SirSnookalot

It's the balance not the weight, too light a reel is going to make the combo tip heavy, more so when put a lure on.

Yep ! I learn my own water and that's only done by fishing it.

2 piece 6' light action lightening rod with a ul trion. Haven't looked at in in 5-6 years, as far as I know it's in excellent shape. It's free to any one that wants it, be local I'm not shipping.

Exactly how my dad taught me over 60 years a go when I was "little shaver". Spinning is just so natural for me, don't want to use any thing else but a fly rod.

The population of Delray Beach is growing daily, I'm losing all kinds of places I used to fish. Public canals are being fenced if they are next to a new development. My local ponds are void of vegetation, the HOA gets them sprayed too much. The ponds here are now being filled by reclaimed water that the county makes us buy, fishing was better before this program started. Same story in saltwater, more and more areas are being fenced off in the ICW.

100% agree with RW

I don't like too short a butt on any rod, I always use a rod with a foregrip for any species. The only split grip I have is an 8' rod, med spinning with long butt and an ample foregrip, very comfortable for me.

A short top leader should not tangle, I don't think leader length is critical, the idea is 2 bait fish. Using a swivel is much easier to tie it. Whether it's double fluke rig, fish finder rig, sabiki, chicken rig or drop shot, all are pretty much variations of each other.

This albright knot is different, the last step anyway forming the loop on the mainline.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s40lmqVux4E I make the loop first when I tie the Bristol, I wrap my leader over the braid, only real difference. It isn't quite as thin as the Albright or Alberto (I think the braid compresses the leader when tightening) but the braid can't cut into the leader.

I agree, I use 7 up and 1 or 2 down for freshwater. In saltwater I use a Bristol knot which is quite similar with the same up and down. Perusing the net yesterday I came across the No Do Albright, seemed easier than both an Albright and an Alberto, may try it this morning.

I've run into this situation several times, easy fix. I put about a 3" shim on the reel seat, newspaper, cardbord, leather all work fine, trim it once you have the perfect fit.

Down here it's Penn reels and ugly sticks that I see most of, spinning.

So many times I couldn't count them all, having a bleeder on like a bonita, then seeing a dozen bull sharks circling the boat. Not a big deal in an 80' head boat but un nerving in a 21' Polar.

Bass, nothing worth talking about. Other species, it was pretty good the last few days. Finally we had some cocktail blues come in with a few other species.

I first learned this set up from a tarpon fisherman 10 years ago, he called it a drop fly rig. Fly or small bucktail on top leader and hard or soft jerkbait on bottom. I've rigged with 2 swivels 1 sliding swivel, 1 swivel and tied the shorter leader off it, and with no swivels. Caught fish with it quite a few times, tried it for bass fishing a and it worked with bass too. Don't know why I don't fish it more often.

Good point. Double fluke rig is a variation of a fish finder rig, substituting flukes for weight and hook.

Closing the bail by hand IMO is easier and quicker and can help against creating a loop. I raise my rod before I start reeling, makes the line taut. Closing the bail by crank is not any harder on the spring than doing it manually, Penns still have spring issues. Closing by hand to avoid line twist.........a myth. Twist is caused by the line wrapping around the spool while cranking, even braid twists.

If I didn't land them then I really don't know how big they were. I fish the ocean, I had some pretty big fish on the line that I didn't land, but did land some exceptional 3 digit fish.

My terramer I owned lasted no more than 5 casts then I returned it. I bought an 8' mh 10/20 fast taper spinning rod. The rod actually was lighter than my 8' Okuma inshore coastal with the same stats, but the casting performance wasn't as good as the Okuma which was what I wanted to replace. The Okuma handled the lure weights better and casted farther, the terramer was less awkward and lighter due to a slightly shorter butt IMO. The terramer may have been satisfactory had I been looking for a rod to use with lighter lures. What did I wind up buying? Went to a rod that I have experience with, a Star steller lite mh 10/20 with a wider lure parameter than both the terramer and Okuma, this time I went with a 7'6. My only word is WOW !, this is my tarpon set up and it performs great, cabo 40 on it's back. The Star surpasses both the other rods in every facet.

I hope you didn't mean 65# braid as your leader, I'm sure you didn't. Braid is strong, most brands will break maybe 50% higher than the label, personally my braids don't exceed 20# and in rare cases it's 30# and that takes one heck of a fish to break that, proper drag settings take the pressure off line and knots. The leader is important, for lure protection wire is a good idea. Several leader options, single strand "piano wire" using a haywire twist, coated wire (surflon) crimped, some people use tieable wire, I have not but i'm sure it works it fine. As long as there is a loop to the the lure there shouldn't be any problem with movement.

The most prolific fish catching jig I ever used is a crappie jig. I use them for bass, peacocks, mackerel and many other species, I tie my own. I do like to use a flats bonefish jig for bass and peas too. A totally different type of jig, a Shimano waxwing, made for freshwater too.

There is no best, it's just a matter of whether you like what you are using. I use 3 set ups for bass that I'm perfectly content with. Light redbone with a 25 supreme, ml clarus with 30 supreme, and med calico jack with 35 supreme. Any of the these reels have more than enough line capacity and drag to handle bass. I don't recommend anything, just because I like it, doesn't make it right for some else.

Never used one myself but I personally know a fellow that uses one for small inshore fish and peacock bass, I'm sure he has caught bass on it as well. He likes it.

It's the nature of the fish, sometimes they hit a moving bait pretty hard and sometimes they don't. I've had 10" bass give me a real whack, and I've had 6 pounders where I thought I snagged some weeds.

It probably would take more than 2 million but I want my own private island with a 42' Yellowfin at my dock.