SirSnookalot

Ever hear of kite fishing for sailfish? They make specific rods for that.

The biggest difference between freshwater and saltwater lures are the size and hooks used, predatory fish in either environment will strike both types of lures. The above mentioned Poppa Dog is my favorite, IMO Mirrolure uses the strongest hooks.

Not too many reels I've bought and hated, the JM wide spool spinning reel was one of them. I returned the reel to BPS about a week later, excessive wind knots and the reel was not standing up to saltwater species. I exchanged it for a Daiwa, that one has been perfect for about 2 or 3 years now, the BPS manager, a saltwater guy whispered to me, "yeh JM is POS."

Over the last week bass fishing for me has been the slowest in a couple of months and the have been small. It's not quite time yet but starting to see signs for some my other species favorites.

Most of the beaches down here charge to park, one of favorites in Boca just installed meters. Luckily I fish Boynton and it's free parking and the jetitie is also no charge. Up at Juno park anywhere on the street or lots, it's all free by the beach there.

If I had a beginner fisherman (fisherwoman) I'd start them off with a plastic worm and jigs with a trailer, nothing else. Beginner should learn fairly quick on what a bass strikes feels like with those baits and probably the most productive things to use, keeps the morale up.

My $30 bubble wrapped spinning reel with the handle sticking out of the package.

I have never seen traffic like I have the past couple of months here in South Florida, snowbirds in force, has to be a lot of real estate selling now. I'm considering making a move up to the Juno, Jupiter area, less crowded, newer and cleaner, better fishing and not too far from Hobe Sound or even Sebastion.

I have that same rod and similar sized reel and I use it for pond use. I also have the 7' med 8/17 redbone with a soron 20 on it, has handled jacks and snook that have easily topped the 10 pound mark. I don't often use that 7 footer in freshwater, it's just too much rod for bass. Simple motto, just let me hook it and I'll find a way to land it.

When fishing in saltwater you do not always have control of what bites the hook. I personally do not want to keep a shark or bring a 7 footer on board a 21' boot, that's a lot to handle. I don't even want to unhook one like this. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/gallery/image/1453-shark-003/

I have several nicer watches. I received as an engagement present (42 years ago) a gold Lucien Picard watch, I really liked the watch but since I didn't marry her the watch has just sat unworn. I have a Rolex, nice piece but a bit clunky on my small wrist, never wear it. Fell in love with a Rado I saw at a duty free shop in the islands, thought it was a great deal but I took a pass. Several weeks later I was at a local jeweler where we shop quite a bit, saw the same watch cheaper and not duty free...........lol, bought it and I love it. My favorite is a Timex with a 8 year battery, never needs service and the time is always perfect, now on my second battery, I bought it in 2000. John Cameron Swayze, " It takes a lickin and keeps on tickin"

We have been involved with Special Olympics for several decades, along with J.A.R.C. and Kadema.

I agree........when I fish from shore I'm always walking and not all of the shore is fishable.

Assuming you already have S/W lures, because if I you didn't just buy freshwater lures. Most lures are pretty universal as far as what kind of water and what kind of fish you can use them for. For the most part I use s/w lures in salt and freshwater lures in fresh. Only exceptions are a plastic fluke, spoon and bucktail jig. I'd be paying more attention to matching the lure to the rod, rather than a specific lure. Not that I haven't used every single lure mentioned, but 30 years of saltwater fishing has taught me 1 thing, all I need to use is a plastic fluke, bucktail, top water lure and a spoon, anything else is just for the sake of variety. One thing I would to try if I'm ever up north is to use one of my surgical tubes on muskie or pike, I think they might be killers.

One of my favorite rod companies is Hurricane redbone, I'd like to see 2 changes. Their 7' inshore rods have too short a rear butt for my taste and I wish they made 10/20 mh rod with a 2 oz lure rating in addition to the 1 oz models.

Getting ready to hit the inlet and catch the last of the outgoing tide for snook (season opens today), tide change about 6:30 and start throwing tubes for cuda. It's not ideal out there now but a dry lure never catches fish.

I've got my own funk going on, can't get any fish offshore on a calm day and when the bite is on it's too rough out there. The inshore bite has not materialized yet, only caught one fish over 30#, but I'm trying every day. I took a few days off from bass fishing to spend time with my wife, felt good.

Comparing apples to apples and identical components a rod builder does not have the same purchasing power as a major rod manufacturing company. The rod builder is paying retail prices that are available to anyone that wishes to purchase them, whether one is a custom rod builder or an individual making their own. A brand name rod company most likely purchases their components cheaper than the rod builder's supplier. Manufacturing companies do not shop price weekly or monthly from their suppliers, they take bids and write a contact for an extended period of time, 3-6 or 12 months, the contact and volume is what reduces their cost. The original question, is a s/g worth an extra $40-$50, not which costs more to make and that pretty much based on who is making that rod. A s/g is not worth more to me, I don't care for them.

It isn't necessary, as an everyday saltwater fisherman I can tell you that the average angler does not spend anywhere close to that. If course there are some that do, those are the guys with 200k boats and money probably isn't much of an object. There are some advantages to the more expensive reels, an 18000 stella for example has incredible drag of over 50# with an incredible price to go with it. A Van Staal claims to be sandproof. For a saltwater reel one would like to have a reel that's durable to the elements, have a good drag, and withstand some harder fighting fish on a constant basis. IMO that can be had for $125-$225, much more than I would spend for freshwater fishing. I have no doubt the components cost more, but how much more? Large companies are always price beating their suppliers and they negotiation in large volume, the more they buy the cheaper the price. I'd be willing to bet a stella does not cost 10 times more to make than a sahara.

I agree with the 15.6 and win 7. I've been relentlessly phone shopping the last few weeks, haven't found the right combination of I want yet. I loved the way HTC 8x felt in my hand, but those tiles was a bit of turnoff and the app market isn't what I desired.

Not surprised at all, given the fact there are more millionaires today than ever before in history. To some $500-$1000 is a drop in the bucket, but for most it's a very significant purchase. I would not spend that kind of money on a reel unless I was making money using them, if I was then the reel would wind up costing me little or nothing. If I were fishing 7 days a week and banging 10-15# and heavier fish daily, plus needing a reel that stands up to the rigors of sand and salt $500 all of a sudden doesn't sound expensive. But in reality I don't catch those kinds of fish every single day and how many people on this site do.

F/C may make a difference on the water and species for some, but where I fish it made no difference to me. I don't care much for my knots especially with F/C leaders and with a heavier # test. We have species down here that are supposed to be very line shy, I've caught them on wire and not just once. I''ll go braid with mono or floroclear leader just about all the time.

If I could not afford to buy something before I received a windfall I'd probably save the money and buy nothing. If I could afford an item before some kind of cash back, I would have already bought it. In this day and age $240 is not a lot of money, I'd most likely put the money in an emergency fund not a recreational expenditure.

Not sure if a sg costs significantly more or less to manufacture when materials are bought in volume at wholesale, then massed produced. I don't think my local rod builder could build an identical rod for the same cost as a major manufacturer. The MSRP is not always based on cost but sometimes on popularity and may work on a higher margin if the public is thirsty for an item.

Neither picture tells the full story, we have a sand transfer station there, it was removed and rebuilt a little further out on the jettie. With a large fish on we could climb down the side right on to the beach and land fish from the sand. Years past we could get some of the fish underneath the cable, now it's another few feet up so I've been using just a little heavier rod to do so. We have a second jettie on the other side of the inlet it's very tiny, was redone as well.........that side is where the bigger snook and tarpon lay.