Most local anglers stowed their tarpon gear weeks ago and are now concentrating on snook that have moved inland away from the beaches, as well as cold tolerant species like redfish, seatrout and sheepshead that patrol the mangrove edges, bridges, docks and dark-bottom grass flats. Nearshore reefs host snapper, grouper, even snook and while out there, watch for a stray cobia that might wander within casting distance.

Schools of bonito and Spanish macs provide near and offshore action for those willing to follow the birds and bait schools. Tripletails are waiting for a fight while hiding under crab floats, and tasty pompano might show up around the passes or on local flats, often flying out of the water as your boat passes over them.

There is another huge group of Florida anglers that really don’t care about any these salty gamefish. Their minds are focused mostly on freshwater lakes and rivers, lily pad fields, timber blow-downs and large round beds in shallow water where dark green largemouth bass are currently spawning and protecting eggs from predators.

According to Scott Martin, tournament pro and son of famous angler Rowland Martin, bass spawning in Lake Okeechobee can start as early as October. In central Florida, December is the start and up around the state line, as late as January or February.

“I’ve seen fish on beds as late as May, so we have a 6-month spawn — some old-timers say it’s even longer than that. Lake Okeechobee has the longest spawn in the country,” Martin said.

During this time tasty bluegills and a big bass’ favorite meal, the golden shiner, are also spawning with bluegills raiding bass nests eating eggs and wild shiners using the bass’ own nursery nest as a home for their eggs as well.

Biologist and big bass expert Doug Hannon has witnessed this many times. “You’ll see a group of shiners quickly circle a bass nest trying to avoid the bass guarding the nest then quickly swim over the nest spraying eggs and milt before being chased away or eaten. The bass then unknowingly protects the shiner eggs as well as its own,” he said.

Although Florida has always been considered the “Bass Capitol of the World” that claim could be debated. A bitter pill to swallow for Florida bassmasters, Georgia and California grows them as big or even bigger

While Okeechobee and Georgia bass get fat on a diet of bluegills and golden shiners, west coast bass grow huge on a high protein diet of stocked trout.

Currently a 17-pound, 2-ounce bass holds the official Florida state record slot. Georgia is the home of the 1934 world record bass weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces (a tie with its 2009 twin, caught in Japan) and the big boy from California weighing in at 21 pounds. Bass larger than the current world and state records have been caught but not officially recognized like the bruiser caught by Leaha Trew on a 74-acre California lake. Her fish weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces. The fish was measured on an IGFA certified scale, pictured, witnessed by another angler then released, but not witnessed by a biologist or state wildlife personal. Another problem was that only one picture was taken.

Trew has applied to the IGFA Hall Of Fame for world record recognition.

“I think these people are very legitimate,” said Ted Dzialo, director of the Fishing Hall of Fame. “The issue is that the fish was not available for examination by a biologist, or a taxidermist, for that matter. It has to be examined internally to be an all-tackle record. In other words, the fish has to be killed for us to recognize it, which is unfortunate.”

For now, the IGFA is unofficially acknowledging it as the all-tackle record while at the same time maintaining Perry’s 22 pound, 4 ounces bass as the official record.

The largemouth bass record is the most sought after record of all time.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol.com.