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Category Archives: Fishing

Enough Species of Freshwater Fish Keeps Anglers Coming To the Sunshine State Year-around.

Barb loves to fish when she has an edge and doesn't have the whole day to hopefully hook a neighbor with shoulders enough for us to spar with! She has become an Al's lover too!
Barb loves to fish and she is showing a largemouth 7-pounder, caught in one of the thousands of retention ponds in Florida. This rain-catcher pond behind our home is chock-full of threadfin shad and all manner of bass, including invasive Peacock bass too!

APtravelnews-November 29th,-Bob and Barb On The Road Again-PSL, Florida. With about 5,444 lakes and innumerable ponds and waterways, retention ponds, etc. there are many species of rod-bending fish in Florida fresh and brackish waters.  The primary species are Largemouth Bass, Peacock Bass, Crappie-Speck, Asian Snakehead, Sunshine Bass, Suwannee Bass, as well as so many sunfish and brim varieties as well, not to mention the hundreds of species of foreign invaders released by people, tired of their aquariums and releasing all manner of Amazonian critters into the Everglades water shed. These invasive species find their way into waterways all across and up and down the state.  Given the fact that there are more than 34-species of freshwater fish that can be caught on rod and reel, there is no wonder fishing is one of the primary pursuits of visitors who visit the Sunshine State.

The largest Lake in Florida; Lake Okeechobee has more Largemouth bass and Crappie (Specs) than any other lake in Florida, and has active sport fishing guide services as well. The neophyte angler believes that Largemouth Bass are an easy hookup and catch, but bass being living creatures, are cold blooded fish affected by a whole range of variables that can often make them seem to have a strong case of “lock-jaw.” The power a savvy angler has over these big mouth predators is understanding how to match the hatch. This is similar to a fly fisherman picking a fly that as closely as possible mimics what they are feeding on at that time-frame. Believe me, bass can change their feeding pattern almost in an instant. If you can find out what they are feeding on (as I did this morning when my Al’s Goldfish treble hook snagged a silver threadfin shad about 3-inches long) I realized why my gold Al’s Lure wasn’t getting strikes, so I changed to a silver Al’s 2.5 inch and took strike after strike, with the resultant jump and dodge again and again. I had successfully matched the hatch! The important thing I’ve learned whether I trout fish with fly’s or bass fish with lures is taking the time to scope out where the fish are biting, what they are biting on and just taking the time to think out a plan of action before I go and  blow my shots by being too hasty trying to get my lure into the water!

wounded warrior heath crappie
Crappie (Specs) are not very difficult to catch. You just need to know when and on what they are biting on. These fish are a few we caught on Lake Norris in TN.

 

Pictures of the Week That Was!

A fishing friend in the Florida Keys!
A fishing friend in the Florida Keys!
Missed opportunity. Green big bull dolphin nearly broke legs as it came over the side just after I snapped this shot! One strong fish!
Missed opportunity. Green big bull dolphin nearly broke legs as it came over the side just after I snapped this shot! One strong fish hooked up in Costa Rican waters!
Still life at IGFA Museum! Remember, If fished Africa!
Still life at IGFA Museum!
Remember, If fished Africa!
John Kuliski in Islamorada! This picture appeared in magazines and on commercially made fish shirts as well! A favorite shot of mine!
John Kuliski in Islamorada! This picture appeared in magazines and on commercially made fish shirts as well! A favorite shot of mine!
Vito now passed on was king of the Megaladon tooth world!
Vito now passed on was king of the Megaladon tooth world! He gave me one for my desk and I use it as a pen holder.
My beautiful picture
Spanish Fly Capitan took me fishing several times. He really knew his trade and had a great TV show.

Backyard Thanksgiving Fun With the Neighbors!

My favorite lures! Al's Goldfish and their new Living Lures are hooking and holding our backyard neighbors.
My favorite lures! The original gold plated Al’s Goldfish and their new Living Lures in baitfish living colors, are hooking and holding our backyard neighbors.

APtravelnews- Bob & Barb “Stopping to Smell The Roses” in our backyard images–November 26th, Port St Lucie, FL-OK! I know, goofy about fishing and all things involved in fooling the finicky and the foolhardy gluttons too! I know Largemouth are touted as being finicky feeders, yet i found a lure group that slays them (I carefully release all top predators, bass are in that category) with ease.  Just 15-feet from our screen door lanai, down a slightly sloping grass backyard, lies a very large rain holding pond. This 10-acre pond is interconnected with several additional ponds in our private, HOA (hate HOA, except the ponds are protected from unabated, indiscriminate catch and take use) neighborhood.  When I want to check out anything I offer it to my dozens of backyard neighbors; Largemouth, giant brim, and the invasive, but fun loving Peacock bass. Of all the many hard and soft lures I’ve tried and had fine success with, nothing has been more consistent in having a neighbor visit their side of the pond mud and weed than by them accepting the invitation I offer with AL’s Goldfish Co. lures. We will also be testing these lures in the Keys with our son and daughter Brian and Diane on our Mako. Stay tuned to see if our old neighbors when we lived in the Keys will come to visit again!   For a good look at AL’s Goldfish Co. go: www.alsgoldfish.com 

Barb loves to fish when she has an edge and doesn't have the whole day to hopefully hook a neighbor with shoulders enough for us to spar with! She has become an Al's lover too!
Barb loves to fish when she has an edge and doesn’t have the whole day to hopefully hook a neighbor with shoulders enough for us to spar with! She has become an Al’s lover too!

TrophyCatch planning celebration for Florida Hall Of Fame winners

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My 10-pounder, but I didn’t enter it! I will if there’s a next time!

APtravelnews-November 17th, Port St Lucie, FL, Bob and Barb On the Road Again–This is a copy of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission news piece. (FWC) just concluded Season 3 of the Trophy Catch citizen-science, conservation rewards program for anglers who catch, document and release largemouth bass greater than 8 pounds. One angler caught the biggest bass in three seasons and, for the first time, a woman joins the ranks of Hall of Fame winners in a big way. Now it is time to celebrate. FWC staff will honor the 15 lucky anglers who entered a total of 17 Hall of Fame bass weighing more than 13 pounds each at a ceremony Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in Bass Pro Shops in Orlando.

Hall of Fame anglers receive a free fiberglass replica of their first catch prepared by New Wave Taxidermy, gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, a SpiderWire sweatshirt and sunglasses, a Fitzgerald rod and Glen Lau DVD. They also receive 10 extra chances to win a Phoenix Bass Boat with a Mercury outboard and Power-Pole anchoring system in a random drawing of all TrophyCatch registrants. Every angler who registers for TrophyCatch, whether he or she submitted a fish or not, is entered for one chance to win the TrophyCatch Phoenix Bass Boat. The drawing is typically in November and the boat given away in December.

Bass Pro Shops, host of the event, is a major sponsor of TrophyCatch (TrophyCatchFlorida.com) and awards gift cards for each of the three club levels: The Lunker Club (8.0-9.9 pounds; $100), The Trophy Club (10.0-12.9 pounds; $150) and the Hall-of-Fame Club (greater than 13 pounds; $200). TrophyCatch requires each bass to be legally caught and released after photographing the entire bass (head to tail) on a scale.

Tom Champeau, director of the FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, will be at the event with KP Clements, TrophyCatch director, to present the rewards.

“TrophyCatch is providing FWC biologists with important scientific information to better manage Florida’s valuable freshwater fisheries,” Champeau said. “It is a great example of citizen-science supported by corporate partners to ensure that Florida remains the ‘Fishing Capital of the World.’”

Keith Allen from the American Outdoors Fund will award the angler who caught the heaviest verified bass of Season 3 with the TrophyCatch Championship ring. Seth Chapman caught a 15-pound, 11-ounce bass last March from Kingsley Lake, Clay County, to claim not only the largest bass this season but for all three seasons. Former season winners include Bob Williams, Season 1, and Brooks Morrell, Season 2.

Porschia Gabrielse is TrophyCatch’s first female Hall of Fame winner. She did it in style with her largest verified bass weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces. It was just one of three Hall of Fame entries she submitted. She is now the overall leader with 41 approved submissions.

Other anglers with bass over 15 pounds this season included Len Andrews, George Smock and George Canova. Among the 15 Hall of Famers, four of them are out-of-state residents, emphasizing how important recreational fishing is to tourism.

Join the FWC Dec. 11 to celebrate these great anglers and their willingness to provide important data to FWC for conservation and releasing what for many would be a catch of a lifetime. Also “Like” us at Facebook.com/TrophyCatchFlorida to see more about each of these anglers and the latest TrophyCatches as well as to learn who the finalists are for this year’s random Phoenix boat drawing and to learn when and where the boat will be given away. Subscribe to YouTube.com/TrophyCatchFlorida to check out past winners and be notified when the new winners’ videos are posted.

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