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  1. Member
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    #21
    I would recommend you join a Bass Club before jumping into the big circuits. A local club will allow you to spend 1 year or less to learn a variety of lakes and how the locals fish those lakes. Minnesota is not Florida. The bass in Fla. change their pattenrs often as the weather, time of year and changes in lakes vegetation changes during the year. The change in high pressure to low pressure in this state can change your tactic in fishing from day to day. The change in water temps. can shut bass down from one day to another. There are a lot of big bass in Florida but 75% of the fishing population doesn't know how to find them, except during the spring.

    I hope you have a great time on our Florida waters and you catch some big bass.

  2. Member
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    #22
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    Interesting. I've found plenty of tournaments but I wish there were a better way to see them all. A list of tournament names with no information on entry, payout, number of boats, etc isn't very helpful and it takes a ton of time to click into the 100+ circuits and scour for details.

    Anyways, I think BFL or Bassmaster Opens might be where I place my focus. Or maybe I'll need to cut my teeth in some smaller tournaments first. I've never fished Florida waters but dominated Southern Minnesota this year and I'm looking for something bigger. I'll likely get my ass handed to me but thats okay. Great way to learn IMO.
    There are a lot of tournaments in Florida. Like they said Central and North are probably better locations for bigger events. St Johns River-Wolfson CH Bass Tournament-Palatka City draws a ton of boats.
    The https://www.americanbassanglers.com is drawing a lot of boats since BFL has raised there prices and low payouts. https://xbs.floridatournamentreport.com/ is another good one.
    1996 Stratos 201 pro xl
    1996 Johnson Faststrike J150GLEDB

  3. Moderator
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    #23
    Recruiter called me today to negotiate salary so its happening. Thinking we'll end up near Toho. My territory would extend from Kissimmee to Miami so I'd consider living anywhere in between.

    I've spent most my years tournament fishing the MS River Backwaters and shallow southern MN lakes. I love punching grass and ripping a chatterbait and I don't mind a grind for the right fish. Pretty sure all those techniques work quite well in Florida :)

    I suppose there's not much dropshot or finesse fishing to be had in Florida?

  4. Member
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    Aug 2005
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    Brandon, Fl.
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    #24
    B-47 hit the nail on the head. If you are serious about Bass Fishing here in Florida
    you might want to take his advice. Catching can be good or bad. Many Variables change the bite on a daily basis and a lot of times can happen by the hour. .
    . Feast or Famine- per say
    Good luck on your venture
    Last edited by gambler1; 09-17-2019 at 10:38 PM.

  5. Member Rkammer's Avatar
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    Jun 2016
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    #25
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    Recruiter called me today to negotiate salary so its happening. Thinking we'll end up near Toho. My territory would extend from Kissimmee to Miami so I'd consider living anywhere in between.

    I've spent most my years tournament fishing the MS River Backwaters and shallow southern MN lakes. I love punching grass and ripping a chatterbait and I don't mind a grind for the right fish. Pretty sure all those techniques work quite well in Florida :)

    I suppose there's not much dropshot or finesse fishing to be had in Florida?
    On the contrary, finesse fishing is big here in the hot summer months. As for areas, others have mentioned about the terrible traffic in Orange and Osceola counties. I moved out of Orange County about 4 years ago to Mount Dora and couldn't be happier. Harris chain is super close and traffic is way less out here. But, if you need access to South Florida in your new job, you might consider the east side of Polk County which is less congested than Orange. Places like Haines City and Lake Wales come to mind.
    Ray K.
    Mount Dora, FL

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  6. Moderator
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    #26
    I appreciate all the feedback. I have another quick question -- whats with this strip of high ground in the middle of Florida? Is it mostly rock? sand? Are the lakes dotted along this strip different from the swampy lakes in the low elevation areas?

    Capture.JPG

  7. Member Rkammer's Avatar
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    #27
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    I appreciate all the feedback. I have another quick question -- whats with this strip of high ground in the middle of Florida? Is it mostly rock? sand? Are the lakes dotted along this strip different from the swampy lakes in the low elevation areas?

    Capture.JPG
    The highest point in Florida is less than 350 feet above seal level. No rocky lakes here. Florida is a big sand bar.
    Ray K.
    Mount Dora, FL

    2012 Nitro Z7
    150 Merc Pro Xs
    Atlas Hydraulic JP
    Power Pole 10 ft Blades
    Minn Kota Ulterra 80 lb.
    Dual Consoles
    Lowrance HDS 8 & 5


    [IMG][/IMG]

  8. Member
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    #28
    There are rocks in Lake Okeechobee. When the water is low be careful.
    Brad Krone

  9. Member
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    West Palm Beach, FL.
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    #29
    Here in Florida there is not guarantee on boat count tournaments, I don’t see why that would be mentioned. The only way for that is to join a local club that has a set number of members. You could fish a federation tournament in a certain area 5 times a year one could have 10 boats the next time 50, you never know. Same with the bfl could be 50 one time and 150 the next. Like it was mentioned before most lakes are easy drives from one another so people come from all over to fish tournaments. If you win a bfl with 100 boats you are coming home with a bunch of money. There is also the aba that has a strong place in south Florida. So I think the 20-30 boats, $200, $1600 mentality is better left in Minnesota. No offense of coarse. Just saying. A year round fishing industry is way different than seasonal fishing. That being said the lakes and areas in central Florida are really different than lake Okeechobee. But what ever you do try your hardest to avoid Orlando because all of the people there must have just got their drivers license or are still practicing for it. BECAUSE THEY CANT DRIVE.....

  10. Member
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    #30
    Did that guy say no rocks in Florida???? WOW... must have never visited the big “O”

  11. Member
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    #31
    That’s a mountain range...

  12. Member
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    #32
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    I appreciate all the feedback. I have another quick question -- whats with this strip of high ground in the middle of Florida? Is it mostly rock? sand? Are the lakes dotted along this strip different from the swampy lakes in the low elevation areas?

    Capture.JPG
    There are some different then the swampy ones in that area for sure. Placid, June, Butler chain and a few more are clearer and deeper lakes. By the way deep in Florida is over 15 foot.
    1996 Stratos 201 pro xl
    1996 Johnson Faststrike J150GLEDB

  13. Member
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    #33
    The highest elevations in Florida is in the panhandle (northwest) of Fla. It is roughly 350 ft. above sea level. Think of Fla. as a island down the middle of the state. Fla. is mainly a limestone state with a lot of silt and sand because millions of years ago the state was underwater. When earth began to freeze the waters changed to ice all the way down to middle Georgia and ice lowered the water levels and Fla.'s land mass was a much higher elevation above sea level. For millions of years earth has been warming and melting all that ice and raising water levels; it is called global warming but none of the tricky scientist that need government money to support their existence.

    Lakes in Fla. are part of a limestone surface with lots of sand, decayed vegetation, etc. and what ever else that fell into the lake as sink holes began to create our lakes. Most of the rocks you find in Okeechobee were placed the by CCC back 100 years ago to help with soil erosion from hurricanes due to flooding the everglades and local towns.

  14. Moderator
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    #34
    Quote Originally Posted by B-47 View Post
    The highest elevations in Florida is in the panhandle (northwest) of Fla. It is roughly 350 ft. above sea level. Think of Fla. as a island down the middle of the state. Fla. is mainly a limestone state with a lot of silt and sand because millions of years ago the state was underwater. When earth began to freeze the waters changed to ice all the way down to middle Georgia and ice lowered the water levels and Fla.'s land mass was a much higher elevation above sea level. For millions of years earth has been warming and melting all that ice and raising water levels; it is called global warming but none of the tricky scientist that need government money to support their existence.

    Lakes in Fla. are part of a limestone surface with lots of sand, decayed vegetation, etc. and what ever else that fell into the lake as sink holes began to create our lakes. Most of the rocks you find in Okeechobee were placed the by CCC back 100 years ago to help with soil erosion from hurricanes due to flooding the everglades and local towns.
    Great information thank you!

  15. Member
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    #35
    The Lake Wales area near Lake Kissimmee is a great area for tournament anglers. There is literally a tournament at Camp Mack or somewhere on the chain 52 weekends a year. Not to mention centrally located and close to most other fisheries in the central and south part of the state.

  16. SC Club Moderator ChampioNman's Avatar
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    #36
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    I appreciate all the feedback. I have another quick question -- whats with this strip of high ground in the middle of Florida? Is it mostly rock? sand? Are the lakes dotted along this strip different from the swampy lakes in the low elevation areas?

    Capture.JPG
    that's where we snow ski, snow mobile and have the nordic ski jumping training facility along with the bob sled tracks in the winter months, we ain't all about Mickey Mouse!

  17. Moderator
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    #37
    LOL. Y'all got jokes, eh?

    I can't wait to never have to shovel snow again. I just hope I won't have to shovel bugs once in Florida!

    So are there any hills south of Orlando? Is that strip of high ground even noticable?

  18. Member
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    #38
    There are some hills that are noticeable but nothing to get excited about. If you had to push your truck uphill, you wouldn't want to do that but if you had to push your truck downhill, you wouldn't get very far.

    If I were moving to FLa. with no restriction where I lived and the present day circumstances and evaluating future outlook (traffic, population growth and access to shopping and entertainment), I would move somewhere between St. Cloud and Lake Wales. The lakes you would have access to is great. You have Okee., Kiss, Toho, East L. Toho, Conway, Butler, Harris, Lower St. Johns, etc. etc.

    I live in Orlando and would not move back here under today's circumstances.

    Good hunting on your new living space.

  19. Member JohnD.'s Avatar
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    Lakeland, FL
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    #39
    Quote Originally Posted by bassburch View Post
    LOL. Y'all got jokes, eh?

    I can't wait to never have to shovel snow again. I just hope I won't have to shovel bugs once in Florida!

    So are there any hills south of Orlando? Is that strip of high ground even noticable?
    Rolling sand hills called " the ridge ".

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wales_Ridge

  20. Member
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    Aug 2013
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    okeechobee,fl
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    #40
    Lake Okeechobee has many club and opens,bfl,bass qual.weekly opens.etc.couple hrs of less from most lakes mentioned,plus lower traffic

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