frogflogger

Happy Birthday - lots of good advice - all I would add is fish it everywhere - fish it slow, fish it fast, fish it in weeds, fish it in brush, fish it over deep open water, fish it in shallow water. Don't worry if you can't get it to walk right a way, they catch fish just chugging along. Just keep hurling the frog and good things will come you way.

Furbit - I tell folks about it now that I no longer fish tournaments - people have a difficult time understanding it is much more than a frog bait - much more. But you gotta believe.

I too would like to know what's up with them - the Hibdons are good folks

90% of the time it would be mono for me - I like the slow sink rate - fluoro too fast and braid too slow - but I'll use them in different situations.

Iron silk didn't work for me either - I bought some zebcos for tourists to use and a couple of them fell apart first day and a couple made it -- but I LOVE my Ardent 1000 - fished it over 500 days without a hitch - everything from winching frogs to pitching jigs - sorry for the plug

With mashed down barbs you get quicker penetration they say - I've never noticed any difference with them mashed one way or the other.

One rod can do both chores easily -- like they said you will do more jig fishing - but once you catch a few on a frog you'll be frogging more and more - it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

black johnson spoon with black pork eel has long been a killer - they still fish a lot of johnsons in Florida and of course the lake fork spoon craze has died down some but lots of guys still catching fish on them.

I bought quantums on sale at bps several times for clients use(I thought) now I'm ret'd from guiding - they still perform beautifully - paints worn off, handle nut covers missing - I use them all the time - absolutely no complaints - makes me wonder why I have $200-$300 reels.

I'd sure try a spinnerbait

Great for fine tuning - for a more drastic change I use lead wire or a little lead cylinder sinker with a wire eye hooked into the split ring - for finer tuning - split rings and/or hook size.

maybe

You have a lot of choices but in that muddy water I'd have probably tried painted blades - we use to use black but lime green or chart. blades would probably have helped

I'd have to go to a drive on scales at a truck stop

Don't let up keep the reel winching against them

good quality - good performing baits

The musky size is good for big bass and guys use to pull the side hooks up and hold them together across the top with a rubber band and cut one barb off the rear treble and fish them across vegetation for some explosive strikes

A very good tournament fisherman I know in sofla has a system - he fishes a bait/technique for 1 hr. then switches -

Gambler

you could try a 101 size pork chunk -

the 5500c was the classiest bass reel around for a few years - I still throw mine some - good workhorse - the 6500c would work for swimbaits and both are good shiner reels -

If you're breaking rods your hookset style/position needs work - we use to have folks set the hook with their line tied to a scale - good way to learn efficient rod movement and dispel preconceived notions - it isn't about brute force

practice practice practice

I'm primarily a bait caster but one of the very top sticks in the tournament scene in the everglades uses spinning tackle with braid to fish the flats and weigh in 25# bags with disturbing regularity.

Bass are the greatest fish - you can catch them with a cane pole or a $1000 japanese rod - a piece of bacon rind or $500 swim bait - they are so much fun who cares who has what - they've enabled me to make a simple living and have a huge amount of fun showing other folks how much fun they can be for anyone at any age at any income level. If you're enjoying the sport you're doing it right. If you can afford good stuff and a good boat take some one out who can't - take a kid, a vet - an old fart - share the sport - share the enthusiasm - have fun, go bass fishing - who has what is immaterial.