Florida Bass Fishing...
The Largemouth Bass

When you think of Florida bass fishing, does your heart jump just a little in anticipation of landing a trophy largemouth bass? We know that feeling, too - Without a doubt, largemouth bass offer up an exciting fight, and Florida has some of the best bass fishing in the United States!

The largemouth bass is the most popular and well-known game fish species in North America, and Florida does have a very respectable amount of freshwater lakes and rivers to explore for the recreational angler. When you're in Florida, you might hear the locals refer to blass bass or even bucketmouth...that's the Florida largemouth bass they're talking about.

Florida bass fishing is revered by pro bass anglers as among the finest in the U.S. The large sport fishing industry based in the "fishing capitol of the world" has the Florida large mouth bass as a foundational game fish.

When's the best time to plan a fishing trip to Florida with bass fishing in mind? In Florida, spawning season yields the most productive fishing from March thru April. The bass are in shallow waters during this time. After April, the females move out into deeper waters offshore, and those gals are hungry!

In far southern Florida, spawning can happen as early as January. In the panhandle areas spawning can last through May; but for the best chance of landing a trophy bass, March and April are the months to plan your fishing vacations for largemouth bass fishing.

A nice 13-pound Largemouth Bass (photo credit: FWC)

Central Florida is particularly known for the quick growth rate of the bass population. We'll talk more about top bass fishing lakes in just a little bit....

What baits work well with large mouth bass? Golden shiners (or goldfish) work well, either free-lined or under a float. For artificial baits, soft plastic worms are the most reliable, along with surface bass plugs, jigs, and spinnerbaits in the springtime.

The current official Florida largemouth bass state record is 17.27 lbs, though there's talk of a lunker caught years ago, that weighed over 20 pounds - unofficially. This smiling gent is holding a 16-pounder. Not too shabby, huh? Landing a bass in Florida fishing waters that weighs less than 3 or 4 pounds generally won't impress too many local folks; 5 pounders are fairly common, and 10-pound lunkers are just the beginnings of trophy bass caught in Florida waters.

Some popular bass fishing destinations in Florida are the St Johns river around Jacksonville; the Apalachicola river, where a few Florida state record freshwater fish have been caught; and of course, the legendary Lake Okeechobee.

Florida State Parks offer plenty of Florida bass fishing enjoyment for the serious angler, or the casual angler seeking nothing more than just an afternoon of tossing a plug for bass.

Hot bass fishing spot: If you're planning a fishing trip to the Miami or Ft. Lauderdale area, there's a special, exotic breed of fish, found in the U.S. only in southeastern Florida. Once you've tried Florida bass fishing for this species, it will make bass fishing anywhere else in the United States seem almost tame by comparison. Try fishing for the strikingly beautiful yet fierce fighter, the butterfly peacock bass. It's a one-of-a-kind experience you won't soon forget!

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten to tell you about Florida's best bass fishing lakes! In fact, we've created a nice page just about to the top Florida bass fishing lakes and rivers. Visit the Top Fresh Water Fishing Spots page.

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Didn't find the Florida bass fishing information you're after? Try a search here for More Bass Fishing in Florida Locations and Information.

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