Well I just got back from fishing the Federation Nation event on the Kissimme River and the Kissimmee Chain (Lakes: Toho, Cypress, Kissimmee, and Hatchineha). I ended up the day with a small limit weighing close to seven pounds but had an awesome day on the water. I can't remember an event this year where I caught as many fish as I did today. Even though they were mostly non-keepers and barely keepers, it was still fun!
I fished as a non-boater and drew a guy who said he wasn't really on anything great, which is always the worst thing you can hear as a co-angler. I still kept an open mind and tried to have fun. The day started off pretty slow for me, but for a three hour stretch it was basically a bite on every cast. The first fish I hooked was a big one, it was between three and four pounds and slammed my fluke, dragged me in the grass, and then jumped...leaving me with just my fluke and a pile of grass to reel in. I didn't let it get to me and proceeded to catch ten fish from one small lilly pad clump. That was awesome...it was amazing how many fish were in that small of an area. Early on, my boater and I were neck in neck in terms of how many fish we caught. But once the sun came up I was catching quite a few more. He asked me what we were doing different and I honestly didn't have an answer for him. Then he asked if I was using fluorocarbon, which I was. He said he was using mono and that was the only difference. Same bait, same color, but a different line. That made me think that fluorocarbon really can make a difference. Today I was using a line called Red Label from Seaguar. It is their most inexpensive line, but works great. It only costs around $12 per spool. Check it out...it's good stuff.
I had a great time and my thumbs are sore from all of the fish. I can't wait to get back there in three weeks for the final BFL Everglades Division tournament. That big fish I lost ended up costing me a check, I had one tiny keeper in the well and the difference in weight would have easily moved me up. Oh well....it was fun.
I fished as a non-boater and drew a guy who said he wasn't really on anything great, which is always the worst thing you can hear as a co-angler. I still kept an open mind and tried to have fun. The day started off pretty slow for me, but for a three hour stretch it was basically a bite on every cast. The first fish I hooked was a big one, it was between three and four pounds and slammed my fluke, dragged me in the grass, and then jumped...leaving me with just my fluke and a pile of grass to reel in. I didn't let it get to me and proceeded to catch ten fish from one small lilly pad clump. That was awesome...it was amazing how many fish were in that small of an area. Early on, my boater and I were neck in neck in terms of how many fish we caught. But once the sun came up I was catching quite a few more. He asked me what we were doing different and I honestly didn't have an answer for him. Then he asked if I was using fluorocarbon, which I was. He said he was using mono and that was the only difference. Same bait, same color, but a different line. That made me think that fluorocarbon really can make a difference. Today I was using a line called Red Label from Seaguar. It is their most inexpensive line, but works great. It only costs around $12 per spool. Check it out...it's good stuff.
I had a great time and my thumbs are sore from all of the fish. I can't wait to get back there in three weeks for the final BFL Everglades Division tournament. That big fish I lost ended up costing me a check, I had one tiny keeper in the well and the difference in weight would have easily moved me up. Oh well....it was fun.
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