SirSnookalot

I don't think there is a magic braid, all of them can get cut up. I don't use a lure if I'm afraid of losing it, fishing defensly isn't for me. Just in the last couple days I lose 2 xraps 10 & 12, bunch of jig heads and a couple of bucktails, get cut off using a jigging spoon, a gotcha and a waxwing. I could have avoided a couple of the cutoffs using wire, but I prefer not to. Only lure I'm a little upset about is the waxwing not because of the cost but the local places don't carry them so I'll have to order a few on line. Everything else is easily replaced with little effort. Losing lures is part of fishing.

Fishing and outdoor related I met a man 45 years as a co-worker. He was rejected for military service due to medical for WW2, he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion, he stories were fascinating. After the war he became a trapper, hunter and fishing guide it the Algoma region of Ontario, again the stories were wondeful and he had that gift of gab. He is the man that mapped out my trips for me to fish those places. When I met him he was a widower with 6 kids and had married a widow with 8, 14 kids in a small 3 bedroom home on a lake. The BBQ's out there were so much fun, maybe 50 or so people. I took a few long weekend camping and trout fishing trips with him, great fly fisherman and taught me a lot. I kinda lost track of him, last I heard about 30 years ago he took up scuba, moved to Florida and was treasure hunting. Probably now deceased, his name was Wight Cooke, I'll never forget this guy.

He's an actor named Jonathon Goldsmith, an interesting man in his own rite. At present he's involved on the front line disarming mines left from the Viet Nam War.

2 weeks ago my modem quit working, Comcast says I need their new upgraged one, so I spend 2 hours in line getting one. Bring it home and set it up, still does not work. Get a Comacast tech here the next day, he tells me the routers in the new modems are terrible and hooks up my old linskys, everthing is fine now. Being bored the other day as I'm sitting around while my house is being remodled, I'm playing with my computer, big mistake I deleted my network. Being semi versed in ip addresses I attempt to log in and re establish the network, there are so many conflicting ip's it's impossible. I call linskys and they want $499 since I'm past warranty, so I log into their website and use live chat for $29.95. This process took over 4 hours, constantly getting disconnected plus their slow response time. Finally I'm able to log into their site and get my network back but my remote computer is offline even though it says it's on line. I call comcast, get someone from Katmandu, I hang up and call back now I have someone from Narobi, hang up again. Have dinner and call back, now I get an American woman, had me up and running perfectly in about 3 minutes, knew exactly waht the problem was. Linsky had me change the ip in the remote computer and that was the problem, clicked on "obtain an ip". The moral of the story, don't fix it if it ain't broke...........but I'll do it again, lol.

They eat them down here too. Nothing bothers me more than the term "trash fish". For recreational fishing I'll take the so called hard fighting trash over a gamesfish with a blah fight any time. IMO if you have fish on the line that has to be walked down, run after to avoid being spooled or does a few 360's around the boat you got a hard fighting fish, standing in one spot and just winching them in quickly, you got a pansy on the line. The fight is what it's all about.

One thing I don't undertand is straightening out a hook. I know a bass isn't going to do it especially if it's taking our drag, only an immovable snag will bend or break a hook. With braid a super strong hook set is not needed, and if the braid is light enough the lure or hook can be broken off with a result of losing less line. We do hear about the digging in issue, I don't experience it because I'm deprogammed in believing b/c gear is the way to go. Spinning gear and light braid rules for sub 40# fish.

I had an episode lipping a bass that caused me to spend 5 hours in the emergency room waiting to have a hook cut out of me, never again as my safety is paramount over any fish. I bought a net some years ago for snook, spent more time getting the trebles untangled as I did fishing, that net is spending it's life at the local dump. Pier net aside, I do take a handled net sometimes when fishing a low sea wall, the negative is that I'm confined to a smaller area to fish. I do have use a net offshore when I'm over limit, fish out of season, but if keeping the fish prefer using a gaff.

I'd fish a fluke weightless, I think it's more versatile,

Update......... the cocktails arrived in force this morning, bigger than before averaging about 20 inches. I kid you not a fish on every single cast, they were chasing the bait right on to the beach. I must have caught about 15, got cut off twice, it was alot of fun. As good a fight as they give had they been 4# jacks I'd be in ICU right now..........lol.

A net is never a bad idea although I don't use one for bass fishing. If I did have a net with me it would for some of the larger species of fish you might encounter. I'm not sure what size, on the jettie we use 36" round pier nets, 40 inch fish are pretty doable with some patience, 1 guy pulled up an 80# tarpon with his pier net, lifted it by himself too......wow.

I never take a self induced break. I fish 7 days a week and only miss once in a while if there is an emergency or commitment, like my house flooding recently. Even though I have to be home by 8 am when the workmen come, I fish early. In the winter I fish even more, still doing the ocean every morning that's when I get serious about bass fishing in the afternoons. I bet I haven't gone 7 or 8 days without fishing this year.

First of all I would never use b/c gear so a heavy braid is not even a consideration. We see people that feel lighter braids dig in with b/c gear and others that say they have no problem, guess ya just have to use what works for you. In the heaviest of slop I have here in Florida I use 15# braid on a med spinning rod for bass fishing, don't care what kind of lure I have on and I always use a leader. I fish for recreation and sport, I do not want to winch a fish in at warp speed, I don't mind giving a fish a chance to compete with me, that's what I'm there for. Can't seem to understand dragging them in with 50# line especially if it's just for fun.

Horrible news. I wouldn't be critical of the decision to play or not to.

I never heard that term until a few years ago, a former Long Island fishermen who is my best fishing buddy down here in Florida turned me on to it. We were catching small blues one day and he said those were "cocktails blues", I instantly fell in love with that name for them.

I am totally consumed with snook, I fish for them daily year round, certain times of the year they can be difficult to catch on artificial. As much as I love catching snook they aren't my favorite to have on the end of my line, the bigger ones can give a heck of a fight but I classify them as a 2nd or 3rd tier fish in the fight department. Inshore fishing it's hard to find anything that fights harder than a Jack Cravelle, unless it's a Permit and IMO it's the ultimate on lighter tackle. That said members of the jack family do not get airborn, which brings me to my 2 favorite fish, tarpon and barracuda. Both get up in the air, have some size to them and the cuda gives ya slam you won't ever forget.

Growing up I was not big kid and not tall, sports like basketball and football were for fun only. I give my mother some credit recognizing the fact I could hurt, she urged me to take up golf at about 9 years old. Golf stayed with me my entire life both for competition as well fun, lacking some natural talents I went as far as I could go on a competitive level. My passion for golf has never waned, however I don't play anymore. I'm focused on saltwater fishing and enjoy doing that every day.

7'6 redbone med spinning with a soron 40 reel and 15# braid. Have used it for bass fishing in a pinch but I prefer a lighter set up, can take the same outfit to the ocean and catch snook, jacks and tarpon which is primarily what I use it for.

Being a grandfather it isn't my choice. I have a 14 yo gr son a natural athlete, plays BB, football (running back) and track. Has been hurt, yes, have others been hurt, yes to that as well. He likes football the best.

I would transfer the pic to your computer, resize it and upload.

@ DaiwaKing, just noticed you are from South Florida so I understand your sentiments and agree. I think there are some differences, Ande mono (tournament) the benchmark for IGFA records as it breaks at the label not higher as many lines do today. Ugly stick and Penn reels, about the most common saltwater set up around for the average fisherman, sensitivity is not the issue here, strikes are substantial. Bass fishing is a little different as we are fishing in cover much of the time, strikes can be less noticeable and we set the hook. In saltwater setting the hook is not nearly as critical as many of the fish hit with enough speed and power to hook themselves, just gotta raise the rod. I do understand the sensitivity issue but do not buy into it 100%.

From what I've been led to believe an inshore blank is pretty much the same as a freshwater one, I personally use a med inshore spinning and 2000 reel with 15# braid for heavy vegetation and slop for bass fishing. Don't see the point of using a 4000 or 5000 reel for bass, as the drag is set to the line, a drag on 4000 would be about the same as the drag set for a 2000 reel, line capacity isn't an issue either. Nothing wrong in upgrading a drag, but I wouldn't do it until the stock drag is worn out, stocks are more than adequate for bass, snook too as I replaced my first drag ever on a spinning reel recently. The topic is open water, the reel isn't the issue but the line is in this thread. There is somewhat of a difference in the meaning of open water. In freshwater, as open as the water is, there still may be bottom vegetation to deal with, I could see jumping up to 20# or maybe 30# braid, leader or no leader is a choice. Fishing open water in salt there is much less vegetation, lighter rods and lines can be employed to handle bigger fish, I use med or mh and 20# braid is my max line. As long as I'm allowing the fish to take drag the line should not break, only does when the drag is way too tight.

I use a 7'6 or 8' rod almost every day, by far my favorite lengths. I throw any where from a 1/4 oz to an ounce+ very comfortable for me. In fairness I'm not flipping for bass, but have pitched under docks for snook literally hundreds of times with those very same spinning rods. True it's easier with a shorter rod, but those still don't have to be in perfect balance for me.

Never leave home with out a top water lure.

Baitfish quite often is the key in all bodies of water. I'm fishing one of my community ponds the other day and nothing going on until I spot some nervous water. First cast fish on and almost every other cast as well, the bait disapated and the bite went dead.

You may want to change your presentation, or less or no weight if it's a mucky bottom.