Earlier in the year I spent four weeks travelling in the United States. I very seldom travel and not organise a fishing trip while I’m at it. With a very hectic two weeks partying with a Contiki Tour on the West Coast and being in a the heart of the big apple the third week of the trip, it wouldn’t be until the last week in Florida that I would get my fishing fix.

As our Australian tournament scene is very much inspired from the BASS in America, I’d always wanted to have a go at catching Largemouth Bass. Travelling with my girlfriend Jen, who is by no means a slouch with a fishing rod but often gets bored if they’re not biting, I was hoping we could find some red hot fishing. I got in touch with Hawg Hunter Bass Services  and when they told me their guides had been getting upwards of fifty bass a session in the Everglades. I was sold!

After unintentionally sneaking up on our guide in the dark at the bait and tackle store where we had arranged to meet him and scaring the living daylights out of him, we were on our way. Our guide for the day was Dave Manack. He’s been guiding in South Florida for nearly thirty years and we could genuinely sense his excitement as the fishing had been unbelievable.

Jen was that excited she wasn't even going to wait for Dave to park the car!

After arriving at the ramp, we really did feel like we were at the Everglades, South Florida. There were fan boats lined up along the bank and ‘good old boys’ were launching their camo painted boats.

Jen and I were both excited to see some gators and I think we counted four in the first kilometre from the ramp. After a short ride along the dead straight canal, we arrived at our first destination which happened to be the only drain or junction in the canal for about twenty kilometres. It made perfect sense that the fish would be there!

Early Morning on the Everglades.

Dave told us the fish had been biting exceptionally well on worms rigged wacky style. Just to be difficult, I told Dave, I wanted to catch my first in style and fish topwater. He went on to tell me the top water bite had not been real good but it was always worth a shot. I was handed a heavy bait casting outfit spooled with 65lb braid and a Storm Chug Bug tied on.

Jen was quick to catch the first Bass of the day!

Jen was probably the perfect client and did everything the guide told her to! This paid dividends for Jen and the poo hanging started when she had me five – zip on the wacky worms. I told her that every fish on topwater was worth ten on a worm and not long after I said that I drove the hooks into my first Largemouth.

My first Largemouth. It fell for a Storm Chug Bug fished on 65lb braid straight to the lure!

Having got the monkey off the back it was time to get serious and catch up so I swapped the bait casting gear for a spinning rod with a 6” worm rigged wacky! The competition had really started and double hook ups were a feature of the day.

Our guide, Dave and I with a double hook up.

Australian Bass can be quite finicky at times and it can be paramount to use light lines and small presentations to get them to bite. I was quite blown away at how willingly a largemouth would belt a 6″ Zoom Worm with a 4/0 hooked poked straight through it half way down the worm’s body. There was no place for thin flurocarbon leaders, it was all or nothing and the wacky worms were tied straight through to 20lb braid.

An average Everglades Largemouth caught on a worm rigged wacky.

The technique was pretty straight forward. You pitch your worm into the lilly pads and let it flutter down vertically along the drop off. Watch your line as your worm goes to the bottom and if you see it move the slightest, set the hooks. If you fail to get a bite, wind your wacky worm back in and start again.

The biggest bass of the day.

Just to mix things up, occasionally I’d change outfits and fish a texas rigged worm across the lilly pads. This was a great visual approach. You’d see a bow wave – the tell tail signs of a Largemouth, come towards your worm and you’d either get a surface strike or if you killed the retrieve and dropped the worm back, nine times out of ten, they’d eat it!

Ice cold buds were great for staying cool in the warm Florida weather!

We lost count of the alligators we spotted but Jen didn’t lose count of the bass and we ended up with 69 Largemouth Bass for the day. For what the fish lacked in size they certainly made up for in numbers with the average fish about being about 14 inches. The smallest we got was about 8″ which still makes me wonder what it was thinking trying to eat a 6” worm on a 4/0 hook, the biggest about 17”.

Smiles all round!

It was a great day out on the water and thoroughly enjoyed the service and company of our guide! Next time I’m in South Florida, I’d love to chase a big Tarpon and also go after some of those aggressive Peacock Bass they catch in the canals.

See you out on water!

Will Lee