mikeybalzz fishing

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Winter fishing for bass in the most epic cold front of the year means insane fish activity and even catching a personal best bass over 10lbs on a crank bait. I’m not saying it’s fun fishing on days like this but pre-frontal conditions, strong winds, usually rain, and overcast skies have been the ideal times to target trophy fish this year. The west wind, a normal signal of a front passing through in Florida, sets up perfect on some offshore structure I’ve found and that current supplied by the strong winds lines the fish bass up in an eating mood! For the most part the most successful fishing techniques all related to power fishing – and mainly grinding a crankbait on the bottom in 15-24ft of water. We did catch a few fish dragging a Wrecking Ball and Carolina Rig but fish seemed to want the bait moving fast and digging into the bottom.

Weather: winds WSW 15-25mph (we took water over the bow of the boat many times), overcast with occasional heavy rains – note temps were in the low 60’s-70’s, the next day saw lows in the upper 30’s – i.e. it was a massive cold front!

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Want to know what fishing lures, terminal tackle, and fishing/camera equipment are being used in the vids? Check it out all below:

Strike King 10xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_10XD_Crankbait/descpage-SK10XD.html?from=mkfish

Mustad Triple Grips (Change your hooks!!!!!) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

My Costas http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Costa_Del_Mar_Blackfin_Sunglasses/descpage-CDMBF.html?from=mkfish

All the camera stuff, the drone, everything you need to shoot vids! https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikeybalzzfishing?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

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Went fishing for bass in Central Florida on a beautiful winter day and had an epic session on the water catching GIANT fish with my buddy Joey Berg of Dream Big Guided Tours. Ended up just over 30lbs with 5 fish caught on Alabama Rigs, Crankbaits, Drop Shotting, Neko Rigs – the whole gamut of fishing baits and soft plastic fishing lures. We also took some time to break down some fishing tips and techniques in the video to highlight some ways to catch more fish and be more efficient when you’re out on the lake.

You can check out Joey at
https://www.facebook.com/DreamBigGuidedTours/
https://www.instagram.com/that_angler_joey/

Make sure to SUBSCRIBE AND LIKE AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Support #REALFISHING!

Want to check out the fishing baits, gear, and terminal tackle in the vid? It’s all right here:

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

 

My Costas http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Costa_Del_Mar_Blackfin_Sunglasses/descpage-CDMBF.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

Mustad Triple Grips (Change your hooks!!!!!) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html?from=mkfish

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 6xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Pro_Model_6XD_Crankbaits/descpage-SK6XD.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 10xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_10XD_Crankbait/descpage-SK10XD.html?from=mkfish

Damiki Neko Rig Weight http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Damiki_Neko_Sinker/descpage-DNS.html?from=mkfish

Fat Ace http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Big EZ Swimbait (for A-rig) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Big_EZ_/descpage-BIGEZ.html?from=mkfish

Picasso HD Flashback Umbrella Rig http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Picasso_HD_Flashback_Umbrella_Rig/descpage-PSWHDFB.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Culling Scale http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Digital_Culling_Scale/descpage-GDCS.html?from=mkfish

My Amazon store and all the camera stuff you need! https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikeybalzzfishing?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

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Lake Okeechobee heavy cover bass fishing at it’s finest. They call them the hay fields and this is how fishing for bass in the historic Everglades gets done. Targeting large expanses of vegetation with baits like swim jigs and the Gambler 7″ Fat Ace, we break done fishing tips and techniques for catching largemouth bass moving in to spawn on Florida’s crown jewel – Lake OKeechobee.

This vid was shot just before the Gambler Lures Free Tournament out of Roland Martin Marina.

Weather was fairly stable with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Partly cloudy skies and a slight northeastern breeze. Low light was key as well as fish were more active and willing to chase baits casted at holes, pockets, and lily pad junctures.

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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mikeybalzz/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mikeybalzz/

Want the gear in the vids?

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

My Costas http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Costa_Del_Mar_Blackfin_Sunglasses/descpage-CDMBF.html?from=mkfish

Power Pro Braid http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Power_Pro_Super_8_Slick_Braided_Line_Timber_Brown/descpage-PSBT.html?from=mkfish

HC Swim Jig http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Heavy_Cover_Southern_Swim_Jig/descpage-GHCSJ.html?from=mkfish

EZ Swimmer Swimbait http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_EZ_Swimmer_7pk/descpage-GTEZ.html?from=mkfish

7″ Fat Ace http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

My Amazon store and all the camera stuff you need! https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikeybalzzfishing?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

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Fishing for bass with crankbaits broken down to the detail. I’ve seen a lot of questions in the comments section about crankbait setups for fishing, what baits to use, what type of fishing line, what to target to catch more giant fish…..and the list goes on. This is an in depth review of everything you need to know (from my perspective) about fishing ultra deep crankbaits and catching bass on plugs.

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Gear mentioned in the vid and some other cool stuff!
You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

Mustad Triple Grips (Change your hooks!!!!!) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html?from=mkfish

Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 6xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Pro_Model_6XD_Crankbaits/descpage-SK6XD.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Culling Scale http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Digital_Culling_Scale/descpage-GDCS.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Fat Ace Stick Bait http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

My Costas http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Costa_Del_Mar_Blackfin_Sunglasses/descpage-CDMBF.html?from=mkfish

My Amazon store and all the camera stuff you need! https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikeybalzzfishing?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

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Fishing a tournament – mental game, pull out an epic trophy bass late in the day weighing over 8lbs; who doesn’t love fishing a bass tournament! No doubt it turned out pretty clutch. We caught a ton of fish using a wide range of techniques – drop shotting, longlining, Texas Rigged worm, spinnerbait,. Alabama Rig and a Neko Rig. Overall the bass were schooled up and fishing for them required using your graph to identify how the groups had shifted throughout the day. My worry was guys fishing spawning and pre-spawn fish in the grass – there had seemed to be a lot of big fish caught earlier in the week focusing on more traditional bass fishing techniques – topwater, flipping, sight fishing. However we focused on fishing for bass that were offshore staging to come in to spawn and it paid off with this crazy win!

Weather: morning lows in the lower 60’s, highs reaching the mid to upper 70’s; slight breeze in the P.M. and pretty much clear blue skies all day long.

MAKE SURE TO LIKE SUBSCRIBE AND TELL YOUR BUDS! SUPPORT #REALFISHING

Wondering about the fishing lures, baits, tackle, cameras etc? Find them here:

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

Mustad Triple Grips (Change your hooks!!!!!) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html?from=mkfish

Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 6xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Pro_Model_6XD_Crankbaits/descpage-SK6XD.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Culling Scale http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Digital_Culling_Scale/descpage-GDCS.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Fat Ace Stick Bait http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

My Costas http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Costa_Del_Mar_Blackfin_Sunglasses/descpage-CDMBF.html?from=mkfish

My Amazon store and all the camera stuff you need! https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikeybalzzfishing?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

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Fishing for bass on one of the best lakes in the country – Lake Okeechobee. Fish are in a transition mode and we started the day punching mats with braided line and flipping setups – mostly a 1.5oz tungsten weight and a Gambler Lures Crawdaddy. The mat bite was not happening the way we hoped so we started targeting submerged hydrilla on the north end of the lake using a technique Donny figured out a couple weeks earlier. Basically we were dragging soft plastics with lighter tungsten weights through grass and the fish would react when we pulled the bait off the hydrilla – somewhat like a subtle reaction strike. Donny stuck with a 1/2oz tungsten weight and a Gambler Fat Ace where as I caught most of my fish on a Wrecking Ball swinging football head and a soft plastic. We caught a ton of fish, many of which I didn’t include in the video but the key was hitting that grass and working the bait through it. Fishing is starting to improve as we get some cooler weather but the water is high following Hurricane Irma so that will be a challenge in locating groups of fish moving in to spawn as it tends to spread them out a bit. All in all a killer day on Lake Okeechobee hanging out with my good friend and local stick Donny Bass!

Weather:mostly sunny, slight breeze out of the east, air in the low 70’s to mid 80’s

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Here’s the gear we used:

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

Reins Tungsten http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Reins_TG_Tungsten_Slip_Sinker_Heavy_Weight/descpage-RTGSS.html?from=mkfish

Power Pro Slick 65lbs Braid http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Power_Pro_Super_8_Slick_Braided_Line_Timber_Brown/descpage-PSBT.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Culling Scale http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Digital_Culling_Scale/descpage-GDCS.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Fat Ace http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

Dobyns Champion Rods http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dobyns_Champion_XP_Full_Grip_Casting_Rods/descpage-DNF.html?from=mkfish

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Fishing for bass on Lake Okeechobee in South Florida is ramping up to be awesome! Fish are beginning to come in for the renowned winter spawn the lake is so famous for. Last week I found a bunch of schooling fish – mostly male largemouth bass – on an extensive grass flat that acts as an alley way for fish to move in to the shallower spawning flats. That day we caught fish on crankbaits, swim jigs, and chatterbaits so I was hoping to go out and get some video of some great topwater numbers action. Though not the same crazy action of schooling fish, the bass were still set up on the flat and a little lower in the water column using hydrilla and eel grass as cover. Here’s a break down of the strategies and techniques I use to catch fish on Lake Okeechobee when they’re moving in using large submerged grass beds as a staging point.

Weather: partly to mostly cloudy with heavy winds and rain coming in very early in the afternoon.

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Want the gear in the vids?

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

GoPro Shoulder Mount http://amzn.to/2lkPI0t

Floral Hat http://amzn.to/2oASb5H

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Burner Worm http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Burner_Worm_5pk/descpage-GBW.html?from=mkfish

1/2oz Jig head http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Swimbait_Heads_4pk/descpage-GSBH.html?from=mkfish

on

Fished a local Florida fishing tournament and pulled off the win with my buddy weighing in almost 23lbs of bass. We fished a variety of baits – soft plastic worms Texas Rigged, Neko Rigs, crankbaits, and a JTK Hair Jig. Big Bass and Trophy Catch came on a Gambler JTK Hair Jig 5/8oz with 12lbs Sunline Flourocarbon fishing a ledge with shell dropping into deeper water. Conditions were post cold front with bluebird skies and winds becoming very strong by the end of the day (15-20mph out of the north). The bite was good overall regardless of the weather and it was another great local tournament hanging out with friends and fishing one of my favorite lakes in Florida for trophy bass. Ran the GoPro all day and captured pretty much everything. Raw, straight up , tournament fishing at it’s best!

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Here’s the gear if you’re interested:

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

JTK Hair Jig http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Hair_Jig/descpage-GHJG.html?from=mkfish

Mustad Triple Grips (Change your hooks!!!!!) http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html?from=mkfish

Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Sunline FC Sniper http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html?from=mkfish

Reel Shimano Curado http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Reels_Casting/catpage-RLCSHIMANO.html?from=mkfish

Gambler Culling Scale http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Digital_Culling_Scale/descpage-GDCS.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 6xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Pro_Model_6XD_Crankbaits/descpage-SK6XD.html?from=mkfish

Strike King 10xd http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_10XD_Crankbait/descpage-SK10XD.html?from=mkfish

Shimano Zodias 7’2″ MH for Neko Rig http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Zodias_Casting_Rods/descpage-ZDC.html?from=mkfish

Lapel mic http://amzn.to/2q6VUZB

Re Fuel Gopro Battery – 6hrs of Action http://amzn.to/2q4mYdC

SD Card for all day http://amzn.to/2q4mFPS

Rode Mic http://amzn.to/2rLNGZm

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Fishing for bass is a challenge, even aggressive peacock bass. We decided to bust out a traditional fishing technique I haven’t used in ages, using live bait. In this case we grabbed some shiners from a local tackle store and went out to sight fish for spawning bass on South Florida canal system that holds a range of species from snook and tarpon all the way to peacock and largemouth bass. It was sort of an adventure since neither me nor my best friend has ever tried live bait rigs for this kind of bass fishing – we were total novices but made it work to hook up with some nice fish and some ball busting in between.

Weather: partly to mostly cloudy, highs in the low 90’s becoming sunny and breezy later in the day (that’s when the bite seemed to improve too)

Equipment:
Camera – GoPro Hero 5 Black http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/GoPro_HERO5_Black_Camera/descpage-GPB5.html?from=mkfish

Powell 7’1″ MH Spinning Rod http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Powell_Max_3D_Spinning_Rods/descpage-ND.html?from=mkfish

Owner Wacky Rig Hooks http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Wacky_Hook/descpage-OWNWHH.html?from=mkfish

Berkley Fireline Crystal 10# and 12# http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Fireline_Ultra_8_Superline_Crystal/descpage-BEF.html?from=mkfish

You need this graph – Lowrance HDS 12 Carbon:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lowrance_HDS-12_Carbon_Fishfinder_Chartplotters/descpage-CAR2X.html?from=mkfish

 

GoPro Shoulder Mount http://amzn.to/2lkPI0t

Floral Hat http://amzn.to/2oASb5H

Lapel mic http://amzn.to/2q6VUZB

Re Fuel Gopro Battery – 6hrs of Action http://amzn.to/2q4mYdC

SD Card for all day http://amzn.to/2q4mFPS