FL strain bass after they reach a certain size are very difficult to catch, that is why when you come to FL and fish with a guide 90% of them use shiners. Alot of the biggest bass I have caught here in FL have came from night fishing when they can not see the lure in detail. On the other side of things when I have taken trips to MN I have caught large mouth in the middle of the day on frogs one after the other. Could be due to there aggressiveness or due to the fact they are not as pressured as they are in other parts of the country.
I agree with your observations, as my dad used to take me on fishing vacations in Florida. Goal: 10 lb LMB. I think I had one on once in the St Johns River, but sadly my drag malfunctioned and that was that. We fished for years on famed Lake Jackson in Tallahassee after it reflooded -- unbelievable how many 12 to 14 lb bass mounts we saw at Red's boat rental there -- but never actually caught anything over 7 lb.
Meanwhile, back in the weedy shallow areas of Lake Champlain in New York, northern strain LMB were eager biters. Quite a contrast!
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