SirSnookalot

I agree. I really like rough weather for fishing, wind doesn't bother me I just fish it differently. I enjoy the calm days from the standpoint that it's comfortable and relaxing. Been an exceptional windy season down here, 20- 30 mph inshore almost every morning and the wind picks up inland in the afternoon.

I don't use cranks but jerkbaits are very prominent in my arsenal. Fishing freshwater in Florida I prefer shallow runners and I use one that costs only $2.99. This lure has accounted for more bass and peacocks that any other jerkbait I can think of. The hooks are terrible, the first thing I do is replace them with a #6 3x treble. The lures always runs true, I bang them against docks and bridges all the time and the lips don't break like my xraps. No doubt in my mind they come from China, if I'm catching fish I don't care where the lures come from.

Depending on size, 8-$12 for replacement.

Quality control, or lack of, is what kept me in the scrap business for 35 years, thank you.

The warming Earth traps more moisture in the atmosphere which can cause more severe snowstorms, extreme storms in other seasons as well. Polar caps shrinking and the oceans rising, doesn't heat melt ice?

Ambush predators like a bass and what many call saltwater bass (snook) so often are caught along side seawalls. I'd say pretty close to 90% of my seawall fish are caught no more than 12" out from the wall, I always cast parallel. The fish lurk in the shadow and wait for bait at the edge of ambient shadow light line, if you're fishing at night. IMO nothing is more productive than dirty water, I started the new year off right with a great snook yesterday fishing this exact scenario.

I fish braid and leader 100% of the time. The times I have lost my leader due to snag I'll tie direct, don't feel my catch rate is any different.

I believe Rolo is spot on. I have fish residing in several places I fish, one if fact has a noticeable spot on it's lip and I've caught quite a few times within 20 or 30' of the same place. Do I catch them every time I fish there, of course not.

The negative of any forum is trying to digest too much information for a beginner. I believe the recommended senko is the best way to get started, learning how to feel a bite and set the hook is fishing 101. I also think the chances of being skunked with a senko are greatly reduced, nothing is more disparaging than not catching anything for a beginner.

Live bait update. I have been consumed with catching peacocks in my local area, just don't care to drive down to Dade. I located some beautiful peacocks around here yesterday, the conditions could not have been more perfect. I wasn't the only one there and this person was using live shiners, pulling them up left and right, few nice bass too. He offered to share his bait with me, really nice of him, but I couldn't bring myself use them. Dropping a bait in the water and waiting a minute or 2 is not my idea of a challenge. I worked hard and in time I did prevail. There is a recent thread about lowering standards, live bait and plastic worms is lowering my standards, I don't do either, well maybe a senko a few times a year at most.

A reel should be perfect out of the box, especially a $300+ spinning reel. Having to tweek a spinning reel in that price range is absurd IMO. Even needing a shim on a brand new reel for the purpose of line stacking is something I would also find unacceptable, in time I have shimmed reels but not a new ones. A problem form the git go means more problems in the future.

^ In my mind I don't think there is any question about this.^ After reading some of the posts I I decided to fish my cabo 40 yesterday, this is one fine reel. On a specification level it's not always easy to compare one brand against another, the cabo 40 230yd/10#, 30# max drag @ 13.9 oz I find to be a pretty good package for what I use it for. Not to say other brands I use don't offer a package suited for a different purpose that I like just as well, probably why I own different brands. Especially in spinning reels given a specific price range, I don't think the level of performance is too measurable from brand to brand, durability may be another issue.

Good thing about the Alberto is matching line diameters is not critical. I agree about leader strength, only time I would use 6# leader would be pond fishing void of vegetation. Much of my fishing is 15# braid with a 20# leader whether I'm fishing canals for bass or inshore salt species. I have no concerns regarding the strength of any knots I use.

I agree it should be perfect, as any NIB reel should be. If satisfaction cannot be obtained via exchange at the store where it was bought, the best place to send it is the manufacture. I've gone to authorized service centers they just aren't always equipped to handle a problem, they can't stock every part, been down that road before. In your case only an exchange for a NEW perfectly working reel would be acceptable.

Don't care about the money savings, it isn't enough to concern me especially on smaller reels. As things would have it I have a snowbird living across the street from me from Iowa and doesn't use spinning. He has a never used stradic 2500 fi and purchased a rod for it, asked me to spool it up for him yesterday. He has no saltwater experience and wanted backing on the reel, I put backing on for him both 4 # and 8# trilene and the knot kept breaking at the arbor. Strip everything off and load up straight 15# PP, at the bevel there is only about 125 yards with line remaining on the 150 yd filler spool. Either Shimano's numbering system is off, same with other brands too, or they figure line capacity past the bevel up to the very top, which is my hunch. As far as I'm concerned for 125 yards of line it doesn't pay to use backing. The times when I add about 75 yards isn't in freshwater, those reels get a total respool, it's my 4000 reels in saltwater. Matching mono diameter to 15 or 20# braid gives me a very weak backing( 4 or 6# ) and a heavier mono reduces my line capacity, don't like either scenario. I'm no fan of backing.

If I waited for the perfect barometric pressure, I would have missed so many wonderful fish. I do pay a lot of attention to certain weather factors, none of which keep me from fishing, but has bearing on target species and the areas I'm going to fish.

I feel the same way, even in saltwater as there baits and techniques I don't care to do, like live bait for example. My hope is to always catch a 20#+ fish, doesn't happen often enough..lol.

Moving to Florida nearly 10 years ago mysteriously my fly rod disappeared, along with several cds loaded with fishing and vacation pics (which I more upset about). There are quite a few fly fishermen down here I'm friendly with, borrowing an outfit hasn't been a problem, but I should buy my own and my wife has been urging me to do so. I've got some really good guidance as these guys have been it 40 years or more in saltwater. I'll be looking into it once the winds start to calm down.

Luckily I'm still catching some saltwater fish, which is always priority #1 for me. I'm only fishing for peacocks and they are not easy to find in Delray, but they are here. The bass I'm catching are pretty much bi products of my attempts at peas.

I have a razr maxx and it operates beautifully even considering the processor is not the fastest. I did find other phones that I felt had a sharper, crisper display but they felt awkward in my hand, the maxx fits exceptionally well. I have yet to jump on the tablet bandwagon, if certain phones are a bit large for mobility, a tablet is not a tool I would find useful. My home computer is my real workhorse.

Regardless of brand, price range, fresh or salt and size of species, I've yet to wear out any drag in 6 months, and my equipment gets more than moderate use. I have replaced drags in only 2 reels, both get very heavy use. A 4000 stradic fi after about 5 years for saltwater and a 30 supreme about the same time period in freshwater.

I own 2 cabos both really nice reels. My newer 40 is only 8 months old, can't give a review on durability for short term use, except to say it's rock solid and has handled some good sized fish. Kind of a toss up as which reel I like best for offshore spinning, my soron 60 or cabo 40, both are hands above my Penn or Shimanos for that kind of fishing. I tend to use my stradics for jettie fishing and my smaller sorons and supremes for beach and some freshwater. Not that I've used it, but Quantum offers 48 hour warranty turn around time on freshwater reels and 24 hour for salt reels.

Between shoes and mini vans you got a lot of problems, how much can 1 man take?

I catch fish based on my experience in the locations I fish, I don't read much as I've been catching fish over 60 years. How many many fish have I caught in dark water at night using a black or dark lure, can't count them all. My success in the dark is not limited to only bass.

When it comes to freshwater peacocks maybe my favorite in South Florida. Prior to the freeze they were every where in Palm Beach county, not the case now and I'm really having to hunt to find them. Most of the ones I'm catching in PB are small, but when I get one over 3# it's nice treat on light tackle.