SirSnookalot

It all depends who is doing the reading. I posted the same info on my SW board and had response and emails, simply because those guys are snook fishermen.. I'm gonna getchya on that old age comment..............lol @sofla, the surf around here isn't great yet, Hobe sound or Juno and north is where to be. There is a guy up there who post pics of 40" snook off the beach, this guy gets the biggest fish of any species, included some of the amazing bass. That guy is one great fisherman.

I was at Dicks yesterday in Boynton, didn't look at any tackle only reels. I broke a guide on my cuda rod which is a heavy, I replaced it with a mh (saw the line weight and didn't even notice the power), I wanted to get a lighter weight reel, not size for the rod. I was disappointed in the available stock at Dicks, they didn't have the reel I was interested in. I'll stick with my Cabo 30 for the time being, with a max drag of 23# and very smooth, but it has a limited line capacity with 14# mono and it's a heavy reel. I didn't see the saros at that price but that reel is little underpowered, heavy too in a 4000. I may try the Dicks in WPB later today.

You heard here first, don't buy a bass rod. For lily pads I would be using a saltwater inshore rod mh 10/20 lure rated max of 1 oz. I would be using 20# braid, not 50, if you get hung up you can't break 50# that will cost you a lot line, 20# braid is my ticket. I use a 4000 spheros on a mh inshore rod 20# braid, I've yet to meet the bass or snakehead that can stand up to.

I look at if from the other side of the fence, do I need a b/c and the answer comes up no every time. I can pin point my lures where ever I want, and no problem pulling fish out of heavy cover. I can catch bluegill to sailfish with spinning gear. I find a well matched spinning rod and reel more comfortable to fish with, even smaller fish seem like the battles are more epic, than winching them in with a b/c. Of course you need a spinning outfit.

It is a snook. I had my smartphone with me, as a rule I don't carry it for the simple reason night photos do not come out well with it, and the fellow who snapped the picture fumbled with the phone. That was a pretty good sized slob, I don't weigh or measure them but if I was guessing I'd say probably around 40" and a little more than 20#. I caught this one at the inlet so there is a lot of current to contend with, landing it with a pier net is a touchy thing too. They give a pretty decent fight, had it been a tarpon or jack of the same size, I might still be fighting it........lol. I really prefer to fish a tad lighter, but contending with a strong current and a jettie about 8' high, a heavier rod makes better sense. I was using a Star mh 10/20, 4000 stradic 20# braid, not to mention I'm not as young as I used to be.

Good move...................good luck !

I had a similar experience on Lake Anjigami, Hawk Junction Ontario................moose, scared the crap out of me.

I've seen needle fish in canals too

Popped a nice little one this morning, clinch knot too..........lol

Just cut it in the side until it bleeds...........clip one of the fins off too. That combo should be fine, most sharks are just stronger pullers, not fighters with the exception of a few species that can go acrobatic.

You may want to bleed a baitfish, keep it alive, chum is good too. I'm curious as to what kind of rod and reel and line you are using. It's one thing to catch one of those small groupers or needlefish, it's another to catch a shark.

Doesn't mean a guy has to earn a living in the same geographic area or even the same field of endeavor, I believe they are enforceable. If one is dead serious about having a contact, I'd have a labor attorney do it, an individual will probably not get it right. Once submitted I would assume the companies attorney will look it over and counter it. All that being said, a contract puts a bad taste in a small companies throat, first legal opportunity they have, and you're gone, you're making waves and no company likes that. I would't tell you to leave or stay, but I would forget the contact, it will bite you in the butt one day, the contact labels you as a trouble maker.

For those that have had trouble using the improved clinch with braid, this a tip I saw on a inshore SW program, and it works. Before cinching down your knot give it an extra wrap around the loop. Personally I only do this when I'm offshore ocean, inshore the standard improved clinch works just fine.

Look at where you are, a bass forum! Would you expect the biased to be towards golf or any other kind of fishing? Tokyo Tony is right, the activities are not comparable. I call fishing an activity, I have never considered it a sport and I never will, but for the sake of those that do, I'll call golf an activity as well. Some call golf boring, and they are entitled to their opinion. I fish for a multitude of different species, I put bass fishing in the category of fun, passes the time in a relaxed way, I will probably always do it. But as far as getting exhilarated and pumped, it doesn't rank real high as one of the more exciting fish for me to catch.

It's a shame you can't fish off the beach, the fight is so much better in the surf. You can out muscle some of these fish, land them and they seem to have an expression on their face as if to say " hey buddy, is that all you got? "

In any type of angling there will always be a segment of that particular faction that feel they are above it all and look down at other anglers, shore fishermen, or non fishing boaters. There are rude, crude and lewd people everywhere. I don't come in contact with any bass boaters but I come in contact frequently with saltwater boat fisherman,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they are no better. We got guys out here with 200k boats and 1000 horsepower moving at nearly top speed almost with in yards of other boaters, with no regard or courtesy. They fish for bait with a few feet of a jettie, it's legal (illegal at a pier) but not very courteous to the shorebound guys. The list of I'm better than you" actions are uncountable. An arsehole is an arsehole whether he/she is fishing for bass, trout or kingfish.

I like them both. Been fishing since I was about 5 and played golf from about age 8, as a participant I find neither activity boring, I've always fished a lot and played a lot of golf too. In either activity the cost can be both moderate as well as expensive, that's a choice made upon one's own desire or economic background. I've played at muni's and been a club member too, I was always buying woods, new irons, always looking for the magic bullet, just like fishing............there is no magic, you can't buy a fish or buy a swing. I've shore fished, rented boats and owned a few too. I had a 34' at a marina, with insurance, dockage and maintenance may have been on a par cost wise with a golf club. Made money on my golf membership equity but the boat lost money on a trade in. When I moved to an inland like traded in for a smaller boat, 29', but did my fishing from a rowboat........lol, which I got for free when I bought the house. Can't say I see either one boring or favor one over the other.

Sam, the machines used for knot strength I believe do not allow for a drag. In reality we do not fish with the drag locked down as tight as it goes, at least I don't. In no way am I questioning the strength of the palomar, just don't think a machine fishes like an experienced human.

I match the rod more to the bait weight than the size of the fish. If I were fishing from a boat where I was "close to my work", and no real heavy cover to worry about, a medium rod would be what I would be using. Is current an issue? If so I may jump it up to mh, but probably not.

Just about any knot tied correctly is going to work well. It is not my nature to over think and over analyze, I keep things as simple as possible. If any knot fails chances are it was tied poorly or it has been fatigued and needs to be retied. I cannot remember a bass of any size, whether it was in open water or slop, where my ordinary clinch failed. I keep the same knots on both my swivel and leaders for weeks without re tying. Jumping it up just a little bit, I catch a lot of saltwater fish, not to be condescending but those fish are bigger, stronger, faster and don't come in near as quick, yet the clinch or improved clinch does not fail.........I make sure I tie them right, it they aren't I tie it over until it is right. If the palomar is "your knot", no reason not to say with it. Quite honestly I don't see a 5 or 10# fish breaking any knot, tie it right and you won't have a problem. The key to whatever knot you are using is your drag, the drag takes a lot of stress off the the knot.

Yep, that's a needle fish, not much to them, hard to hook and not much fight. The baitfish looks like one of our locals, we call them spots and they are good baits. That Yo Yo is nothing but a spool, in Florida they call it a Cuban rig. I have seen guys put a spoon or lure on them and catch fish that way. A good bet if a guy is using a Yo Yo his rod has broken off tip and has a freshwater reel on it that's sticky as hell, and he's been using that way for years. On a side note regarding hooks. I've been catching good fish lately, no reports or pictures that's bad karma for me lol. Yesterday we had so much bait crashing that fishing with artificial would have been difficult, so I set up a bait rod. The bait lately has been small sardines, as I said a few days ago, match the hook size to the bait and not the fish, so I put on a 1/0 circle. To my surprise we had greenies coming in, a larger bait, I did not change hook, the 1/0 was the ideal size, these medium sized fish maybe 10 pounds or so.

Real nice sized fish.

Any tackle shop would go out of business if they relied on me. I have not bought a freshwater lure in close to a year, and can think of only 1 I lost. Saltwater is another story, I lose something every time fish, which is daily, jigs are not counted, a fish or 2 and they are toast, not too mention snags. Lures get cut off, corroded and snagged almost daily. I just ordered 30 bucktails and 5 packs of DOA jerk shads.

Without a doubt. I use both the ordinary and the improved too, especially with braid. Each and every mate and captains I go out with uses an ordinary clinch. For all of my freshwater and saltwater fishing, it's only those 2 knots. Just about any knot tied correctly is going to be ok. I wonder what kind of fish are on steroids that require those mega knots. When a knot fails, it isn't the knots fault, it's user error, or too tight a drag.

Yes you can, and this is how. i don't fish anything but spinning gear in all bodies of water. This may take just a little bit of practice but it's real easy. Assuming if you are fishing heavy cover you are most likely using a bit heavier rod, since my hand is always above the reel it easily slides up on the foregrip or even higher to the shaft, now you have more leverage. Then just grab the spool with your retrieving hand and pull the fish thru the weeds, release the spool when the fish is clear. The most important links are a well tied knot and healthy line. Your pulling arm has more strength than the reel.