rabidsquirrel

This seems like the place to share this sort of thing, so here goes. My friend and I went out to Lake Kissimmee for a bit of 'fun' fishing - I.e. not pre-fishing or tournament fishing... He and I managed to catch a few despite the crappy weather conditions. I've got pictures of our biggest fish in my blog entry (~10lbs): Fun Fishing on Lake Kissimmee with my Friend, Dave I've got some video of the fish that I need to update that entry with... I hope to have it in there tonight, so check back in a day or so.

Isn't the Tatula just an improved version, or, evolution of the T wing concept? That is how I see it. If I was going Daiwa, I think the best value in their lineup is now the Tatula. Just my opinion. This is coming from a Shimano Curado sort of guy! Just let us know what you wind up with and how you like it, KY Outdoorsman!

I've been meaning to post a link to a review of the CI4+ on this forum, but I keep forgetting... Your post just popped up on my google feed, so I'll post it here. Maybe it'll help you decide. http://cartwrightrealtyfishingteam.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/chronarch-ci4-151hg-reel-review/

I have wanted to fish there for a while. Have season passes, and will probably hire the guide service to get out there and fish. There are some big bass in those lakes. I was thinking that those fish are relatively unpressured, therefore they ought to crush a swim bait.

Does anyone know when the Tampa Bass Pro Shop is supposed to open up? I think it will actually be located in Brandon, FL...

I do way too much to get ready... It's like a 2nd job sometimes.

Very cool! Good on them!

RIP... Very sad and unfortunate... My condolences to his family and the Co-Angler...

Aaron Martens and/or Hank Parker...

I agree with most on here, but if I were you, I'd get a heavy swim-bait rig (Curado 300/301 or older 200/201DHSV on a 7'9" heavy rod with fast tip) and I'd throw Skinny Dipper type baits on 40-60lb braid. You'll be able to cast them a mile with the right rig... Use 6 aught swim bait hooks. The owner hooks are good because of the bait lock/keeper design... You throw that setup, and you'll be yanking them out in no time. with the heavy braid, you don't have to worry about heaving baits into the vegetation - in fact, I recommend it. My baits usually get nailed coming off of heavy mats or out of scrub brush.

I think I'm on the same trajectory as you, but with 4Runners instead. My current one has got 210K miles on it and still running strong. Driver seat is ripped up though (Needs recovering). I love getting my money's worth out of trucks! Glad to hear you got a good deal.

My answer to this question is "rarely"... I have a decent radio setup in the boat, and an auxiliary jack so I can plug in my phone to the radio (Spotify). I do, however, smoke cigars when I fish. So does my fishing partner...

Ha! that's funny.

Nice. That frog hook was mangled...

Pardon me, but what does 'KOTG' stand for? I'm guessing some sort of tournament trail... Thanks.

Swim Bait (I.e. Skinny Dippers)... I've been catching quality fish with these in almost any weather condition. These types of bait have become my new go-to baits.

For the record, I've been out to Hillsborough via the Riverhills ramp many times since my original post. Good fishing to be had out there. Have caught some toads out there over the last few trips. There are definitely plenty of large and healthy bass in that river (Above the dam). I think the Rotary Park ramp is still closed... at least it was when I floated by it a few weekends back.

I always forget to eat. I try to bring sandwiches and chips, but if it is a tournament, I usually just bring a power bar type snack.

A 'pattern' for bass is probably analogous to 'emergence' for complex systems. Here's a good TED talk on complex systems - I.e. complex economic systems in this case, but food chains are essentially proto economic systems. http://www.ted.com/talks/james_b_glattfelder_who_controls_the_world.html Food for thought, or confusion... Your mileage may vary.

Wow... That is so funny, and not so funny all at the same time! LMAO!

Craiglist, as others have said, is a good option - just pay attention for scams and price check everything. Deals can also be had on Ebay, but those are infrequent.

Fish it at night... If guys are harvesting fish mainly during the day, then the bigger bass in that lake are likely feeding at night - especially when there is a full moon.

Anyone using this bait successfully on the Lake Harris Chain (Central Florida)? If so, what colors and how are you rigging / presenting them? I've got a tournament coming up, and I've got a mind to use these (Picked up a pack of Blue Craw) in a tournament tomorrow (Lake Harris Bay Area Bassmasters' Tournament). They look like excellent baits for certain conditions. I've thrown them in some of my local ponds, but haven't had any bites on them yet - however the bite has been slow all the way around, so this isn't an indication of the bait's potential IMHO.

Lake Harris Chain is a good fishery as far as I've seen. If I were to pick one of the lakes to live on out of the few you've mentioned, it would probably be Lake Eustis, as it has the best access to the others in the chain. It is pretty much smack in the middle of the chain. Griffin seems to hold a lot of fish, but the conditions have been bad over the last few months. Lower water levels and heavily stained water, however some areas of Griffin are better, but you have to hunt them down every time you are out there. You also need to run through the Lock to get to Lake Griffin from lakes in the rest of the chain (I.e. lakes connected to Eustis - Dora and Harris). The wife and I have talked about getting a weekend place off of the Harris Chain. I would like to fish some of the other chains a bit more before we committed to a piece of property on the Harris Chain. I've not run Apopka in my boat yet, but I've heard it has monster fish in it, and large bags are caught there as well. I've also heard that the state is trying to clean that lake up, and it should show improvement in the coming years.

I hope you get your buddy back soon. That's a crap situation he's in, but it sounds like he's built up a lot of good 'karma' with you and likely others. Keep us posted.