# Advice Sought: South Florida Bass Fishing Trip



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Hope this post is permitted. Not really a report but rather an inquiry. 

Has anyone on here gone down to S. Florida (Everglades, Ida, Okeechobee area) for bass fishing and can recommend a guide? Also interested in thoughts on what time of year is best. In my mind I’d love to be landing black bass on top water from an airboat in a canal in February but I don’t know if that’s realistic. Anything else a first timer would need to know? Thanks


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

I have fished the Everglades with the folks at ‘bass online’ in the past and hammered big bass, throwing all artificial, it was great. You contact them, tell them how you want to fish, what you want to target, and they hook you up with one of their guides. It has worked really well for me. I’ve done Okechobee out of Martins resort and, while I had a good time, they push the hell out of you buying their shiners and fishing with them which I’m not in to.


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## Dmac82 (Apr 1, 2014)

Look up farm 13 or stick marsh near palm bay Florida. My dad lives around the corner and fishes all the time. He would probably take you out for gas money . Let me know if you want his contact information


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## BMustang (Jul 27, 2004)

I am going to suggest Lake Worth, near Palm Beach, and not too far from Okechobee.

It contains an outstanding population of Largemouth Bass with the added bonus of Peacock Bass.

I speak from experience and think you would enjoy the experience.

Doug Kimball, a Boynton Beach police officer who guides on the side is a good reference.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

I booked a couple days of peacock bass fishing next month. And an inshore salt water day. Fingers crossed for good weather! We're staying near Boynton Beach

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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

BMustang said:


> I am going to suggest Lake Worth, near Palm Beach, and not too far from Okechobee.
> 
> It contains an outstanding population of Largemouth Bass with the added bonus of Peacock Bass.
> 
> ...


that is a nice peacock bass.

if talltim will chime in he can give you some good advice. he goes down each winter and does pretty good for bass.
sherman


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Thanks everyone. Trip is booked for later this month. Plan is to target bucket mouths in the Everglades. 

Any words of advice or dos and donts from those that have gone before? Online research points to February being a pretty good month. Seems to be on very front end of spawn according to some reports. Wondering if I can expect to have much success on top water this time of year. Thanks


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

10" Culprit worms in June Bug or Red Shad on a 5/0 hook texas rigged. Super flukes pearl white.

Depending on the weather and if you get any cold fronts to push em back down your spawn could be anytime in February in that portion of the state. The spawn will slowly move north over the next month. At Stick Marsh/Farm 13 it could be mid-March when they are spawning.
If your truck is covered in green pollen, it most likely is on.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Safe to say they means buzz baits off the menu but maybe walking baits could work?


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

RiparianRanger said:


> Hope this post is permitted. Not really a report but rather an inquiry.
> 
> Has anyone on here gone down to S. Florida (Everglades, Ida, Okeechobee area) for bass fishing and can recommend a guide? Also interested in thoughts on what time of year is best. In my mind I’d love to be landing black bass on top water from an airboat in a canal in February but I don’t know if that’s realistic. Anything else a first timer would need to know? Thanks


Capt Dave Schneider works out of Roland Martins marina great guy and he puts you on fish check him out on you tube his channel is called It's a guide's life never fish with him but after watching his videos I wanted to meet him when I was in Clewiston last yr called him and he invited us to his house and show us on the map where we should be fishing there's his boat and he is on the right me in the middle and my cousin BOB


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

PapawSmith said:


> I have fished the Everglades with the folks at ‘bass online’ in the past and hammered big bass, throwing all artificial, it was great. You contact them, tell them how you want to fish, what you want to target, and they hook you up with one of their guides. It has worked really well for me. I’ve done Okechobee out of Martins resort and, while I had a good time, they push the hell out of you buying their shiners and fishing with them which I’m not in to.


wE DIDNT DO A GUIDE BUT WHERE WE BOUGHT SHINERS THEY WAS 17 BUCKS A DOZ were leaving the 1st of March to go down and were gonna try and catch our own Im taking my cast net this yr


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

quite a rig that guy has


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

RiparianRanger said:


> quite a rig that guy has


yES IT IS for a 12 yr old boat he has repowered it once .May go back and see him when im down there from March 2 -14th


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

I like his videos. He would be fun to fish with.


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

kycreek said:


> I like his videos. He would be fun to fish with.


He's a nice guy invited us to his house and offer us cake and coffee to boot from his videos he puts you on the fish .He just lives a block away from Roland Martins bait store


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

We fished lake Ida today, what a blast! We caught large mouth, peacocks, clown knife and hybrid stripers. It was great!












































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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

Superb! Great looking peacocks!


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Nice job Mike!


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

Nice fish


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## talltim (Jul 25, 2008)

Great looking fish, boy I bet that knife fish put up a fight.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

miked913 said:


> We fished lake Ida today, what a blast! We caught large mouth, peacocks, clown knife and hybrid stripers. It was great!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


those are some nice fish. what is the big shiny one? haven't ever seen one of those. do you know any background on those fish? like where they come from, was they stocked, do they reproduce? please post more pictures and give more details of your fishing. I was down in pt st lucy for 2 weeks about a month ago doing some saltwater fishing. haven't ever tried freshwater fishing down there.
sherman


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

sherman51 said:


> those are some nice fish. what is the big shiny one? haven't ever seen one of those. do you know any background on those fish? like where they come from, was they stocked, do they reproduce? please post more pictures and give more details of your fishing. I was down in pt st lucy for 2 weeks about a month ago doing some saltwater fishing. haven't ever tried freshwater fishing down there.
> sherman


Sherman they are called a clown knife fish. They are invasive, originally from Vietnam area, most likely released from aquariums. They are reproducing on their own. They are now in some of the lakes and canal system from Palm Beach area and south. Fought like crazy! Just a giant 30" muscle! 

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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

Awesome fish Mike!!!


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Anyone been down there lately and can post a report of how they did?


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## Fishin' Coach (May 19, 2004)

I went a few years ago to Okeechobee out of Martin's marina... Fished with Scott Martin. It was fun to fish with one of the "big dogs" in an awesome boat, wife dragged shiners off the back while we casted off the front. We got numbers and she got the hawgs. After the charter we slipped behind the marina to Scott's Tiki bar for a few drinks...

It was a good time and a cool experience, but if you want a guide who works for you and goes the extra mile, there are plenty of better guides out there.


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