SirSnookalot

I need a fishing trip, not really but my wife thinks so. At first I got excited and thought about Xcalak, Mexico. After thinking about it I really would rather her come along with me, and there is nothing for her to do there. I'm teetering where to go once the weather moderates a little bit. Bahamas is good choice. Keys are always great, some nice resorts there and good fishing. I think I may decide to check out the gulf side of the state, never fished there before, I'd like to target redfish. We have friends that have opened a restaurant in Naples I've been meaning to go, I may do about 200 miles of the gulf coast.

15# braid is going to break over 20#, a 3000 spinning reel on a mh rod is going to have enough backbone and cranking power for about any bass.

Comparing 1 fish to another is purely subjective, but I wouldn't attempt to try and catch a juvie 30 or 40# tarpon on 1000 reel. That reel holds 95 yards of 10# braid and 65 of 20#, if in fact you really can put that much on it. With 7# of max drag that probably won't phase that fish, chances of landing might be pretty slim. From a boat it's possible if you can run it down, I still give the fish the edge.

@Helluva, I think a good dolphin gives a better fight than a sailfish. I also feel a permit or jack pound for pound is more formidable that a tarpon. Between the size and the acrobatics of tarpon it does put them into their own class.

By 5:30 AM I had about 40# of fish, 1 tarpon, 1 snook and 2 little lady ladyfish in the ICW. Walked on to the beach lighting was so bad I left and was home by 7:00 AM. Cleared up a bit around noon so went I fished backyard pond for bass, busting bait all over the place, hadn't seen that in a while. I don't fish senkos or lizards often but I did yesterday for change of pace, sure didn't take long. After the first fish I was tempted to go back home and get light action rod with top water for some fun, black gnats were so overwhelming I stayed for about 5 or 6 fish and called it day.

Right !! You can get as technical as you want with the equipment, bottom line either no fish in the area, or not biting.

I'm right with you. I've tried all kinds of synthetic wicking shirts and burn up in them, I prefer cotton over anything.

Caught tampon on that set up today, the slang term here is poon for a tarpon.

Can't assume anything, just saying it would not surprise me, but I did make a mistake. Ray Ban and Oakley are owned by the same company but Costa is not, they are owned by a French company called Essilor. So many companies I got confused, lol. I know a little bit about this stuff because I have a friend that had 100 optical offices, sold them to Luxottica. I keep tabs on him every now and then to see what he is up to, well one link takes to another and so on. I've done some reading on the subject.

Just so you know Costa is not made in the United States any more, it is assembly here. It's owned by the same company that owns Ray Ban

Polarizing lenses is a fairly simply process, basically it's a film or sheet pressed or injected into the lens. Cheaper glasses just use a coating and are not as effective in reducing glare. Most upscale eyewear is made or owned by 3 companies, 2 Italian and 1 French, including the most popular sunglasses already mentioned. A big market controlled by a few using similar technologies. For example Ray Ban and Oakley are made by the same company (Luxottica), good chance it's the same lens in both brands. The important factor is fit of the frame, as the top polarized lenses have about the same effectiveness. A $100 pair can be just as good $200 ones, except the latter may have a more expensive frame to make, a least they tell you that, lol. That said eyewear is fairly cheap to make, the mark up is huge.

Reel all the line onto the spool, turn turn the handle with no line touching the roller. No noise or resistance then the problem is somewhere in the roller bail assembly.

I think you need different water. Put a plastic worm on, no bites............move you're in the wrong place.

Everyday day my fishing starts at the ocean, no compromise on that ever. Everything I do is seasonal fishing, from the areas I fish to target species to time of day that I leave and come home. This time of year I do no bass fishing, the bite is slow, hot and humid, insects and sun intensity. January thru March I get offshore a bit more, that's sailfish time with the rough water. March thru June I do jettie fishing, and it's the beach from July til the end of the year, that's inshore at it's best here. In October with the weather cooling I'm fishing salt in the mornings and bass in the afternoons, after March I get much less bass fishing in, but I target peacocks until about the end of June. There is no set script I follow as to the amount time invested each outing, the bite controls my time.

There are a number of options and nothing wrong with any of them. For the sake of argument I'll assume these reels are primarily used for bass fishing, backing with mono and 75 yds on each reel you'll need 1 150 yd spool. Buy 1 300 yd spool and just use less backing than option #1. No backing is what I do most of the time, always for saltwater. I don't worry about extra line, at some point I'll be using it.

I would check the line roller bearing, I had what sounds like the same problem with 2 stradic fi, it's the same part #rd 13269. This may or may or may not be your problem. Even though the bearing is tucked way back in the assembly and it doesn't get wet, they do corrode, not uncommon. 2 years sounds about right. If it isn't your problem a good practice is to oil that bearing every few months.

Either one is my choice. As things would have one of the jettie guys the other day was using an old 2 piece probably ugly stick (probably a med) with a Penn fierce 4000. Hooks into some thing big, well 30 minutes later he still has the fish on the line. The fish turns the corner of the jettie and heads into the inlet, that's about an 8 knot current, sadly he got cut off on the rocks. Knowing how fish fight and take out drag I do think he had 25-30# jack on the line. President is a nice reel, for bass and I wouldn't use it for anything else. A 1000 size reel is too small and not enough line capacity. There isn't a thing wrong with an ugly stick, we see more of them with a Penn on it's back than anything. You just don't need a sensitive rod in salt, you aren't dragging baits on the bottom and the fish hit hard enough to recognize any strike.

Don't know what your problem is but it isn't the brand of braid you're using. I've used most brands both in fresh and saltwater, have not experienced any problems like you are, I fish 7 days a week. I generally use PP, don't endorse it over any other, it's just reasonably priced and very convenient to buy.

Take a look at Panther Martin or Mepps, they are much more durable and well worth the extra cost. Goose's tip about bending the blade is the best tip I ever used about inline spinners.

That's fishing ! Rule #1, never use any lure that you are afraid to lose, you bought it to catch fish not sit in your tackle bag. During the bait run last year I got cut off about 30 times in a few weeks, 2 or 3 of those lures were Shimano waxwings. I hope it happens again this year, because I caught a bunch of great fish.

I do believe Bigbil has mentioned several times he uses FIn Nor inshore spinning reels for his bass fishing, seems to be quite content with them. Not that I think I need a saltwater spinning reel for bass but if it performs well in the salt, there is no reason not to use it in fresh. I can be as narrow minded as the next person when it comes to using what brand of reel for what kind of fish, boat or shore. I don't give a hoot about any technical aspects, or what country the reel is made in, only the fish matters. I just can't remember any reel I have had problems with or needed customer service for my bass fishing

I think you are right. The Alberto is an excellent knot for joining lines and leaders but I can't tie it as fast as a clinch or improved clinch, especially if it's windy. I do use use swivels about 97% of the time, I use the Alberto when targeting species that will strike a swivel as readily as a lure, I prefer black and not silver. I keep it real simple and have never seen the need for any other knots. Braid to swivel is an improved clinch with 2 wraps not 1. Leader to swivel or duolock snap I use an ordinary clinch knot and I tie lures with a loopknot. I put a bead on the tag end of braid with a lighter.

I had read a few years back about the record being 20#, but if the IGFA says it's 8# then that's the record. Starting about mid Sept we get them here by the thousands, seldom do they go 5# but you think you do have a tenpounder. When they are thick you won't catch much else. Like most of our species here during the bait runs they come in in waves, ladyfish leave and jacks or bluefish come in, after that the mackerel get into the mix but usually a bit farther out. Their mouth is like a rock, they destroy hard lures and soft plastics, when they are around I switch to a spoon with a siwash hook or a bucktail, which won't last long but they are cheap. They are related to tarpon, but make hard strikes where a tarpon inhales the lure. I've caught hundreds off both species.

Exactly

Ladyfish aka poor man's tarpon have about the hardest mouth of any fish I have ever caught, hook ups don't always happen with them. Seldom if ever do I set a hook in saltwater, I just raise the rod and let the power of the fish set it.