Today was a very eventful day fishing for Peacock bass in South Florida. I fished with Bill & Rodney from the Jacksonville, Florida area. They are avid fishermen, Rodney fishes mostly for largemouth bass, while Bill fishes mainly for trout and redfish. Both are retired U.S. Navy and we were honored to have them pick bassonline.com as there very first fishing guide service experience.

They had heard about the hard fighting Peacock bass through one of our T.V. show that aired recently. So, with a five hour drive from Jacksonville, FL they decided to stay the night near the fishing lake at the Miami Airport Hilton to get an early start. Knowing they wanted to experience the full realm of what the Florida Peacock bass had to offer, we decided to fish a complete 12+ hour full day of fishing.

I picked them up early and headed south to one of my favorite peacock bass holes. Started off with top water, of coarse…and three cast later Rodney had a 3 1/2 pound peacock just destroy his lure. As you can guess this started the day out right as we continued to adjust lure presentation and fish the rest of the Miami water system. With the idea that we were fishing the hole day, I want to give these guys a treat…really make the trip an adventure. So, we pulled the boat out and headed to one of my favorite T.V. filming holes where things only could continue to get better.

After catching several on top-water, hard jerk baits and live-bait we decided to move again to area called Snapper creek to finish out the day. The day ended with a little fury, as Bill lost a giant Peacock bass on topwater…not his fault, the fish just pulled off the hooks. These fish do that kind of thing, they have an incredible head shake when there hooked with unbelievable speed.

When I asked, “how many fish did we catch today”…they replied, I have no idea…a lot. Then Rodney replied, “I know I missed 15 to 20 myself” as he laughed and we all agreed.

Good day of fishing, with a good couple of guys. Hopefully, when they return we can even make it better next time.

If you are interested to trying your luck at the mighty Peacock bass or largemouth bass fishing in Central or South Florida, give me a call or send me an email.

I look forward to talking fishing with all of you!

Tight Lines,
Capt Todd
todd@bassonline.com
888-629-2277
www.BassOnline.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.bassauthority.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.basson-line.com

Heavy winds the last few days on Lake Okeechobee. Today, I fished with John and Mary Rogers from New York.

We fished a few shiners, but ended up using mostly plastics. I sure enjoyed fishing with them today, the bite started a little slow at first with just a scattered bite. As the morning passed the bite picked up a lot.

Today we fished 6 hours and caught about 35, lost a bunch of the fish that were biting softly.

As we approach a new moon there are still a few females that have not spawned but not a bunch. Today we saw a nice school of bass come up with the bass being brought to the boat on swim bait.

Come catch ‘em on World famous Lake Okeechobee!

Capt Mark Shepard
marks@bassonline.com
(863) 673-4966 cell
(888) 629-BASS
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

Today I dad out a long time repeat customer of bassonline, Fred Knobblock from Loransville, Ga. We went down to Miami for the hard fighting Florida peacock bass.

It end up a really good trip, we started off with artificial bait and as the day went on we switched to live bait. Fred didn’t have a lot of time so we did only 4 hour of fishing , what we consider to be a half day. Fred caught 15 fish from 1 to 3lbs, a good day if you ask me.

The fishing is awesome in South Florida, if you have never been to the Everglades you may want give if a try. Give me a call, let’s go fishing!

You can also read my Everglades blog here!

Tight Lines,
Capt Tony (954) 205-2535
(888) 629-BASS
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

Michael Mayo | News Columnist

9:37 PM EDT, May 28, 2008

Everglades Holiday Park is a funky place, and I mean that as a compliment.

There’s alligator wrestling and airboat rides for tourists, unrestricted 24 /7 boat ramps for local anglers and hunters, a general store and a bait shop that seem closer to Mayberry than Weston.

That’s the way it should be. At the western end of Griffin Road past U.S. 27, it’s old-time Florida, the Everglades in all its unspoiled and swampy glory.

Broward County originally wanted nothing to do with the place. After being given the land by a farmer in the 1960s, the county leased the land to the state. The state has sublet the park to various concessionaires. Since 1982, the Bridges family of Fort Lauderdale has run it. Their lease expires in 2012.

This is one case where privatization seems to work. The public gets free access to bass fishing, frog and duck hunting, and tourists pay the freight with $21 airboat rides. The Bridges turn a profit and give an annual cut to the state. The state’s share ranges from $100,000 to $400,000, according to Chuck Collins, the south regional director for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

There’s just one problem.

It’s the county’s land, but Broward doesn’t get a cent.

I suppose another way of looking at it is the county doesn’t have to spend a cent, either.

“If they have a problem with not getting a cut, I told them we’d work with them,” Clint Bridges said Wednesday. “If they just gave us a lease extension, I’d pay for all the improvements they want. They wouldn’t have to get their hands wet or do a damn thing, other than go to the mailbox and pick up their check.”

But Broward has something more involved in mind.

The county has explored getting the park back from the state. It has hired consultants and held public workshops. There’s talk of expensive refurbishments, new boat ramps and docks. There’s also talk of a $10 million Everglades museum and replica 1880’s village, seeded by developer Ron Bergeron and run by a nonprofit organization.

“A public-private venture,” Bergeron said Wednesday. “Obviously we’d need a certain amount of participation from the county.”

I hear talk like this, and I get a little clammy.

Especially when you consider the planning firm working on this is URS Corp., the same people who’ve done such a bang-up job with the airport expansion.

Especially when you consider Bergeron sits on the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which might have to approve the county takeover.

“I probably would recuse myself [from voting],” Bergeron said.

Especially when you consider the county is dealing with $100 million in budget cuts and may close other parks one day a week.

Is this really the time to get ambitious?

“That’s why everybody’s been screaming, ‘It ain’t broke, so don’t fix it,’” said Paul Schmitz, of Pembroke Pines, a frequent duck hunter. “It’s just an unencumbered, ideal place for hunting and fishing. It sounds like they want to turn this from a money-maker into a money loser.”

On Wednesday, the county unveiled the revamp plan at a public forum. Among the recommendations: getting rid of on-site camping, doubling the parking from 150 to 300 spots, and building the museum to educate locals and visitors about the Everglades’ history.

“We want to make it a showplace,” Bob Harbin, the county’s director of parks and recreation, told me earlier in the day. “The theme would be the same, but the facilities need to be brought up from 1930. What we’d build would still have a rustic appearance.”

Harbin said the park would remain open round-the-clock, the No. 1 priority for local hunters and anglers who came to workshops.

“We’re skeptical about that,” said Rick Persson, a bass fisherman and vice-president of the South Florida Anglers for Everglades Restoration. He cited a park in Loxahatchee run by Palm Beach County that now closes at dusk. “We’d like to see improvements, but if it’s going to lead to people getting shut out of the park, then what’s the point?”

Michael Mayo’s column runs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Read him online weekdays at Sun-Sentinel.com/mayoblog. Reach him at mmayo@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4508.

  Today I had the enjoyment and pleasure of fishing with Anna & Alex from Southern Brazil. Why was this trip was so special, well other then the bass fishing being outstanding. It was there honeymoon and while staying in Ft Lauderdale, they decided to go fishing with us at bassonline.com.

 Alex is very good fishermen coming from Brazil, where he said “the bass are so small and hard to catch.” Today, would be a different story as Alex started off by asking for a bait-casting rod & reel, I said, “are you sure”, he replied yes. Once I handed him our GLoomis rods I seen his eyes get big, followed by a smile of excitement. He proceeded to throw topwater lures, after the first couple of cast I realized Alex was going to have a good day. His accuracy was awesome, and precision long cast continued to pay off cast, after cast.

Anna, on the other hand became Alex’s own personal photographer and laid in the sun most of the day. Alex, had a great day in the Everglades, catching around 50 Florida largemouth bass all by himself using a variety of artificial baits on a 6 hour trip. Not only were there large-mouth caught today, but he had the enjoyment of capturing 6 Florida Peacock bass also! 

It was a fun filled day on the water with these two, even with a language barrier you knew they were happy by the huge smile on there faces.

Tomorrow the honeymoon couple is off to Orlando, to visit Disney and Universal studio. With Florida bass fishing in there blood now, they are going to take two more days to go bass fishing with Bassonline.com while in the Orlando area.  One day on Lake Toho and the other on the Butler Chain of lakes. I know they will have a great time with our guide.  

Anna & Alex, enjoy the rest of your trip and have a great time on the remaining days of your honeymoon.

If your in the area of the Everglades in South Florida and would like to get out and experience true Everglades bass fishing at it’s best! Remember, we also offer fishing in the Orlando area as well as Miami for the hard fighting Peacock bass.

Give me a call or email,

I look forward to talking fishing with you!

Tight Lines,
Capt Todd
todd@bassonline.com
888-629-2277
www.BassOnline.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.bassauthority.com
www.flpeacockbass.com

  WHAT A DAY FOR BASS FISHING IN THE  EVERGLADES TODAY. WITH THE RECENT CHANGE OF WATERS LEVELS, THE EVERGLADES HOLIDAY PARK 3A SECTION IS COMING DOWN AND TURNING ON. THE BASS FISHING IS SIMPLY GETTING RED HOT.

 TODAY I WENT OUT WITH THE JAMES BROTHERS AND WE HAD A GREAT DAY. WE CAUGHT 25 BASS  IN 6 HOURS, WITH SEVERAL IN THE 5 LB AND UP TO 6LBS RANGE. IT WAS COMPLETELY ON ARTIFICIAL BAITS, THE BITE WAS REALY GOOD . WE WERE THROWING  TOPWATER FROGS IN THE MORNING AND AS THE DAY WENT ON WE CHANGED TO SOME JDC BAITS THAT REALY WORK GOOD FOR BIG BASS.

IF YOU ARE IN OR AROUND PALM BEACH, FT LAUDERDALE, MIAMI OR NAPLES YOU’RE NOT FAR FROM SOME OF THE BEST FLORIDA BASS FISHING YOU MAY EVER GET TO EXPERIECE. GIVE ME CALL, LET’S GO FISHIN!

TIGHT LINES,

Capt Brett (954) 445-4516 cell
(888) 629-BASS

bretti@bassonline.com
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY AT LAKE IDA WITH THE MEDICI FAMILY. THE FIRST HOUR WAS A LITTLE SLOW, BUT AS TIME WENT ON IT GOT MUCH BETTER. WE FISH ONLY A 4 HOURS OR WHAT WE CALL IN THE INDUSTRY A HALF DAY TRIP. WE CAUGHT 16 PEACOCK BASS, IN THERE VIEW AND MY THAT MADE A GOOD DAY OF BASS FISHING. THE ARTIFICIAL BITE WAS RED HOT MOST OF THE DAY, ALTHOUGH THE SHINNER BITE WAS A LITTLE SLOW TODAY. THE LIVE BAIT BITE DID PICK UP AND PRODUCED THE BIGGER PEACOCK BASS TODAY. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE MEDICI FAMILY AGAIN IN JULY FOR ANOTHER GOOD DAY OF FISHING IN THE EVERGLADES.

TIGHT LINES,

Capt Brett (954) 445-4516 cell
(888) 629-BASS

bretti@bassonline.com
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

Today’s fishing was great day of fishing! I fished with Doug and Steve Voorhees from Colorado good fishermen and good guys. I sure had a great time, enjoyed having the opportunity to spend the day with them . It was there first time on lake Okeechobee and to see the lake at this level is a unique and rare opportunity.

They caught close to 100 bass today, all sizes up to 5lb. They sure had a lot of action spread nicely threw out the day. It is getting close for the fish to start schooling. We have gotten past the spawn, as we are catching more females that are all spawned. Soon they will seek shad, this will make for great top water acti0n all day long.

Good fishin,

Capt Mark Shepard
marks@bassonline.com
(863) 673-4966 cell
(888) 629-BASS
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

 The wind on the Lake Okeechobee slowed down today and was much easier to fish. Today I fished with Josh Webb from New York, a really good bass fisherman. We used swim baits, other plastics, top water plugs to capture over 50 bass in just 6 hours.

 It was overcast most of the day and a good day for Florida bass fishing. The rain came about quiting time and it rained pretty hard, but we needed that!

The bluegills are on the beds all over the place and they are bitting good.

Come fish the “Big 0″ with me…Give me call, let’s go fishin!

Capt Mark Shepard
(863) 673-4966 cell
(888) 629-BASS
www.bassonline.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.basson-line.com
www.bassauthority.com

Today I had back, Mike Sr. & Jr for day 3 day of there Florida bass fishing experience. I wanted the guys to get the full ever glades experience, so we decided to do a little something different.

We spent the morning out on the marsh flats of the Everglades throwing topwater frogs and getting all kinds of action. It’s quite fun, you can see the fish roaming all over and chasing our baits down from 20 yards away. Mike Jr hooked up on a real good bass first thing and it got stuck in all the thick vegetation. By the time we got to the bass, it had shaken off (it was a good one).

The rest of the day was good, they caught 25 to 30 fish with the big one right at 5lbs. I had a blast with these to guys, I can see a great summer of fishing in South Florida.

So come on down and book a trip with me!

Good fishin,
Capt Tony
tonym@bassonline.com
888-629-2277
www.BassOnline.com
www.hawghunter.net
www.bassauthority.com
www.flpeacockbass.com