finlander Posted March 25, 2004 Report Share Posted March 25, 2004 I may be in FLA in late May and was wondering what does everyone use down there? I'll be near Hudson, 45 min north of St Pete along the Gulf. What do the licenses cost for fresh and salt water fishing?? Thanks, the Finn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cflbasser Posted March 25, 2004 Report Share Posted March 25, 2004 For freshwater, Bring your flippin' stick and tie on a 3" or 4" craw! By May, the weeds will be growing thick and the water temps will be getting up. This will mean that the big girls will be going deep into the weeds. Depending on the lake your going to fish, schoolin' fish may be plentiful also. 1/2 ounce Chrome/Black Back Rat-L-Traps will be a good bet. Other good baits are a Devil's Horse (Replace those hooks though), Weightless Senko's, Fluke's, and Black/Blue tail worms with 3/16 - 1/4 ounce weights. What lake(s) are you going to fish? I used to fish Saltwater on the east coast a ton when I was a teenager, but I haven't been in years. At the time, All I needed was a 1/4 ounce doa shrimp and I could catch a limit of speckled trout. On the west coast, I couldn't tell you what to do or where to start but I imagine the doa would be great. Licenses aren't too bad as far as price goes. http://myfwc.com/license/index.html#FWF will tell you all of the rates. Hope that helps... Let me know if you have any more questions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlander Posted March 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 Don't know the area at all. Won't be using a boat, so it'll be shore or dock fishing. Any good lakes around, where a 'gator won't take a bite out of me??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cflbasser Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 I know Lake Tarpon is in that area. I have fished there a few times but not enough to know it that well. I have only fished it from a boat and seems to me like the bank fishing would not be very good there. Your best bet, may be to find some golf course ponds. Most of them are full of fish. I know of a few in the area where I live (east coast) that you can catch 20-30 fish in a couple of hours. Most are under 2 pounds, But there are always the few behemoth's that live in those ponds also. A buddy of mine caught 1 over 10lbs a couple years ago in a golf course pond. To be honest, Saltwater may be your best. Around here, there are numerous public docks/piers that can be fished from. Trout and snook will get around the pilings at night and feed on the bait. In May, your probably going to have an easier time catching some speckled trout around those docks. I would do some research on the web and find a few docks to fish from in the area. Not all of them will be productive. It seems to me that the ones that are nearer deep water and close to a channel are the best. If you can get some live shrimp, try casting them up current and allow the shrimp to drift with the current back under the dock (no weight). The trout hang down in the edges of any shadows and eat the bait as it comes to them. Hope this helps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRedneck147 Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 Using a spinnerbait may be useful too. Try a smaller bait but try to get one with dual blades. I reccomend a green and yellow skirt or a black and red one. Also you could try your luck with live baits since the bass will be coming out of the spawn season when you get here, and in light of recent cold weather the bass will be aggresive after a long cold period (in Florida terms). Or a Rapala stick bait works well in the mornings or afternoons. Work the stick lure or spinner bait at the edges of cover. Depending on the depth and thickness of cover you might be able to drag the spinner bait right above cover as well. As for the live bait, a hungry bass cant resist a good shad or shiner any where in a lake. Just make sure it's visible. And just as cfl said, catching a 3lb+ bass on a light tackle flippin stick is a blast, and in my opinion it's easier to cast and you can give better presentation. If your lookin to go to the West Coast, there are alot of options. You may want to find a good charter captian to take you out deep for some grouper, or get a little wet and go after some snook or specs (the reds may be harder to find in may) or if your just lookin for a good fight go shark fishing on a beach after sundown. I'm interested in hearing about how you come out if you decide to go fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeminoleFan Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 Florida fishes like no other state. Your best bet would be to hire a guide for a flats fishing trip in the gulf , Or a guide for fresh water. I know there are plenty of Charter boats (party boats) that hold up to 60 people that supply bait, rods, etc. All you need is your favorite drink and food. Can be a great time. Hope this helps. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VARick Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 You might want to take a look at the forums on Capt. Mel's website. they have a couple dedicated to freshwater/landbased saltwater. Friendly people.. archives galore too. http://capmel.com/ Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
