Gomer Pyle

I'm definitely buying the Curado, I was just making a point that for the money I spent, I was very impressed with the performance of the Abu Garcia. The Curadu will definitely be the crown jewel of my collection...thanks for the replies guys....

I'd be glad to Rooster, looks like a nice reel with all the required bells and whistles for a good price

I bought the Abu Garcia Silver Max baitcaster at Wally World recently and finally got the chance to fish all day with it yesterday. I was really impressed with its smoothness and casting ability. Granted, this is the first purchase of any new reel in over 20 yrs, however, I was truly impressed with the performance of the reel that cost me <$80. My question, just how much better is the Shimano Curado ( a reel in which I may purchase next week) over this Abu Garcia? It can't be that much smoother can it? I got a chance to reel the Shimano while at BPS, it didn't feel near as smooth to reel as the Silver Max...maybe it's just me : Any comments or opinions?

I made my first visit to a BASS PRO SHOP here in Orlando yesterday...was totally blown away! I've never seen so much freshwater tackle in my life. I bought the wife a nice Pflueger spinning combo (in pink of course). Those of you with better halfs know that you must keep the little ladies happy if you want to go out and spend the BIG BUCKS on a new baitcasting combo. Anyways, I spent like $250 just in tackle...kinda like a kid in a candy store. I'm taking a buddy of mine back there next week and buying a new rod n reel...first one since 1985 How many of you have been to a BASS PRO SHOP? and what do you think?

After catching 7 out of 9 LMB on a topwater chugger yesterday in a small pond....it seems to me that the first bass would of gone back and warned his buddies not to bite that funny looking object on top of the water. Not only do I think they're dumb, but they sure don't communicate very well with each other..

I had a discussion with a friend recently concerning the intelligence of a bass. It seems to me that a 10+ lb bass would have a brain that weighs a few grams (<5 gr) at the most. In this massive brain, where would there be room for cognitive function? Seems to me that 90% of the brain would be preoccupied in maintaining physiological function and not in reasoning on whether a target meal is real or not. If bass were so smart, then how would one explain catching the SAME fish twice? Just my thoughts guys...how bout yours?

Although I would prefer fishing cranks or topwater lures, I always find my way back to using the 8" Producto High Flotation tournament worm in the Junebug color, rigged Texas style. If I can't catch a fish on that setup, I try the Strike King Sweet Tater Pie Senko type worm. If I fail to catch a LMB on either one of those plastics, then there are NO LMB in that particular body of water

As a matter of fact, the fishing has been surprisingly good these past couple of weeks considering the water temps are 87-88 degrees. Ponds and small lakes here in my area of Florida are almost always good for 4-6 fish, if not more. I'm heading out to one of my favorite local ponds tomorrow morning, I'm anticipating a minimum 6-8 fish between 6am and 10am. I head to the house after about 10am, gets hot as hell by then.

Heck no, I ain't complaining. I am truly blessed to be living in the great BASS state of Florida....seems liken there's a pond or some body of water every 100 yds or so that carry BASS. There's no secret to finding them either, just do a Google Earth search. I thought I knew just about all the bodies of water locally until I tried Google Earth....HOLY GUACAMOLE ponds are everywhere! I'm heading to Dallas next month to fish Lake Fork with lil brother...can't wait.

I use 20lb PowerPro on a spinning reel. I checked the Rapala website, and my assumptions were correct. The recommended technique is a "steady" retrieve with intermittent twitches. I guess the steady retrieve puts enough tension on the line to prevent it from being entangled with the front treble hook. Makes sense to me I'll give it a whirl next time I'm out.....

So I buy this Rapala Skitter Walk...tie it on this morning...cast it pretty far out. Let it sit for 3 secs..then BAM!!!! Good fish, then my problems begin. Just about every cast, my line is getting tangled in the split ring that holds the front treble hook. It got so frustrating that I took it off and tied on a different lure. I twitch, reel, stop...twitch, reel stop. I'm thinking that I should have a steady retrieve while twitching, or maybe change out the front treble hook. Any ideas? Gomer

Just about every pond or small lake here in Florida produce fish. I fish anything from small private lakes (yes, I get permission...most of the time.) to county and state park lakes. And you're right about getting back to the basics. I didn't tie a very good knot on my Xrap this morning, and lost it after catching my 4th fish on it in less than 10 mins. Sigh!!! What a bummer. [My complacency cost me a good lure and more fish. Off to Wallly World for another Xrap. Live and learn right ;)/

Just curious...any of you have those months where you go fishing maybe 3-4 times a week, catch maybe 10 fish a day BUT seem to lose maybe 2-3 good fish per trip? You know, the "Oh my God, that was a huge fish!" moment. I've been having that kind of luck the past month....what are your thoughts? Gomer

Thanks for the thoughtful reply there Dink...is this better? As far as using your thump for drag, that's a great idea I'll give it a try next time.....

So I get this call from a good fishing buddy, " hey dude, I just got permission from a friend to fish about 10 different lakes and ponds in this exclusive golfing community here locally, wanna go?" "Sure, are you kidding?" Just a little background to set the stage...this is a secluded resort area, a gated community with homes surrounding a large golf course. There a quite a few lakes in this community, some good size, others just ponds. Friends who live there say that all these lakes and ponds are stocked with Florida LMB, and are fished by only a few of the residents. We have heard many stories about people catching many LMB > 10lbs. I was excited to give it a whirl. And now to the story... I put on a 10" Junebug Producto worm....throw it out in the middle of this good size pond. While waiting for my bait to fall to the bottom, Im looking over at my buddy talking to him when all of a sudden my pole almost gets ripped out of my hand. Holy Sh#%, I set the hook and think I have a snag. I fish with a 5'6" pistol grip Daiwa rod with MH action, and let me tell you, that rod was bent almost in half. I held the rod high for maybe 2 secs...yep, that's definitely a fish...a HUGE one at that. Funny thing though, this fish didn't seem to fight and run like say a smaller 2-3lb fish. It was like reeling in a big tire that would pull back occasionally. Now here's where things start going South, I had my drag a little too tight on my baitcaster. > This reel was strung with 10lb Cajun Red monofilament. I got the fish to within approx. 5 ft. of the bank when he finally rolled to the surface for the first time...Good Golly Miss Molly...that fish had to be a good 24-26" long and fat fat. So, while Ive got tension on the fish, I'm desperately trying to free up the drag a bit, when all of sudden, a HUGE pull that almost yanked the pole out of my hand...then the dreaded sound of SNAP! :'( I just sat there on the bank in total shock and speechless...it was like the ABC Wide World of Sports " THE THRILL OF VICTORY ....AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT! :'(" I'm sure many of you out there have had that very same experience...man it sure does SUCK!!!!! And how was your weekend of fishing?....

I've fished Becket Lake a few times, there's alot of potential in that lake. I went with a buddy in his small John boat and we launched from the end of the parking lot on the north end of the lake...right next to that retirement building. You will have to carry your boat, kayak, or canoe about 80+ yds down a little path..through some wooded area to the waters edge. We caught maybe 10-12 LMB...the biggest being maybe 2 lbs. I believe there are some big fish there...just gotta find them....

I've fished Tarpon Lake a few times...I'm not very impressed. :-/ I have found quite a few lakes in Pinellas county to fish. Some of these lakes are residential lakes that you would have to seek out permission from a resident to fish or launch a kayak from. I fish about 8 different lakes here and 5 of those lakes always produce fish. Some of these lakes are quite large, while others are very small bodies of water, maybe 100yds long by 30yd wide. I've said before, I believe the next record Florida LMB will be caught in a lake like these that pretty much go unnoticed. Do a Google Earth search for all the bodies of water in Pinellas...you will be pleasantly surprised at the number of lakes in this area that are fishable.

I couldn't agree with you more, I went fishing this morning at 0600...caught one fish (maybe 3lbs) on a black spinner bait. Then, the SUN came up...temp climbed to 120 degrees before 0800. I packed up my toys and went to the house...ah AC...where would I be without it... Pyle

Not sure how many of you out there know about this, but Google Earth has amazing satellite imagery of most metropolitan and surrounding areas. I live in Clearwater Florida, and have used Google Earth to find many local lakes and ponds, some accessible some not. I have compiled quite the list of local lakes and ponds with accompanying street maps to get me there. I believe that the next record Florida LMB will be caught in some pond or lake that goes unnoticed by the masses.

I'm in Clearwater, across from Tampa. I do Google Earth searches for local ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water. I've found a few lakes and ponds that can be very productive here in Pinellas county. I just bought a kayak and now there is a whole new world of fishing about to open up for me here in paradise..... Pyle

Im planning a trip to see my brother in Dallas...gonna fish Lake Fork on his new boat. Can I check in my rods and tackle bag on the airline? Has anyone ever done this before?

Can someone explain the difference in rods with a "fast" tip vs rods with a "slow" tip? I have a old 5'6" Daiwa Eliminator pistol grip rod that I just love. I can feel every revolution of a spinner bait blade and even the most subtle vibrations of a crankbait. This rod does not have much flimsy play at the tip, actually it barely moves at all at the tip. It is a MH action rod BW. Also, is there a rule of thumb for what type of rod to use with specific lures or is it just personal preference? Thanks Gomer

Just bought a Sebile crankbait at the local mom n pops tackle shop. I like supporting local business owners instead of always giving my $$ to Wally World. Anyways, this lure looks absolutely stunning in its craftsmanship and finish. I bought a gold colored "crankster" with a small lip....looks like it dives to maybe 3 ft or so. Anyone here ever fish with said bait? I have yet to use it...been workin long hours at the hospital..my wife flipped out when I told her the lure was $14.

Me and a buddy get up early morning yesterday to fish a new lake here in Pinellas county...across from Tampa. We arrive to find a beautiful bass lake with crystal clear water, hydrilla, lilly pads, all the makings for a great bass environment. We pound the water for two hours, throwing just about everything from the tacke box. We ask a passing boat of fishermen if they have fished this lake before, they say, "Yea, but we don't ever seem to catch many fish". Unfortunately, our efforts produced a monster 1.5lb bass Its getting hot, almost 90 at 10am. We decide to cut our losses and try and find another lake to fish. We find this lake that's maybe a couple hundred acres in size, surrounded by houses and unfinished condos. We put in the old Johnboat, fire up the fish finder and find out that the water drops off to 12 feet just a few feet from shore, and almost 30 ft in the middle. First cast with a chrome rarttletrap, BAM, about a 2 pounder. This was a good oman. To make a already long story short, we fished the hottest part of the day, throwing nothing but crankbaits, and caught 50 bass. Most of the fish were in the 2-3lb range with a a few between 4-5lbs. We are truly blessed here in Florida, especially in this area with hundreds of lakes located within the city that hold tons of fish. What a great day fishing...thanks for letting me share.... 8-) Pyle

Well that settles it, I've decided to purchase the US Reel Supercaster 1000 Pro...I like the innovation and design process. I'll let you know how it fishes. Thanks for the good input and opinions. Pyle