Happy Monday Spacefish!

So I am going to start by asking a question? Have you ever faced wind gusts so intense that it blew you over, capsizing your kayak? No? Well, neither have I, but this weekend I came really close.

I am writing this on Sunday night, this will be a recap of my trip today. Tomorrow morning, a strong arctic blast cold front will be bearing down on us. I really wanted to be able to go out and fish and go in detail on how to make the most of a pre-frontal fishing trip, when I saw how intense the winds would be I decided to stick with it. That being said, I picked a spot where I would be able to maximize my fishing potential and be able to mitigate the effects of the wind as much as possible.

I was going to have a report this week about my first trip on the northernmost tip of the Kissimmee Chain, but since we have the cold fronts rolling in pretty regularly now, I decided to call an audible. A few weeks ago I wrote a report with a good gameplan for fishing during the actual cold front, but today I am going to break down a gameplan for fishing the day before a front moves through.

My goal in writing this is to provide you all with a tangible plan on how to get out, catch a good number of fish from a kayak on a blustery pre-frontal winter day. Most of these days tend to follow a similar wind pattern – from SW/SSW early, shifting to a W, and then rounding the curve and becoming a pummeling NW/NNW Wind by the afternoon. Once that wind shifts and starts pounding us from the north, the temperature will start to drop, and the next morning will be chilly! With this gameplan hopefully you will be able to maximize your kayak fishing experience and take advantage of the feeding that occurs the day before the arctic cold front hits. I have followed this gameplan the last 2 Sundays and caught not only back to back inshore slams, but I have caught a high volume number of fish, from a wide variety of species.

Spot #1 – Fish the Flats Aggressively

Rarely do I use the terms January, and topwater in the same sentence, but today I am. I don’t throw topwater very much from November-March, but when I do it’s usually on the last warm day before a cold front, or on a warming trend after a few days of below average temps, basically what I am looking for is a window where fish are actively feeding. I don’t target Snooky looking shorelines as much as I opt to bomb plugs over flats and take advantage of the hungry “roamers” like Trout, Redfish, and Jacks. On my last two trips I have caught all 3 species on topwater, specifically the Rapala Skitterwalk in Bone Holographic. I use the smaller version of the skitterwalk, and use a slower than normal retrieve. I still employ a “walk-the-dog” retrieve, but it’s more of a slow sashay than a tempo’d frolic. I let the one knock style rattle call the fish as I use a slow “tick, tock…tick, tock” style retrieve, just enough to keep the bait moving, and I use sharp twitches to activate the one knock rattle in this bait.

If the fish are swiping and not really attacking, or if the initial topwater bite slow I switch over to suspending twitch bait style plugs like the Paul Brown Soft Dine XL (the “fat boy”), or more traditional inshore twitch baits. Lately I have been comparing the Yo-Zuri Inshore Twitch Bait vs the MirrOlure MirrOdine, both have been catching fish. I will go into more details of my exploration into wintertime plug fishing in a future report, but what I will say here is that if you go with a similar approach, don’t be afraid to slow this bait down if you’re not getting bites. I typically start with an aggressive “twitch-twitch-pause” but I will evolve into more of a “flick-flick” or “bump-bump” and really long pause (4-7 seconds) retrieve if that’s what the fish want.

Spot #2 – Find Deeper Mangrove Shorelines, Depth Contours

Once the winds start to pick up and start hitting harder from the west, I like to find a mangrove shoreline that’s a little deeper or has a shallow shelf with a deeper drop off a few yards away from the shoreline. This is where I start to increase my odds of catching Snook, but I have also been catching Trout, and Redfish as well on deeper mangrove shorelines.

My two baits of choice this winter have been a 3-4 inch paddletail on a ⅛ to 3/16 oz jig, or a heavier twitchbait like the MirrOlure Heavy Dine. The Heavy Dine is the same size as the traditional 17MR but is heavier, and sinks faster which makes it effective on deeper shorelines, and on the ends of docks. I fish it with the same cadence I described earlier, I am just targeting deeper in the water column.

With the paddle tails I like to keep the bait moving while keeping contact with the bottom. If I am fishing off the bottom I like the twitch bait with the pauses, if I keep the bit moving I like to keep it lower in the water column. With the winter dry season in full swing it’s easy to get good casts under overhanging mangrove cover, and near the structure without needing to be a great skip caster. For me this is a great time to grab that bait caster and fly my lures into precise locations. I let the jig hit the bottom and take my time getting the bait out. I like dragging it along the bottom with a bait caster, it reminds me of fishing a worm for Bass.Remember winter time is not a time where you need to fish like you’re in a 2-minute drill, slow down and methodically work the spots you picked before you launched!

If the fish are swiping and not really attacking, or if the initial topwater bite slow I switch over to suspending twitch bait style plugs like the Paul Brown Soft Dine XL (the “fat boy”), or more traditional inshore twitch baits. Lately I have been comparing the Yo-Zuri Inshore Twitch Bait vs the MirrOlure MirrOdine, both have been catching fish. I will go into more details of my exploration into wintertime plug fishing in a future report, but what I will say here is that if you go with a similar approach, don’t be afraid to slow this bait down if you’re not getting bites. I typically start with an aggressive “twitch-twitch-pause” but I will evolve into more of a “flick-flick” or “bump-bump” and really long pause (4-7 seconds) retrieve if that’s what the fish want.

Spot #3 – Wind Protection at All Costs!

If I am still on the water by mid-to-late afternoon it becomes a game of wind protection at all costs. This past weekend the wind gusts were up in the high 30’s which were insane! Last week the gusts were in the low to mid 20’s. Either way at that point I am tucking myself into wind protected areas.

Usually at this point in the day, you will know what the fish want. What colors, what profiles, what cadence of retrieve, etc. So I really won’t waste anymore of your time here, for me I have really honed in on what’s worked to that point and stick with it!

Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Yes!!! It is, I will say this about inshore fishing in the winter…you may not be able to cover as much ground as you do in the summer, and you may spend time hunkering down in wind protected areas, BUT if you choose those spots well, they could be loaded with fish, and you can leave the water with some of your higher volume catch days. I used to really dread the winter, but over the past few years I have really been honing in on my winter strategies and it’s honestly becoming one of my favorite times, if not my favorite time of the year to fish.

This past Sunday I went out, and I nearly got capsized moving from spot to spot, several times in transit I questioned my own sanity. But I also was able to catch 25+ total fish at the 3 spots listed above and I caught the following species; Trout, Snook, Redfish, Black Drum, Jacks, Ladyfish, Mangrove Snapper, and even a freaking Whiting…inshore… an inshore Whiting, on a paddle tail. How crazy is that?

One of the things that really help me on days like this though, is a good reliable kayak. Maybe you are reading this because you want to get into kayak fishing, maybe you are reading this because you already are and you want to take it to the next level…either way, I encourage you to stop into Kayaks By Bo in Cocoa and check out their inventory and talk to the staff! They are friendly, and super knowledgeable and will be able to do an amazing job helping you figure out exactly what you are looking for.

Stay warm this week guys, I hope you got a chance to fish this holiday weekend! Be safe, be happy, and go catch some fish this week! Until next time!

Happy Monday Spacefish!

This year, I’ve kicked off a bit of a personal project. I want to focus my bass fishing efforts on starting at the very top of the Kissimmee/Alligator Chain and working my way south in a slow, methodical crawl — eventually following the system all the way down to Lake Okeechobee.

I started that journey over Christmas break with a trip to Lake Mary Jane and Lake Hart. I’ll write a full report on that trip soon. It wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t lights-out either. But that trip — paired with a long-form YouTube interview I stumbled across a few days later — sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole.

And once you start looking closely at Florida’s bass fisheries, it’s hard to unsee some things.

When “Managed” Water Feels Lifeless

If you’ve spent enough time fishing Florida lakes and rivers, chances are you’ve pulled up to a favorite stretch only to find it freshly sprayed — brown, brittle, and looking more like the aftermath of a salad bar than prime bass habitat.

Aquatic plant management is one of the most debated topics in Florida fishing, and for good reason. On paper, spraying invasive vegetation like hydrilla or water hyacinth is meant to keep waterways navigable and usable. But the ripple effects don’t stop at the surface.

When large mats of vegetation are killed all at once, that plant matter doesn’t disappear — it decays in place. As it breaks down, bacteria consume dissolved oxygen in the water column. In hot weather or low-light conditions, oxygen levels can drop fast, sometimes fast enough to stress fish or trigger localized fish kills. At the same time, the loss of healthy grass removes critical spawning cover, feeding areas, and ambush points bass rely on year-round.

Add decades of accumulated muck on the bottom, nutrients released during decay, and the potential for harmful algal blooms, and it’s easy to understand why anglers get frustrated.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains that spraying is just one piece of an integrated management plan, working alongside mechanical harvesting, biological controls, and careful timing. The goal is balance — access, safety, and ecosystem health.

But on the water, many anglers can’t help but wonder if we’re managing plants right out of the fishery.

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

Let’s just say it plainly: Bass fishing in Florida isn’t what it used to be in a lot of places.

That doesn’t mean the state is “fished out.” It doesn’t mean you can’t still catch good fish. But across many of Florida’s most well-known lakes and rivers, the warning signs are getting harder to ignore.

The biggest issue is habitat — or more accurately, the steady loss of it.

Shoreline development, altered freshwater flows, prop scarring, and declining water quality have all chipped away at the vegetation bass need to spawn, feed, and survive. Nutrient runoff, pesticides, and urban growth keep systems under constant stress before a single lure ever hits the water.

Fishing pressure doesn’t help. Florida still carries its reputation as the Bass Fishing Capital of the World, and popular lakes see heavy pressure year-round. During the spawn especially, repeated targeting of the same fish takes a toll. Bass are resilient — but resilience has limits when pressure, pollution, and habitat loss all stack up at once.

Water management plays a role too. When natural water levels and seasonal flows are disrupted, bass lose access to shallow spawning areas at critical times of year. And then there’s spraying — the ongoing flashpoint. Many anglers believe herbicide use accelerates long-term habitat decline, while agencies argue it’s necessary to control invasive plants and maintain access.

Either way, the controversy highlights just how fragile these systems have become.

The results are showing up on the water: fewer quality bites, smaller average fish, and fewer true trophies coming from places that once produced them regularly. Legendary fisheries like the St. Johns River and parts of the Harris Chain have struggled in recent years, raising concerns among anglers and conservation groups alike.

Social Media Noise — and the Signal Beneath It

Spend a few minutes scrolling fishing social media and it won’t take long before the algorithm tells you what you should be mad about (thanks, Zuckerberg). Once you click on one post about spraying or water management, your feed turns into a nonstop loop of outraged anglers, blurry boat photos, and bold claims flying in every direction.

Most of it is noise.

But every now and then, something cuts through.

That’s how I came across Mighty River Recovery, a nonprofit made up of anglers and conservation-minded folks working to slow the decline of the St. Johns River. I watched a nearly hour-long interview on the @OpenWoods YouTube channel featuring Joe Balog, executive director of Mighty River Recovery, breaking down the decline of bass fishing in Florida. You can check out the video here:

For anglers who remember when the St. Johns was a true bass powerhouse, the current state of things is hard to swallow. Poor water quality and the disappearance of submerged grasses have taken a real toll.

That video hit especially close to home after a recent trip to fish for a Bass write-up.

When the Water Goes Quiet

The area had recently been treated with aquatic herbicides, and the change was impossible to miss. Healthy vegetation had turned brown and brittle, already sloughing off and sinking. The water carried a strange surface sheen. No bait flickering. No bass activity.

No life.

There weren’t dead fish floating, but the place felt empty — like the switch had been flipped off.

I didn’t know who carried out the spraying, but it didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t an isolated story. Scroll long enough and you’ll see anglers across Florida documenting spray boats, airboats, and even helicopters treating public waters. Many applications are ordered by agencies like FWC, water management districts, or the Army Corps of Engineers to control aggressive invasive plants.

To be fair, Florida waters are weed factories. Warm temperatures, nutrient-rich systems, and a long growing season mean vegetation grows fast and thick. Anyone who’s fished Kissimmee or Toho in the summer knows unmanaged grass can take over in a hurry.

Still, more anglers are questioning whether routine chemical spraying is the right long-term answer.

We’re told these herbicides are safe when applied properly — yet the applicators are often wearing full protective gear and respirators. That disconnect makes anglers uneasy, especially when treatments happen multiple times a year in waters they fish, boat, and sometimes live on.

Even setting chemical toxicity aside, the bigger concern may be what happens after the plants die.

Where the Grass Goes

Florida anglers have already seen what unchecked organic buildup can do. Lakes like Okeechobee and Apopka didn’t end up with feet of muck overnight.

Some organic matter is natural. Too much creates unstable systems — cloudy water, trapped nutrients, constant algae blooms.
When sprayed vegetation dies, it stays in the system. As it decomposes, oxygen drops. Nutrients rise. Algae blooms follow. Then those blooms die, pulling oxygen down even further.

Spray. Decay. Murky water. Fewer fish.

It’s a cycle many anglers recognize all too well.

Looking for Better Options

This is where groups like Mighty River Recovery stand out. Instead of just posting online, they’re funding independent testing of river sediments for commonly used herbicides — something no agency is currently doing. Their goal isn’t finger-pointing; it’s transparency and accountability.

At the same time, many anglers believe a more obvious solution deserves serious consideration: mechanical harvesting.

Harvesters physically remove vegetation, taking nutrients with it instead of leaving them behind to rot. FWC already uses them in some areas, but not at the scale many fishermen believe is necessary.

Would harvesting require more planning and effort? Absolutely. Would it need to be repeated? Probably. But it also avoids chemical inputs and reduces long-term muck buildup.

If given the choice between clearer water through harvesting or murky lakes after spraying, most bass anglers know which option they’d pick.

Some might even argue that certain invasive plants, when kept in check, provide valuable fish habitat and water filtration. That’s a deeper debate. What isn’t up for debate is the frustration anglers feel when productive water turns lifeless.

Florida bass fishing isn’t gone — but it is under pressure. And right now, too many anglers are watching the places they love slowly lose what made them special in the first place.

If Florida wants to stay the Bass Fishing Capital of the World, protecting the water has to matter just as much as catching what swims in it.