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FISHING: There's Nothing Like The Real Thing

NEW MOON SIGNALS DAYLONG MIGRATION

Contributed photo

Dave holds a 7.5-pound bass he caught on Lake Toho using crankbait in deep water.

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Dave Douglass

Published: July 2, 2008

The new moon occurred very early this morning at 2:19 a.m., causing the aquatic world to swim further, hunt longer and feed less in order to sustain their increased metabolisms.

This translates into the most coveted angler's dream — a peak daytime feeding migration period starting at 7 a.m. and stopping at 3 p.m.

Remember to factor in the natural daily decline in intensity and duration, which starts about 30 minutes later each day, and radical barometric pressure changes indicative for this time of year — Florida rainy season. Dramatic pressure changes, up or down, will trigger or delay the natural moon cycle affect on fish feeding migrations.

Fourth of July Fishing Facts
This is the daytime angler's best time of the month to catch fish.

From today until the Fourth of July, explosive celebrations of the hook-setting kind, with ensuant battle back to the boat deck, will be taking place all over Florida.

Bass anglers all over Central Florida — the bass capitol of the world — will be partaking in Fourth of July festivities with their families, from their boats, in an angler's paradise.

Few really understand what it means to live in the heart of the bass capitol of the world, Highlands County. It is here that the pulse of bass-angling originates.

American families from all over the United States can only wish to wake up here and have literally 100 freshwater lakes from which to choose, to perfect bass angling.

Part of being an American for many United States citizens is bass angling.

Parents in all 50 states engage their children in this great art in order to shape proper character, which in turn produces the kind of personality that makes America great.

However, the sad reality is that this Fourth of July many will not be availing themselves of this great heritage, but instead will opt to stay indoors, in front of a media device, perfecting a different art, game controller in hand.

I recently spent many hours searching electronically turning pages from my Internet media device and physically doing the same, through my postal service device — magazine rack with direct in line feed from the mailbox via my footwork — for a survey report which would inform me of anything but a decline in bass angling numbers.

The result was expected: No positive results could be found, anywhere.

Bass anglers have declined over 15 percent each year for the last six years and have been in a decline less than that for the two years previously. Without a doubt, the surge in electronic media technology and resultant amazing products has captivated all of our minds. For instance, this article was written and produced most proficiently due to the new "Cyber Art" taking center stage in American lives.

As with all high-tech achievements, we as people embrace these new tools and toys with great enthusiasm to the point where they overtake our lives and free time when we first are introduced to them. Then as reality sets in, we regulate them as we have with all the other wonderful technologies — organizing our lives in moderation in all things to achieve a balance which works best.

This balance we have involved angling, as it was essential in the personal balance of our lives. The positives of our character were formed because of great arts, like bass angling. This is a reality which we need to make clear for the younger generation. Angling, as with all outdoor activity and arts, cannot be replaced by a wonderful indoor cyber art.

They are not mutually inclusive, but rather mutually exclusive.

Bass angling should not be a dying art, and it could be, if the current social gravitation away from outdoor activities continues. A proper physical and personal health depends on a total, well-rounded moderate mix of events which sharpen intelligence through mind and body activities occurring at the same time.

The "art of the bass angler" provides a real life, real time, video game where the mind and body learn to work in a balance essential to the development of personal character. A fascinating live-action cyber comic book — my take on cyber gaming — does not create real beneficial personal characteristics that produce personal gain needed to exist healthily in society. Don't get me wrong here, I do come home from four hours of bass angling to answer e-mails, journal notes on the day's events, read news on web pages, and shop using an online shopping cart.

I guess you could say that I use my cyber toys to enhance my bass angling: It's just another tool in the bass angler's tackle box, there to serve in the development of my most precious art — the Highlands bass angler.

This Fourth of July holiday, make plans to be out on the lake with your family and friends to see who lands the best looking Florida largemouth bass to take a picture of. Then send it to me by e-mail, then play your favorite cyber game for eight hours non-stop.

Fishing Tournaments
The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next Event is from 7:30 a.m. to noon today on Lake June.
Pay at ramp — entry fee is $30 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home), 863-446-1310 (cell) or e-mail bassbutchie60@aol.com. You can also contact Dwight Ameling at 863-471-3305.

Dave Douglass is a bass fishing guide and teacher, bass tournament fisherman and CEO of SOS-Florida Lakes, Inc. You can reach him at 863-381-8474, e-mail davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org or visit reds-bass-fishing-guides.com and sos-floridalakes.org.

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