Lake George

• North Florida's Lake George is not as well known or as large as Lake Okeechobee, but it is the second-largest lake in the state. The 44,000-acre Lake George is actually a wide point in the St. John's River that is known as one of the most productive bass waters in the state. Vegetation is the key element when searching for bass in Lake George, and it will hold bass all year long. Focus on the edges and throw lures like spinnerbaits and topwater baits. When the sun is high in the sky, pitch jigs or plastic worms into the openings and holes in the vegetation. Another productive pattern is to find the drop-off that rings the lake and begins in about 6 feet of water. Cast quick-moving lures to find concentrations of bass, then slow down and fish the area more carefully with plastic worms and jigs.
  
  

Fish Early

• Largemouth bass are warm water fish, but even they can be shut off by the temperatures that north Florida's waters can reach during the day. As a result, on warm, sunny days, the best fishing is before the sun gets too high in the sky. Anglers who hit the water from just before sunrise to about 10 a.m. often can find bass that are feeding aggressively. Moving water and weed edges will hold bass during these times, and throwing quick-moving lures is a good way to locate them.
  
  

Shiners

• Bass fishermen are notorious for wanting to fish only with artificial baits, believing them to be more sporting than live bait. But even those anglers often will make an exception in the spring of the year in north Florida. That is when the live shiners shine, especially for catching big bass. Opt for heavy tackle and 20-lb. test line or heavier. Clip on a bobber 2 to 3 feet above the shiner, and cast the bait out and let it swim among shallow vegetation. When the bobber goes under, drop your rod tip, reel in line until you can feel the weight of the fish, then set the hook hard.
  
  

Boat Docks

• On many lakes in north Florida, lakeshore owners leave their docks in throughout the year. Bass are a shallow-water fish by nature, and boat docks constitute one of the primary types of shallow cover in many water bodies. Bass use boat docks throughout the year, because they always provide fish with shade to escape the sun, and ambush points from which to attack prey. The best docks are those that are near deep water and that have wood pilings. Some anglers pitch jigs around dock pilings, while others skip tube jigs far underneath docks. The latter method can produce large numbers of bass since fish that leave far underneath docks are less pressured than those that spend their time on the edges.
  
  

North Florida Bass Regulations

• Anglers can keep five bass per day throughout Florida. One of those fish can be 22 inches or longer. In addition to those bag limits, there are regulations that cover the various regions in the state. In waters east and south of the Suwannee River, anglers must immediately release any bass less than 14 inches. North or west of the river, including the Suwannee and all tributaries, creeks and streams. Bass must be released if they are under 12 inches in length. Check the Florida fishing regulations booklet for a map and for a list of lakes that have special fishing regulations.