Florida has gained an international acknowledgment for its exceptional saltwater fishing, but the outstanding freshwater fishing has not yet captured the widespread attention of the same amount of visitors. Residents of this state are in on the secret, however; that they have three very active freshwater clubs here in Collier County.
Tourists and out of state bass fishermen are very much welcome here with the amenities and lodgings available for them. Boats, equipments are for rent and this provides much convenience for travelers.
Since Florida has more than 7,500 lakes available, anglers sometimes face a tough decision about where to fish. It is really very important to consider the lakes. The following list of Top Bass Fishing Areas with Bass Fishing rentals aims to help anglers find a quality place to catch either a good numbers of bass or to catch a trophy bass.
1. Lake George
Lake George is one of the many natural lakes on the St. John’s River. It has extensive vegetation that provides excellent habitat for bass. Wade fishing in eelgrass with plastic worms fished on the surface, and other top water artificial lures are productive. Fishing with live shiners is an excellent method for catching trophy bass during the spring spawning season.
2. Stick Marsh Reservoir
Anglers in this river can locate bass throughout the reservoir among a variety of habitats including woody stump fields, submerged canals and hydrilla. Summer 2004 hurricanes drastically reduced levels of hydrilla throughout the reservoir, however, which can affect where bass are located. Anglers should keep this in mind when trying to pattern fish. Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft jerkbaits, and topwater propeller baits are effective. Wild golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to catch a trophy fish.
3. Lake Tohopekaliga
Most anglers here target trophy bass use live golden shiners during early spring. Shiners are fished inshore near native vegetation or topped-out hydrilla . Plastic baits (worms, crawfish and lizards) flipped along grass edges, hydrilla, and bulrush will also catch quality-sized bass. Spinnerbaits, soft jerkbaits and chugging baits can also be very productive at times
4. Lake Kissimmee
Lake Kissimmee is the largest of five main water bodies on the famous Kissimmee River in central Florida. Lake Kissimmee is nationally renowned for producing high quality fishing. Tournament anglers on Lake Kissimmee are posting winning weights of 18 to 20 pounds of bass. Results of an angler survey indicated that bass anglers had an excellent catch rate of 0.54 fish/hour during spring 2004.
5. Rodman Reservoir
Rodman Reservoir, east of Gainesville and south of Palatka, covers 9,500 acres of prime largemouth bass habitat. Since its creation in 1968, Rodman Reservoir has been known for trophy largemouth bass.
6. Lake Tarpon
Anglers in this lake are most successful in flipping or pitching plastic worms along canal and bulrush edges. Offshore bass fishing is productive for anglers who fish around ledges, humps, coontail, and eelgrass beds. Popular lures offshore include shad-imitating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater baits. Fishing with wild shiners and live shad is also effective.
7. Lake Walk-In-Water
The lake is located south of Orlando and east of Lake Wales, and it is just south of S.R. 60. Lake Walk-in-Water has a national reputation as an outstanding spot to catch largemouth bass. Anglers frequently catch up to 25 bass a day with several ranging from four to eight pounds. The lake also produces many trophy bass exceeding 10 pounds each year. A 15- to 24-inch slot limit regulation and a three-bass daily bag limit are in place to help maintain quality bass fishing. Anglers may keep three bass per day, either under or over the protected slot range, of which only one bass greater than or equal to 24 inches is allowed.
8. Lake Istokpoga
Istokpoga is the fifth largest natural lake in Florida and has an average depth of only six feet. During angler surveys conducted from October 2003 throughout May 2004, anglers caught 124,993 bass, of which almost 55,000 were 2 pounds or heavier, and 1,448 bass were over 8 pounds.
9. Deer Point Lake
Deer Point Lake is a popular largemouth bass fishing destination in Florida’s panhandle area near Panama City.
10. Suwanee River
The Suwannee River is a pristine, black water stream flowing 213 miles in Florida from the swamp-like region at the Georgia border to salt-marsh tidal creeks at the Gulf of Mexico. This river is known for trophy largemouth bass.
11. The Everglades
The Everglades are south Florida marshlands intersected with over 200 miles of canals. Most anglers fish in the canals rather than in the marsh. Anglers work canal edges with plastic worms, soft jerkbaits, and minnow imitations. Flipping the vegetation is also a popular technique.
Wherever you decide to go, you can be sure that you can have the time of your life fishing and all at a convenience. You can just rent out a boat and eliminate the need to tow your own boat or worse have to buy your own. Other gears are also available as a rental for your own convenience and ease. There are also many lodges and inns plus cabins you can rent out for a weekend or more.
As you spend more and more hours and days on bass fishing, you will acquire lots of knowledge about the right lure and technique for the proper way to do this sport. The best advice most experienced and seasoned bass fishermen, is to examine the fishing conditions, ask for tips from anglers familiar with the waters you are fishing in, and finally, try many different lures and bass-fishing techniques until you discover what works most effectively to the situation, and which one you are most comfortable with.
Here are some Guides to Bass Fishing to become a better Bass angler.
The Technique:
The bait must fall to the preferred depth, then you have to shake the rod tip. By this, you'll be getting the fishes attention. Do this for at least 30 seconds, then shaking again for about 2 or 3 seconds intervals, stop and pull slowly about six inches. Then dropping again, slowly back and down and repeating the process. The first thing to remember if they're not biting is to slow down.
Tips:
• During Springtime, fish uphill (position the boat in shallow water and cast to deep water) and use a 1/8 ounce weight.
• Fish downhill in Fall.
• Try to use a Texas rigged worm to prevent hang-ups.
• Fish out the worm and keep suspended 90% of the time.
• Always try to sharpen the hooks to make sure you have maximized your hookup percentage.
• When doodling, it is critical to keep your presentation natural by downsizing your hooks to 1/0 or lower, and paying delicate, attention to how straight your bait is in order to maintain a natural presentation.
• Crystal clear waters can be tough. The secret to fishing weenie worms is to keep slack on your line and "shake" the bait instead of dragging. The shaking of the rod and your light line gives your worm, grub or reaper an amazing action.
When to Go:
When the bass quit hitting during the daytime and when it becomes uncomfortably hot on the lake are good signals that it's time to start night fishing. Night fishing is usually practiced when the water is in the mid-60s or warmer.
Places to Fish:
Where to fish at night is a question commonly asked by bass fishermen. Bass don't move great distances in most situations. Smallmouth bass, especially, are proven stay-at-homes. As the summer wears on, the bass tend to move deeper and won't come up shallow, even at night in many lakes. Night fishing is productive when the bass are within the 20-foot zone
Tips and Guides
• Position yourself only as far away as water clarity dictates; stay close enough for consistent accuracy.
• Try to make the lure land on the water with as little noise as possible. Cast past the target when possible.
• In windy weather, put tension on the line just before the lure touches down. This will straighten out the line and prevent it from blowing across obstructions.
• Learn casting techniques that permit a low trajectory, such as flipping, pitching, sidearm casting and underhand casting.
• Use a quality rod and reel matched to the weight of the lure. Rods with a stiff blank but relatively fast (limber) tip are easier to cast than extremely stiff or uniformly limber rods.
• Cast with the wrist, not the arm and shoulder.
• Lower the lure a few inches below the rod tip before casting; this gives extra momentum for the cast.
• Be sure to "load" the rod tip, causing it to bend backward, on the back-cast, then whip the rod forward smoothly.
• Fill the spool of any type reel to within 1/8 inch of the lip of the spool. DO NOT OVERFILL!
The Flip-Cast; use your wrist, NOT your arm.
• Concentrate on the spot you want to hit, not on what you want to miss.
• Use plenty of scent when trying to penetrate thick cover - it acts as a lubricant.
• Stick to basic jig colors (black/blue, brown/brown, black/chartreuse).
• Use a plastic worm with a glass bead between the worm and the weight for inactive fish.
• If you think it's a strike, reel down until your rod is in a hookset position before you check.
• A strike is anything different (something you wouldn't feel in a bathtub!).
• Tighten your drag all the way down for better hooksets.
• Use 17 to 25 pound test line for bait casting gear, 10 to 14 pound test on spinning (for flipping finesse baits).
In order to establish a pattern it is essential you understand how a bass lives in its environment. Knowing where the bass can be found at any given time or place is something you must develop. Always go fishing with a plan in mind.
Remember that every fish you catch can reveal clues on how to catch another. After establishing a pattern, realize that when the action slows down in the area you were fishing, you can then search for more areas that would fill the same criteria.
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