SirSnookalot

At 15 and new to fishing whatever you buy won't be the last outfit and no guarantee that you are going to stick with it. What I would do is not get overly consumed with buying various kinds of lures and baits. Keep it simple until you learn the nuances of bass and how to detect a strike and set the hook. If I had 15 year old I was instructing I'd start him/her off with a senko both weedless and wacky and a jig and trailer. These 2 baits are very prolific in both numbers and size. Master them then go on to another type of lure or technique. IMO it's best to learn how to fish first before investing in every lure out there.

Don't blame yourself, sometimes it's just a lack of fish cooperation. Stick with it and do what Catt says, you'll be killing them in no time. My best fluke color is disco violet, maybe because I just use it more than the others.

If you fear breaking line try braid. The hookset is the key, if well hooked you shouldn't lose too many, that said there isn't a person in the world that lands them all. I lose bass, other species too, mostly in 2 ways, either not a solid hookset or the jump. Keeping a low rod tip and tight line will significantly help with a jumping fish.

I have those same kind of friends, the above mentioned species are considered to be very line shy, yet they are caught on wire all the time. Some crimp surlon coated, others use piano wire using a haywire twist. In some fast water situations a wire leader can get that lure a bit deeper. I personally do not use wire when throwing lures, I also don't spend $60. Losing lures is part of fishing for me, not that I enjoy it but I don't get overly upset. Luckily I have a friend that's a Rapala rep, cost me $6.00 for a srx 12, one of my most used lures.

I enjoy my light outfits for some of my fishing, but there is a time and place for heavier ones. I spend a considerable amount of time using heavier ones and it's more about balance than overall weight. One of my most used is an 8' rod with a 14 oz reel, it's heavy but balances well, I'm just used to it. When I put it down and go with a smaller set up, it's like carrying a stiletto instead of a samuri sword.

If it's fairly new take it back. I'm assuming the insert fell out, it happens. When it does many times I have crack in the guide, usually do to the environment I fish in. I would most likely replace the entire guide, inexpensive and a quick repair.

If it's manageability, strength, and a line that can be reversed for extra life, a light braid would be my choice. I don't see too much point in prepping the line with a conditioner, having to troll the line out after an outing, braid in lieu of mono or copoly reduces that extra time and expense. Any mono or copoly off the rack will handle lmb and smallmouth, I used trilene xl for years when I lived in Michigan. If it's testing yourself go with Ande tournament. There are times where I do use mono or copoly, but not on a small spinning reel fishing for fun.

I use mono or copoly on just a few set ups, both spinning and conventional. My lures and baits rotate a lot so excessive line twist is a fact of life, I do troll my line out after each outing. Setting my drag based on line pound test removes my fear of the line breaking, if a fish is pulling out drag the line should not break. I've used many of the popular brands, I don't really have a favorite but lines I would never buy again are the ones that don't hold a good knot. My most used outfit has 14# silver thread on it, not setting by scale I'm assuming the drag is somewhere in the 5# range. Targeting 1 specific species that will go 15-40# and swim upwards of 30 mph the line has yet to fail, that said no other popular brand has failed either.

I'm sure you have gathered that I prefer spinning for just about every thing I do in saltwater, with a few exceptions that are not pertinent to this thread. As far as having trouble with a spinning bail baitrunner type reels combat that as the bail is always closed employing a secondary light drag, when you crank the handle the primary drag goes into effect. The bottom line is use what's most comfortable for you. There is some really fine freshwater information on this site, not as much in the way of saltwater simply because this is primarily a bass site with far few devoting the majority of their time in the brine. Many of us have been on charters or with guides, it isn't the same. For the most part we use the boat's rod and reels, the Captain selects the areas to fish, the type of bait that's hot and the rigging, we pay for that expertise. Doing it on your own isn't quite as easy and IMO the best place to get info is your local tackle shop and forums that are devoted to saltwater.

Regarding this topic I totally agree with Capt Bob, I may do it a bit different but the end game is the same. There is a lot to be said for experience, anyone that's been fishing for 20-60 years just knows how to do it without all this over complication. The hardest thing about bass fishing is catching the exceptionally large one, but that can be said for any species. Any time an angler can go out and catch 20-50 fish in an outing kinda tells me there is just no wrong way to do it, everything works just stay in your own comfort zone.

Reading Shimano's web site the curado 300 E can be used for muskie and inshore saltwater use, the 300EJ comes with a power crank also more ipt making it quite usable for jigging with butterfly type jigs, which is the hottest thing going now. The calcutta b does offer more line capacity but less ipt, the answer to the original question of can you use it and IMO the answer would be absolutely. That doesn't mean I'd use it or the calcutta, my preference will always be for spinning, but that is a personal choice. The advantage I see using either b/c rather than spinning is a lighter set-up, for me that isn't really an issue. I have an outfit that I use that I think would be ideal, I use it all the time offshore, a Star stellar light inshore hvy 25# class rod with an Abu soron 60 reel, packs 250 yds of 30# braid with a max drag of 30# on a 15 oz frame. I jig this outfit, cast lures, troll and sometimes use bait.

There are reasons to use braid other than strength, line management and many people claim there is a digging in issue with lighter braided lines. For the most part 65# braided line that probably will break over 80# isn't needed for it's strength to haul a 10# fish, I personally never use over 15# braid for bass fishing or 20# for inshore. Like Capt Bob I always use a leader, I do use a heavier leader than he does but it still breaks before the main line will. Off the top of my head I can think of 2 reasons why I use a leader, I like fishing exposed hooks and getting braid tangled in the hooks can be a nightmare, leaders unravel easier. Secondly, hooking on to a 40 or 50# fish using 15 or 20# braid is a fish that either may spool me or if I'm alone netting and lifting it is pretty hard, I'll just break the lure off with all my line intact.

I change my line when it's needed, that may depend on where I'm fishing. I always troll out my mono or copoly after I'm done fishing whether it's spinning or conventional, reeling thru my fingers I know if the line is good or not. I see nothing wrong in adding line if low on the spool or reversing braid. Open water fishing my line stays in good shape, fishing areas of rocks and coral my line can get pretty banged up.

I don't use b/c gear because I don't care for them, spinning works for me for whatever kind of fishing I'm doing. What other people use and think is best is entirely up to them, I think people should use the type of gear and fishing techniques that works best for them. As far as brands of rod and reels are concerned, in reality it really doesn't make that much difference providing the gear is of decent quality, they all catch fish and most of them will provide every bit of performance required. It's quite true saltwater fishermen use spinning gear, I'd say it's more than 90% in my area, this would be more in reference to inshore type fishing and species. If one is comfortable using a b/c for inshore fishing, nothing wrong with it. Offshore it's bit different, there is suitable spinning for just about all species, but many conventional reels are used too, personally I never would use one that had a level wind and didn't have a power handle, a time or 2 out there and you'll know why.

I don't think there is much difference in the blank between a spinning and casting rod of the same brand and model. I use the same rod for every lure I'm using 7'med 8/17 general purpose rod spinning, hook setting is about timing.

Nothing wrong with reversing the braid.

Most likely a engineering grad is going to be an engineer, hopefully getting employment after graduation. Not that a student loan is to be taken lightly. Pre grad loans are 3.8%, post grad are 5.4%, 100k undergraduate loan amortized for 20 years is about $575 per month and post grad about $680, many institutions require only a $50 monthly minimum, but you're still on the hook for the entire amount. A student loan may or not apply to a pro fisherman, a college degree isn't a requirement to go fishing for a living. However a capital investment is needed for just about anything. I do not feel 100k a year to operate a 1 man business, and being a professional fisherman is business that has a high upside potential is that much money. The average small business person can have expenses not much different than that 100k, with a couple of employees it's probably more. For the most part the small business person doesn't have near the upside potential, no endorsements, no sponsors, no books, and no commercials. It's all about risk and reward whichever path is taken, no business is easy.

I don't expect to do well this time of year catching bass. It's always nice to land a good sized bass, but if I haven't landed it I really don't know how big it actually was. I'm a fun fisherman and the only thing that matters to me is the hook up and the fight, fish slips the hook it doesn't bother me much. Day before yesterday I hook into a tarpon fishing off a sea wall, too big to get into my net, can't gaff it, but I can fight it and that's why I'm there. After maybe 5 or 6 jumps and getting it about 50% of the way in I give it slack to slip the hook, that's what we call a Palm Beach release, for me a successful day.

IMO bass don't have too bad of a smell, so many other species are far more pungent, bait and squid are pretty bad too.

I don't think the mayans get much over a 1.5# either. You want some real fun, wait until the ladyfish (aka poor man's tarpon) start running, they do come into the brackish canals.

I think a review of a reel is before it's used is worthless, but just as worthless is the skepticism placed on a product from those that haven't seen it or used it. I'm neither pro nor con on this particular item and as with most items I don't take a review too serious until it's been in service for quite a while. I don't use b/c but I do use spinning, I own bubble pack reels in some smaller sizes as well as more expensive larger reels. In fairness my less expensive reels don't get the stress put on them, they have lasted for years with no issues, I catch bass and peacocks in a freshwater environment. I can't make the same claim with my more expensive reels, the conditions are much harsher and the fish are a bit different, I've yet to own one that hasn't needed some kind of repair. There are certain brands and models that are not too popular here because of that durability factor. Personally I highly doubt I'd ever spend over 75 bucks for freshwater spinning reel again, I think saharas come in a bubble pack and it's more than adequate for bass and peacocks.

I have a smart phone with me, but after taking many photos that are really not photo worthy, I prefer someone to snap it for me, fish on the ground does not do the fish justice. I do not carry a scale, fish weights aren't too important me except the occasional curiosity for an exceptional fish. I have a rod mark which enables me to make a fairly good length guess I then use chart weight.

The only times I use live or cut bait is offshore in the ocean, casting with lures just doesn't work here, may as well troll and cover a lot more water. There are exceptions when you spot a weedline, or see birds or bait working, that's the time for casting. When it comes to bass fishing or inshore fishing using bait is blasphemy for me, it's always casting. Not that I haven't done it, but dropping down a live croaker or sand perch using a 30 or 40# class rod heavier reel and line and waiting about 2 minutes for a 20# snook isn't my idea of fun or challenge. I'd rather catch that same fish on a much lighter set up.

In fairness where derekxec and I fish in Florida larger swimbaits are not always conducive, the vegetation is too high or there is a lot of floating grass, a weedless fluke or a jig probably has caught most of my larger canal bass. There are times when weeds and grass are no problem, but some of canals are 6' and less, those are the times when a top lure really shines for bigger bass. Snook are caught exactly the same way as bass, just as many 30 pounders are caught on a 1/4 oz bucktail as 6" windcheater.

I don't think it's a matter of struggle in using them, it's fish cooperation. Right now in my part of Florida the best way to catch bass is with a stick of dynamite. Not catching them on jig now isn't any one's fault, except the fish's lack of interest, not that you can't get lucky every now and then. Moving the calendar up a few months a jig will be a great producer, it's pretty hard to fish them wrong. I don't normally fish them for bass too slow for me, but I spent about 2 months solid last winter using them for a change of pass, I did exceptionally well. I actually found it to be about easiest way to catch bass.