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Tag Archives: brim

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.

 

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!