Chuck's beauty Ranger
As seen at the launch, why not here in Canada?
Our first taste of Butler's typical residence. Guide said this house has a 40-car garage in the basement
Used 5-7” shiners as bait on Chuck's recommendation for the bigger fish. Started the day baiting these on a 4/0 hook through bottom and top of their mouth. The recommended technique was to cast off and leave the bail open, and then wait for the shiner to start twitching – they got jittery when the predators approached, a pretty cool heads up to get ready for action.
The bass would take the bait and leisurely swim away with it, testing the patience. Unlike here in Ontario where they tend to smash bait. After 10-15 seconds, it was time to set the hook hard and game on! We went with this method until shiners were spent – only 2 hours in no bait left but around 18-20 boated. Most were between 2 & 3 lbs, with 3 over 4lbs. Success rate setting the hook with this method was around 80%. Sometimes I’d wait after a fail and the same fish would hit again.
Switched over to dead sticking blue speckled senko worms out in front of some humble shacks on Butler and in Lake Down. Mainly on the edge of weed beds in 8-10' depths. Less success on the arty bait, and the bass were smaller. By the end of the day we boated almost 30 largemouth, but decided to up the ante with 5 dozen shiners for the next day, even at the $20/dozen they cost.
Day 2 weather was the same but dead still. Good call with the shiners – spent most of the day in front of Shaquille O’Neil’s place being served waves of steady strikes in between 20-30 minute periods with less action. The difference in the fight each fish put up was fascinating, catching so many in such a short time I tried to predict size based on the battle. This proved impossible, one of the best fights of the day came from a 3 and a half pounder that I was sure must have been over 5 before I caught a glimpse. Also boated a 4-4 that quit 30 seconds in and was dragged across the surface the last 10 feet...
Yes, that is a full size Superman statue on the end of Shaquille's dock...
Florida sun calls for high octane SPF, but getting this shellac off is brutal - like peeling Elmer's glue...
The 6 hour tour between sunrise and lunch was perfect both days, was around 100F on the water by 12:30, and on day 2 finished our 60 shiners right on time. Boated almost 40 largies, and size was larger on day 2 with about half in the 3-4 lb range – even the fish are bigger at Shaq’s place. Largest on the weekend was 5lb 5oz, and a total of 3 over five. Our guide expressed some disappointment in the size of the fish we were catching, though he pointed out that our 5 pounders would have been six pounders only 2 months ago when spawning (the season never closes). The ‘one that got away’ story of the day was the ~7 pounder that hit our house “garbage rod” (used dying shiners so as not to waste ‘em) right at the side of the boat, got tangled up in line, thrashed around the surface and spooked back to the depths. Didn’t see it again. It got us pretty fired up.
Our guide pointed out ‘beer bottle beds’, places where the party kids of Butler have tossed beer bottles into the lake, and the spawning bass have cleared around it (there is little structure in the lake and they will take what they can get).
One fish of note had the mouth of a beast but a puny body, Chuck called it a 'razorback' - some genetic mutation with the head of a six pounder with about one pound of flesh on it. He pointed out the peak along its' spine where a normal bass has a rounded beefy back. Perfectly healthy though.
By-catch included spotted gar considered a nuisance here, chain pickerel (southern pike) and “mudfish” which is like burbot. I liked catching these (I like catching anything) but our guide didn’t count them, in fact said the mudfish was a minus-1
There were no smallmouth in this lake.Many anglers destroy the spotted gar upon catch here, but they are an interesting fish.
Chuck was a great guide, well equipped, knowledgeable and entertaining. A bucket list trip that was well worth it, and though no trophies, a new Largemouth PB!
Fish on!
Al
