SirSnookalot

I've been wearing prescription eyewear for more than 50 years, haven't had a pair of glass lenses in at least 30 years, maybe more. The technology in plastic lenses has improved steadily, much of the difference is due to weight, and various coatings, polarization is a thin film. I haven't seen much difference in the actually polarizing effect between my $10 flip ups compared to my Cocoon $20 flip ups, compared to my $400+ prescription polarized sunglasses that I recently bought. Personally I prefer flip ups on my prescription glasses for several reasons, I start fishing long before the sun comes up, depending how the light is hitting the water I sometimes see better without them, I flip them up while tieing a knot. No denying some glare does enter from the side but I hardly pay any attention to it. Eyewear is one of the more marked up items I can think of. I used to buy my glasses wholesale from friends in the business, the cost of both lenses and frames is no where near what we pay for them retail.

It doesn't make any difference whether backing is used or not, tape or tie, or knot of choice, as long as what you do is done correctly. I go straight braid without any backing, my preference is blue painter's masking tape. The line doesn't last too long down here, getting cut off on pylons, trim tabs and engine props, lots or rocks and coral, so I do a fresh respool when needed.

I use a smart phone and for the most part the pictures are fine, except when someone else uses it. They seem to get the the pics out of focus when the camera is in auto focus mode, such is life, glad I'm not a stickler about it. The flip phones I have had did not allow me to upload to my pc, could however email a pic to myself. Whether it's an apple or android uploaded is easy and there are quite a few options available. Instant upload to picasa, third party site (cloud), cable to pc or ftp client and server using wifi connection. Congratulations on the fish.

I bought 6 krocodile spoons last week before the .99 sale, 1.99 for 1 oz sure set hooks, this week they are at 3.79. if you take your time and really go thru the entire site whether it's a .99 sale or other items you can find some nice stuff. I also bought an atom swingin swiper top lure 1.99 reg 10.99, it's now 6.99. I plan on checking this site once a week and catch some good buys.

1/2 oz stoem wild eyed shad...........it's an ocean snook, you can tell by the light color. Fish slipped out of my hands and this pic was snapped I was turning it over.

I went 3 for 3 this morning with a couple of other strikes that didn't hook up. Gotta love my new Cabo 40, talk about a power reel, mounted on an Okuma 8' mh inshore rod amplifies the pleasure even more. Took 2 of us to lift this puppy up.

Braid shines because it's diameter to strength ratio as compared to mono or copoly, secondly hook setting is much easier, thirdly it manages better on spinning gear. What I do like about mono even though I seldom use it is that I make sure I use the drag as it's intended and not muscle a fish in with super strong line. I wouldn't be in the least bit upset if braided lines were reduced in strength while keeping the same diameters.

I can only address spinning reels, I have 4 Abu sorons all used in saltwater, they perform as well as the other 5 major brands I own.

I fish braid on all my gear except 1 situation, which is a saltwater driftboat and they don't allow braid, too many tangles with other fisherman. I do not use a conventional reel except when I'm using live or cut bait and still prefer spinning. I use leaders 100% of the time both in fresh and saltwater, 10# and 15# in fresh and 10-15 and 20# in salt. I do have a few set ups with 30# braid, as I'm matching the line to the reel not the fish. I go thru a lot of line and respool often, we have a lot of cut offs here and I get more than my share of windknots, does not alter my opinion of using braid. I do not take chances when my line gets beat up.

Just about any community park in Coral Springs and Margate hold snakeheads, those canals can be fished with no interference.

Miramar is peacock country, just about every canal and lake has them there, I would check out some of the parks in the area. Lures I would be using would be dependent on 2 variables, high or low banked canal and how much vegetation or floating grass there is. My first choice would always be lures with exposed hooks simply because I have a better chance at the peacocks. For me it's spinnerbaits, spoons, flashy jerkbaits, inline spinners and the sleeper bait is a crappie jig. I use a saltwater flats jig for them, bass will hit them too.

My first question to be answered is what do I buy first, rod or reel? Usually the rod gets the nod, then I will start looking for a reel to match it. IMO staying within particular price range most reels seem to perform on a par with each other, some exceptions will always apply. I want what feels right on my rod and is appealing to my eye. I personally only read reviews from experts that objectively evaluate equipment and are testing many brands and models against each other. One of the gurus I turn to is Alan Hawke, I did buy a reel before reading his review and I wish I hadn't bought it, he was right. There are a few people that fish for the species I mainly do and fish the same kind of water with far more technical expertise than me, I do pay attention to those 2 or 3 people and value their input.

I think if you follow this or any forum for a period of time you will discover people are catching all kinds of fish with all kinds of different gear and set ups. I don't think it makes much of difference what's done, as long as it works for you. What works for me in freshwater is 10-15# braided line with about a 20" leader connected with a BB swivel or quality power swivel, never a deviation. When I'm using lures with exposed hooks I'll use a duolock snap, not so much with the idea of quick change as I stay with a lure quite a while before I change it, but to keep using my same leader unless it has too much abrasion.

I agree. I personally favor spoons that wobble rather than spin, especially when trolling, I threw out all of my drone spoons for that very reason. I have had a lot success using Clark single hook saltwater spoons for bass in fresh water, like a j-spoon goes thru weeds pretty good.

I did a little pond fishing yesterday with light power spinning and topwater popper, lot of fun but nothing too big, 20-18 and a few about 12 or so.

Before the freeze a few years ago I was catching almost as many peas as LMB behind my home in Delray, as well as many other Palm Beach county locations. I do know they still catch them in Lake Ida and Lake Osborn and I have caught a few in the nearby canals of Lake Ida, the pic I posted was caught there within the last year. In South America they have 4 or 5 different strains that we don't have here and they get much bigger down there, RedlineRobert has been there and caught some awesome ones. I have a couple buddys down here that are strictly saltwater fly fisherman that have been in the Amazon fly fishing for them, they can't rave enough about them, a 20# woodknocker on a fly rod is pretty cool.

The rod I'm going to use is determined mainly by how thick the cover is. Most of the time it's a med 8/17 inshore spinning rod with max lure 3/4 oz, works fine for any kind of lure. Today fishing a pond with no vegetation it was a light spinning 6'6, probably max lure of around 1/4 oz and that's what my top water lure weighed, not a problem with 5# bass, it was fun too on the light tackle.

^^ Absolutely^^ A few things should be considered, match the hook size to the bait rather than the fish, too big a hook will kill your bait. For a small minnows I like the upper lip. Some species of baits will have a hard area just underneath the eyes, I hook those across the nose, that gives me double penetration in an area that keeps the bait on the hook better as well as keeping it alive. For some of the larger baits any area that does not come too close to an organ and allows the bait the to swim, lip back or tail is fine. Toothy critters I like the back, many of those species like to cut the bait in half so I like a centered hook, inhaling fishing like a bass or snook I prefer the hook forward in the lip area.

Caught lots of them.....this is a small one but the picture shows it's colors well.

Not being a fish myself I don't know exactly what they see, but I always use a leader if for no other reason than getting line tangled in a treble hook, and it happens. I'm a braid man and I use swivels, an improved clinch does not slip. I do use the alberto in lieu of a swivel only when I'm targeting species that will strike the swivel as readily as the lure, like a spanish or cero mackerel. Quite often I will use a duolock, saves on both leader and mainline plus it can help a wee bit in preventing a cut off from a toothy fish.

I fish nothing but general purpose rods for every single style and lure type in both fresh and saltwater. The power, length and lure weight parameters vary as to the species, the amount of cover, the actually distance I'm from the water. Jetties, sea walls and high banked freshwater canals I go with heavier rod, pond and beach fishing I can go lighter as I'm right next to my work. None of my rods are technique specific.

It doesn't make any difference using a knot or just taping the line to the spool, what's ever easiest for you, I just go with how I feel at the time. What is important is making sure the line does not slip, even on "braid ready" reels I still put tape on first both for braid and mono. In normal every day freshwater bass fishing the chances of being spooled is remote. In the event a large fish that can put on some long runs is hooked, there is a risk of being spooled, the knot either may not hold or if does damage can be done to the reel, I think both scenarios are pretty remote though. That said it happened to me the other day while fishing from a jettie using a spinning reel 30# braid with 270 yds of line. I hook a tarpon, no way to determine exactly how big as it I didn't land it but have caught many a 40 and 50 pounders on the same tackle. There was no way that I could put enough drag (reel has 30# of it) to slow this fish down I opted to break the fish off at the lure to avoid being spooled or possible reel damage. All I lost was my lure and leader, had I been on a boat running the fish down may have worked if we could have reacted fast enough, bottom line the fish was destined to win.

The original post in this thread makes no mention of being color or legally blind. I don't read every single topic, more than possible to miss background information on each and every person.

I'm curious to why one has to see their rod, isn't it being held. I fish before sunrise everyday and I don't look at my rod, I'm looking where I throw my lure.

I care less what the color of the rod is.