By Capt. GEORGE TUNISON

Up and down our state, the largemouth bass spawn is on in various stages and famous Florida lakes like Okeechobee, Tohopekaliga, Rodman, Kissimmee, and Istokpoga are luring locals as well as plane loads of winter tourist anglers and their angling dollars from all around the world, all hoping to get a big bass on their end of their line.

While California pond and small impoundment bass grow to unofficial weights of 25 pounds or more on a diet of trucked in trout, nothing beats a golden shiner if you want a good shot at a Sunshine State trophy-sized bucket mouth.

Of the four species of shiner, the golden is the one best suited for warm winter weather trophy bass duty and can grow up to pound and as long as 16 inches.

Saltwater anglers know the pain of paying big bucks for sailfish baits or April-May Keys mullet and big bass anglers also feel the pinch. After calling Sims Fish Camp on Lake O this past week I was informed that shiners sell for $21 a dozen and, “All the stores around the lake have the same price.”

Not every bass you catch on a shiner will be trophy-sized but you still might get a lot of smaller customers in a day’s shiner fishing. Most bass anglers already know a one-pound big mouth will try to eat a lure as big as he is, so two or three anglers fishing from their shiny metal flake, 75 mph lake rocket, might need to fork out some big bait bucks to fill the live wells before starting their trip.

Nothing ruins a bait trip more than buying expensive, soon to be dead “live bait.” A half dead shiner hanging from your hook might interest a catfish but not that 12-pound hog you’ve dreamed of your whole life.

A wild caught shiner must be active on the line, putting out distress vibrations as it struggles and swims against the hook to attract the attention of predators lurking nearby.

When purchasing live, wild shiners always inspect the bait as well as you can without making the bait shop owner upset. No one wants some “dang tourist yahoo” rummaging through their bait tanks so if you must, ask to buy a shiner or two and give it a rub. Be assured it won’t grant you three wishes but a healthy lively shiner will have retained its slime coat after being caught, handled, transported, then finally housed in its current location. Rough feeling shiners might make it to the ramp but aren’t long for this world and certainly not what you need for that lifetime, trophy bass, bucket list trip.

Like with any live bait, don’t overcrowd the live wells and provide plenty of aeration. There are several water additives available that help shiners stay healthy during the day and worth the price.

Shiners can easily suffer shock sickness or die with sudden changes in water temperatures, like the difference between bait tank temperatures and live well temperatures, so keep that in mind when buying expensive bait.

Sometimes hatchery-raised shiners are available in some areas but a wild caught shiner will always outperform commercially raised bait.

You can catch your own by baiting a weedy area with oatmeal for a few days then catching them on tiny hooks and oat flakes, cast net the, or simply buy them, whichever method you choose. Using a big, healthy, golden shiner is one of the most consistent ways to get a jumbo Florida bass interested in eating.

Last-minute Christmas gifts like Sea Tow memberships, self-inflating life vests, gift certificates from local tackle stores or purchasing a trip with a local guide are all welcome gifts for your angler. Give the gift of saltwater fly fishing this year by reserving a seat in our two-hour, all-inclusive, beginners, saltwater fly fishing course.

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