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• capt louie citrus countyPosts: 10,799 Moderator

  June 15 #2

  East or west end ?
  
  

  "You'll get your weather"

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• copperjohnny TennesseePosts: 12 Deckhand

  June 15 #3

  I'll be coming from the West end but I can drive pretty much anywhere.

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• capt louie citrus countyPosts: 10,799 Moderator

  June 16 #4

  Pretty much all the species at that time of year. I hear peacocks are over that way also. If water is low plenty of bass. Long drive to East side and Sawgrass rec area..

  "You'll get your weather"

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• MGD Posts: 1,240 Officer

  June 16 edited June 16 #5

  There's a ramp on the S side about 5 miles east of the Indian plaza. U can launch there and fish the canal
  And all the usual bass lures. If early lots of fun w top water up against the cat tails and lily pads

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• lemaymiami Posts: 4,690 Captain

  June 17 edited June 17 #6

  This is the slower time of year for all our canals...Yes, there will be a host of exotics along with Peacocks, bass, garfish, etc.  The exotics - Oscars, cichlids (particularly the Mayan cichlid) are like bluegills on steroids - and in a variety of bright colors... The canals are deep with rocky borders lined with vegetation.  Plenty of 'gators as well (but they're too lazy to bother anything - mostly..). As you run the canals you'll note periodic weirs (where the canal ends and you have a short jog to the next canal section that's quite shallow - with rocks that will ding up a prop or lower unit if you're not careful... When I was first exploring those canals (I'm relatively new to the freshwater scene -long time saltwater guide...) I found the weirs to be my best bet for seeing and catching peacocks...
  
  When I said "the slower time" here's the deal... We only get two seasons down here a wet (we're in that now.... ) and a dry (that starts around Halloween...).  During the dry season it pretty much quits raining and very gradually shallow areas (miles and miles of shallow waters from Orlando south...) dry out - forcing fish into our canals... That's the prime time for canal fishing -particularly from February until the rains start in late spring...  During our wet season the process reverses and the fish follow the water out into the grasslands... but there will still be action in the canals - just a bit slower without any decent sized bass...
  
  The parking areas along the Alley are relatively safe during the week - but get a lot of urban traffic on weekends...  As long as you don't have things visible in your vehicle I doubt it will get bothered... Leaving fishing gear or other valuables visible in a parked car anywhere down here isn't a good idea at all (understatement...)..
  
  Normal bass fishing techniques will work in the canals - but for Peacocks forget soft plastics worked dead slow the way you would for bass.. The Peas like bright colored lures, moved along the way you would for schooling bass.... and on the small side (the Rapala size 8 is a good example - along with spinner baits, small spoons, etc.).  When fly-fishing (one of my specialties) you won't need a heavier rod than an 8wt and the flies on hooks no bigger than a 1/0... Clousers, popping bugs, small bright colored minnow patterns - all are staples... and you'll struggle to get a peacock bite (the small exotics are ferocious and in great numbers).. .This photo shows my peacock and my buddies Oscar (the pea on a fly - the Oscar on a lure...).... Lots of double headers with two anglers working the shorelines... 
  
  In the dry season not uncommon for two anglers to catch and release more than 100 fish in a morning.... Evenly split between lure fishing (that's my neighbor Mike Cole, he uses spinning gear) and fly fishing...  Note the typical canal background...  It's a bit slower during the wet season (and hotter than you want it to be... all summer long...).
  
  Forgot to mention.. when I'm guiding for Peacocks - it's mostly out of Holiday Park (canals to the west of Broward county as opposed to the nearby Alligator Alley) - and always during the week - never on a weekend when the world goes fishing... 

  Tight Lines
  Bob LeMay
  (954) 435-5666

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• copperjohnny TennesseePosts: 12 Deckhand

  June 17 #7

  Thanks for the info y'all.

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