Central FL lake fishing

Question
Hello,
I am fishing the St. Johns River and more recently, a large fresh water lake.
I have tried casting and trolling at various times of day. I am using an electric motor at low speed and barely moving forward, to troll. I have rigged the lines with bobber and two feet below that, the hook and two feet below that a lead shot. I have used live bait shiners and artificial worms, rock lobster. All that I have caught are two small alligator gar. What am I doing wrong? What should I change? What can I try?
Best,
Steven

Answer
Steven; May I assume that you are fishing for bass?  If not I doubt that I can be of much help.

Why are you trolling.  If you want to catch bass on live bait get some large shiners at the bait store along with a Styrofoam float about 2 inches in diameter.  Put just enough shot about 8 inches above the hook.  Set your bobber about 2-3 feet deep to start with.  Hook the shiner either through the lips or through the meaty part of the back just behind the fin.  Make sure you do not hit the backbone.  Toss this shiner out near some weeds, sit back and wait until your bobber takes off.  Take in any slack until you feel the pull of the fish.  Do not tighten the line too tight just yet.  Wait long enough for the fish to get the minnow well into it's mouth.  Then take up slack and set the hook.

Better yet get yourself a spinning outfit with a 7 foot rod and open face reel and do not pay more than $25 for the outfit.  Put on ten pound monofilament line or equivalent diameter of braided line.  Get some large plastic worms in three colors.  One dark blue, black or something close to that, One a light color, blue or purple and the third one after asking the store keeper what he thinks is the best color.  Buy some 20 or 30 worm hooks. (ask the store keeper#.  Finish with a few different size bullet shaped sinkers 1/4,1/8 sizes.  Put the sinker on by passing the line through the pointed end and out the big end and let it slide.  Tie on the hook and hook on the worm by passing the point of the hook about 1/4 inch into the head of the worm then bringing the hook through until the nose of the worm is on the bait holder #sometimes a crook in the hook and sometimes some teeth.  Turn the worm over and push the point through the worm just enough so that the tip of the hook almost but not quite comes through the other side of the worm.  Cast this into the weeds or brush or whatever cover is available and very slowly walk the worm back to you with a few stops along the way.  If you feel a Tap Tap carefully reel in line while bringing your rod down almost to the water.  When you feel a pull on the line take one deep breath and set the hook.  How hard do you set the hook, well you don't have to turn the fish inside out.  If your hooks are really sharp wrist  action only should be plenty.  Keep your rod tip high while fighting the fish.  Do not try to reel the fish in.  keep the line tight as you reel down your rod tip then lift the rod tip to fight the fish not the reel.

After trying worms venture out and buy a couple of lures.  I would start with a floating lure that stays on top and works by being jerked or popped plus one that floats until you start reeling it in when it dives.  The depth will depend on how the lure is made.  Some only go down a foot or so some go to 20 feet when cranked in.  Next try a spinnerbait and work it just along the edges of the weeds or in open water between weed patches or near a downed tree or log.

I like a Johnson Silver minnow for working the weeds.  I use a pork (not plastic# frog on it and cast it way back in the weeds.  It comes through the weeds pretty well and sometimes a huge bass will  explode on it.  Do not try to set the hook when you see or hear the bass strike.  Wait a couple of seconds until you feel the fish then set the hook and get him moving out of the weeds as soon as possible.  This same rule holds true on lures that float and pop or spit water.  Most people have a tendency to strike at the sound or sight of a bass hitting.  The result is that they lose most hits on surface lures.

If you like to troll troll one of the lures I mentioned above except, perhaps, the worms  or maybe even at times they might work slowly trolled.

Time of day is important in very clear water and bright sun.  Morning and evening are usually best especially in hot weather.  Any low light period is better than bright sun.  a warm overcast day is one of my favorite times to fish because you can fish all day long.

I hope this has been of some help and I hope you begin to catch some fish using these ideas.
Thank you for calling on me to answer your question.

Jack L. Gaither           #JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia