salmicropterus

There is a definite trend toward a downsized bass boat. The boat builders are getting it. The Z-7, smaller Skeeter, Triton etc. Basically an 18-18.6 boat with a lot of the bigger boat goodies, wider beam etc equipped with a 150 HP class motor. Price points in the mid to high $20s. There is a lot of utility to a boat like this and if you compare the marginal benefits of 2-2.5 ft of length and 75-100 hp, this class of boat makes a lot of sense. People have said "well if people are buying at $65K then they will sell". Problem is not enough volume at these price points so whatever little economy of scale there is in boat building (there isn't much to begin with) is lost. I can tell you that at any price, the dealer isn't making much either on the boat or the motor. I am a Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha dealer and if we make $500 on a $15,000 motor, it's a cold day in July in South Florida. I don;t think the boat dealers are working with much margin either

I'm just skeptical that there would be a jump from the C-14system and Markham all the way down to the Tamiami without any reported catches in the L-67. Not picking on you but there have been a lot of reports and identifications of snakeheads that turned out to be muds-not to say that they aren't migrating and, no doubt, will be pervasive at some point in time

Hmm..snakeheads in the Tamiami? Hope not and think not as this, to the best of my knowledge, would be the first one reported that far south. I have fished that area, mostly targeting peacocks.

I spent my weekend doing tackle maintenence and was glad I didn't have any T's this past weekend. Ugly weather and I hope some of this water makes its way into the Lake through some back-pumping

I have taken to coloring the last 3' or so of the braid with a black Sharpie. I cut a slit in the head of the Sharpie and it makes it easy to do.

I think Sayler and Forsell had 19+ for first and Tim Feller and Dean Belits were second at 16 +/-. Better than the prior months but not like the last couple years.

You can get the Medlocks @ Angler's in Clewiston. Not sure about where down here in Broward, PBC or Dade. Another neat thing about the Medlock jig besides the guard is the angle of the eye-makes the jig have a bit more stand up quality.

Micropterus salmoides is the largemouth version of the Black Bass, which of course, is not a true bass at all, but of the Sunfish family which includes bluegill, crappie etc.

I've been around 3,784,583 years.

Wow, that sucks!. I can't imagine any guide, no matter how lazy or jackplate-free, being goofy enough to launch out of Belle Glade on Saturday and get caught up in the business of a 100+ boat tournament. Yesterday had to be brutal also and there is no controlling the wind. Even the most experienced people will use caution on the Lake when it is blowing like yesterday or today. All that said, hope you don't give up on the Lake. The fishing itself speaks for itself with those results shown at that tournament at Belle Glade. If you decide to give it another shot and with some planning, some people here can give you names of guides who will work their butt off to have you have a great and memorable day. It takes a little planning-by that I mean the best guides are often booked weeks in advance. One of my guide-friends out of Clewiston told me that except for the off-limits period for the FLW tournament, he's been on the water guiding 67 days in a row. Also, this time of year has its issues. It may be warm but it is usually blowing as this is by far the windiest time of the year. So-hope you reconsider and if you do, it goes well for you

Painful to hear about your unfortunate trip. Even without a jackplate, it should be no trouble to get out on the Lake and the Lake indeed was on fire on Saturday. We fished the Jimmy M tournament and were the first NOT to get a check with 25.05-winner had I think 34. I was glad I wasn't out there yesterday. It had to be tough. Next time you come down, I'd like to suggest you get some feedback from some people here, either publicly or by PM and you can get set up properly.

Black and Blue is a primary color combination down here in Florida. Can't speak to up there but it is natural and like a lot of the other natural colors like junebug, the watermelons, pumpkins etc should work about anywhere. All you can do is give it a shot.

I would be pretty sure that won't happen. They were never intended to be anywhere but Dade and whatever migration that they made into Broward was a bit of unintended consequence. How they came up to PBC is a matter of speculation

Macmillans on Saturday

It's mapped as the C-4 canal

I'm not suggesting anyone here is doing it but I have been amazed by some confusion people have had about misidentifying bowfin as snakeheads. I guess its part of the hysteria.

Wow, sorry to hear that. I am shocked it could happen so fast. I can only think of the many times I have stopped in a following wind/wave pattern and not even given it a thought. I was out there yesterday and it got rough for sure.

I was going through some terminal tackle boxes and found a zillion, well maybe a million, of offset round bend hooks from 2/0 to 5/0. Somewhere over the years my T-Rig fishing morphed from these hooks to EWG exclusively. Can someone fill me in on the best uses for both. I use specific-use straight shank for flipping and pitching. Most of the T-Rig uses are some variety of senko type bait (senko, stik-o, dingers etc) or 10" ribbontails like a Powerworm or Gambler ribbon-tail. In Florida, we fish heavy vegetation cover, or at least I do.

I have been involved in a couple of Shaw's shows as a camera boat. The thing about Shaw that is so likeable is that he is, off camera, exactly the same way he is on-camera. He is one of the most enthusiastic positive people you will ever meet.

first four braid 50-65#s. Last two flourocarbon 17-20#. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight

I will play this all night so I hear it subliminally: punch mats idiot, punch mats idiot, punch mats idiot.... I don't like it, I don't enjoy it and I miss a lot of fish, I don't always feel the bite, I always wonder what part of the mat matters etc but, if you are fishing competitively or if it really matters to you to have a good day after one of these fronts down here then...punch mats idiot, punch mats idiot....

I'll PM you with a few names.

Well sad to say but the Lake really kicked my butt this weekend. Never could get a consistent pattern on fish. Tried, in no particular order: inside, way inside, outside, inside the out side and way way outside. Skinny dipper, senkos, soak a 10" worm, flip mats and pitch reed clumpies. Tough, tough and tough. Hat's off to the big bags on Saturday's BFL

I see what you all mean. I had thought the front was going to come through earlier and conditions would settle by the weekend. Looks like it is Friday in Central Florida and maybe Friday night at the Lake.

Totally agree on the part about them still staging. We caught some quality fish this weekend working the intermediate areas between the outside and inside. I call it the "inside of the outside". People struggled fishing the obvious spawning flats and areas. All that said, I would have loved to be up there today or tomorrow. Hope the good conditions hold for the upcoming weekend. I've got the BFL on Saturday and a club classic on Sunday. I'm never gonna win a slugfest but it'd be fun trying.