SirSnookalot

Been to Chi town many times , it's a wonderful city, a diverse population, with many cultural interests with an outstanding university, Univ of Chicago. I'm one of those PC, tree hugging types that appreciate what many urban metropolises offer. There is no question some of the major cities have their problems, cities and towns both big and small have 1 thing in common, none of them are utopia. Crime, drug use, slums, and corruption are common denominators almost everywhere. Living in South Fla we have some magnificent areas, yet minutes away there are areas that rival the worst places up north.

Today I had frenzy, 5# ladyfish for about 45 minutes, a fish a cast. Ladies are like catching tarpon, aka poormans tarpon, non stop jumping until landed. Handle this fish and you're ready for anything that jumps. As with any facet of fishing technique will land more fish than rods and reels. A jumping fish should be welcomed, that's the excitement.

50 and 80# braid and favor spinning gear so highly, might I ask what species of fish would you be targeting? Me, I do it with 2 combos, 7' med, 15 # braid, and 6'6 ml 10# braid, both spinning.

Is Mexico part of the United States now?

I disagree Red Earth. Everyone is entitled to start a topic whether there is a similar one going or not. It really isn't about repetitive information but more about the rights of being a forum member. I'm not in favor of moderator doing anything to alter a thread, post, or closing one down because THEY feel the topic has been covered. Some members may only come on once in while, they have the same right to voice their opinion as any of the more active members. A moderator in my opinion should only be heard from when a rules violation has occurred.

Yeh that bubble rig is real popular this time of year, great for spanish mackerel. The only place I use a rod and reel that size is offshore, but many do use them off piers and jetties. This is just the way I do it, I use nothing but med or mh rods, the difference is how much lure weight the rod can handle. I prefer a mh that can handle 2 oz as opposed to one that handles only an ounce for my jettie fishing, I do believe there isn't much difference in the actually backbone. This time of the year I'm pretty much on the beach, mostly using 7'6 or 8' med rod with a 3000 reel that has good line capacity or 4000. Since the drag setting is going to be about the same for either, it just becomes a personal choice on what to use. IMO, you never want to crank that drag down, that can mean a breakoff, drag is meant to slow and tire a fish, not stop it dead in it's tracks. No question of the possibilty getting spooled, out there you can hit by 2# bluefish or an 80# tarpon. The tarpon gonna win about 95% of the time.

What we mostly have in South Florida are man made canals. Water is regulated from Lake O, and these canals have very little current and a times no current, much of the water movement is caused by the wind. Tidal canals are different than the freshwater ones, water level and current changes with the ocean tide, in some places fresh and saltwater canals do meet. I've got canal in Boca where I can catch snook, jacks, snapper, tarpon and LMB. These canals are a marvel to engineering, South Florida is a swamp, areas have been dried out for farming and building of cities, these canals direct the water, you can't get rid of it. At one time the Glades went nearly to the ocean, now in many places it's more than 10 miles from the coast.

Bill I've read many of your posts, your problem is simple, you over complicate things and do not react naturally. The problem is user error, not the rod, reel or line, if your hooks are dull that's user error too. You need to perfect your own way of hooksetting, fighting and landing a fish. From various price ranges in rods, to different powers and tips and everything else that distinguishes one rod from another, those are merely excuses for not landing a fish, not reasons. A good fisherman is going to be successful with any rod, a higher quality rod will only help if you already know what you are doing. That said, no one lands them all.

It is the nature of many bass to swim at you instead of away, maybe it's their way of taking the pressure off them from the hook, I really don't know. IMO it does help to keep a bass at closer range making it easier to maintain a tight line, and a tight line is the key to landing any fish. The excitement factor can create panic and panic loses fish. In many activities our game is elevated when playing with players better than us, fishing isn't any different. Practicing with more formidable fish will definitely raise your own game and eliminate the excitement factor, making one a better bass fisherman.

Tell your accountant only what he needs to know, not everything YOU know.........hehe,

What I meant was s/e people pay the entire 15% in regards to FICA taxes, reducing their disposable income. What may happen in " the grey area" might be another matter. Interesting and didn't know this until recent, saw on TV statistics indicated incomes averaged higher for employed workers than for business owners and s/e.

I was s/e for over 40 years, I've taken a few deductions, lol. My comment is about social security not cooking books, doesn't everyone have 2 sets?

I'm confident social security will be there, and you will get back every nickle that you and your employer contributed, that's my opinion. As an employee the social security system kind of works like a 401k, as the employer is matching your investment. Just to toss out a hypothetical number, say YOU invested $200k over your working career and received 400k in earned benefits, you're way ahead of the game as your employer has contributed an equal amount. S/E not so lucky they pay the entire 15% by themselves, reducing their yearly disposable income. Your employer is the big loser as they receive nothing for the money they contributed for YOU. Where it gets dicey is that people are living well into their 80's and 90's, not enough money has been funded to cover the expenditure, so our children are coming up with the shortage to fund their parents. That's in a nutshell with no moral or political comment.

Not that I have any documented proof but unregistered people just may be looking for locations to fish. Most of the time my homework is done before I go fishing, I know where I'm going and what I'm fishing for. Much of the time I leave my smart phone in the car, but if I do happen to have it with me I may snap a picture but would never take time to post it while fishing, I can do that when I get home.

Been having a whole lot fun the past 2 weeks, have done nothing but fish from the beach. This week alone I probably have been cut off and lost well over a $100 in lures, I even got off off using 30# wire. Lots of bluefish, jacks and snook, but no real big ones which is the way it is with the bait runs. I have pulled in half jacks cut to smithereens, most probably cudas, tarpon and shark brushing up against lures, a few big explosions, but can't get that big one on the line...........it's gonna happen, lol. With the work I'm having on my house getting home no later than 8:15 is really limiting me this year, but priorities have to prevail. I've kept the same 2 rods in my car for 2 weeks, so much stuff in my garage I can't to any of my other gear.

Skyway chili, either 3 way or 5 way, some pretty good stuff.

Given the choice I prefer a hard jerkbait all the time, but in my Florida canals that's not always possible. Where I fish it's common to have floating grass, high vegetation, and low water, that's when I'm fishing a soft fluke weedless.

I have 7 Hurricane redbones, 2 boat rods, 4 inshore and 1 light 6'6 that I use in freshwater, they are my favorite rods, never had breakage and some of mine are nearly 10 years old. At one time they were a Florida company I believe, they have been acquired by South Bend. Redbone has been as much about charity as it is selling rods, that charity being Cystic Fibrosis. Redbone has in the past sponsored many tournaments for Cystic Fibrosis, not sure if they are still doing it. http://www.redbone.org/rods_info.html

Keep the rod low and tight line, that's all that's needed to do, anything else just over complicates the issue. True what WRB says, when a fish wants to jump it will and not much you can do about it and you will never land them all. The "perfect" rod is not that important, just set the darn hook and be done with it, it's matter of perfecting your own technique. You are dealing with a fish that on average weighs less than 5#, makes but a few jumps, tires and gets landed within 60 seconds. You are not catching a 50#+ fish with a jaw made of pure bone that jumps 8-10 times or more pulling out in excess of 50-100 yds of line. A seasoned fisherman does not think about landing a fish, it's all a natural reaction and never panics or gets excited with a fish on, that excitement is what loses fish.

FICA funds your social security and medicare, you pay half and the employer pays half.

I mentioned loomis and st croix because they are well known on this site. A company like Star rods and there are many others produce rods made for saltwater and offer ul and up, from the Ariel budget series thru the steller lite line, seagis series and the plasma line. Many are available in spinning casting and split grip. http://www.seastriker.com/starrods/

The only place I'm concerned my hooks quality is in saltwater, as I seldom rinse them down after I use them they rust and corrode very quick. As rusted as they may be I don't change them until an individual hook on the treb has broken, I still get good hooksets. When I replace it's only 4x hooks, VMC perma is my choice. I'm not fussy in freshwater and having no problem either, replacement time it's a 3x hook.

No politics Sam, lol.

Whether one likes them or not probably will boil down the specif reel itself. I've had 3 of them, 2 I still own and one I returned. Of the 2 I have in service, I see no difference in performance, drag or durability, the wider spools should have more ipt.

It's quite easy, keep the rod low or even into the water and your line tight. Nothing else you need to know. As easy as it is, your still going to lose your fair share, the first jump is the critical one.