SirSnookalot

Nothing works 100% of the time and everything works some of the time. I fish for fun and use only the types of lures that give me the most pleasure, I don't get into worms and jigs too much.

Been my experience with spillways fishing is very good for the first day or 2 after the gates have been opened, then the bite calms down. I don't care for the LW spillway and I'm getting a bit old to fish off the rocks at Delray/Boca spillway, I don't fish them anymore.

I've yet to own a saltwater reel that hasn't needed repair: Shimano stradics and spheros, Penn Conquer, Daiwa tierra, Abu sorons and Quantum cabos, they all break down with continued salt use and handling powerful fish. I've yet to own a freshwater reel that needed and kind of service ever: Pflueger supremes, arbor and medalist( I use these 2 in saltwater and have been perfect since day one), Abu cardinals, Shimanos and a Shakespere agility. As far as I'm concerned it's what you are catching and where it's being done that's going to determine durability. I highly doubt I would ever spend more than 99 bucks for a freshwater reel, I don't see the demands being put on them and the conditions are not too harsh.

If I used anything for quick change it would be a duolock style snap, I have never had one open or fail in any manner. Swivels used as line connectors are rated by pounds. Power swivels are not expensive and come in all poundages and they are surprising small. I have some pretty small ones rated at 90 and 100#, I don't seem them being pulled apart, a knot has a better chance of failing.

Last year 20-30# snook were being caught everyday, not so this year as most of them have been smaller around here as well, I've had only a handful over 20#. Tarpon a different story and league too, lol. I've seen some of the bait users pulling up some 40 inchers. I'm sure they are going crazy with the mackerel now, catching them with a rattling bobber and a clark spoon. I don't fish high piers like Juno, I fish north of Marjeski rd on the beach, lifeguard stations 29-32, very uncrowded and there can be a ton of fish.

There are 40,000 BR members of which only a handful post reviews, compared to the world fishing population it's a small number. Shimano makes a nice product and very popular on this forum but not all forums. Other companies make fine products too and they are represented here as well. I don't place any one manufacturer on a pedestal, I buy reel suited for where I'm fishing and what kind of fish I plan on catching. There are a lot of people using all different kinds of reels, rods, lines and lures with success and having fun, I take this term "best" very lightly.

Never heard anything better than this.................too funny.

Any list that leaves off Andre Ware in the 50 worst QB's can't be too credible.

I'm in the "time on water" camp. Reading articles is ok but I believe they are more generic in nature than the waters I'm actually fishing on. Forums are fine to get info the "hot" areas to fish, but IMO past experience tells me what kind of lures and techniques I need to employ to be successful.

It always boils down to one's own choice based on past history. I do not use any kind of snap/swivel to attach lures, I will use a duolock for freshwater fishing and sometimes in saltwater but usually a loopknot. I don't ever recall having any kind snap or snap/swivel combination ever failing. I have seen other fishermen using inexpensive barrel swivels and have seen them pulled apart few times, but pretty rare and these were on saltwater species. The barrel swivel IMO is no more than a line connector, I use BB or power swivels which I feel reduce line twist much better.

If one has ever caught a peacock (or just about any saltwater fish) sensitivity is of little or no issue, you get slammed. In most cases the fish hit hard enough to hook themselves without the need of a hookset, just raise the rod.

I think the set up is fine except the f/c leader, never liked my knots using it and never caught any more fish. I've caught hundreds of peacocks on fast moving baits, I don't see any advantage in using f/c over a mono leader. The most line shy fish I know of are spanish mackerel and kingfish, gave up on f/c leaders for them and do just as well with mono leaders. Peacocks are great fun on light tackle ,15# braid and 20# mono leader IMO is heavy enough for them.

Not familiar with their spinning reels, first time I've seen a braid ready spool adapter. Whether my reels are braid ready or not I always tape the spool first, not suggesting just saying what I do. I'm curious in regards to their inshore series and how well their drags perform, incredible line capacity. Good luck with the reel.

Any remember Art Linkletter.........." Kids say the darndest things " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBMOhM31EyM

Don't go to Delray Beach Fri, Sat or Sunday as the meter has to be fed after 7 AM, Mon-Thur you can park free until 9:30 AM. The beaches further north are producing better anyway and it's closer to you, Juno Beach about a mile north of the pier or Hobe Sound. I had to lighten the photo up, why it's so grainy, I was a silhouette being back lit by the sun coming up.

Delray beach @ casurene street. First jack I've see in quite awhile, only 1 I saw today. I heard some nice jacks at the beach on Singer Island

Don't know how to explain. Drag washers sit atop of the spool, when the knob is tightened only pressure is applied to the drag stack. I don't' think any pressure is on the shims.

I don't believe that the shims wear or need to be replaced. The shims are placed on the axle and the spool over them, it becomes a solid unit. My question is, why if the spool stacked fine in the first place, why would the line stack differently at a later time? Seems to be one of the mysteries of life like, how did 1 sock disappear from the dryer, even after checking all the other items to see if was attached by static electricity?........lol.

Don't really know. Once they hit that swash they become immovable, I had to walk it backwards to pull it out of the surf. That's when you know you have tied a good knot, 15# braid to a 20# leader with an alberto and an ordinary clinch on the jig head.

Because of a time restraint I was unable to do my normal routine, but how does one not hit the beach at first light. Water was flat and outgoing, worst conditions possible so I'm looking for a bit of nervous water and I find some. Not much going on until I see a fin, I cast my DOA jerk shad and this jack was all over it. Fairly lengthy battle as I was using a med 7' spinning and soron 20 reel, which I planned on replacing later today at BPS, I'm rethinking that one, lol. Off in the distance I see mackerel beaking water, I switch lures to cast that far and pull in 3 spanish.

It's the way Shminano is. I've been wanting to buy some more Shimano waxwing lures, I have found no place that sells them less than MSRP.

They are without a doubt shims, all my Abus and my stradics came with them. I personally prefer to spool reels myself, machine spooling will not indicate whether there is a stacking problem. If memory serves correct on the first spooling I don't recall having a stacking problem, but I have a few times on my second or third respool. I don't have an explanation on why it happened but it did. Not necessarily brand specific, I call recall it ocurring on 3 of the most popular brands and models used, a few shims and all is well.

I'd take them back and go to a different store, any 2500 and under reel should be perfect out of the box and should give years of trouble free service, all my freshwater reels have. I have run into cases where the reel was a bit "sluggish" out of the box, all 4 I looked at were identical. Knowing the manufacturer and model I bought the reel anyway, I opted not to flush the bearings out and put new oil in, took a little bit of time to break the reel in and it's now one of the finest performing reels I own, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Time and a place for everything. I've caught many a small fish on big baits and many larger fish on small baits.

Couldn't be further from reality. A lot of variables determine what one is targeting at a given moment and what kind of a lure may produce the best results. Just to name a few, time of year and time of day, type of baitfish in the area, income or outgoing tide, tide change relative to sunrise and sunset, water clarity, surf height, brackish vs inshore vs offshore. It's true one can throw a spoon for example and it's pot luck on what might hit it, but how often does one cast in freshwater for bass and pull in another species like a pike, in Florida it could be a snakehead, peacock, tarpon or snook.