Florida Freshwater Fishing

Have the Right Tackle & Bait

Match your setup to the fish you're targeting. A balanced outfit makes casting easier and hook-ups cleaner.

Species	Rod/Reel & Line	Go-to Bait/Lure
Largemouth Bass	6'6"-7' Medium, 2500-3000 reel, 10-15 lb mono or 15-30 lb braid	Soft plastics (Texas/weightless), spinnerbaits, frogs, jigs
Smallmouth Bass	6'6"-7' Medium Light-Medium, 2500 reel, 6-12 lb fluoro/mono or braid + leader	Ned rig, tubes, suspending jerkbaits, small swimbaits
Peacock Bass	6'6"-7' Medium Heavy, braid 20-30 lb	Small topwaters (walking style), jerkbaits, bright jigs
Bluegill / Crappie	Ultralight, 4-6 lb mono	Worm under bobber, tiny jigs (1/32-1/16 oz), small spinners
Sunfish (General)	Ultralight, 4-6 lb mono	Bread, worms, micro jigs, small poppers
Tilapia	Ultralight-Light, 4-8 lb mono/fluoro	Bread balls, dough bait, small flies near beds
Mayan Cichlid	Light-Medium Light, 6-10 lb mono or braid + leader	Small jigs, shrimp pieces, beetle spins, tiny crankbaits
Clown Featherback	Medium-Medium Heavy, 12-20 lb braid + fluorocarbon leader (Monofilament I prefer)	Live minnows, cut bait, small fish pattern swimbaits (slow retrieves)
Snakehead	7' Medium Heavy, 30-50 lb braid	Hollow-body frogs, buzzbaits, swimbaits - fast hookset required

Where to Find Them & When They Bite Best

Freshwater fish move with temperature, sunlight, and food. Learning their patterns teaches you how to meet them where they already are not where we wish they'd be.

Time of Day

Early Morning - Calm water, low light, surface action. Topwater shines.
Late Afternoon / Sunset - Fish feed again as temps cool. Great for moving baits.
Night - Primarily bass & peacock near lights, bridges, and warm discharge canals.
Mid-day - Fish slide deeper or under cover. Slow down and go finesse.

Temperature Patterns

Warm Water (75-88F) - Peacock bass, cichlids, tilapia thrive and chase fast lures.
Moderate Temps (65-75F) - Largemouth and bluegill are most active & predictable.
Cooler Water (55-65F) - Bass slow down; go finesse, slow retrieves, smaller profiles.
Cold Spells (< 55F) - Peacock basically shut down; target canals with warm runoff.

Where They Tend to Live

Fish relate to structure. If the water looks lifeless, look for what breaks the pattern of the shoreline.

Species	Likely Locations
Largemouth Bass	Weedlines, lily pads, laydowns, deeper edges, shady canals, culverts.
Smallmouth Bass	Rocky points, dams, deep clear lakes, current seams (more northern waters).
Peacock Bass	Warm, clear canals; bridge pilings; drop-offs; riprap; sunlit shallow banks.
Bluegill / Crappie	Brush piles, docks, shallow coves, overhanging trees, lighted areas at night.
Sunfishes	Any shallow vegetation, slow current, canals, ponds everywhere kids fish.
Tilapia	Clear water bedding areas, shallow flats, sunny banks, vegetation pockets.
Mayan Cichlid	Shallow canals, mangrove edges, hard banks, anywhere small baitfish gather.
Clown Featherback	Deep canal holes, submerged timber, shadowed structure, slow murky water.
Snakehead	Thick vegetation mats, shallow banks, narrow canals, quiet stagnant water.