NW Florida Bass - what's up

[Vixen]

Hello,

I'm brand new to the forum and new to NW Florida. We moved here from Virginia a year ago and were very successful up north. We've fished just about every river and lake within an hour of FWB and are trying to understand these Florida largemouth bass. We've fished some pretty prime locations that would be bass utopia in Virginia, tons of cover, 70-80 degree water temps, but aren't catching a whole lot. We did catch a 6 pounder in Blackwater last July, but most bass we catch are very small when we do catch them. We use mostly spinner baits and worms, but there have been some days we've thrown the whole tackle box at them with little to no success.  Is it the salt content even way north on rivers like the Escambia & Blackwater? Are there kits for testing salt content? We noticed most anglers keep their catch down here, where we always C&R - as do most in VA. What's up with these FL bass? Is there a secret? :-* :-* :-*

[RoLo]

Welcome to the forum

Don't take Florida bass personally

I've spent most of my life catching northern-strain bass, and I thought I was a very good bass angler until I moved to Florida.

Florida-strain bass are not as aggressive as the northern-strain, and can be very humbling at times.

To reinstate your confidence, I'd go slow with a T-rigged plastic worm (YOUR favorite worm is best, not mine).

Incidentally, you're not that far from Deer Point Lake, Talquin and Jackson.

Roger

[etommy28]

here is the long and short, by 3 colors junebug blue tail(trick worms and curly tails) get pbandj sencos and watermelon flules. fish them all slow, and wait till your line starts to swim. white spinner baits in off color water and crome and blue back traps when the water starts to cool. also when its hot stick with either frogs or prop baits in the morning. also pitching beavers and big worms work good whenits hot.

Black is also a good color

[Vixen]

Thanks, as I was starting to take it personally.

We haven't tried Jackson or Talquin.  While we did catch one reasonable sized bass at Deer Point when we first got here and it was chilly. We went back a few months later and while we hear it is great from bass fishing - wow is that place a mess. Way too much muck and hydrilla. I know it's a reservoir, but you had to clean the trolling motor every few minutes. The boat and trailer looked like extras in "Swamp Thing" the remake.  Are there any clear spots there or better launches than the main on off Deer Point Rd?

[RoLo]

Thanks, as I was starting to take it personally.

We haven't tried Jackson or Talquin. While we did catch one reasonable sized bass at Deer Point when we first got here and it was chilly. We went back a few months later and while we hear it is great from bass fishing - wow is that place a mess. Way too much muck and hydrilla. I know it's a reservoir, but you had to clean the trolling motor every few minutes. The boat and trailer looked like extras in "Swamp Thing" the remake. Are there any clear spots there or better launches than the main on off Deer Point Rd?

If you're not happy with Deer Point Lake, just let it go...you have a lot to choose from in the panhandle.

Though I'm less familiar with these waters, they are all trophy bass lakes in the Florida panhandle:

> Lake Victor

> Smith Lake

> Hurricane Lake

> Juniper Lake

Several years back a giant bass was taken from an unnamed panhandle pond

that weighed 19lbs, 2oz on an "uncertified" scale, five hours later it was certified at 18lbs, 8oz

Roger

[Vixen]

Thanks - we've done Hurricane in 08 and Juniper recently. It's much better now, but Juniper was so low when we got here the average depth wasn't much over 3 ft. We need to give Hurricane another go this year.  Any tips on river fishing here? Any favorite rivers for bass? Do you have to head way up north for freshwater fish? Are there any kits to test for salt content? We've been using Mullet as a guide - when the happy fish are jumping, we know there is a higher salt content - don't know if that is an accurate assessment but it's all we have right now.

Vixen

[Vixen]

I forgot to mention that Juniper is "stump central"  - we spent more time rocking the boat off stumps than fishing.  I can imagine using a fiberglass boat there would not be a good thing.

Vixen

[RoLo]

Any tips on river fishing here? Any favorite rivers for bass? Do you have to head way up north for freshwater fish? Are there any kits to test for salt content? We've been using Mullet as a guide - when the happy fish are jumping, we know there is a higher salt content - don't know if that is an accurate assessment but it's all we have right now.

Vixen

I wouldn't think that mullet would make a good indicator, since they often migrate into sweetwater.

I've never targeted bass in any panhandle river. The streams leading into the gulf are better suited

to chain pickerel, which have a high tolerance for acidity. Known for large pickerel are Blackwater River

near Milton and Wrights Creek (former record holder).

Roger

[gar-tracker]

Talquin if a beautiful fishery.

My best luck at fishing for bass in transition waters is right were it begins to turn fresh, if you can figure out about were the salt water begins to lose it strength, we have some salt water canals that turn fresh as you travel west here in South Florida, I have caught the most bass right were it seems to be a little of both(Just pass 441in Broward).

[SnowBass23]

Welcome to Lower Alabama, Vixen.  When I first started fishing here (I'm about 2 hours NE of you) compared to back in Ohio it was a change for me too.  I personally don't like fishing any of the streams that get a lot of pressure.  Just like you've said, I seem to be the only one that doesn't keep every tiny bass or bream I catch.  We've done some pretty long trips on the Blackwater with VERY mild success.  I'd focus on smaller creeks (the ones everyone else avoids thinking they are too small for bass) I usually clean up on those.  As for the lakes, it gets so hot that my best luck comes right before and after sunrise, and about 2 hours before dark.  Right around 5:30 or 6pm the bass just turn on in the lakes for me.  We go from not catching a thing to suddenly getting strong strikes on every cast.  I've never seen a salt kit for testing the streams, but I'm sure there is one out there.  Personally, I wouldn't get wrapped around the axle with it, as long as you are in a fresh water stream (as opposed to out in the bay!) I think you'd be ok.  Good luck.

[slab seeker]

I don't know abut the rivers there in the panhandle but I have fished lakes Talquin and Jackson and when I go down from Bama I usually fish with large golden shiners(6" )Try ditching the mullet and using the shiners they are a natural forage base for the lakes mentioned.Also try large prop. baits and spinnerbaits late in the evening in Talquin and scum frogs in the slop at jackson.I caught my personal best out of  Jackson 11lbs 13ozs.Good luck and hope this helps.