SirSnookalot

I do fish with people that own Van Staals and I've used them myself. They may last a while and be impervious to sand but I found my Quantums and my Shimanos to be smoother reels. No I don't think they are worth it, at least for my brand of fishing. If I did consider one, just interjection as I won't be buying, it would be a Saltiga.

Pretty much agree. I define hunting fish as trying spot them, then sight cast. Blind casting into water you can't see IMO is not hunting fish, it's hoping to get lucky and I do that too sometimes. I've been doing a lot of peacock fishing lately and only sight cast, I can walk a long way before I even make a cast, and only when I spot a fish. I'm targeting 1 specific species, if another species strikes so be it, I'm there only for the peas.

Are they special, that may be questionable. If budget allowed and I was fishing offshore 5 days a week in my 250k Yellowfin, fishing for the likes of giant trevally, amberjacks, billfish, I'd probably bear no expense. I do fish 7 days a week, but my target fish are different and I don't see the need for overkill.

On a party boat it pays to use inexpensive mono line, that's what they use. Reason being lines always get tangled, if the tangle can't be untangled quickly the line will be cut. One may no realize but drifting causing line twist even on a conventional reel, I'd probably use 40# mono. I have used in the past Shakespere supreme mono, like 3-5 bucks, works just fine. As I said on the last thread you inquired, I'd be using their equipment as they are perfectly set up. I'd use my equipment only if went out on these boats on a weekly basis, not one time outing. I'll give you a little advice, don't undermine the mate, he knows more about fishing out there than we will ever know, he does this for a living.

Did I interpret this correctly? The drag on your spinning real averages heavier than 8#, what size reel and line would you be using? I don't think a spinning reel winches, the line is wrapped around the spool. I'm not much of technical kind of guy, I just reel the fish in.

I've been a bit annoyed with some of the fishermen down here in Florida, although calling them fishermen IMO is a stretch. Whether it's a hook and line or a cast the object is food. There's one guy in particular down here, he was using a cast net for lookdowns, 2 days in a row took out 100# per day. This is perfectly legal, moonfish are a unregulated species, I do feel it's over harvest and affects the food chain. Perhaps in years to come with more breeders taken out now there may be less fish for them in the future...........they won't care.

I used to love Mepps syclops a good productive spoon, thought it turned over too much causing a lot of line twist. I prefer spoons that wobble back and forth, I keep a good supply of Krocodiles on hand. I'm sure lots of people get emails from a site with 99 cent sales, that site has Krocs every now and then for 1.99, that's when I stock up.

Old school huh, do you consider a jig old school? Wouldn't surprise me if a jig may be one of the first artificial lures ever used. There are many types of spoons, that many jigs plus a whole lot more. Another thing that wouldn't surprise me, both spoons and jigs account for more fish (all species) caught than all other lures combined.

This will probably explain why I don't classify myself as bass fisherman, even though I catch a lot of them. Bank fishing I have 2 or 3 lures in a old Rapala box in my front pocket, a pack of flukes in my back pocket and a spinner bait hanging from my belt loop, 1 spinning rod of course.

I have a variety of spoon types, not too many days go by where I don't use one of them in saltwater. For bass fishing you bet I use them, my 2 favorites are a gold Redfish key spoon and a Clark spoon, both are saltwater spoons and I only use them in freshwater.

Could not possible recall all the great days and great fish I've caught. I had a career day a few years, understand this in saltwater it's near impossible to catch a 100 fish. The fish here must be caught during their "window", it may only be seconds or minutes, then they are gone. Fishing at the inlet I caught a snook on every single cast, about 20 of them, then the window closed and that was the end of it. Not the biggest fish but a real fun time.

Grouper is a bottom fish, pulling one up from 60 or 80 fow isn't easy, vertical fishing can put a real strain on your back, even a 10# black or gag grouper is a nice catch. Fighting belt can be a real help, especially if the rod has a gimbel butt. A conventional rod and reel will turn in your hands, you have to pull up with both arms then reel down, you just can't crank a larger fish in, if the fish are really big sometimes you can't turn the handle on the reel. I don't get on a party boat too often anymore, this is how I handle a larger fish on a smaller private boat. Not all fish fight the same, sometimes they are taking line straight out and circle the boat, you have to move with the fish. Fish like some shark species hang close to the bottom, they are very strong but don't always pull line out fast. I sit down and brace my legs against the boat rail with the rod under my groin, just hold it in place until the fish starts to tire, then I pull up and reel down. Saves a lot of wear and tear on my back, I've had chronic back condition for 30 years. The fish species determines what the landing technique should be. With those bluefish up north you have to move with them, they're a fairly tough fish.

Nice to see you released the larger breeders and kept the small ones for the table.

^^ Now that's a fish !! ^^

Dunno, don't weigh bass, caught some pretty good ones.

As I read another thread about spinning not be good for big fish and the fact we have small fish in Florida I used spinning for all these fish. Over the last month I caught 8 jacks the size of the one in my avatar, med rod 15# braid, open water 8 or 9 40" barracuda, 14# mono can't remember how many snook but none under about 10# 3 tarpon, biggest about 70#, 20# mh rod every thing but the jacks caught in 10 knot current, guess I'll stick with spinning for these little guys or do I need a b/c with 65 lb braid? When I hook em, I own em !..........lol

One thing that has not been mentioned is the construction of a saltwater spinning rod (conventional rod too) compared to freshwater models is a foregrip. That foregrip is a valuable aid in fighting larger fish, IMO it allows much better leverage. I use inshore spinning rods for bass fishing, with my hand on the foregrip I have so much more leverage setting the hook with a frog or any other lure. I have virtually no fatigue or soreness in my wrist due to the foregrip. Spinning allows me not to have to change hands and my rod is always in my strength arm, I'm able to set the hook quicker and harder. I have read dozens of opinions about b/c, I've yet to read one compelling enough to buy one. With no doubt in my mind for the act of casting a receiving of sub 50# fish spinning is not only funner, it's the superior tool. I give the nod to spinning over fly for only 1 reason, that's pulling a fish out heavy cover, spinning does it easily.

Makes my hair hurt reading this. I use nothing but spinning gear, have caught fish over 150# and have posted the pictures. I routinely catch some of the most powerful fish imaginable on spinning gear, fish like permit, jacks, tarpon, amberjack, tuna and billfish, don't have a reel with anything heavier than 20# braid............cased closed on the size thing ! I can't think of any thing more fun than throwing a 1/4 or 1/2 oz bait into the surf on a medium spinning rod, hooking into a 30# jack or 40# tarpon and having to run that fish down on foot several hundred yards to avoid being spooled. I guarantee that fish won't be landed in 60 seconds, any one up for that? I live for this kind of action, not bad for a guy that's approaching being septuagenarian. You'd be hard pressed to see any one using b/c gear down here, yeh spinning is more fun.

I've been using the Big EZ last few days using 4/0 EWG hook. I run them on top of the water with a moderate speed, IMO they are hitting the movement even if they aren't running straight. I did pretty well with them, did not care for the smaller version of the bait. I wouldn't use them for snook, DOA jerk shad on 1/4 oz jig head catch most of my snook and tarpon, bucktails work just as good.

You just never know. I was in Texas in 1982, my RV was broke down on the side of the road. A pickup truck stops to help, the guy wasn't a Texan he was a Yankee and a Harvard law grad, liked working in the oil fields better. I have 2 friends both podiatrists each left their practice after a few years and moved to California. One become a clothing rep and the other went into the video porn business. The latter now retired has a blues band, great friend I'm in constant contact with him.

You won't catch them in the lakes unless someone put them in their residential one. The main canal coming off Lake Ida, the water level is low from Woolbright south, water level is higher north of Boynton Beach blvd. The canal @ Caloosa park holds some peacocks. As I mentioned before they are not very aggressive in this area and not easy to catch, but I've sen a bit more activity the last couple of days. Miami or Weston is a turkey shoot for them, I was there a couple of weeks ago, I doubt I'll go again it's too far. I use jigs like this, I make them. You can try this I have it works. Buy some cheap crappie jigs, use them as is or take a couple of 4" lengths of knitting yarn and tie near the head of the jig with sewing thread, apply clear nail polish, don't need a vise you can just hold it. The fish could care less that it doesn't look professional.

Peacocks can be addictive, I've been leaving the opportunity of 20# fish to go catch them. It's all about the strike, they give a decent fight and it's fun on real light tackle.

Top lures, how about bottom ones. The bait I dislike the most is a plastic worm. While being very productive I find it to be too productive, I don't feel challenged. I don't care to fish that slow and I prefer a harder strike. I go out of my way to use some sort of top water or subsurface bait, that style of fishing is just more exciting to me. I'm not interested in numbers or size when it comes to bass fishing, just having fun does it for me.

You're most welcome jamesbrownsplit, imo the closer to Lake Ida the better. I have not caught any in Palm Beach county west of the freshwater spillways, they're mostly around Military Trail. @Shanes, I caught one at about 8;15 this morning exactly the way I described in my previous post using a small jig, I was north of Lake Ida.

My senko only slips after a strike, I use nothing but an ordinary worm hook. There is a way to hook a swivel onto the hook to secure the worm, I've tried it but was a PITA, can't say I remember how to do it.