SirSnookalot

My honey holes which are 2 of my community ponds were very hot for a few weeks. Using nothing but light or ul spinning and top water popper I was consistently catching 18-24" bass, a ton of fun. Well the bite has stopped, being landlocked the fish are still there unless the otters or gators ate them, we had gator pulled out of one of the ponds. I am not giving up my method, there are good fish there and I'm going get some more, not a question of if but when. Doing ok in the canals but the fish have been small and using heavier tackle, not near as much fun as the pond action.

It really depends on how thick the water is, open water 10# braid is fine but there are times when heavier line ( and leader) is needed. Shore or boat may also be a different matter, as well as high banked canals and ponds with little cover. The line has to be based on the conditions you are fishing, just like the rod needed to pull fish out if need be. I use what I use based on where I fish, if I changed locations I may be changing my line too.

Sure it was fun and it doesn't happen every day, but it has happened before and will again. I don't mind targeting so called trash fish, it has to be done in a sporting manner, that would eliminate the use of rope or bait. Fish like these are accidental catches, fun when they happen but not the intent. The intent is a bass of that size, catching one using bait is absolutely out of the question.

My guess as well.

Can't say where I heard it but I've been led to believe the first baitcaster was invented by a left handed person. By having the rod in his power arm and not having to change hands makes sense to me. True or not, I don't know.

The FWC refers to it as a Florida Gar, it may be it's own species, I thought it was a spotted gar myself. I've caught them before, they hard to get a hook set on, look closely and you see it was actually snagged on the side of the mouth.

Start the day off as I always do fishing saltwater, yesterday it was the beach. Nice groundswell coming in with about 15 mph wind, needed a kastamaster to get out to the trough. I pop about a 10# jack right after daylight and gave me all I could handle, the surf can make it a tough catch. Follow up with couple 3-4 pounders, bite went dead and I was wacked out. About noon I go out for my daily bass fishing, the canal was beautiful with no floating grass or high weeds, fished a jerkbait. 4 or 5 small bass then I get hit what felt like a barracuda, lol, pretty nice fight. Was the highlight of my day, don't actually hook and land many of these, just get strikes.

I both fish and shop alone. My arsenal of lures is quite small, I don't get skunked too often. Even fishing my landlocked ponds I catch the same fish (some of them have distinguishing marks) on the same lures. Either my bass are very stupid or the lures really don't make all that much difference. When they are on they'll hit your mother's old garter belt, when they are off it just takes a little more effort. I replace a lure when I lose it, usually the same exact one.

Freshwater : Pflueger supreme, redbone and clarus rods. Inshore: Quantum cabo and Abu sorons, redbones and star rods.

If you like your stradic maybe you can find a deal on another one. I know the objective is both light inshore as well freshwater fishing, not that it is that tough a task but I'm of the ilk of using separate set ups for each venue. Yesterday I was using a set up that would work well IMO, a 4000 reel @ 10 oz. on a 7' mh rod, but for me everything has to do with weather and water conditions. I don't like being too specif, if you buy something on my recommendation and don't like I have to live with that guilt. But this is what I would consider, med or mh Star stellar lite or Hurricane redbone (I have 10 of them), both are very popular here in Florida. My top pick for a reel would be a Quantum smoke inshore 40, which may be a little pricey, I'm very impressed with a Daiwa lexa 3000 for about $100. Quantum has a new edition, the iron, which I have not seen yet but want to, it's about $130.

I believe Weld uses spinning gear, which is all I use. I happen to prefer 20# leaders with 10-15# braid, IMO makes a very strong chain. Using a mono leader I tie an alberto but not with F/C. Braid can cut into f/c, I use a bristol knot which is identical to an alberto but in reverse. The leader is wrapped over the braid, not the braid over the leader, the leader can't be cut because it's on top. I'm not fussy on brand and use no more than a 3' leader. Lures always get a loopknot, jigs and jig heads get an ordinary clinch. Snap/swivels are out, clips are ok but I don't use them too often.

The Battle is a very decent reel, a new model the Battle 2 is being introduced. For a one dimensional reel it will serve the purpose quite well, but for bass and peacocks too I might look at some other options. Not condemning the Battle but for both fresh and inshore I'd want a lighter 3000-4000 series reel. I would mount that reel on a med 7'-7'6 8/17 3/4 oz max rod or a mh 10/20 1 oz max rod. I could mention what I use or what I'd buy if I were in the market, those would be my favorites but they may not be yours. I pretty much focus on the inshore aspect where a sensitive rod is not the main concern, it's backbone, $100 buys a really good rod, that's all I use for my snook, jacks and juvie tarpon.. A lot of good reel options at $150.

I'd pass on that reel. 130yds/8# isn't enough line and never really had any reel that I could load up to line specs. 130 yds is probably based at full capacity, take off 1/8-1/4" and that is a lot of lost line, plus you're always going to lose additional line. I use my 20 size soron only for freshwater now, I personally prefer a 40 or 4000 reel for saltwater. My opinion is purely based on line capacity, @ $100 there are a number of very decent brands and models

True enough.

It was windier and rougher than yesterday, but not fish showed up............that's the way it goes out there. I did catch 7 bass in the Weaver canal on my way home.

Yesterday was one of those days, the jacks came in fast and furious. Jacks school according to size, yesterday they ran about 8#, I caught 4 and didn't want any more. Can only guess at the weights with the weather being rough, fish coming in so fast, there really isn't any time to weigh or snap a photo. This is what the weather looked like yesterday (a photo from a couple of years ago), this is fishing weather. Today winds are stronger with a higher tide, the jetty may be closed.

I bought a Shakespeare agilty 30 put in on a Daiwa med rod for my grandson, he never fished. I use it once in a while for senkos, jigs and trailers, it doesn't get that much use. I have caught quite a few beefy bass with it over the years, the reel is pretty darn smooth. But it stops right there, the drag isn't too good and IMO with every day use the reel isn't built to take it over the long haul. Don't think about using it in SW, the reel will see it's demise fairly quick. Staying under the Pure Fishing banner, the Pflueger president is a much better purchase.

I hope and pray along with all the others.

That's an entirely different situation. You could use your bass gear and bass lures, for a few days it may not be worth the additional expense.

I'd leave your bass gear at home, a low profile b/c IMO is not the most suitable combo to use. What I would need to know is how high is the pier, the higher it is the heavier tackle you need. Casting distance is very important, Kastmasters (I use them quite a bit) excel in this area as do thin profile metal casting jigs like crippled herring or diamond jig. Tsunami makes some nice spoons, I especially like their shockwaves, cheaper than the Kasmaster and just as effective. The closer the lure comes to the pier it will bounce on top of the water due to the height of the pier, that's why distance is important. I wouldn't use anything less than a mh rod with a lure parameter of about 2 oz, a heavy rod may work even better, many of these will have to be pulled away from the pier pylons, tough job for a light rod even with smaller fish. A 4-5000 reel is fine with 20# braid. If you want to fish lighter tackle then fish off the beach and not the pier, handling a 10-20# fish with medium gear is very doable. Spoons and bucktails work well, if the fish are there they will hit any lure. I like top water lures too but that is dependent on high the surf is. I agree about the pier rats, many of them will be using heavier conventional gear with bait lines out. They tend to fish at the very end of the pier.

Never have seen snow that deep. One good thing about living in Detroit was giving Buffalo our weather. My only issue is what beach I'm fishing at this morning.

What annoys me are the people that take home fish that have a high bag limit or no limit at all. Pure meat hunters fishing with chicken rigs (3 hooks) and bait. It isn't like they come out once a week, it's the same people 5-7 days a week. Legal yes but IMO abusing a natural resource, some where down the line it will effect the food chain. Some of these people sell the fish, that's illegal as they don't have a commercial license. Talking to these people is futile, so I don't, I just try and be where they aren't. I've been fishing Florida saltwater 30 years, the last 10 almost daily, the fishing is no where like it used to be.

Down here in Florida certain species have been over fished. Not this is would have chance of happening but I would be in favor of artificial only for some species. Some of the fish I target daily I don't catch everyday, but live and cut bait users have far less difficulty, see it happening all the time. It does go further than that, the wasting of bait rotting on shore, people do not always pick up after themselves and use only what they need. Then there are the fish with no limits, the more of them taken out the less gamefish come around, all the fish are important to the food chain. Over the last few months this issue has been bothering me quite a bit, I have pretty much have disassociated myself from that element, even my good friends.

I've been a devoted Lions fan before their last championship in 1957. One positive thing is that the WCF curse has finally ended, all of us old time Lions' fans know what that is. They may be on top of GB today but what will tomorrow bring, still some tough games to go. That division could possibly be decided over GB playing both New England and Detroit @ Lambeau, while Detroit plays both N.E. & GB on the road. My heart is with Detroit, my money would be on GB, lol.

My Lions don't have a prayer, Green Bay is looking pretty good