What’s the best way to catch bass in the everglades?

If you are going to the Everglades for Largemouth Bass it is truly the one situation I recommend using heavier tackle. There are many very large bass to be caught and many obstructions in the water that require sturdier tackle. Since your main objective is catching fish we will cut to the chase and decide to use live bait. Live bait fishing in the Everglades is an art form in and of itself. The Largemouth Bass in these areas can be quite large, with a ten to fifteen pound catch not uncommon. The bait of choice in this neck of the woods is the large live wild shiner. It is really hard to select a bait that is too large. I commonly have used shiners in the eight to ten inch range for bait. It is a different kind of bass fishing than most anglers are used to. In selecting a spot you need to read the water. You will be typically be fishing water that is extremely shallow, between two and five feet deep. I like to hook my bait once through the lips to allow it to retain much of its free movement. If the area has heavy weeds I will suspend the shiner underneath a large bobber. If it is not very weedy I will often free the bait and wait for a strike. If you will be using live bait remember these fish are quite active. Topwater baits, spinnerbaits and buzz baits all work well. Keep your retrieves fast as these fish will chase at great speeds.