Fishing has been really good lately. We are experiencing 50 plus fish days, with numerous fish in the 1 to 4 pound range. One of key factors is the weather. Ideal conditions are light winds, 8 to 15 mph without a front. You’ll catch’em now!
The big female fish continue to move into the shallows while the male fish are cruising the hard edges. Hard edges can be land or vegetation. Bass are moving up into the thick vegetation with good bottom as they get ready to spawn. The best way to find these fish is by using search baits.
My favorite search baits make a lot of noise. Noise tends to irritate the big females and the smaller males, causing aggressive strikes.
Another good way to fish this time of year is sight fishing. You need a really good pair of polarized sunglasses. Once you find a pair of bass on a bed you’ll want to back off a little and make longer casts so they don’t see you. Stay away from bright colored clothes when sight fishing as the fish will see you coming. I prefer to wear earth tones that match the surroundings to be a bit stealthier.
When bed fishing, look for that darker spot in the bed. I call it the sweet spot because a bait thrown there will almost always cause an immediate strike. When doing this type of fishing, I always recommend catch and release. A female bass can produce 3000 fry per pound. I know that sounds like a lot, but only a few 100 from every bed will make it. Handle these fish caught off beds with care.
Another good way to catch some really good fish is to go deep. Not all giants bed in shallow water. Many of these fish are overlooked. Look In areas where you’re finding bedding fish and go deeper, with 4 to 10 feet being a good range. The easiest way to recognize bottom is by using today’s advanced electronics.
Top baits working this month are swim jigs, swim baits, burner frogs, popping frogs and any kind of topwater bait.
This month, the top spots are Everglades Holiday Park, Sawgrass Recreational Park, mile marker 41 off I-75 and Lake Okeechobee.
Peacock bass fishing continues to shine in all of the local urban canals. The best bait for peacocks is live shiners. Some of the best artificial baits are jerkbaits, poppers and jigs.
Last month I talked about how close is too close to fish next to someone. Since last month’s article, I have fished in a few tournaments and heard chatter from several others. Too close continues to happen. The rules are 50 yards on the FLW and other Pro Circuits. For everybody else, it’s gonna be up to your discretion. Hopefully everybody is kind and thoughtful.
If you ever have any questions please feel free to reach out.
As always tight lines and bent rods,
Capt. Neal Stark
(954) 822-1481
Fishing with America’s Finest, Inc.
“Changing Lives One Cast at a Time.”
501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization, FEIN #45-5494005
www.FishingwithAmericasFinest.org
fwaforg@gmail.com
American Everglades Guide, Inc.
www.AmericanEvergladesGuide.com
aeguideinc@gmail.com