Savings Made Easier by Ebates

When shopping online for fishing products, or anything else, check out the stores that are signed up with Ebates first. Better yet, get the Ebates app added to your phone and computer so it will alert you when you are on a shopping site that is signed up with Ebates. When you have over a certain amount or rebates accumulated (you decide) they send you a check! It's that easy to save extra money ... and you can still use coupon codes at your favorite sites too.

 

By the way, the season is picking up here in central Florida.  The temps have been in the 80's for several days and the bucks are beginning to move up.  It's going to be an early spawn if this keeps up.  Now that the elections are over, the bookings are beginning to pour in, so if any of my customers are thinking about coming down this year, get your reservation set early with us so you get the prime time.  Best times are before and after the full moons and the new moons of each month from now all the way through April.

It's going to be a bumper crop and trophy-sized largemouth bass in the bass capital of the world!

 

Come on ... let's go fishing!

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE ...

Well, after all of the summer rains, along comes Matthew and dumps on us all the way up the state ... as if we needed more water.

So now many of the stand-alone lakes are so full that many have overflowed the ramps, needing a 4-wheel drive to back a boat in and don't even think about turning it off until after you pull back out, or you will ruin your vehicle's engine.  The Winter Haven Chain is so full that it makes it difficult to go between the lakes through the canals because the water is high enough that you can't get under the bridges.  And the Kissimmee Chain is so full that you would think that the bass are already bedding because they are back up in what used to be the shallows. 

Doesn't much matter what you throw because the bass are hitting most everything, from frogs and buzz-type baits (like the new Double Plopper by River 2 Sea) first thing in the morning to swimbaits, flukes, worms, jigs, etc. for the rest of the day.  In the tournaments, it as been taking around 30lbs to win them.

It is my understanding that Okeechobee is experiencing the same thing and that there has been so much water released out into the ocean that the saltwater guides are having to go many more miles out to sea to catch anything.  Also, several of the tarpon and snook have come all the way into Okeechobee and are thriving quite well and can be caught.

Some calls and email inquiries are starting to come in as we close in on the election.  I, for one, will be so glad when it is over.  I don't think I have ever experienced such a messed up campaign as I have this year.  We should all be praying for this country, no matter what the outcome is.

Also, we need to be praying for all those who were devastated by hurricane Matthew and for those who are trying to assist and repair the damages.  My wife's boss is going on a mission trip to Haiti next month, as I am sure they will be welcomed and be a blessing to the people of Haiti.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN ...

Well, it has been a very slow and hot summer for us here in Central Florida, and recently it has been very wet too.  The lakes are all up as much as two feet so the bass have been scattered all over the place, finding a lot of runoff water which is providing a multitude of critters for them to feed on.

Guiding has been extremely slow, but it was expected as it is always slow during an election year.  Funny thing is, it always picks back up after the election is over ... no matter whether a democrat or a republican is elected!  Just doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is.

My wife has been gearing up for the upcoming season by completely revamping the website, www.bassfishingguide.com.  She was kind of forced into it by our website host, GoDaddy.com, which completely changed their website building program.  But I think it was a good thing because it really hadn't been updated much, other than adding photographs and customer's names each year.  If you take a look at it, let us know what you think.  Constructive criticism is always welcomed.

I am still having some issues with my neck surgery, but I don't believe it will interfere with me guiding this year.  I am looking forward to "getting back in the saddle again."

Here are a few photos from last season ~

    

    

    

    

FINALLY FISHING - AND A FIRST-TIME EVENT!

Still recovering and going to therapy after our auto accident and neck surgery, but the fishing guiding must go on!  Although I am getting a later start in the season than usual, it is proving to be a bumper crop of good-size largemouth bass. Most of my trips have been this month, but I believe April is going to be a good month for some big toads too.

As you know, the majority of my guide fishing is done with live bait ... wild or domestic shiners, running around 6-7 inches in length.  That is the natural forage for the Florida strain of largemouth bass, along with bluegill, shad, minnows, crappie, shellcracker, frogs, and just about anything else that they can fit into their bucket mouth!  The wild shiners are very difficult for the suppliers to procure this month because they also are bedding in such shallow water that their boats can't get to them.  So that is when I resort to using domestic shiners.  They are not nearly as active, but are much hardier and sometimes you can use them for more than one fish, if they are not damaged much.

Today I had something happen that I've never had happen before.  There have been other times when a bass would start chasing one shiner, and then give up on that one and go for one of the others.  But today I had a bass eat one shiner and before the customer set the hook, that bass ate another shiner of my other customer.  They both set their hook and they both hooked it!

 

Double Hook-Up

 Both of these guys have fished with me for several years, but they are having a banner time this year and, because of that, there was no squabble over who caught this one.  See below as to how well their trip is going this year ... this was over the last three days, and they still have one or two more days coming up! 

It's A New Year ... Finally!

Boy, am I glad 2015 is over.  At my age, I'm not normally one to rush time to pass, but the last half of 2015 has been kinda rough.  On July 29th my wife and I were in an auto accident that totaled my Suburban.

We were both rushed to the hospital by ambulance.  After several CT scans, nothing broken or bleeding.  But upon further study with MRIs my wife and I have both had to undergo neck surgeries that involved fusion, plates and screws.  At this time we are both recovering from those surgeries and praying that no more are in the near future.

Needless to say, my fishing days have come to a screeching halt until further notice, from the surgeon, that is.  But I have been keeping up with what is going on "through the grapevine."  Most all of the waters in Central Florida for the bass population are beginning their transition.  We have had extremely hot weather all the way past going into the winter season, to just beginning to have some cold fronts reach this far south.  So this season's start to the spawn has been delayed.  In addition, we have had significant rains that have maintained much higher than normal water levels in all of the lakes that are not controlled, and even those that are controlled contain more water than usual.  Some ramps are almost leveled out to the water's edge!

Recent tournaments have had lower than usual totals weighed in, including a recent Lakeland Junior Bassmasters tournament held on Lake Kissimmee yesterday.  One division only took 9.89 lbs to win, a young man named Sammyjay Acree.

 

He has been quite well over the last year, having won his division overall and their classic, and he might well turn out to be the next Kevin VanDam!

 

He already has his picture on one of his sponsor's products, Bass Munchers lures.  Might want to keep your eye on this one, you can be sure I will.