SirSnookalot

There are times when health issues are a major concern, I tend to share the ups and downs only with my with wife. Despite my cavalier attitude about fishing gear, I'm dead serious about catching fish. I'm happy when I'm catching good hard fighting fish. Been on a terror lately, head out to my spot yesterday and the wind was blowing 30 mph, that's ok. The rain was hard and coming in sideways, that's ok too. The 20# fish didn't show up and that was not ok, so I head home skunked. Went freshwater fishing and for 2 hours I caught 1 bluegill.................UNHAPPY, I was depressed all day.

I agree about a power handle, although I mainly use spinning, I do have conventional reels used offshore with power handles. Not only do I think the reeling is easier but much more cranking power with a fish on.

As I previously mentioned commercially caught fish are generally packed in ice and they are just fine, they may not be cleaned for a few days. For our personally caught fish, who stops fishing to clean them? I see just as many people take fish home in plastic bags as I do ice chests, the fish are fine when cleaned at home later in the day. On the boat our dolphin, kingfish, triggerfish are kept in the boat well without ice, we clean them at home and they are perfect. When I fished Michigan freshwater it was c&r, we owned a market and already had the fish. I do think with most species the smaller sizes are better eating. We don't fry fish too often anymore, bake or broil and on the grille is excellent. We prefer the taste of the fish not the breading, batter or oil.............even an old sneaker tastes great breaded and fried, lol.

Did the cooler have ice in it? Commercially caught fish are either flash frozen on the spot or packed in ice. Once offloaded they are boxed then shipped to a wholesaler then on to a retail outlet, the process takes a couple days and the fish are fine to eat. Always check the clarity of the eyes then for a vibrant color of the gills, the meat should not be mushy, although some species are much softer than others. My dad owned a market for 30 years ( no one got sick that I know of lol) we sold lake Superior whitefish, lake Erie pickerel (walleye) lake perch and several freshwater species. Ocean fish as well, flounder and sole 2 of my favorites.

Wouldn't have been a bad idea. Even if the ocean is fairly flat the inlet can be very choppy with a strong undertow. Many small boats venture out and I think they're nutz, hardly ever see any one wear a pfd, I've never worn one myself.

I can't recall ever having a bass go belly up, they come in easy and pretty fast. I did see a snook go belly up the other day not because the rod was too light but because the rod wasn't heavy enough to lift it on to the jetty. It was small fish maybe 7# I urged the guy to break it off and he didn't, fish dead as he was trying to save a 15 cent crappie jig. I caught one a few minutes about the same size, had a med rod so I just lifted it right up. I do catch species that I know I can't land but I can fight them, and I will until the time is right to break them off. Much of it has to do with species as well as where I'm fishing. If I hook a 25 lb jack on a med rod I'm fighting that fish all the way, once released they just swim off like nothing happened. A muskie, wouldn't fish for them ever again as they tire too fast, they can go belly up, they have no stamina. For the most part I'm fighting them, playing them is how a bigger fish is landed.

You have totally 2 different types of fishing, one is freshwater that can have some vegetation and heavier lures are used. You need a rod that can handle the lure weights as well as the vegetation. The other type of fishing is going to be more open water, you can use heavier rigs like an umbrella for trolling or you can cast with lighter gear. For stripers I'd be using a mh spinning rod and 4000 reel. I happen to have a set up that I could use for both species, that being a 7' 25 lb spinning rod, max lure 2 1/2 or 3 oz, saddled up with a Abu soron 60 reel. Reel holds 250 yds of 30# braid, max drag of 30#, only weighs 15 oz.

I bought it once, it works but I wasn't wowed either. I see no reason to use it own braid which I mainly use, and the 2 set ups I have with copoly a hot water soak works just as well.

Finnan haddie

It happens, I was friends and classmates with Jerry Bruckheimer and David Overton (Cheesecake Factory), both grew up in a very modest environment.

One of the most unusual things I have seen was a man that made a boat out of an old pick up bed. Made it water tight, put a seat in it, rod holders and outboard. He'd go out of the inlet, which is very rough, venture out in the ocean, saw him maybe 20 times. Haven't seen him in a few years, maybe the " boat" didn't make it.

More opinion than fact, in the $200 market I like Quantums, Penn spinfishers, Shimano saragosa, most bullet proof reels I own are Pfluegers. My arbor 50 for 80 bucks is nothing short of sensational. @12 oz with a max drag of 25#, plenty of line capacity, and as smooth as anything else I own then why do I spend more on other reels.............cause I'm stupid, read to many reviews and out of #$%&^^* mind...........that's why! Pfluegers just don't break, none of the 5 I own have ever needed service, if so they are backed by Pure Fishing, nothing better for service. Quantums offer 48 hour for fresh and 24 hour for salt warranty, pretty darn good too. Now we come to Shimano, even though a stradic is "saltwater approved" IMO it isn't a saltwater reel. Given time between the harsher elements and harder fight fish, it will have problems, both of mine have been in service several times. Either Shimano may not have the part in stock or you have to deal with some arrogant putz. I'll buy another stradic, it's smooth and light, but I know in time it will break down like my others.

Florida, free for seniors.

I posted something similar earlier in this thread.

I have a pass thru trunk long enough to handle my 8' rods, the reels are on a towel and don't get jostled around, never carry more than 3. On the boat my unused rods are high in the bimini top rod holders, don't get banged around or stepped on. I don't use rod sleeves or reels gloves, my stuff doesn't get subjected to the kind of treatment that would harm them.

I've got some 30# Gorilla braid on my shark rod, 10 years old and still good. My everyday stuff (about 10 outfits) either gets respooled or added to about every 60-75 days due to wind knots, rubbing against rocks cement coral etc and fish. My freshwater stuff is all windknot related.

Canyon Springs is only about 3-4 years old, all man made ponds. My son in law lived in Canyon Lakes which was the first community there, caught some very nice fish there.

Flashlight. I've used them for snook, maybe a gimmick as I catch just as many on a white or even a dark colored fluke. Perhaps bass are different, but I doubt it, I've caught them on dark lures at night too.

I know just a little bit about saltwater fishing, especially light tackle inshore. Not that I will give a specific recommendation but I may be able to shed some light on pros and cons. I have a tierra 3000 not a lexa, very nice reel but it has limitations on what I can handle on it. I have 2 stradic 4000, bit more beef, very smooth, adequate drag and have caught fish up to 40-50# a number of times. The downside is the bail, not only do the line roller bearings rust out quite a bit, I have replaced 2 times in both reels. Do a internet search and you find I'm not the only one it's happened to. Presently my bails have about 1/2" floppy play, usable but they should be tight. That doesn't mean I won't buy another stradic, it's a very good reel but I don't think it's the best built reel for saltwater.

Most of those neighborhood ponds are private and gated, you won't be able to get access. There is a community up the street from me with a fishing platform and the residents stock bait fish in there. I've heard stories of 10-11# bass there. I know of a few places with road access, many will have no trespassing signs, or resident only fishing, usually it's ok but sometimes you may be asked to leave. Some of these ponds are in the area of Jog Rd and Gateway. Canals are open to fish.

Best investment was my wife, we have had a nice life together. I'll spare the numbers on the improvement in my income after we got married. Worst investment, hard to say, have done well on some stocks and not so good on others, any investor will make the same claim. Precious metals was a part of my business, instead of taking the cash I converted to ingot and sat on it in the mid 70's. Maybe for a good 20 years silver and gold both flatlined, would have better doing something else with the money. I can give many examples of why precious metals are both a good or bad investments, mostly depending on when in and when out.

I'll stick to fishing, yeh I could be a lot happier. I'm catching lots big bruising fish now, I like it just fine. I've been obsessed with peacock bass every afternoon, catching a few but no real size. Miami is 70 miles each way, that's a long ride, so I haven't gone yet.

I've seen it done offshore quite a few times, don't see why it can't be done for bass fishing. Have seen on TV skidoos rigged for ice fishing, electronics, augers, rod holders, the whole shebang, I'll pass on that one.

At times I find the knot coming thru the guides a bit annoying as well, however I do not think it affects the distance, leader is about 3'. I tie my knot with less cross wraps and it seems to be smaller. I don't have a set number of up and down wraps, whatever makes a neater knot depending on the combination of braid and leader thicknesses. Standard bass or peacock set up is 10# braid and 10# leader, 7 wraps up and 1 down. Standard inshore set up 15 or 20# braid and 30# leader, 8 up and 2 down, been holding just fine on 25+ fish saltwater fish. I have not retied my joining knot or loop knot to my lure in 4 days of fishing, just left the same lure on.

Pretty good peacock bass bait. Roostertails are not too durable, I prefer Mepps.