SirSnookalot

Pretty true for the most part, I lose very few lures in freshwater because I don't use them. I lose lures getting snagged on coral, open water losses are almost always due to being cut off. Solution sounds easy, use wire, but wire usually means a lot less fish caught. The 25 or so lures I lost during the bait run was worth every nickle it cost me, so much fun then.

The land being used by Clive Bundy for grazing is as much mine as he thinks it's his, I don't like his cattle taking a sheet on my grass.

I usually swim them but never too fast. Sometimes I just drag them on the bottom or shake them in place.

Curious as how you come to this opinion. Let's try and put things in a little perspective. Your next door neighbor, who has never held a fishing rod, sees an episode of Roland Martin Fishing lake O, catching a fish a cast. He now is an expert fisherman, hasn't done it but knows what to do. Later that evening your fishing club as a Q & A with a touring pro, who's advice would you take? We have columnists, talk show hosts who write and discuss a different topic daily, none of them really have an advanced education in science. They have not had the opportunity to go into real depth. On the other hand nearly the entire scientific disagrees with the people that have no background in science. These scientists have studied this topic their entire lives, written and published papers, this is all they do. I personally would tell my expert fishing neighbor who has never even seen a lake to go jump in it. By the same token why would I pay attention a non expert in science when pros are talking. Polar caps and glaciers have shrunk, oceans are rising. One thing I know for sure, more heat melts ice quicker. Just because we had a lot of snow and low temperatures in our corner of the world, other places experienced something else. This past January during the Australian tennis open, the normal average temperature is around 70 degrees, the open was played in 100 degree weather, broke records.

Braid needs nothing, not even silicone on the rod guides.

Never use a lure you had intended on owning the rest of your life. Last years bait run I lost about 25-30 lures in a few weeks, hope the same thing happens again.

The one on sale.

I've used both P line floroclear and Silver thread, no complaints with either. At present I have 14# silver thread on 1 spinning outfit, most fish caught are above 20#. Both strength and knot quality is good, but the key is always the drag. I make a point of always trolling my line out after my outing.

I make my own on a 1/8 jig head, better quality hook. I do use the Walmart ones quite a bit too, they seem only to come in white or chartruese and both work good, 8 for $1.50 or so. These are the ones I make up myself. On a size basis I think the Mayans fight harder than a peacock. Sure I prefer snook, tarpon and jacks, but these little fish are a real nice diversion for me. I could never land a jack of the same size as a peacock on my peacock gear.

I might suggest you try fishing for change of pace, your commentary just isn't cutting the mustard. Knowledge is power, always has and always will be. Knowing a second or third language can only be an advantage. Living in Florida knowing another language would have been a big help to me, quite often dealing with a home improvement. I've dealt with some excellent craftsmen busting their ass to to good job, communication has complicated things from time to time. Faulting only them is a bit narrow minded, had both the workmen and myself known a second language would be a profound advantage. Have traveled to a number of other countries and have "gotten by", knowing their language only would enhanced the trips. No question about it, I'm sorry I neglected learning another language.

^How could anyone disagree ^

I totally agree with Lund Explorer. Growing up in a major industrial city I remember smog well, we don't hear near as much about here in the U.S. anymore. We have done something about the smog issue, dealing with other issues can and will be done as well. I'm hitching my wagon to the 97% of the scientific community that feels man has made a negative major impact on the environment.

Any bass I catch is by accident, I'm only fishing for peacocks. I'm using crappie jigs black works well, bass love them too, small enough to fish weedy areas.

We have no small mouth here but we have peacock bass, I'd say for the most part the water we catch them in is shallower. I use a 6'6 ml or 6'6 light.

We can easily get off track between the fighting capability between fresh and salt species. Coming from Lake St Clair fishing small mouth and muskie most of my life, now fishing pretty much only saltwater the question of best fight has been answered for me. Each of us from our respective regional area will pick our pound for pound winner. One of the few fish I've yet to catch is a Giant Trevally, but since they are pretty much overgrown jacks, I got the idea. One big difference between a bass and tuna, the bass is cold blooded, a bluefin tuna is warm blooded.

Come down to Delray Beach, you will fall in love with them.

Is the weather exactly the same as was 365 days ago or even yesterday for that matter? Wind, water levels and temperature, amount of vegetation and rain can and will vary year to year. Baitfish do not always show up the same day each year, nor does the insect hatch. I know there is no under water calender that the fish pay attention to telling them it's fluke or crankbait time. Fish react to whats's going on that day, fishermen should be reacting to the fish not the calender.

Regrettably only English. Many older Europeans I know speak 3-7 languages, German, Russian, Polish, Yiddish and learned English when they immigrated. My wife was born in Italy came to the U.S. when she was 3, does ok with Italian and fluent in Yiddish, if I can only teach her English.........she can say PUT THE d**n TOILET SEAT DOWN.

It's not only tuna but wide variety of ocean fish whether they are offshore or inshore have one thing in common, they swim around and look for baitfish. Birds don't always have to be present to catch fish but when they are it's usually game on. That isn't to say that some of the species aren't ambush predators off reefs, wrecks or inshore around mangroves, those fish tend to move shorter distances with the tide movement. I always look for activity on the water and in the air. Bass fishing in s/e Florida is much the same, I'm looking for activity. Salt water fishing is about the window of opportunity, especially inshore, you just have to know the nuances of each species and that guarantees no success. With the exception of a few times in the year, like the fall bait runs, we catch a small numbers of fish, if I catch one I sometimes consider it a good day. I have the incoming tide this morning, good chance I won't catch anything.

When I bass fish I only have 2-4 lures with me, not unusual for me to stay with the same lure. My extra lures are mainly backup if I get snagged and lose one. I keep it simple and I don't over think it.

Hook keeper, just another item I live easily without. I've used them and I've also hooked myself picking up my rod near the foregrip. I put my hooks and lures on the bottom guide, the foot is preferred over the ring but I'm not perfect. I've never experienced a guide getting nicked or weakened for any reason.

I don't think a second spool is your answer, an entirely different set up I feel is a better choice. Not knowing your rod I'm assuming it probably isn't heavy enough to handle the weight of some of the heavier lures that are popular for muskie. Your reel itself is usable but not really the right tool.

Burning all that gas in order to locate fish and towing your boat to the lake, does seem like it goes against the grain of Earth Day. Earth day is not only about cleaning up places, planting trees and going green, but conserving our natural resources as well. Fossil fuel emissions can not be good for our water and air. It's nice to have it both ways, being able to transport oneself to their recreation and places of employment, that does come at a price we seem willing to pay. When I see a boat with 3 300 hp outboards, hard to think those people are thinking about conservation, only getting to their location fast. Me........I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, we are fairly "green" at my home, but I burn 2 tanks of gas a week, way more driving than I need.

Happens all the time, fish are so busy with live bait they have no interested in a piece of plastic. If you do catch something it's by sheer luck, your bait just got in the way of an open mouth. This is the perfect time to use live bait, clipping a fin and or bleeding the bait makes it an easier victim.

It may bother you more than the fish, that twang down the line may attract them out of curiosity.