Yes, I do know what weekend this event will be on... Oh well, let's get it on and get it done anyway!! Let the count down begin!


The hours will be 7PM till 2AM, and all events will be held out Bartow County Gatewood Boat Ramp in Cartersville, GA. There will be a $50 entry fee ($10 to the Big Bass pot and $40 to a 1-5 payback, maximum 6 places), and an optional $10 side pot (winner take all on total weight). I have a 49 boat limit to avoid the $1million insurance cost. Even though we've come close a time or two we've never gone over that. I don't reserve spots in advance so get there early because if we ever reach 49 I will have to turn away anyone after that. The park launch fee is unchanged at $5 a launch or $40 annual pass (if you fish most of my Sunday Afternoons and Midnight Madness, the $40 is definitely more economical).
Rules?? yeah we do but only a few:
1. largemouth and spotted bass only, minimum 12", 5 bass limit, one dead fish allowed, but if weighing for Big Bass - Big Bass must be alive
2. Artificial baits only, no live bait (we tried it once and only one guy tried it for one trip, complained about the minnow bucket spilling on his carpet, end of that).
3. no rod length limits and trolling is allowed (not really a rule, I just put this in there because folks invariably ask me about it).
4. No alcohol during any of my events, ever. There is nothing more obnoxious or more dangerous than a drunk fisherman or boater. If I find out that you are doing it I will address it and my decision will be final. We just don't need it.
All tournaments are held out of Bartow County Gatewood Park: Exit GA-20 exit on I-75 and turn east, Turn south at the light (right from I-75, left from Canton) next to Wendy's onto Spur 20. Go about 2 miles and turn left on Jim Knight Rd., Turn left when it dead ends at the Bartow Beach Rd. (right in front of the COE maintenance yard). Stay on the Beach road and stay to the left past the park Manager's house and follow the signs to the left to the boat ramp
If the lot is full or the pay-box has no envelopes, just let me know and I will give you directions

Early summer fishing patterns have arrived here at East Central Florida in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon backcountry now as of May 2019, water temperatures have risen into the upper 70’s F, more numbers of bait fish schools arriving, game fish becoming more widespread and less concentrated as normal for summer, more variety of species being caught on my trips as the subtropical warmer water types moving back north for the rest of the year after their wintering down south. These fun rod bending inshore game fish include Jack Crevalle and Ladyfish which join our local residential fish like Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, Mangrove Snapper, Whiting and also a few Redfish and Snook make my mixed bag variety trips interesting with all the different species. Recent trip with repeat clients from Indianapolis included lots of the usual fish, Candy had the best one a nice Black Drum……………….



More repeat clients from Buffalo, NY who were here on their annual New Smyrna Beach vacation, out with me again had a fun trip, young John caught a nice Seatrout……………..



Black Drum continue to be a staple species here in the backcountry waters frequenting deeper holes and small channel bottoms eating shrimp and crabs, I encourage Catch Photo Release on Drum both Red and Black to help support our pressured fishery and keep these fun fish around for years to come, John from Michigan with a nice Drum from another recent trip……….



Stephanie from Indiana caught a good Blacky out a deep hole up tight to a Mangrove shoreline………………



Young Sophie with a nice little Seatrout one of the many species caught along with her family out with me on a fun trip………………..



Jack Crevalle are regular catches on my back waters trips, they are very hard pulling, always a good battle on light tackle, these are juvenile Crevalles of 1 to 5 lbs. which live in the backcountry estuary the first couple years of their life before heading out to sea as they grow up, Matthew with a fun size Jack…………….



Fun Friendly Light Tackle Fishing Adventures
Closest Saltwater Fishing to Orlando at New Smyrna Beach
Calm Water Indian River Backcountry
CHILDREN ALWAYS WELCOME – FAIR PRICES

CALL OR TEXT ME ANYTIME 386-689-3781
https://EdgewaterRiverGuide.com/orlando-fishing-guide

Capt. Michael Savedow
Edgewater River Guide, Inc. Since 2003
386-689-3781
https://EdgewaterRiverGuide.com/orlando-fishing-guide

https://shallowwatersolutions.com/tuff-tiller

A Jig for Every Season

Major League Fishing Tour angler David Walker opens his secret jig box

“I don’t think anyone knew how picky I was going to be when we got into designing these high-level bass jigs,” says veteran bass pro David Walker, with a friendly laugh. For the self-admitted jig-fishing junkie, the opportunity to brainstorm, build and customize an A-to-Z line of jigs felt like assembling a dream team of bass-catching baits.

“A jig is the definitive fishing tool,” says Walker, who credits a skirted jig for the majority of his $1.9-million tournament winnings. “A jig isn’t a regional nor a seasonal bait, like so many others in your box. There’s not a body of water in which a skirted jig won’t catch bass. So, to finally have access to a year-around line-up of jigs—built to my own persnickety standards—that’s pretty cool.”

Recently, the easygoing Tennessee based angler unveiled the contents of his tournament jig box.


Ace jig man David Walker flips where others fear.



FLIPPING JIGS

Walker’s pick: “My all-time go-to is a black/blue CrossEyeZ™Flipping Jig with a Z-Man BatwingZ™ trailer. I’ve made most of my money on a heavier 5/8-ounce jig, but I flip a ½-ouncer more often, as it’s a little more versatile.”

Where & when it shines: “Any time I’ve got any heavy cover at all—brush, grass, trees, docks—I’ll flip a jig in there. A jig is the best tool ever for reaching and appealing to big bass in dense cover. It’s an obvious choice in spring, but I fish this jig summer and fall, too—anytime bass are hunkered down in heavy cover.”

Jig tech: “One key to the CrossEyeZ Flipping Jig is its head design, which slides it cleanly through cover, every time, without getting stuck. Most flipping jigs have weight-forward heads that hang-up on limbs and obstructions. The head on the CrossEyeZ is slightly flattened and tapered back so it slips right on through. Another sweet detail is the jig’s hand-tied skirt, pinned permanently in place with copper wire. The skirt lasts as long as the jig itself; you’ll never pull it out of your box with a broken rubber band and a pile of silicone strands.

Trailer talk: “Buoyant ElaZtech is an awesome trailer material and the BatwingZ is so tough you can hook it once right through the body, just like we did with old-school pork-rind. Love the flattened, oversized claws that flap and wave actively. At rest, the claws float up, mimicking the defensive posture of a live crawfish.”

The scoop: An ace shallow water angler, Walker flipped his way to a hefty 32-pound bag of bass at the 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) Tour stage at Lake Jordan, NC, finishing atop the leaderboard during the Shotgun Round. Flipping jigs proved a dominant pattern a few weeks later, too, when Walker fished the willow bushes at Chickamauga Lake, TN.





FOOTBALL JIGS

Walker’s pick: “For heavyweight, ball-and-chain style fishing—casting and dragging— give me a ¾-ounce CrossEyeZ™ Football Jig with a 4-inch Turbo CrawZ all day long. Two hot colors are “Smoked It” and “Plumkin,” green pumpkin with a splash of bright purple.

Where and when it shines: “I start fishing the football early in prespawn when bass are still in slightly deeper, winter type areas. During prespawn, I’ll go back to this killer combo, rolling the jig up and over ledges, points and gravel, often on offshore structure.”

Jig tech: “The CrossEyeZ Football Jig is designed to pivot and roll as it slides across the substrate. I like the heavier ¾-ounce size for longer casts and solid bottom contact. The money presentation is a sideways pull of the rod; you don’t want to lift the jig. Just drag it along and let the pivoting jighead and long shank 5/0 hook activate the skirt and trailer.

Trailer talk: “The Turbo CrawZ™ is a high-action crawfish bait that couples really nice with a football jig. The smallest rocking motion of the jig really get the claws waving and vibrating. The toughness of the ElaZtech material means you can often fish one bait all day long.”


Walker designed the CrossEyeZ Swim Jig with a special keeper that locks ElaZtech trailers tight.



SWIM JIGS

Walker’s pick: “I’ll take a 3/8-ounce CrossEyeZ™ Snakehead Swim Jig in the color they call “Shad Spawn.” Pair it with a Turbo CrawZ or DieZel MinnowZ™.”

Where and when it shines: “My favorite place to throw the Snakehead Swim Jig is around docks in marinas. You can skip this jig way up under docks, and it won’t hang up on cables, pilings or obstructions like other baits. The late spring shad spawn is a key time to fish this pattern, whether it’s around docks or shallow grass. I love fishing this jig because it’s often a shallow, visual thing, where you’re seeing bass before casting to them.”

Jig tech: “We shaped this jig to mimic a snake’s head—the most adept animal at slithering silently through forests of cover. The jighead is animal-like, not geometric. Also has a flattened underside that helps the jig plane up on the retrieve, so you can use heavier weights for longer casts. On 30-or 40-pound braid, I can throw or skip a 3/8-ouncer a long way.”

Trailer talk: “You want a trailer with a high-action tail that does all the work. The DieZel MinnowZ is an awesome shad imitator. The Turbo CrawZ gives me just a bit more movement in dirtier water. As they say, I like any color so long as its white.”





FINESSE JIGS

Walker’s pick: “In certain situations, a 3/8-ounce CrossEyeZ Power Finesse Jig and TRD CrawZ combo is a great substitute for a bigger flipping jig. Z-Man’s “Pond Scum” pattern is one that’s gotten me a lot of bites.”

Where and when it shines: “Anytime I’m flipping in really clear water, the Power Finesse Jig can be the way to go. In clear water, fish get a great look at what you’re throwing and really respond to those artsy-style colors—combinations of dark and bright silicone, together. I also throw the finesse jig in winter, particularly along steep bluff banks. Cast right against the bank, and work down into 6, 8 and even 15 feet. Let the finesse jig freefall off rock ledges, but otherwise keep it on the bottom.”

Jig tech: “The Power Finesse Jig has a golf-ball shaped head and a compact profile that appeals to less aggressive or pressured bass, or fish that might be overwhelmed by a big flipping jig in clear water. The jig has a short-shank 2/0 flippin’ hook. It’s not a light wire hook, so you can still pitch it into cover knowing it won’t open up on you. Like the other CrossEyeZ jigs, this one’s got hand-tied skirts and a lock-tight trailer keeper.”

Trailer talk: “The little 2-1/2-inch TRD CrawZ™ is known as a Ned Rig bait, but it’s a perfect match for the Power Finesse Jig. Colors like Mudbug pair up well with that Pond Scum-pattern jig. The CrawZ has super buoyant pinchers that flap back and forth as you retrieve the jig, and then wave up of the bottom when you pause. Bass eat this thing like crazy.”



About Z-Man Fishing Products: Z-Man products

We are happy to announce the IFBBA GEORGIA/FLORIDA TEAM BUDDY BASS TRAIL starting at the following lakes:

1. Lake Miccosukee ---June 29

2. Lake Blackshear-----July 20

3. Lake Seminole----August 24

4. Lake Iamonia-----Sept. 28

5. Lake Blackshear--Oct. 26

IFBBA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP Lake Miccosukee-----November 9

All IFBBA events are $200.00 per team and $20.00 per person annual membership. $2,000.00 First Place if there are 25 teams or more participating. More information contact Travis Clark 229-221-1082, www.ifbba.com

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak

Don and Anna Grinder, along with their son, Jackson, and family member, Mike Mock with his children, Gabe and Sophia, chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team for a private deep sea charter boat sport fishing trip in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As they boarded the boat, they were greeted by Captain Zsak and mate, Russ, from the Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat Team. When Anna was 7 years old, she came out fishing with the Top Shot Sportfishing team and her grandfather, Charles, and the family has been fishing with us ever since – for 42 years. As always, it was a pleasure to see my old friends and to see new members of the family on this trip.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. If you venture off another ¼ of a mile, you would find yourself in 500 ft. of water, which we exclusively have here in Fort Lauderdale, due to Fort Lauderdale’s extreme drop off. The further north you go, the further the drop off swings off shore.

We started trolling with two plainers down, both #8’s, one with a pink and blue sea witch in front of a double hooked Bonita strip and the other with a #2 blue reflector drone spoon. For surface baits, we went with two Ballyhoos and two Bonito strips. I started off by telling the kids that they needed to call out for the fish to come – “here fishy, fishy”. From that moment, Gabe never stopped calling the fish and it worked - the action started. As I trolled from one artificial wreck to the edge of the drop off and back again, there were numerous bait fish (flying fish) in the area so I kept working it while the anglers took turns reeling Bonitos and Kingfish, with the children starting off first.

Right short!! – there he is – as the black shadow made his appearance – Sailfish! – as the bill and dorsal got out of the water swatting at the Ballyhoo – a swing and a miss. Russ dropped the bait back to the Sailfish to entice him. Here he comes again chasing the bait, but the Sailfish missed it again! The mate repeated this over and over until the Sailfish lost interest and swam away. At that point the consensus was that the Sailfish must have
needed glasses. Don, as he has done in the past, was a great help assisting the mate in wiring in the fish – thanks Don.

With a total of 13 Bonitas and 5 Kingfish, it was time to head back to the dock. The happy anglers retired into the a/c salon watching the plasma TV and enjoying the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316. The mate fillet out the fish for dinner that night.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.

How to Post Photos & Images


We have 3 different tools to post photos and images. This image shows where you click with a numbered explanation below.




1. This button (identified by red arrow 1 above) creates image tags to link to the URL or web address of an image uploaded on another web site. The "img" in brackets you see below are the image tags.The URL of your image is pasted between the two tags. Your image must be loaded to another web site like Flickr.com or Photobucket.com to use this feature.

Example:




2. For most circumstances, this is the best of the three. It's simple and places the images exactly where you want them in a post, however, it can be challenging to use with some mobile devices.

To load an image, first click the icon shown above (identified by red arrow 2 above), then this box will appear. Next, click "Choose File." After you choose the file, then click "Add file from your PC."



When the image has loaded to the forum, you see a thumbnail image. If it is not orientated correctly, use the buttons to rotate left or right to correct it, then click "All Done."





3. This option is best for mobile devices and is also a good choice for posting a series of images. The images appear as thumbnails in your post and may be clicked to see the larger version of the image in a pop-up window.

You must make a comment in your post box when using the "Photo/Image uploader." If you don't say something in the post, you will get the message, "All of the required fields are not filled in." After making a comment, click "Photo/Image uploader" (identified by red arrow 3 above) and this pop-up box will appear.



Click "Select A File To Attach," select one more images, then click "Done." You will not see the images in the dialog box. They will be visible after you submit the post and will appear like these images.

How to Post Photos & Images


We have 3 different tools to post photos and images. This image shows where you click with a numbered explanation below.




1. This button (identified by red arrow 1 above) creates image tags to link to the URL or web address of an image uploaded on another web site. The "img" in brackets you see below are the image tags.The URL of your image is pasted between the two tags. Your image must be loaded to another web site like Flickr.com or Photobucket.com to use this feature.

Example:




2. For most circumstances, this is the best of the three. It's simple and places the images exactly where you want them in a post, however, it can be challenging to use with some mobile devices.

To load an image, first click the icon shown above (identified by red arrow 2 above), then this box will appear. Next, click "Choose File." After you choose the file, then click "Add file from your PC."



When the image has loaded to the forum, you see a thumbnail image. If it is not orientated correctly, use the buttons to rotate left or right to correct it, then click "All Done."





3. This option is best for mobile devices and is also a good choice for posting a series of images. The images appear as thumbnails in your post and may be clicked to see the larger version of the image in a pop-up window.

You must make a comment in your post box when using the "Photo/Image uploader." If you don't say something in the post, you will get the message, "All of the required fields are not filled in." After making a comment, click "Photo/Image uploader" (identified by red arrow 3 above) and this pop-up box will appear.



Click "Select A File To Attach," select one more images, then click "Done." You will not see the images in the dialog box. They will be visible after you submit the post and will appear like these images.

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak

John Shane and Kelly Mackay-Shane, along with their family, chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team for a private deep sea charter boat sport fishing trip in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As they boarded the boat, they were greeted by Captain Zsak.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. If you venture off another ¼ of a mile, you would find yourself in 500 ft. of water, which we exclusively have here in Fort Lauderdale, due to Fort Lauderdale’s extreme drop off. The further north you go, the further the drop off swings off shore.

We started the charter trolling, using two deep lines with bait strips and three surface lines with Ballyhoo. We trolled from 100 feet of water out to 300 feet of water heading to the south of Fort Lauderdale. We fished up the current edge and back over the reef looking for birds and baitfish. We got our first bite in 130 ft. of water, which was a 10 lb Bonita. We kept on trolling and caught a 10 lb Kingfish. The next two fish we caught were Bonitas which we got on the line with the 3 inch drone spoon.

We trolled over wrecks and rock piles along the reef line, and the best area was in 150 ft. of water. The guys wanted something big, so we tried going for a Shark. We put out three baits, one on the surface, on midrange and one on the bottom. We also put out two kites and two live baits from each kite. It did not take long before we got a Shark bite, a 6 ½ foot Bull Shark on the bottom bait – Shark on! He ripped out 100 yards of drag and sounded. John was the angler and he did a great job fighting the Shark. After 45 minutes of fighting the Shark, we got it along side the boat for a photo and released the Shark and he swam away.

We continued fishing with all our lines still in the water only a little deeper from where we started. On the long surface bait, we saw another dorsal fin belonging to a Hammerhead Shark. The Shark started feeding on the bait - we were hooked up. The angler started fighting this Shark. He was pulling out line and the reel kept screaming out drag. The angler got this Hammerhead Shark up along the side of the boat for picture taking – we released the Shark and he swam away.

With a total of three Bonitas, 1 Kingfish, 1 Bull Shark and 1 Hammerhead Shark, it was now time to head back to the dock. The happy anglers retired into the a/c salon watching the plasma TV and enjoying the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.