Florida Fishing

When I spoke with Tim Mann and Chris Holleman about possibly getting together to fish later this spring and they both said they could make something work just a few days later, I couldn't pass on that chance, so a few days later I was in my car and had it pointed south. I fished Lake George one day, sight-fishing for largemouths, and spent two days chasing redfish and speckled trout in the Jacksonville area.

Sight-fishing with Tim is always fun and a learning experienced, and while the wind chased us around some in the afternoon, conditions, plentiful fish on beds and Tim's direction allowed even my untrained eyes to see several fish and catch a few. While we didn't land any real giants, we caught a lot of good fish, and our best limit would have easily weighed more than 20 pounds. Hard to say how big a bag Tim would have caught if he had just been fishing instead of mostly trying to help me! It's not uncommon for he and tournament to bring 30 pounds to the scales this time of year.

The saltwater days were extra fun for me because I haven't done a lot of that recently. In fact, my species list from last year didn't include any saltwater species because I never made it to the coast. This year's list now includes both specks and reds, and I hope to keep adding to that. I was actually supposed to be saltwater fishing in Texas this week, but the weather blew out that trip. However, my next two trips are to Louisiana and Florida, and plans for both include some saltwater fishing.

Naturally, I like the way a redfish crushes a lure and the fight that follows. Beyond that, though, I simply enjoy being out in the marsh, smelling the salt air, and watching the changes brought by rising and falling tides.

Asher Setting Sights on Bass

"Sight-fishing is my favorite part about spring fishing," 7-year-old Asher informed me the other day. At first I thought he was just repeating what he'd heard his brother say, but then I realized that he really had discovered the fun of getting to "look at them." Asher had spotted a shallow cruiser from the dock the day before and had tried to catch it with Nathaniel's coaching. Apparently, he could see it too well for his own good, though. When the fish turned toward his bait and opened its mouth, he jerked, pulling the bait away and spooking the fish, which wasn't locked onto a bed. The reason I think the sight-fishing bug really has bitten Asher is that he was thinking more about that fish than the ones he landed by casting blind, and he really wanted to go back to get another try at that particular fish. He did go back the next day, and he did catch a few bass. Maybe we'll go give them all another look today.

Looking At 'Em

Tim Mann does what it takes to put bass in the boat, but given the option, this Florida tournament angler would rather look at them. Mann, who considers Lake George on the St. Johns River his home waters, loves the game of finding big bedding fish and convincing them to take a bait.

And it really is a game. The game begins with finding the beds and the bedding fish, but it also includes gauging their size and likeliness to bite and then doing what it takes to convince those fish to bite. That might mean finding the "sweet spot" in a bed, catching the male that's guarding the bed at the right time (catch it too soon and it will often spook the female), backing up and "sight-fishing" from out of seeing distance, popping the bait up into the fish' face at the right time... The list could go on and on. Every fish is unique, which is part of what makes sight-fishing fun.

Some fish will bite immediately. Others require coaxing and serious patience. That's a big part of the game -- especially in a tournament setting. Mann must gauge the size of the bass he's looking at and that fish's likeliness to bite and then determine whether that amount of time would be justified by the amount of weight he could add to his catch. Of course, the answer also depends on how many fish Mann is seeing on beds and what sort of weights he expect other anglers to bring to the scales.

Mann , who typically targets bedding fish with a YUM Craw Papi or Vibra King Finesse Tube, plays the game well. He and his tournament partners have won a lot of sight-fishing-dominated tournaments over the years, and he's considered a serious threat to win any event this time of year.

The appeal of sight-fishing goes beyond the game, though. It's also the best opportunity of the year to catch really big Florida largemouth bass, which just happens to be something that Tim Mann really likes to do!