SirSnookalot

I've done that with kingfish on my Avet.

After losing 3 tarpon yesterday I wasn't going to be denied, a whole lotta luck came into play. Hit the inlet about 5:am, within minutes I get nailed by a tarpon, ony to have it run about 20 yards and spit the hook. About 20 minutes later I get slammed, fish is pulling out drag like crazy. I get lucky as a boat is coming thru and I avoid being cut off. A while goes by and I have the fish along side the jettie, it wants to go in the inlet, bad news as I'd never land it or lift it with that current. Stroke of luck #2, I pull this fish on the beach side and I'm able to tire it then walking on the catwalk I pull it on to the beach. Jumped over the railing and voila it's landed. Good sized fish got a pretty good idea of how big it is. Being alone in the dark trying not to put my reel on the sand made a photo difficult, did the best I could with 1 hand as I needed to get the fish back in the water, which I did and it swam away looking just fine. Sorry to say the photo just doesn't do this magnificent beast justice.

This is text book, a book that in 60 years of fishing I've never met anyone that has read it. With the exception some larger offshore species and competitive tarpon fishing I've never known anyone to use a scale to set drag. Bass will not strip out 50 yds of line, the drag needs only set enough to set the hook which doesn't take long to master. Catch a few fish and by feel you will know where to set it.

Alan Hawk rates that as his #2 budget reel.

What a twit!

One minute it's fine and the next it isn't, doesn't sound like a cleaning issue. As suggested buy an inexpensive reel to enjoy the rest of your trip, then deal with the reel.

Getting my car windows tinted later today, owner told me to bring my rod as there is a peacock pond behind his store. Start this morning at about 5 am, hooked 2 tarpon but lost them on 2 nd jump. Switched spots, missed 3 snook and landed 2, first was pretty nice size. Hooked a 3 rd a tarpon but alas didn't land that one either, very hard jaws and never hit the sweet spot in mouth.

At home I first look at weather channel on my computer, then I look at the marine forecast from Weather Undergound and lastly I check out the exact conditions at NDBC, a NOAA link. All my google bookmarks are available on my android, don't use a specif app when on the go.

Thanks, didn't know it was a variation of the Bristol knot. I do not always double strand my braid, don't see the need, I just start the knot just like the Alberto. I do prefer going under the loop rather than thru it.

I think the issue is non resident boats allowed on the lake, many problems would go away if the boats weren't permitted. An association should have printed documents or by laws, as a resident you should have a copy. If the issue is not addressed or you would like to make a change, then bring it up at a board meeting.

I agree..........I do it this way, just a slight variation.

I've had years where I have done fairly decent with bass in the summer, this is not one of the those years. I have pretty much put my fresh water emphasis on peacocks the last few months. I ventured out for some bass fishing yesterday pm, didn't take long to decide to put bass fishing on hiatus, just not enjoying it.

Don't know a thing about freshwater stripers, but I have caught many saltwater ones. Surgical tubes have always produced good stripers, whether trolled or casted, single or umbrella rig.

There is always a bite going on in Florida, IMO it's more seasonal than many non Floridians realize. Winter offers some excellent LMB fishing, while inshore fishing can be quite lackluster. The opposite is true in the hot months, June thru Sept the bass fishing can be very spotty while inshore can be excellent.

I'd head to Miami, peacocks are much more aggressive there, bigger too. Lake Ida has them but no guarantee, not overly aggressive here and a boat is almost essential, many people use live bait for them. They can be caught walking the shore both at the lake and adjoining canals by sight casting. Been pretty normal making 15-20 casts at them to get a strike.

I would try that.

Being a strictly a spinning user I can buy name brand reel at my corner store for 30-$50, if I want to go cheap and have a decent performing reel. Don't think I'd go the off brand route even for an experiment. I have bought lures and terminal tackle that have worked out just fine.

Caught 2 snook on the incoming this morning, 29" slot..........amazing how small it looks, lol.

If the intent is purely freshwater check out a president, double duty go for the fierce.

See the lighting then count how many seconds until you hear the thunder then divide by 5. 10 seconds = 2 miles.

Can't honestly say without fishing that set up but it is 6 oz lighter than a 6000 stradic. At 20 oz the stradic weight wise isn't that heavy. The latest designed Cabo is much improved over their previous model which I own as well. I'm not gonna say it's the greatest reel but in the $200 market it's my choice. There is a time and place where the Cabo shines over a stradic. In this case it's a lighter reel with similar line capacity, excellent drag with a fool proof bail. Being objective there are set ups and situations where I would prefer the stradic, my opinion is based on the 2 4000 fi that I own, I do not have an fj so can't really comment on that reel. My newly designed Cabo is on a 7'6 mh Star rod, this is not just a rod and reel but a weapon that has already proved itself to me. I field tested quite a few rods before I settled on the Star.

Weeds are one thing slime is something else. Thin head like a bullet will come thru weeds a little better than a round head, but nothing goes thru slime.

I make my own jigs, I don't make them with weed guards.

For me it isn't discipline it's the lack of desire. The time it takes to measure, weigh, record and photograph a small fish I could be making a cast that may yield something special. I have marks on my rods @ 20" and 25", that gives me a good estimate. I would say my most prolific bass bait is a senko, but my least used. Other lures are more exciting, more fun and more challenging for me.

Be difficult to name just one. My everyday favorites are snook, they run on average 8# but this time of year 20#+ gets common. The most exciting fish of my daily fishing is barracuda, 40" is about average but 55" happens, a good fight but not a great one, but the strike is awesome. This has been my best cuda year ever. Big jacks and tarpon are in a class all by themselves. Fishing for bonefish and permit in the backcountry may be my favorite but I don't get to do it that often. Charters for larger fish are out for me, just don't care to do it anymore. Hour + fights are getting tougher at my age, but the big reason is I'm not fishing. The Capt. picks the bait, picks the area, picks the equipment and I sit back and have a bud till there is a strike. Running into dolphin out there and casting for them is some pretty good stuff.