Florida’s bass fishing season is upon us. Recent cold fronts have curbed the action a bit, but things will pick up shortly, the sun always only a day or two away.
Water temperatures are everything in this part of the world. Last week, we outlined the best places to start your vacation. Today, we uncover what to tie on.
A bass is a bass, as they say. This, of course, refers to our favorite fish’s affinity to bite just about anything when the fishing is good, and be relatively easy to find in unfamiliar waters. True, Florida bass will bite the same lures as their northern cousins, but a few ticks will put the odds in your favor.
Let’s start with plastics. Overwhelmingly the Florida favorite, Texas-rigged plastic baits combine efficiency with a slow-down approach, both necessary to productively ply Florida’s waters. While many of you may have forgotten the old-school worm, I can assure you that’s a mistake once you’ve crossed the border.
The plastic worm has always been a Florida bass fishing staple. A Texas-rig produces as well today as it did 50 years ago. Old-school ribbon-tails still see a lot of action, but most in the know have gone back to straight-tails, or versions of stick-baits. These lures are big producers around the spawn, when bass pull up on isolated pad clumps, docks and stick-ups. Don’t overlook the Texas-rig around hard-bottom areas as well. After exploring shellbars with more advanced methods, a lightly-weighted finesse worm often picks up a few more fish. Rivers, like my beloved St. Johns, match a Texas-rig perfectly. There, I get the most bites on a paddle-tail model.
Worm colors are like political candidates – everybody has their favorite for reasons only they can explain. Regardless, leave the greens and browns back north and stock up on junebug and black. Dark colors always produce, and rarely do others beat the basics. One exception might be electric blues, especially when tipping a jig. Ugly, but effective.
Flipping baits come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, though nearly all can trace their roots to the original Sweet Beaver. I stock up on Beavers each spring, adding D-Bombs, Z-Hogs and Why-Nots to the list. Most of these find a place behind a tungsten sinker weighing an ounce or more, flipped and punched in the heaviest cover. If you’ve never caught a big bass punching, January in Florida may offer you your best shot all year. Cover types vary and cycle depending on the weather and the spray boats, but hyacinths, pennywort and mud mats are encountered most places.
An interesting side note: I’ve found punching skirts to increase strikes dramatically, sometimes. For whatever reason, certain fisheries fit the punching skirt bill, while others don’t. Rig both ways and experiment until you determine which type of lake you’re on. A final note: bare rigs, without skirts, always penetrate the heaviest cover best.
Other plastic rigs will get bit in Florida, too. Dropshots get attention on heavily-pressured waters, especially the state’s few deep reservoirs. Shaky-heads still catch a bunch of fish on shell bars, as do swing-head rigs. And a few diehards Carolina-Rig along the St. Johns River.
Faster baits come into play as the waters continue to warm. ChatterBaits work everywhere, but I’ve always preferred spinnerbaits for Florida lunkers. Fans can get an old-school spinnerbait lesson in modern times by re-watching Rick Clunn’s 2019 Florida win on YouTube. Show-stopping stuff. And don’t think it’s all willow-blades and grass – often waking big blades around shoreline cover produces incredible springtime strikes.
Jerkbaits catch a bunch of bass in Florida, especially with the advent of FFS. Recent viewers of the college event on the Kissimmee Chain can attest to the triggering power of jerkbaits, especially when watching the bass. Lipless cranks will still catch fish in the same situation, though the increase in direct fishing pressure seems to be aligning with more erratic presentations.
Small swimbaits are also increasing in popularity among Florida fishers for similar reasons. It’s hard to beat a little swimmer when fishing pressure’s heavy. Pack a spinning rod and some finesse gear if you plan to fish off the bank, especially in places with heavy tournament traffic.
A number of buzzing and gurgling lures produce big in Florida each spring. I find it hard to believe there’s an overall better cast-and-retrieve-style lure than a Skinny Dipper or Big EZ swimmer. Rigged on braided line and wide-gap hook, these lures are the epitome of shallow-grass efficiency. They catch bass before, during and after the spawn in fisheries all over the state. Keep your colors basic, matching shiners and shad.
Gurgling toads and frogs work, too, as does a quickly-retrieved swim jig, a lure category expanding in Florida. Usually it’s best to keep the jig jumping.
A buzzbait will catch big bass in the Sunshine State but sees little use, increasing your chances at a trophy. The best topwater, however, is a prop bait.
You’ll hear a bunch of theories as to why long, slender prop baits like the Devil’s Horse catch so many bass in Florida. Baby gar, needlefish, bluegills popping the surface; quit worrying about it. Just know that this is the overall best surface bait in the state. Modern versions, like Rapala’s X-Rap Prop, cast well and come with good hooks. Be sure to slow down – way down – when fishing, especially around the spawn.
A hollow frog will catch big Florida bass, but not in the places you might think. Expansive grass beds make lousy places to throw a frog, despite what we all dreamt of as kids. Instead, cast a frog in places where there’s a hard shoreline for bass to pin the lure against. Seawalls and levy banks are tops. Black lures are all I own.
Finally, don’t leave home without a supply of buzzworms. Often, these delicate swimmers are sold out locally. Zoom’s UV Speed Worm is the most popular, but many other brands now make a similar, or slightly larger, lure. All work. Rigging with a light weight, straight-shank hook and fluorocarbon increases appeal. Cast out, reel in, and don’t set the hook until you feel the fish. Again, dark colors produce best.
Florida fisheries are famous for expansive dead zones and fish grouped in small areas. For that reason, fish fast until you find them, then dig in and slow down. Areas where the wind blows usually produce best, and be on the lookout for clean water. That gameplan and the right lures will get you on the board quick, and make for a rewarding break from the cold.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
