SirSnookalot

I've got 2 pairs of these Blacktips. One is on my offshore bag, the curved tip is very good for hook removal of larger fish, they cut braid as well. Do a fine job on split rings.

I've got 2 pairs of these Blacktips. One is on my offshore bag, the curved tip is very good for hook removal of larger fish, they cut braid as well. Do a fine job on split rings.

Last years catalog did away with some of the technical specifics of rods and reel referring you to their web site.

Been using a 6'6 med 6/12 Clarus for the last 5 years, the positives to this rod are a foregrip and lure parameter of 1/8-1/2 oz. The negative is the backbone, it actually has less backbone than my light power Redbone. A ml 7' redbone sounds like the ticket but the lure minimum is 1/4 oz, I use 1/8 jigs for my peacocks, not sure if the rod will load up. Looked at a few rods at DGS, not too impressed with their offerings, either no fore grip of felt the backbone wasn't any better than my Clarus. I did like a TFO signature, I have always liked them in the heavier models, DSG had a ml 7'6 1/8-12 split grip on sale. Keeping my eyes open for a while until I find 7' non split grip TFO or may gamble on being able to cast light jigs with ml Redbone. Of all the spinning rods I have past and present, prefer my Redbones to anything else.

Being on the no call list unsolicited telemarketing calls are subject to a fine, there are exceptions as such as polling. Been guilty in the past of being rude to some of them, a practice I gave up. These people are merely making phone calls on behalf of a company, they are not high paid and can be representing a reputable company. Doing a lot of cold canvassing early in my career and having both phones and doors slammed on me isn't fun, I'm somewhat sympathetic but do agree the calls can be annoying. I did draw the line on boiler rooms, quite popular back in the 90's during the .com era, they were pure scams. I did my best to keep these people on the phone for an hour just so they could make less calls.

As a line to leader connector I quite often use a Bristol knot (the name might not be right but you get the idea) which is identical to an Alberto except the leader is wrapped around the braid. The leader can also be attached by forming a loop in the end of the braid and tieing off that, either way you get the same knot. Having the braid on the bottom eliminates the chance of it cutting into the leader. Even though I use this knot when I do tie a traditional Alberto I've yet to have f/c or mono get cut, in saltwater I don't that chance. Check out Southern Salt ball bearing swivels, carry several sizes many with welded rings. They have worked as well as any other ball bearing swivel I've used.

What is the purpose? Not sure how a solid ring could be attached for hook replacement. As a line connector welded rings are pretty common on ball bearing swivels.

At any given time under any conditions when I make a cast I either catch a fish or I don't, that's puts my odds at 50/50. In reality I don't catch a fish on ever other cast. I've caught fish both big and small, morning, noon and night, just gotta be there when the fish are "on". If I waited for the perfect time I'd never leave the house.

It isn't the reel, roller bearing or closing the bail by hand, it's the nature of the beast using f/c, mono or copoly lines. Upon retrieve the line gets wrapped around a fixed spool on a spinning reel, a b/c spools the line straight on like a winch, so no line twist. What can exacerbate the twist is a lure that turns over a lot, that will affect a b/c as well but to a lesser degree. You can soak the line (don't need more than 10 minutes) or use a conditioner, that does not address line twist, that addresses coiling which is a separate issue. Between line twist and coiling I prefer braid, no muss no fuss just go fishing, if abrasion or stealth is an issue just use a leader.

You have some hot ponds. Up until yesterday I was catching some quality bass every place I went, not one single strike yesterday. I did catch a snook, mackerel and a peacock earlier in the day, hadn't been to the ocean all week.

That's a nice one

No wood to worry about but lots of vegetation, being a spinning user I use 15# braid, strength is not an issue. I will jump up 20# braid for snakeheads.

Been a common belief that mg. reels should not be used in saltwater due to corrosion, yet the stella fe is a mg. reel approved by Shimano for salt use. To my own experience, using a Pflueger supreme 8035 mg in saltwater for about 2 years the frame showed no signs of any corrosion, this is not a saltwater reel. Catching fish the likes of snook and jack crevalles, I can attest this reel is not over stressed, nor is any other reel I own fished for all kinds of species. I did have a bearing corrode in this reel, replaced it and moved the reel to freshwater. The reel is performing as nib now being a good 6 years old, minimal rash.

Cuban Yo Yo $2.49, Shakespere mono $3.00, hook and sinker I found on he ground. And I really do have one.

Cuban Yo Yo $2.49, Shakespere mono $3.00, hook and sinker I found on he ground.

Your problem is not normal with president reels. IMO your reel is too large for a bass but that doesn't mean you can't use, I would be using 15# braid or 8# mono or copoly myself. Your problem is not a line issue but a spool stacking problem, the spool is sitting too low. The solution is adding washers on the spool spindle to raise the spool higher, your reel is pretty severe. You can make your own washers or if the reel didn't come with any call Pure Fishing and they will send you the correct ones. I don't it's worth sending the reel back to Pure Fishing considering shipping, but they may just replace the reel for you.

That depends on how easy the bank is to walk, fishing lures or bait and most important ones physical condition. I walk quite a bit everyday fishing. I've got places on the beach where it's a mile or better just to get to the fishing spot, fishing as I walk. The canals and ponds are pretty easy to walk here, always on the move while fishing them.

Absolutely worth it. I can't fly fish like I used with my shoulder problems, still do it on occasion. Down here fly fishing is popular for snook, bonefish, tarpon, spinner shark and permit, IMO this is as good as it gets. One of my good buds, actually a few years older than me fishes these species and does the amazon trips for black bar peacocks on fly. The fly boys I know don't fish anything but fly rods.

I use this set up when walking the beach, I can carry about anything I need in it. The fanny pack (I'm paying 20 bucks at the flea market, lol) http://www.ebags.com/product/everest/signature-waist-pack-medium/273659?productid=10302336&sourceid=ADWPRODUCT&couponid=94790994&gclid=Cj0KEQiAwuSkBRC7qKq8rr7796sBEiQA5VnSuC-ELLDjOMjDwBLwhu3cH6-uzq8qyJdxcn0V1_wnhusaAmLe8P8HAQ&kwid=productads-plaid^104978222418-sku^10302336-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^50251294338holds 6 lure http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/polybags-boxes/371111.aspx 3 spools of different leader, bag of swivels if I need them. I have a couple of pre made wire leaders that I dangle from one of the zippers. I've been using this set up nearly 10 years.

I'm all in favor of lure only fishing locations but not sure the unconstitutional argument would win. There are quite a few places through out the country that are fly fishing only and have been that way for decades. Yellowstone river in Yellowstone park and in my home state of Michigan sections of the Au Sable river.

IMO the only thing better than a president for freshwater is a more expensive Pflueger and that only applies if weight is a critical issue. I have a cardinal 101, pretty smooth reel but with daily use don't feel it has the durability of the president.

Explosive strike......................Barracuda Hardest fight..........................AJ offshore, Permit inshore (pretty much anything in the Jack family) Most spectacular...................Tarpon, Sailfish, Marlin, too close to call Best runs............................... Bonefish, Wahoo Favorite..................................Snook Freshwater.............................Peacock bass

Even though I live in the area I never fish golf courses. just not around before the golfers get there, but today was different. I didn't go out to the ocean this morning fished a golf pond at sunrise instead, caught several real nice bass on top water. That is not the interesting part, what made this day good was I caught peacocks. I haven't seen peas in West Delray in 5 years, I was surprised. I caught them right near where Welds fishes in a canal. I stopped at an area of a canal that I had never been before, caught a few decent bass then I caught a pea. Had a couple of other hits that I'm sure were peas, too much debris in the water so I moved. Same canal 1/2 mile away, first cast was pea than a few more. In total caught about 7 or 8, not big but with peas there always can be a larger one around. Bite stopped and that was that.

My sentiments exactly. I'm there to fight a fish and not have a tug of war with a plant. Being an open water fisherman I'm looking for that fish that's going to take me 5-10 or even 30 minutes to land. When bass fishing I'm reducing my gear in size and my techniques to get as close as I can to that open water feel. Moving baits like jerkbaits, flukes and top water poppers are fished maybe 90% of the time, it's really the fun more than the fish for me. Fishing for bass at least 300 times a year, jig and trailers and senkos are used no more than about 6 times. They do catch a lot fish and that's why I don't use them, the strike and the fight aren't the same.

One of the factors of braid I enjoy is not having to set the hook as hard. Bass fishing I'm using 10 & 15# braid and I always use a leader. I like that little bit of shock and unraveling a mono or f/c leader is less painstaking than braid from treble hooks which happens to me all the time. I use P-line floroclear in both 10 and 20# for my leaders. I specifically target tooth critters, wire is always a good idea, but IMO only as preventive against being cut off. I do not use wire myself as I feel I get more strikes with a mono of f/c leader. Do I lose lures, lol, you bet I do.