

Keep up the S FLA fishing stories.  I grew up in WPB and its fun hearing about how ya'll are doing on lakes I fished as a kid.

[-HAWK-]

Ill have to put some of these tips to use.  Thanks for the input.

[snapper G]

Ya the storm almost always wreck my fishing plans, I all ways end up waiting until after the storm, up some times they go till dark. About the mosquitoes, you cold but on the bug replant on when you get to the fishing spot, some of the repellent my rub off in your car.

You can also bring some tiki torches that have bug repellent, it will get rid of some of the mosquitoes and give you some more light.  

[snapper G]

What's your favorite season?

[-HAWK-]

How did you add a poll to my thread?? The poll doesnt even relate to the thread. :-/

[snapper G]

go on answer!