• Florida offers some of the best fishing in the United States for big bass.fishing image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
  
  Florida is one of the top bass destinations in the United States, and there are several techniques that are especially effective for catching bass in the Sunshine State. Anglers appreciate the waters of Florida because they routinely give up huge bass, but also because the bass fishing there is just plain good. You may use techniques to help you maximize your catch.
  
  

Shiners

• One of the most effective ways to catch bass--especially the big ones--in Florida is with a live shiner. These live baits are especially effective during the late winter and spring, when female bass are in the shallow waters to complete the annual spawning ritual. Find shallow areas with plenty of vegetation--especially edges--and deploy the shiner. If the vegetation is sparse, a float is a good idea, since it will give you an easy indication when a bass hits. If the vegetation is heavy, forget the float and hook the shiner just behind its dorsal fin and let it swim around on its own. Watch your line closely. If it starts moving sideways at a good clip, a bass probably has your shiner.
  
  

Soft Jerkbaits

• Vegetation is one of the most common forms of cover in Florida, so anglers must employ methods that allow them to fish vegetation effectively. Soft plastic jerkbaits are one of the best. Since they are hooked in a weedless fashion, soft plastic jerkbaits remain relatively weed-free, even in the heaviest cover. Hook the bait so the hook point is buried into it, and make sure it sits straight on the hook. A properly rigged soft jerkbait will travel in a straight line through the water when reeled in with a straight and steady retrieve. But when you want to provoke a bite, cast the lure out and retrieve it back to the boat with soft twitches of your rod tip.
  
  

Spinnerbaits

• If the wind is blowing and you're on one of the lakes in Florida, it's time to throw a spinnerbait with a large Colorado blade. Throw the lure around timber or vegetation and, when possible, retrieve the lure into cover so it ricochets. The unpredictable movement likely will draw an aggressive strike from a nearby bass. Vary your retrieve speed. Some days, bass want a lure burned just underneath the surface. Other days, they prefer it fished slowly and bumped along the bottom.
  
  

Crank the Hydrilla

• Many anglers--especially those new to the Florida bass scene--avoid hydrilla. This type of vegetation grows especially thick and can be daunting to fish. In addition to its thickness, it often grows in huge beds, so it can seem like finding bass is a needle-in-a-haystack proposition. A good way to work vast beds of hydrilla is to cast 1/2-oz. lipless crankbaits around the edges of the vegetation. This is an especially productive technique during low-light conditions, which draw the bass to the edges of beyond to feed.