Blake R.

The action on these baits is absolutely sick. Only thing I don't like about them is that they do not stay down... It doesn't matter how deep you let them sink, a couple turns of the handle and they are right under the surface. Might be like that with all SS baits, I have no idea. Only fish I have caught so far was a big pickerel... Got him on the bank, he cut my line and took my lure before I could get a hold of him >

Yeah, we will I am one of "those guys..." Easy job, fits in with school. I have had people cuss me, blow air horns, tell me they were renouncing all their possessions and moving to Istanbul, had one lady tell me to come on over (but we have to be quick tonight, she had work tomorrow ), and the list goes on. Just tell them to remove you from their calling list, if you receive another call you will file a complaint with the State Attorney General's office. People who cannot comprehend catch and release, and then wonder why they never catch fish out of their one acre pond anymore :

I have always launched from the Swamp House, and just ran up river until I found something that looked good. Fun thing about fishing down there, you never know what's going to hit. Every now and then a big red will slam a topwater... makes you think you have a world record on ;D

Yeah, go to Escambia. Blackwater is tough. The amount of pressure it gets from fishermen, canoes, tubers, jet skis, skiers, and anything relating to water is absurd. But, there are fish, and there are some giants. About the only thing I can tell you, is throw anything and everything you can think of until you figure something out. Spring is generally the best time of the year, though.

It was my first time frog fishing. Saw an absolute GIANT nailing bait... water was clear, so I could see her cruising. I'm talking a DD fish. Threw the frog a few feet in front of her and got one twitch... the resulting explosion was identical to how I would imagine a hand grenade in the water. Keep in mind, this was my first time frog fishing. I set the hook, hard. The fish is swimming away, harder. Pulled the rod OUT of my hands! I dove, caught the rod, and actually managed to stay in the boat. Problem was, the fish was gone. I wanted to cry. :-/

One thing everyone seems to have left out; line. A good, low-memory line is a necessity. Braid is preferred if you can get away with it. Line with a lot of memory will bunch up and jump off the spool, thoroughly screwing up a skip. X2 on the 3 DVD box set, and it is 9.99 now. I learned from that, and watching Rojas skip that frog under bushes. THAT is fun!

I believe our main problem here in Florida is simply forage and cover. Ya'll ever actually CAUGHT a shiner? I have caught a few giant shiners while bream fishing. They go nuts... jumping, running, whatever they can do. Pretty fun on light tackle. A fish that fights like that isn't just gonna sit there and look at a bass; they know danger, and know how to evade it. The other problem is just as significant. In case ya'll havent noticed, we have a little bit of vegetation down here. It is all too easy for a shiner, bluegill, crawfish, or whatever a bass wants to eat to slip into the jungle, never to be seen again. I love to hunt, but if I had to chase down a deer on foot, I would starve. I would rather find a tree, climb it and wait. Bass are the same way. They don't want to chase down their food, but sometimes they have to. With our climate, and waters that dang near boil in the summer, their metabolism goes off the charts. This means they have to eat more food, more often, and don't gain much weight for their effort. That could explain the numbers of long, skinny fish. Of course, this may not be true. But it's what I believe...

First off, this is my first post here. I now regret registering for this forum, because I have had the itch to build a rod for a long time now, but have been able to push it off by using excuses (time, inexperience, etc.). Thanks to yall, I now am seriously considering building a jig/frog rod. I am looking for something that will not break the bank, but is relatively light weight and sensitive, but very strong. Strong back bone, F-XF tip. 7-7'4 in length. Any suggestions? I am also curious about the Batson XTCXNZG with PVD TiCh Plating with Recessed Zirconium Ring guides. Up till you guys put this idea in my head, I had never heard of them. Any feedback?