Hello all.

Good to be back home after doing the Merchant Marine thing for quite a long time. Im finally going to get a chance to go fishing for a week starting tomorrow with my brand new wife! (a wife who goes fishing for a honeymoon = keeper). We are planning to move to Mt Dora soon so are staying the week there and bringing the boat to check it out. I have absolutely zero experience in FL freshwater so i would love any tips you can provide. I just want to enjoy some fishing and i definitely want my wife to catch her first fish ever.

whats easy? minnows, worms, grubs? anyone know the lakes there at all? Thank you for the help.

Safe fishing

Redcorn & Mrs. Redcorn....Welcome back and it's been a long time so good to hear from you again!!

Sorry, but I am not a F/W guy but hopefully someone can chime in here and help you.....
Good luck......JohnYaksJax

I fished throughout Central Florida when I lived in Casselberry. Most of the time from my canoe. Florida largemouth can be a blast and don't require too much in the way of gear. My bait cast reels were normally loaded with 12 to 15lb mono and the spinning gear with 8lb. I used Beetle Spins and Mepps spinners on the spinning gear. Plastic worms were used with 1/8 to 3/8oz bullet sinkers and straight shank worm hooks. Plastic flukes worked well unweighted using offset worm hooks. The brand of plastics I threw most of the time were Bitters. For topwater Spook Jr, Lil Zips (from Sam Griffin) and at night Jitterbugs. So far as hardbaits the ones I always had on hand Rattlin Rapalas or Rattle Traps. For colors the plastics were green pumpkin with red metal flake, white, black or purple. On the hardbaits the rattle baits worked best in chrome with black backs. For topwater I used red & white, gold, or the classic black back, chrome side, orange belly. Even today when I hit freshwater the same gear works just fine . By the way welcome back !

http://www.jeffstacklebox.com

Good to hear from you guys. Well, im on my way out. Thanks for the advice and hopefully ill at least learn something. Ill post pictures if i get anything.

Cheers

(boy im going to miss cleaning salt off of all my stuff)

Hey Redcorn.....here is a good place to get info on F/W fishing:

http://riverbassin.com/forum/forum.php

"BasserDrew" is a friend and he has had this website for several years, and he offers Forums for areas of the country...and the STATES in those areas, so just scroll downb to the "Southeast" area and click on "Florida" and you should find info about F/W fishing and some fishing buddies in your new area!!

Now remember....I am NOT saying "Goodbye" to you....so do not be a stranger in here...OK????
Take care....JohnYaksJax

PS: There is also a "FloridaRiverFishing" website that is run by another guy who has sites in about 6 states:

http://www.americanriverfishing.com/flo ... index1.htm

Enjoy!!

Well, we wound up only doing a little bit of fishing which wasnt too bad. Im sure after chatting with some more locals id be set to feed myself out of fresh water. Overall it was a nice time. Lake Dora is part of the Harris chain of lakes (9 lakes) and is directly connected to Lake Eustis and Lake Apopka I believe by canals. Really nice scenery for a paddle. I found the village of Mt Dora to be nice. Some decent restaurants and beer and wine bars. I would say its worth a look if you need a change of scenery. Thanks again for the replies.

Tight Lines...