It’s that time of year again. Dry cold fronts are sweeping through regularly, rainfall is about nil, lawns are turning brown, and there’s gold in them thar canals! Everglades canals that is, and by gold we mean loads of eager, hungry bass and assorted panfish.

As the ’Glades conservation area water levels drop, fish and fish food must retreat to the canals, and the bite can be downright wild. From now through early June, anglers launching from Holiday Park, Sawgrass Recreation Area, or the roadside ramps along Alligator Alley or the Tamiami Trail can expect to land dozens, if not a hundred fish or more, in a day's fishing.

Most bass will be small to medium, and the panfish catch can include bluegill, shellcracker, crappie, warmouth and, of course, sundry exotics such as tilapia and oscar. Topwater plugs, flyrod bass poppers and divers, and surface jerkbaits take the bucketmouths at first and

last light, and plastic worms and crankbaits score through the middle of the day. The most sporting way to catch bream is to chuck a rubber-legged popper or sponge spider on a light flyrod.

Saltwater anglers are reminded to check for, or renew those freshwater licenses, and to keep those bag limits (and mercury level warnings) in mind before considering bringing a few fish home for the pan.

FS