SirSnookalot

Froze my buns off in Coconut Creek Monday morning and no peacocks, however I managed 1 small one in the afternoon in Delray near my home.

Thanks for the inquiry, yes I have been doing this a while, my dad staring taking me at about age 5. I learned a lot from him, I don't know how he learned so much, he was a city boy, lol. Before retireing to Florida I lived on a lake in Michigan just oustside of Detroit. Many days after work I would row the shore line with a nightcrawler harness, may have been the most productive method I ever did. Great stress reliever as well. I hear the blufish bite is on at the beach so I'm to hit the surf for a couple of hours.

All my lures are new. I fish x-raps size 8 & 10, recently I found a lure called a "baze minnow", fishes higher in the water column, works well in shallow Florida canals and lakes. Lots of weeds here so I use plastics rigged weedless. I like the Mepps spoons with a single hook. Bite is slow I go to a spinner like a Panther or Mepps. Probably 90% of my freshwater fishing is done in my backyard, I have 5 ponds and a canal here, peacocks, myans, tilapia snd oscars as well. When the wind is down I go out with a fly rod. I try new things but seem to go back to my basics. I see you're only a few years younger than me.

My network ears have been telling me the the blues have been running off Lake Worth beach up to 10# at night. I'll be out there at first light this morning. Too bad there is 25mph west wind and the outgoing tide, but if there is a good trough should be ok.

Bass are not the wariest of fish in fact I think they are pretty easy to catch, either they on or off. The older I get the more I go back to basics and my production has not suffered. I carry a few lures, spoons or spinners and sooner or later we catch them. Outside influences can curtail your efforts. Right now in my part of Florida they are spraying for weeds in some of the lakes and canals, every year about this time the bite is slow, in a few weeks once this poison is disspated the bite will be back to normal.

I'm in Delray Beach, Florida and I target snook & tarpon most of the year, hope the bite starts in a month or so. I have some really nice spots and catch some good fish, but like most I'm always looking for new places to explore and new techniques........anyone care to colaborate?

What's the chances of starting a saltwater board?

Got a late start yesterday and the ocean bite is slow so I went bass fishing. Not the first I have gone to a notable spot and gone blank for a couple of hours. On the way home I stop at a small pond about mile from my home and BAM>>>>>>>>caught several very nice bass, maybe 3-4lb. I don't weigh them. Just love working a roostertail in the reeds.

If I were from the midwest, and I'm originally from Michigan, I would not go bass fishing but I would do something that I can't do from the midwest and that is to fish saltwater. Vero Beach is on the edge of one of the greatest saltwater fisheries in the world. This time of year the sails are on fire and if you prefer lighter tackle you can fish the river for big jacks. I guarantee if you catch a 10# jack it will give you a thrill that no largemouth could ever do, and they run up to 40#.

Shimano makes spinning reels that don't start with the letter S. Thunnus, Baitrunner Fx, Tx and Biomaster just to name a few.

I just happen to notice them on Cabela's web site. They call them a "surge " http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0003479312433a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all-perf&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=saltwater+tackle&Nty=1&cm_cat=Google_NonBrand&Ne=2510&Ntt=saltwater+tackle&noImage=0&cm_ven=performics&_requestid=62146&Ntx=matchall&cm_pla=fish_saltwatertackle_general&N=3418&cm_ite=saltwater%20lures&rid=0180101070502&cmCat=perf Cabala's price is absurd, check around, I have bought these for 4-5 bucks.

A lot of people use tubes(surgical tubing) for stripers and they are very effective, they resemble eels. We use them down here for barracuda. Many tackle stores sell them but I make my own using a 8/0-12/0 limerick hook. I have never caught strippers but we have a lot of northeastern people down here and that is what they all tell me.

Just yesterday I ran into a buddy that's a real reel maven, fixes them for a living. He had with him a Shimano Biomaster. As fine a reel as I have seen. Made in Japan, not Malyasia, for japanese anglers and from what I understand, they won't buy junk. It was small in size and weighing only 10.4 oz for the 6000 series reel. Smooth as can be. I was so impressed that it is for sure my next reel. I have a sradic fi4000 and I'd pick the biomaster. It's a similiar price range to the stradic.

For lures I use a loopknot with my own little improvement, actually someone showed me the improvement about 25 years ago. For tieing line to line think it's a reverse albright but basically it's 2 cinch knots and works well even braid to mono. Just make sure to take your time and make sure it's right. Oh yea..........spit on the line. I have caught large fish 50 + and the knots hold. If it's a toothy fish like pike or muskie, cuda or mackeral, use wire. Don't buy wire with snaps already attached, there poor, buy a good coated wire or use a piece of piano wire and crimpers.

How did the peacocks get to Hawaii, were they stocked as done here in south Florida? I thought they were native only to South America. That's pretty interesting.

I've yet to meet anyone that likes those sure set hooks including myself. I use a lot of xraps for both fresh and saltwater. #8 xrap I swap the hooks for a vmc #4 saltwater hook. For the #10 xrap I swap the hooks for a mustad #2. In both lures the larger than original hooks give me more hooking power and lose less fish, I have not noticed any reduction in the action of the lures.

Hmmmmmmm, interesting info. I have fished many places in Mexico but not Cancun and never done any light tackle inshore fishing in Mexico, only offshore charters. I would go offshore 1 day, but my truelove is snook, bonefish, juvy tarpon. Appreciate the input.

Pretty much, when the peas are aggressive they hit about anything. They keep coming after that lure till they get it, where as a largemouth may just swim away. Do you have much freshwater fishing in Hawaii, I've never been there. We have a time share in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and it's advertized as the same latitude as Hawaii, would imagine the fishing is terrific there.

You must have been on 441 just south of Boynton Beach Blvd. There is more shore access at the location Lox rd east off 441, plus you can fish the canal all the way down as well. I have had the same encounter with a gator before.

Well not yet, but I may if the spotted owl comes back. All kidding aside I'm a meat eater. As a kid my father owned a fish company. I cleaned so many fish that I just don't want to do it anymore. However I have backpacked in around Hawk Junction,Ontario and had eat my catch as it was survival. Nowadays I may take 1 or 2 grouper or dolphin ayear home as my wife loves them.

Slightly off the subject In the areas of over populated deer, which is a fact, I would think having them round up, slaughted in a humane fashion, then parting them out, for food, clothing, shoes etc, would be more than a cottage business but create more significant jobs. Just the business side of my head guys. Not saying their should not be hunting, it's good pastime. Next time I go hunting I'm going 2 out 3 falls with a young buck, then I can catch and release. I just love stirring the pot ;D

Harvest would be to eat or to sell to be eaten or cut down and replanted as in trees. Recycling would be to take a product, separate the different metals, grades of steel and iron then return it to it's original state and process it to be used in the manufacturing of a new product. I was a recycler for 35 years, owned a scrap iron and metal facility. I see guys taking 10 or more bass at a time, 15-20 bluefish at a time, sneaking out of slot or out of season snook in the middle of the night..........you call that harvest? "harvest" laws are not strict enough, the emphasis should be on being a sportsman, CATCH AND RELEASE, better for the fish population.

My firts choice is Xcalak, near the Belize border. Being so remote there is nothing for my wife to do.........I don't get to go Mexico without her..............haha. So a Cancun resort hotel is going to be my destination.

I have fished there a few times but primarily fish saltwater, as long as the rod is bending I'm happy.

I have a problem with that term " harvest ". Is harvesting for the benefit of the fish or the fisherman? I would just as soon let nature take it's own course. As far as catch and release, for me it's 99% of the time, especially releasing larger females that produce more eggs. Some species do not have a size limit, but a slot size instead ie: snook, must be between 28" & 32 " in eastern Florida and only 1 can be kept. From what I understand the snook population in Florida has greatly benefitted from this practice.