SirSnookalot

The main purpose of backing IMO is to use less braid as your mainline. I tape every reel before I spool up with or without backing, slippage will not be an issue. It becomes a personal choice issue.

First thing I would do is to get local knowledge. Secondly how do plan on using the equipment, beach, pier, jettie or boat. I'd personally probably be using a different set up for each venue, not that a one do it all can't be used. Fishing saltwater daily I see a lot of Penns down here in Florida, probably the most used reel I can think of it. The Fierce is a nice entry level saltwater reel, the Battle is a really nice reel a step up for sure, both of those series come in a wide variety of sizes. Bear in mind that these are not light reels, given the popularity of them weight does not seem to be an issue with the saltwater set. I can't comment on the new Conflict as I haven't seen one yet. It's hard to go wrong with a Penn reel.

Nice fish.

That's pretty nasty looking. I can relate, we had 23" of rain at one time a few months ago.

Right on the money. Come down to South Florida and you'll see all kinds of people doing it. I have rods close to 10 years old I'm still overloading, these are not lob casts but casts for distance. Certain wind or water conditions lend themselves to a heavier lure like spoons, they stay under the water better. I do think a long flowing casts go further than a snap cast and with less effort and doesn't tire you out. I don't often snap cast for any kind of fishing.

Oh really, just new people pushing a fish at the camera? I would say that practice is the norm and not the exception. It not only happens here but on every other fishing forum I have been on. Reason why it's done is simple, bragging rights, and recognition, if that weren't the case the pictures wouldn't be posted in the first place. I once read a post that I could never forget, it was in a thread similar to this one. The poster claimed that he/she never pushes a fish to the lens, of the scores and scores of pics posted by that person I've not noticed one that wasn't. I'll name one guilty party................me, I've done it, any one else gonna fess up? I'll take everyone's word on weight, because I can't prove otherwise. I have no choice but to accept ones word, even a fish hanging from the scale proves one thing only, the fish is out of the water. Doesn't prove how it was caught or who actually caught it. I saw a guy getting his picture taken of a really nice snook, hell he caught it throwing a cast net for bait, lol.......

Fishing for several different targets over the last 4 days I'e had 1 strike and 1 fish caught, just a 36" cuda. Been peacock fishing in the PM and haven't seen one of them either. How many casts, I don't know but whole bunch.

Finding fish is the hardest part of fishing, that said they don't always cooperate the way we would like them too. Landing fish is the easy part.

It's all about what is comfortable for each individual. I don't buy that winch philosophy for a second, whether it's spinning or b/c. The only real difference is the angle of the spools, spinning the spool is parallel to the rod so the line is wrapped around the spool and the b/c's spool is at a right angle so the line gets fed on straight. The act of reeling in the fish is identical, the drag is set and the fish get's played. It's a known fact that some bass fishermen using heavy braided with a locked down drag basically do winch that fish in. I can lock down the drag on spinning reel and do the same thing, bass are not going to pull out 10-12# of drag. It's one thing to move a bass with the rod, entirely different issue with other species. Getting into even medium sized fish in the 40 or 50# range moving those fish with rod is remote, those fish are moving you, especially if they are peeling out 75 yards of line. When a large fish is on the line your gonna have both hands on the rod, pulling up an reeling down is the way most are landed.

I think scanning is the easiest way.

The rule to Florida fishing, when the bass turn off the snook turn on, and when the snook turn off it's time to go bass fishing.

Yep

I live in Florida and my average bass isn't 3# either.

Most people I know have worked hard in their occupation as well as putting their time in learning where and how to fish. My "group" of home boys are sharers, we don't protect anything. Whether it was mentoring a newbie in my career or fishing, it's about giving back. Someone taught me and pointed me in the right direction. Fishing on public waters is fair game for anyone, I guarantee I'm not the only one that knows the "secret spot". Even if I was the only one I'm not going to be there 24/7, don't see any harm in turning someone on to a good fishing spot. I don't need to ask permission nor do I need to give permission. As Catt previously mentioned, he'd probably out catch you at your honey hole anyway. I could take some one right now and show them where and how to catch 40# fish, or peacock bass if that's their pleasure, why should I if some one isn't willing to share what they know. Those selfish ones are the kind of people I would never take with me.

I would have a hard time disagreeing. I don't think it's abnormal human nature to desire acceptance on social media. An exaggeration of weight or a photo that makes that fish look larger than life is way to indicate to the world that we are a good fisherman.

That's a nice fish to catch.

Your hooked on fishing when you are doing it 7 days a week, rain or shine. Your hooked on fishing when you make your own lures for specific species. Your hooked on fishing when you are as happy fishing from shore as in your 28' Sailfish with twin Yamahas. Haven't bought any to tackle in weeks, got everything I need.

I wear long pants and long sleeves for protection from the no seeums when called for. I no longer wear any wicking material or any thing synthetic, makes me hotter not cooler. I go with cotton, most comfortable for me, shorts and either long or short sleeve t shirt and sandals.

About the same. I can go days and days on my freshwater combos, I've had the same leader and jig on for 2 weeks on my peacock set up, caught a lot of fish too. If I'm changing techniques or species I'll put a new leader on. Saltwater I start with a fresh leader every time, sometimes they get too short or scrapped up from the coral, I'll put a fresh one on.

I agree about keeping fishing, I've never stopped. For me it's all about what kind of regional fish are available to me. Bass are one of my local species, I enjoy it and do it nearly every day but is not my main focus anymore, it's my relaxation time. I fish at the ocean every morning, I'm there for the biggest, hardest, fighting fish that I hope are going to show up, sometimes nothing shows up. I would be happier catching only quality fish than 10 5 pounders.

I heard a theory the other day and I could buy it. Down the south there are more peas than we have up here, with more competition the fish seem to be way more aggressive. Up here almost all of my peacocks are caught by sight casting, walking the bank till I spot them. Early morning there is a better chance of them feeding, it can be a bit easier but you won't see as many. I do see more in the PM but they basically are just staged a few feet off the bank, generally in pairs, IMO this is hunting fish. Sometimes I can make upwards of 30 or more casts before I get hook up, they are not feeding but striking because they are ticked off. My lure of choice is a 1/8 oz marabou jig, any bucktail will work as well, drag it on the bottom once they get interested. With the heat and humidity I'm just about done fishing for them, the novelty is wearing off. Personally I only use light or med light spinning, it's a nice fight on that kind of tackle but by no means is it even close to a jack of the same size, which I may not be able to land on the same gear.

In salt water when using cut bait it's the norm not the exception to have your bait completely removed from the hook without ever feeling a thing. The line or rod being used makes no difference, amazing how they can nibble around the hook. Even toothy critters like kingfish do it all the time, however when trolling or casting they will give a heck of a strike then.

This video demo is about as easy as it gets, it's slightly different than the way some freshwater people do it, I guarantee it's every bit as effective. Whether I use a knot or just place the line under the tape is usually based on my degree of laziness, not because I prefer one over the other. When using a knot I have not had my line spool up improperly or any kind of hump due to a little knot on the spool, whether it be spinning or conventional, mono or braid. One thing I do like about the video is the use of the ordinary clinch knot to attach the hook, in my case it's a jig.

Florida fish don't get any bigger.

I'm not sure what you are describing is the bail not always making clearance over the spool, or "stuck" in certain positions not being able to flip it over. Whatever the case is the reel isn't right. The bail should be able to opened fully with the spool or handle at any position. I had Quantum a few months where the bail was scraping the top of spool at the highest point, quantum sent me a new reel. Especially with a new reel, it should be perfect.