SirSnookalot

C'mon...It's "PRIME TIME" in the southern states. Step up to the plate and fish for giant bass! You have all year to chase baitfish and trash fish. "Bass fishermen" are targeting 10+ and posting a few in FL, GA, TX and CA. With a little effort, you should be able to land a few, too. If you are ever going to fish freshwater, now is the time! : HAHAHA....... I fished freshwater, in addition to saltwater, since December, now it's bug time and I don't like them. Had my wife been in town I'd have been out eating dinner instead of going in my backyard canal. Tossing a top lure I nailed a good bass and I couldn't get it's head out of the water. I slid down the canal to waters edge, lipped it and release it. Admittedly it was nice thrill, unfortunate this battle didn't last as long as I would have wished for this 9 or 10 pounder, but I will try it again as long as the bugs are gone and my wife isn't home at dinner time, lol. This memorable adventure will in no way replace my trash fish, been catching sailfish, cobia, kingish, spinner sharks, tarpon, snook, cuda and more. The only drawback is that we don't get 50 fish in an outing, real happy with 1 or 2. RW you have my personal invitation to come down and give it try with me, I guarantee I'll put a smile on your face.

South FLA, ever see any needle fish in freshwater canals? I have over the last couple of years and I'm wondering how they got there, why no snook then lol. I have been trying for years but no freshies where I live.

So you would rather have a swivel go through your guides? :-? I don't use swivels that small. In 60 years of fishing my swivel seldom has touched the eye. I use 15-18" of leader except for some pelagic species I use about 5'. With many larger fish it's best to grab a long leader rather than the line, especially if you are not gaffing the fish, like a sail. We aren't casting for them but trolling. Many people use a bimini twist knot but I still like a BB swivel to avoid line twist when trolling.

I'll swim against the current on this one. I much prefer using swivels, especially with spinning gear. I do not like a knot ( even the alberto) coming thru my guides when I'm casting. Certain lures like spoons (more so when trolling), plastic flukes cause line twist, bb swivels will help prevent it from happening, 2 bb swivels are better yet, exception are fish that will hit a swivel as likely as the lure like spanish mackerel. I tie a simple clinch knot fishing from bass to shark.

We use containers here in Florida for many types of food like cereal, lots of insects here. Nothing keeps food better than old fashioned wax paper which no food companies uses anymore. I hate bread in plastic bags, destroys the crust, but have found only 1 bakery that uses wax paper or a waxed bag.

Real nice Pea........I used to catch more peas than l/m in my backyard canal, all gone to last years cold snap, haven't caught one in over a year. There are not too many freshwater fish that will outfight a peacock. If I had a good shore spot I'd drive down to Miami for some light tackle action.

Matter of luck, sometimes they are cheaper at a later date. We now have escalating oil prices, I'm sure air fares will soon increase the price in fuel.

The blurb is but one person's opinion. Were there "tons" (2000# per ton) removed or just many fish? A lot fish to one person may see like a smaller amount to someone else, neither opinion would give the actual percentage removed as compared to the total population. If the locals are taking legal fish within the legal limit it's their privilege. My guess is they have been doing it for years and probably don't need any professional fisherman to show them where they are and how to catch them.

I'm lazy and many of my trebles are down to 1 or 2 hooks, I leave them that way on purpose. I like my fish hooked only on 1 lip, not both, same reason I prefer siwash hooks for my spoons.

I have several for freshwater, however I almost always use just 1, it's the same set up up I use for beach snook, jacks and juvie tarpon. 2000 spinning reel, med 8/17 inshore rod,15# braid with a 20# leader. If i need to go weedless I just tie a hook on.

I use about 18" of leader tied to a bb swivel and usually a duolock snap. My braid fares pretty well and I do fish over rocks and coral constantly, checking your line is a must. Often I can go for days without having to re tie my braid at the swivel, I use a simple clinch knot, same knot and braid test (20# max) I use for pelagic species.

Getting hot and humid down here, yesterday probably was my last day of bass fishing for this year. Plenty of "other species" being caught but pics and reports give me bad karma.....then the bite stops for me >

Keel hooks when I want weedless, otherwise plastic on jig head.

In the comfort of my home scissors work fine, but out in the field any pliers, lighter or cigaret ( if you smoke )is fast and easy.

IMO rods should be selected for an intended purpose, water conditions, target species....I'd use 1 type of rod for an open water pond as compared to high banked canal fishing or weedy area conditions. I pay little attention to sensitivity, not because I use braid but because of my fishing techniques and the kind of fish I catch. I really have never had a problem detecting a bite with a broom stick. Recently I went to using a saltwater inshore med 8/17 rod ( calico jack, 54.99) for high banked canals, get more than enough casting distance and have the back bone to lift a good size bass out of the water. Shimano clarus rods are excellent, from light pond use to inshore fishing.

I wasn't aware that a separate wardrobe was required for tossing a topwater plug, t-shirt works for me.

I don't think sw hooks vs freshwater hooks will make any difference. I use xraps both for fresh and saltwater, saltwater versions are the same except for the hooks. At replacement time I use whatever I have on hand and both fresh and saltwater movements are no different than new out of the box. Generally I will up the size 1 notch, still no difference in action.

Many times when I'm bass fishing I change lures after I've caught a fish, reason being, is it the lure or are the fish just ON. In most cases I find it's the fish and lure choice and color being of secondary importance. I'm not scientific in any aspect of fishing, I just go get them........they are either on or off, I read no more into it.

Conditioning the line will not prevent line twist, it will make the line limper and less likely to coil, so does hot water. Once your line is spooled troll it out before fishing, then use a use a ball bearing swivel, line twist no more.

The hot bite down here are cobia and spinner shark, I had 1 of each yesterday. Caught the cobe trolling in 15' on a 1 oz bucktail, the spinner was caught in the same area drifting with a bonita strip for bait. Shorebound people are catching them off the piers, lake Worth and Juno are very good.

My freshwater braid is all pale green, it's all old but the color or lack of doesn't bother me. My saltwater braid, same brand, retains color longer, could be I change it more often.

The alberto is a good knot and easy to tie, that said I have only used it one time as I see no need tying my leaders onto my main line, I prefer tying my leader to a swivel for all my fishing. The one exception is targeting fish that will hit the swivel as quick as a lure, in my case that's spanish mackeral.

If you are in the same state, you are too close.......lol. I was fishing with a hall of fame fisherman the last few months, keyword WAS. Every time I got a hookup and before I could even land the fish this guy was casting right into my spot( beach fishing). This happen a good 10 times, at first I payed no attention to it considering he was new in the area, I also took him to a few of my hot spots( big mistake). Now when I see him I just leave. With this guys background he should have better fishing etiquette.

I get lots of line twist with both braid and mono when trolling spoons or drift fishing in the ocean, cut bait is always rotating. Easy fix....spool up any old way then troll your line limp before fishing. Ball bearing swivels will eliminate twist. Fished mostly one spinning rod in the ocean yesterday, trolled and drifted with a BB swivel, not a bit of twist, won't even have to troll my line out for my next outing. Always wondered why my Dad 60 years ago was such a sticker for BB swivels, didn't realize it until I stopped using them, as a kid we never had line twist.

May is about the time the snook start really turning on, we hope for lots of rain then. With rain comes the opening of the gates at the spillway, snook, tarpon and jack crevelle heaven, better bring some heavier tackle they get big at the spillways, bucktails, flukes on jig heads. Spoons on the beach, hard or soft jerk baits in the ICW.