Mike L

Hello and Welcome You got some great advice. Mike

Say it ain’t so! ? Mike

God Bless Mike

Some of theses guys aren’t just another pretty face! ? Mike

Tournament fishing requires a different mind set. If you just want to have fun, enjoy the weather, watch the birds fly, can’t afford the entry fees or travel expenses or just want to feel the wind in your hair...don’t do it. If you enjoy competition, want to test yourself, have disposable income, don’t mind standing for 9 hours and make 1,000 casts, make critical decisions on location and equipment to use, have the ability to focus on every variable, etc.etc. Then tournament fishing is something you should try. Mike

Magnum Speed Worm 9” Mann’s Jelly worm 7” Fat Max Ribbon Tail 5” Senko Cut R Mike

Sometime this spring Mrs Mike and I plan on taking a road trip to get my first one! I was gonna ask you guys where would be a good place to go that’s not 1,000 miles away. I thought we would have to go farther than that. Thanks Pal Mike

Before I had my 2nd back surgery last March, I fished in 10 BFL tournaments (1 Championship, and qualified for 5 Regional’s) 8 B.A.S.S Nation tournaments ( qualified for 6 Florida State Championships) All as a co angler. When the doc says so, I plan on starting up again but only will fish in one circuit. Haven’t decided which yet. Mike

My resolution is to go somewhere, anywhere at sometime and catch a small mouth or spot Mike

J&S has 5 cabins that they rent. I would check it out first. Mike

Nope, never did Didn’t know that. Mike

Very well said @Teal Mike

In my opinion Mastering is the wrong goal. Why? Because you’re trying to out smart a living thing with a brain who knows more about his environment than you do. Can’t be done Again imho, if you put the emphasis more on learning how to improvise overcome and adapt and gain as much experience as you can, you can come as close as you’ll get. I’m a self described “power” fisherman who would rather punch a mat and pick a fish off a bed than anything else and it’s always what I only try to do. But I certainly haven’t mastered either. Sometimes being successful at something doesn’t mean that it’s been mastered. Mike

Punching is hard from shore but can be done in the right location with certain conditions. If you can find a mat that you can reach with deeper water not too far off and punch from an elevated position it can be very productive. Also, as you approach look for beds. Scout out an area you want to try a few days before you go. If you find any approach very stealthy and cast a few yards farther back. Point is sometimes bank fisherman walk right by the best fishing on the pond. Mike

Best thread of the day! Bring her with you everyday not just sometimes, that way you’ll both have that peace. Mike

For me it’s always been a... Fenwick Techna AV Curado 200E 14# Sniper Mike

I’m gonna keep that in mind. Thanks Maybe this spring sometime I’ll hire a guide up that way somewhere. Mike

The only salt water fish I’ve never caught that I want to is a Blue Marlin. There are others of course, but the Marlin is the only one I would pay to catch. In fresh water it has to be a small mouth. For years I didn’t care if I did or not but since I’ve been on this board and others, a small mouth has been on my bucket list. Mike

No reason to be and I wasn’t insulted in any way. I didn’t take your response as if you were. I was just trying to have fun in my own stupid way with some recent and past posts about buying equipment that had to match. And that how it looked together as opposed to how it functions together was even a consideration. Stay Safe Mike

Palomar. Snell for all bottom contact. Mike

I’m jealous! On Toho look for shell beds that have some hydrilla nearby in the main lake. If you launch from Big Toho Marina come out and head about 2:00 and start looking. First thing I would do is Burn a top water across the shell then drop it in once you hit the hydrilla line. Watch the line once you drop it. They will follow it in and blast it once it hits the grass. If there is eel grass tho don’t slow down!! My 10.2 came on a June bug magnum Speed Worm with a 1/8 pegged weight on 80lb Power Pro. Gold and orange traps around the edges and trough the eel grass can be killer this time of the year also. There will be fish on beds in 2-5 fow. For those I always use a white creature bait. My current favorite is a Rage Bug if they want a little action or a RI Sweet Beaver if they don’t. You can lock into a few of the other lakes if you want if it’s slow and you’re time restricted. ————————————————————— At the Stick I would start in the SE and SW corners first thing in the Farm. Be careful there are stick ups all through there. No reason to speed. I haven’t been there since last summer so I don’t know what the water level will be, if it’s high it will make the trees hard to see. I got my 11.34 on a 7” red shad Fax Max ribbon tail with an unpegged 3/16 weight on 16# Sniper. I started at the NE shore line running the entire lake making long casts. If you fish the Stick, go right off the ramp and start just past the bird sanctuary there should beds all the way to the dam on the far end. Have fun and let me know you did. Mike

1 in January / Okeechobee 2 in February / Okeechobee, Toho 1 in March (pb) / Stick Marsh 1 in June / Okeechobee Mike

May you and your families all know happiness, joy, peace and good health in 2021. Mike

As others have said, I don’t buy anything just because somebody designed or advertised it. That said, I also could care less how a rod or reel is painted or polished, or if they “look good together”. And no, I don’t care if my pants match my shirt or if my shirt matches my hat. Mike

Same for me. We’re in the mountains of NC for the week and didn’t have a signal to join this time. Mrs Mike sent me down the mountain to go shopping so I thought I’d check in. ? Mike