Dwight Hottle

We are both getting older. That was 10 years ago, a decade. Just seems like a few years ago.

Welcome to the retirement club. Hope your recovery is quick so you can go fishing.

That kinda negates the catch & release concept. The compound bolt cutter concept actually started with the musky community. Those guys cut hooks to quicken the release and a thrashing fish over 20 lbs gets everybody’s attention especially if it is hooked to you.

Compound bolt cutters like Knipex or equivalent. Regular side cutters are marginal at best. When you need to cut a hook quickly with only one hand available because the other hand is hooked to a thrashing fish you will understand.

Congrats on the fish haul & the anniversary.

Like @Ski said Stickmarsh would be a good choice & Headwaters is right next door. The road in takes you by Headwaters ramp about a mile before the Stickmarsh ramp. I would highly recommend Rodman to you but it only safe to travel in the marked lane because of all the underwater stumps. There are areas of Stickmarsh which also has lots of stumps. Headwaters is the safest to navigate of the three it does not have any stump fields because it was a planned build & not a flooded over area filled with trees. Plan on either fishing early or late because of the heat.

Congrats on a day to remember. Best to keep that lake to yourself.

Congrats on your PB. It's a solid fish for your first one.

Consider buying a lefty reel just for pitching. It makes it so much simpler.

That is really sad. My condolences.

Sex Sells.

Mono is more forgiving because of the built in stretch. If you backlash with braid throwing a heavy swimbait the sudden stop without any stretch will cause the braid to snap & your swimbait goes flying. I know this from experience. About the only braid I found to not snap was 85 or 100 lb. Most swimbaiters prefer mono.

Use either straight braid or mono & eliminate the main line to leader knot. Mono is more forgiving if you have a backlash.

I had the exact thing happen to me about 3 weeks ago. I bought a new JDM Met HG Left to try using even though all my reel are righty's. I sent it to my reel guru & he broke it down & said it was over filled with grease. The grease was hanging up the spool rotation as you turned the handle. Made it feel stiff & jerky. He totally cleaned it out & relube/oiled it. It is butter smooth now. My came from digitaka. This is the first JDM reel I had any problems with out of about 15-20 reels.

I think the wild caught ones are more durable.

$15 per dozen is cheap for wild shiners in FL.

PB's are always sweet.

Sean it's all about timing & location for sure. Just keep trying & success will happen.

I have always considered eating smallmouth sacrilegious. They are too special for me not to release. I will eat largemouth when it's all there is on the menu otherwise I prefer perch, other panfish, walleye & pike for my freshwater fish consumption.

X2 As a 11 year previous PA resident I always associated the beginning of trout season as a prelude to spring. It also was a big opportunity for family fishing & introducing kids to fishing. That in itself was & is good for fishing. As a disclosure I never fished for trout except steelhead out in Lake Erie.

The conquest is the flagship of Shimano's round reels for a reason. I own a 50 & a 100.

There is a big difference in mouth sizes between panfish & largemouth bass. Also the distance between the mouth & the gullet. I would agree that gut hooking panfish with live bait is pretty common but panfish are not bass. And I always thought that people fish for panfish to harvest them not to catch & release.

X2

Studies can be found supporting both points of view. Quick strike rigs were put into use by esox anglers to protect from gut hooking. Catch & release anglers and the professional guides almost always strive to protect the species they fish for & adapt their practices to promote lower mortality. Here is a study conducted by the Texas biologists from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Division that supports my opinion. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-02-23-9702230224-story.html

I am familiar with the Florida trophy bass programs as a fishing resident and a home owner for the last 12-13 years. Your guarantee of more bass gut hooked with shiners is not defensible based on my experience.