SirSnookalot

Lake Ida has a ton of jet skis and they can be very active in the afternoons. I live within 10 minutes but it's a place I hardly ever fish, just don't care for it. When it comes to bass I have done much better fishing the canals. I've been fishing the Delray/Boca/Boynton area for 10 years. When it comes to LMB I'm finding it's in the summer doldrums around here, but there is a good bite going on for other species.

Have an acquaintance that ventures out to the jettie sometimes, he is bass fisherman primarily and fishes Lake O every Saturday, been doing that for maybe 30- 40 years. Tells me the bite is hot as hell up there. Down here in Delray bass is the last thing I am targeting, the bite is very soft, but I'm catching some really nice peacocks.

The signature area is very grey, I do see the need to have signatures monitored as well as actual posts. One rule that stands is no discussion of religion and politics, verboten topics on this site. Some signature lines have do have biblical quotes and/or political innuendos. I personally see no major problem but it does go against the rules. A signature IMO is a permanent post, it's always there, the same rules should apply there as well as on going threads.

My sentiments exactly

Some one planted 2 peacock bass in one of my community ponds, must have been a same sex marriage as there were never any offspring. I tried almost everything for 4 years to catch them, until 1 day when I found the key. I was messing around with a ul trying to catch mayan cichlids with a crappie jig, that was the key. I caught the same pea 3 days in a row, fish went around 4-5#, on the 4 th day we had the freeze and they died. Fast forward to now and the peas are back in the canals, I've been catching them nearly ever day using what I learned in my pond. They're fun on med light spinning tackle. When I moved to Florida I didn't know what a snook was, took me 6 weeks every day before I finally got one. I can honestly say the flood gates have been opened the last 10 years, couldn't even keep track of the numbers. Once you understand the nuances of any fish, they become a whole lot easier to catch.

Much of s/e Florida is urban fishing, not only freshwater but tidal water as well. There are ponds in industrial parks that can really be good and canal fishing even from shore can offer a wide variety of fish.

I totally agree. Distances vary between rod brands, I have 7' rods that cast further than my 8' rods, it's all in how the rod loads up. Surf rods are different breed, even an 8' surf will out cast one of my 8' inshore rods. Surf rods easily cast 100 yds, not going to get near that with a freshwater rod of the same length. I use both 6'6 and 7' in freshwater, distances are so close it really doesn't matter, most of what catch are close to shore anyway.

I'd wait for Lund Explorer to chime in, he is the tax expert.

A 6 pound peacock hopefully may be in the near future for me, not too shabby for a non Miami fish. Got this one today, caught 2 others.

I fish on a fiberglass deck it's wet quite a bit. I need a shoe that grips well with good arch support as many of our fish will take you 360 around the boat a few times. I wear a lace up boat shoe sneaker style, Teva has been my choice.

One good thing about Florida, there is always a good bite going on someplace. I don't go to long without catching fish but that statement has to be qualified. In the winter bass are very easy to catch here, but I can go quite a while without a saltwater strike. In the warmer months like now I'm not catching many bass, but I am catching some peacocks and doing fine in saltwater.

I do a lot of jig fishing both salt and freshwater. In 10 years of doing this nearly every day, at night or daytime, clear or stained water, bass and peacocks or snook and tarpon 3 colors rule. White, yellow and chartreuse, or combinations of those. Seldom do I use a bass type jig with a trailer, it's bucktails and my own marabou jigs, the peacock and bass success has been very good with them. The difference is how I fish them, swim the jigs for the peas, and slow jigging for the bass.

Obeying the regulations of your state should be the paramount concern. My own take is only to use artificial lures when I'm sport fishing for freshwater and inshore species. I see others using bait for peacocks, snook and host of other fish, I just don't care to do that. When it comes to bass I don't have a problem with other people using a small one for bait, relaxing the regulations wouldn't bother me. Many of these smaller bass are probably going to be eaten by another predator anyway.

Based on my own negligence many years ago by snapping a couple of rod tips. When I'm snagged I find pulling the line rather than tugging with the rod in certain situations works better..........this is the tip, put your reel in free spool or open the bail to release any tension off the rod tip. In some scenarios I like snapping the bow, but the situation has to be right.

Why am I not surprised. Have replaced bail arms and internal bail assembly parts numerous times on 2 stradics and a spheros, that excludes springs which also have been replaced. I keep patching mine up because they are good reels, smooth and with excellent line management. If the reels can be repaired at a cost effective price, I'd go that route.

The president is just a good performing reel, simply as that. A few bucks more may buy a more refined drag, which IMO isn't that important in bass fishing, and a reel that weighs less, some people gravitate to lightness.

I saw the pics of him and his buddy with lots of fish. I may not be going back as much as I'd like to catch them, I don't like trespassing. My regret yesterday was taking a a medium spinning rod, not knowing what the water looked like I though there may be a vegetation issue, there wasn't. I normally use a ml for peacocks which would have been a choice more to my liking, if I go back that's what I'd take. Peacocks are fun on light tackle.

Not so sure about that. I ran into a young man at the ocean this morning, he showed me his peacock pics.........wow! Lots of 6 pounders, even told me where to go. Usually that kind of info is bogus, not this time. Didn't want to sneak in, I don't like doing that but my curiosity got the best of me. Made about 15 casts with a xrap, 2 peas between 3 and 4#. Didn't want get kicked out so I left, irony is it's 5 minutes from my home. The guy said some one stocked the lake, only logical answer.

I don't think on the level of med moderate fast or xf, this rod for this kind of lure and that one for treble hooks, and omg I don't have a specific drop shot rod. My thoughts are simpler, set the hook and reel it in. The rods I use with 1/2 oz wild eyed shad are the same exact rods I use to throw every other lure I own. They are med and mh spinning, can't say they are stouter or not compared to other brands. It's seldom I use a 1/2 oz bait for bass, I mostly use a ml rod for them and use 1/4 and 1/8.

I use the 1/4 oz for bass, works well but a it's bait I have to fish slow. The 1/2 oz size is one of my go to snook and tarpon lures, again I fish it slow. Never had problem setting a hook on a tarpon and their jaw is like concrete. Both of these fish are inhalers so the strike isn't that hard.

You haven't indicated whether it's for b/c or spinning use. I have a lot of experience with this line, used 20# for offshore on conventional, has dome on spinning too. Strength was never an issue, many fish well over 50# caught using this line. Haven't used a conventional reel in a long time, it's all spinning whether it's freshwater, inshore and offshore and braid. I do use the line as leader for both fresh and inshore fishing, I like it just fine. As a leader there isn't much of a stretch issue.

That's the Canyon Lakes area, fished it maybe 50 times, my kids live in the first community built there in 2005 I think. The newer communities at most are about 5 or 6 years old, the ponds are fairly new. Water levels will not significantly rise unless there is a tropical storm dumping 8-10", daily rains evaporate quickly, we are entering rain season. There are gators, but there water mocs too, I'd be real cautious there. You rod and reel selection is your choice, I don't ever fish for bass with anything heavier than a med spinning rod with 15# braid, I'm no help in that department. I live only a few miles away, my community has 6 ponds, I don't fish them too much in the summer. Between the heat, humidity, gnats, slow summer bass bite, there are many other fishing options. Peacocks are red hot now, but you have to travel east to get them. In the winter Canyon has some pretty good bass fishing.

I'm not sure what you consider backbone. Backbone is not lifting a fish out of the water, IMO it's how well a rod handles the fish. Modern rods of all price ranges have no problem handling good sized fish. Just fish it and enjoy it.

As far as I'm concerned Alabama is too far north, too cold in the winter months. My wife and I are thinking about spending the winter in Belize next year. South Florida ain't warm enough for me, this coming from a yankee that spent his entire working life working out doors in Michigan.

Exchange rate is US 1.00 = $1.09 Canadian, 12.86 Mexican peso.