SirSnookalot

Rather than racking your brains and coming up with no solution, you may consider starting from scratch with a new rod and reel. This line slapping problem is something I never recalled reading about.

I fish a lot, like 7 days a week. I have no idea how big most of my fish are because I don't weigh them, I do keep a marks at 20 & 25" on a few rods, if that fish is over 25" I know it's a good one, I'm not obsessed with records or PB's. Seeing a bass (any other fish for that matter) or having one on the line and not landing it there is no absolute proof how big it really is, it's wishful thinking. If you had fun what else matters?

I don't see the point of a 3mm guide, so no need for a super thin knot. I've been casting lures and catching fish for decades with standard guides. I have a friend with a custom rod with micros, 8' mh and I was going to get one made up, changed my mind. I wound with up a 8' off the rack with standard guides, we both use the same cabo reel with 20# braid, both rods cast and handle the fish about the same, but there is one difference. He gets windknots and I don't. I might be crazy but if I'm catching 10-15 and 50# fish with rods and knots I'm already using, why change?

I bought a tidemaster last year 8' mh, I was fishing with rod within 15 minutes of purchase. The rod did not handle the lures as well as my Okuma 8' cedros, which I was looking to replace. I take the rod right back to Tuppens and exchanged for a teramer, even worse. I get my money back and wound with a 7'6 mh Star rod, which I've had over a year and love it, my tarpon rod. I have used an 8' legend surf, decent blank with a knarly handle, didn't like it even with a van staal on it. Just recent I tried out a legend with that white butt, it was ok but nothing I'd spend over $300 for. A friend just bought an 8' med triumph surf saddled with a 5000 spheros sweet combo, that isn't a bad rod especially for the money, liked it better than the legends.

Nice looking snook, the picture below was taken about 500 yds offshore, snook are stacked up pretty good. The fish are not being caught on artificial, live bait is doing very well.

Over the years I have written many threads about gamefish vs trashfish. I want 2 things out of my fish whether game or trash, challenge to locate and entice strikes and the battle itself. Snook for example is my favorite fish, I have caught them on bait which is shooting fish in a barrel, given the same conditions catching them on artificial can be a challenge. A non gamefish that is another favorite of mine is barracuda, an easy fish to catch with bait, on artificial not so easy. This is fish gives an outstanding strike, stamina isn't quite as good as snook, but not bad (snook don't compare to jack, another trashfish), cudas are table favorite down here.

Nothing to compare it to but I see plenty of fishermen down here in Florida. Drive down many neighborhood streets and there always a bunch of center console boats parked. The marinas are jam packed as well. There is quite a bit of easy access to freshwater, I see kids quite often. Most communities have their own private water, no way to know how many people fish them. License isn't required for senior residents(lot of them here) kids under 16 and private water under 20 acres. Fishing seems pretty popular down here.

Yes, quite simple 2 wraps instead of 1 around the loop.

Hard to fish with less than I do, I put 2-3 old rapala boxes in my pocket each with about 2 lures, a pack of flukes in my back pocket and couple of hooks. I do carry other lures in my car for change up, but while I'm walking the bank I don't have much with me. Fishing inshore I carry a fannypack with 5 Janns plastic lure boxes, 1 for spoons, jigs, topwater, hard jerkbait Storm wildeyed shad.

As small as I could go without the split ring getting caught or passing thru the top guide.

Far and a way the majority of time you are going to be asked to leave, they just don't want you there. If one happened to play a lot of golf and got tight with management staff, in that case they may let someone, some stranger coming off the street, doubtful.

Being in a weight related business a scale certified by the state of Michigan has to be +/- 1%, I would imagine most states are going to have similar criteria. Can only say what I would do. The chance of me catching a 17# bass where I fish is less than slim. I do not carry the necessary equipment to weigh or transport fish, any effort would result in death for that fish. It's a picture and back in to the water.

Braid to any eye, lure hook or swivel, this is the best knot I have ever used. I used to call it a double warp improved clinch knot, isn't what it is so I've changed to the Henry knot. First saw demonstrated many years ago by Henry Waszczuk, have been using ever since. I can't find a graphic of of it, I'm posting a pic of an improved clinch, on step #2 make 2 wraps not 1, the knot holds like a weld.

First thing I would do is test it on the water where you will get a retrieve with constant tension. The line should go thru smooth when kept perfectly straight. In any event IMO 14 or even 12 is too thick for 2500 spinning reel, it is possible the line is not spooled properly, try trolling out then test it.

In Boca Raton LOX is smoked salmon. I haven't bass fished in weeks, couldn't say where to go.

Tough call, probably have to go with War or Earth Wind and Fire at a stadium. Saw the Hooked on Phonics at an outdoor amphitheater with a lazer light show, at the time there were shooting stars in the sky, pretty cool. Sinatra in Las Vegas, enough said.

The numbers do have a bit of range on those made tests. Using the same knot with the same leader line from the same spool on the same testing apparatus, IMO the numbers should be a lot closer. What in the testing caused the disparity? Given any knot I tie the number of wraps used vary with the diameters of the lines. Not suggesting what someone else should use but suggesting some trial and error to find what works best for you. I cannot never get away from saying the 2 most factors are a well tied knot and using the drag, the size of the fish is secondary. In theory the difference between landing a 1# or a 50# fish is just a little more time, the technique should not vary much.

A dry lure catches no fish, during the time it takes to log a 15" fish onto an excel spreadsheet one could have a sizable fish on the line. Like Bill I do my research before I leave to go fishing, heaven help me if I already don't know to tie a knot. I've gone on BR few times using my phone, while I'm sitting in my car waiting for a squall to pass. When I'm fishing, I'm fishing, any posting of fish pic can be done when I'm home.

Most important thing in catching fish is finding them, which still isn't a guarantee. What makes the difference is decision not attitude. What body of water am I going to fish, when I get there how am I going to fish it, what lures do I think will produce. What's the weather like and what species will I target for those conditions. My state of tranquility has little to do with my decision making, that's based on my experience. Even more important is how receptive fish are on any given day. I'm not quite sure if a fish detects my negative or positive vibes, I know they can detect my lure.

Mine was 14 and change also, dropped from 150 to about 125#. First medication dropped me down fairly fast but I didn't like some of the side affects. I've been on several different meds and have settled on a combination that's working pretty well, diet alone won't keep my sugar level where it should be. I struggle as much with low sugar, don't spike high all that often. In about 3 hours I'll be at a diagnostic center getting a petscan, long story so I'll spare the details.

Nothing to think about. This lion or any lion for that matter was lured out of a protected park, that in itself is illegal. Too think a professional guide didn't know exactly what he was doing is naive. Would you go fishing with a professional guide that took you into a restricted area. I fished on the Quechan Indian reservation a few weeks, I needed a permit form the tribe which I got, California fishing license doesn't cover that land. That's kind of the same thing, needing special permission to fish a restricted area. Palmer had no permission to hunt in that restricted area, that's why the lion was lured out, making him a poacher. Was it the initially intent, we don't know but it doesn't make any difference, he still did it.

Now if the fish were doing transcendental meditation to put them into that relaxed state, that might be a different story.

The problem with those "knot war" type tests is that's not the way to land to a fish. With 8# line the drag should be set in the neighborhood of 3# or so. With a fish pulling at 3# and more the line is being stripped off the spool taking a lot of pressure off both line and knots, none of those knots should break if tied properly. Most of my lure connections are tied with a loopknot, at face it doesn't look too strong yet they land some powerful fish. That drag is on the reel for a reason, use it properly with any well tied knot and there should rarely be a problem. Consistently landing 10-30# fish on a 20# leader compared to landing an 8# bass with an 8# leader, the equation isn't too different. A properly tied knot, using the drag along with expertise will supercede the world's strongest knot every time. Slippage with different line types is a separate issue, that may require a different knot.

With all due respect bass fishing is the easiest fishing I do. I walk the banks of ponds and canals using light gear, doesn't take too much energy. The fish are there, some days there is a good bite others days not so good, I just take in stride and enjoy myself. I don't get skunked too often but it does happen. I do other fishing that isn't relaxing, walking a beach, soft wet sand isn't easy to walk on. I can go a long time without a strike, sometimes days, the fish aren't always there. I may have run after a pod of bait or schooling fish, I may have run or walk a fish down that takes 10 minutes or more to land, some of them get unbuttoned and some are real small fish too. I may or may not catch fish, I never get negative or discouraged, confident with any lure as I know what to use for certain conditions. Fish are either on or off, they don't read my vibes. I see no point in putting pressure on myself or getting depressed, it's supposed to be fun.

I'm not sure I understand what the intent is.