On the Breaks

The update from Florida… After 4 months of staying in Florida I’m still creeped out by a lot of little things down here. Once again, I have a nest of bull ants in my boat but this time they are living in my livewell and a tree frog is living underneath my console. Today a big black snake was just behind my boat on the ground (I swear Discovery Channel could film a whole show about the circle of life in Florida and never leave my boat).  A little side note, if you see a black snake in Florida and you are afraid of snakes, don’t touch it with a stick because black snakes down here can move faster than you can run (it’s impressive and terrifying, all at the same time).

This last week, I’ve spent most of my time out on Lake June and Lake Jackson, and over the past few months these lakes have grown on me (the 12lber might have a little to do with that). These lakes are amazing for night fishing but they also hold great fishing during the day. With that being said, both June and Jackson can be a little tricky to fish.

Both have deeper basins and clearer water than most of the lakes in Florida. Because of the depth and clarity of the water, the temperatures are generally lower. Above all, the biggest difference in June and Jackson is structure. Most lakes down here are filled with all sorts of hydrilla, peppergrass (for you northerners this is what all the strange talking southerners call green cabbage), cattails, reeds, and Kissimmee grass but June and Jackson have a lot less vegetation. In fact, if you looked at Lake Jackson with an underwater camera it would look a lot like an underwater desert (I know this is a oxymoron but just go with it). As a result of the lack of weeds and hiding places, I believe the crawfish population in these lakes is relatively low, so the bass mostly depend on shiners and other bait fish.

What these lakes do have is a lot of is boat docks, brush piles, and sand flats/shell beds. The boat docks can be a good pattern to hit up during high light hours on sunny days (almost every day in Florida). Like any other lake full of docks, I usually have the best luck skipping flipping jigs, senkos, and swimbaits underneath. The Brush piles in June and Jackson are hard to find, but if you do find them, they can be a gold mine for bass. Usually a flipping jig or Texas rigged plastics work the best.

Lately, both the docks and brush piles have been a little sub-par, but we have been lighting them up on the sandbars and shell beds. It’s a little strange because I’m used to fishing largemouth around structure like weeds, docks, brush piles, and other hazards but these fish are acting more like smallies. They have been hanging on sharp break lines in the contours where the depth drops from 7-8’ to 12-14’. These sharp drops provide the bass with great ambush points, especially when they are feeding on bait fish.

In the past few days Byron and I have done the best on swimbaits (both weighted and weightless), hard (suspending) jerk baits, and deep diving crank baits. Another thing that has helped our success is boat positioning. We reversed our casting angle, setting up in 5-6ft, casting out past or parallel to the break lines and working the lures in. I like to do this because I think in a lot of cases (ex: lakes that have a lot of pressure) fish get use to seeing baits being worked away from structure and providing them with a different look helps trigger strikes. Also, wind current changes the way the bait fish come across structure. Plus when you’re throwing a crank bait you want to make contact with the bottom. Reversing the angle of your cast (working your lure form deep to shallow water) allows you to make more contact and work the bait more effectively.

Anyway, I have to run and pack for Vegas! Kari and I are going there for the NCAA West Coast Conference basketball tournament. Go St. Marry Gaels! I’ll catch up with yall guys next week (after I have struck it rich on the penny slots!).