Mike L

Hello and Welcome! Mike

Ditto, Ditto! Mike

Yep, Me too! Got a 2 day tournament on Okeechobee this weekend! Can't wait to get back on the water. Mike

You're a good Dad! Mike

I feel for you, I have had fish break me off useing flouro, but if I remember right it wasn't at the knot but above it. I assumed it was on a weak spot as I had a backlash a few casts before and was rushing to get it out so I blamed it on that. I admit, thats the biggest problem I have useing flouro, really have to be extra careful when that happens. Mike

I need to stop repling to these threads... I've been useing flouro for years and have not had the problems most of you keep saying you have. If the knot is tied correctly there is no "poor knot strength" just because you're useing flouro. If your reel isn't adjusted correctly there is no "poor casting performance" just because you're useing flouro.. All I know is I'm convinced that the benefits of useing a quality flouro for presentations that will benefit from it, far out weigh any real or percieved negative. Flouro is not a panacea, but niether is braid, co ploy, or dare I say mono. Now all the Mono Forever guys will jump all over me again, and come up with all the science, testing, polls, and opinions that will prove....Ahh, never mind Mike

2nd week in and I have 2 starters go on IR and a 3rd broke his foot today! Can we start over? Mike

Go get a package of Nail weights and insert one in its back or nose. If you can't find any locally, a ribbed roofing nail will work just as well. Mike

Kinda sorry I brought it up Mike

The whole point of fishin is to do some catchin. By limiting yourself to just a few baits and presentations is just that, limiting. I have a few baits that I use all the time also, but those are limited to certain presentations at certain times in certain areas. If you learn to Improvise, Overcome and Adapt to everything catchin, your fishin can only improve. Mike

It happens to everybody once in a while. They're still there, just not where you're at or they don't like how or what you're useing. Best advise I can give is just keep fishin. Mike

Mmmm I guess I've been doing it wrong all this time then, but I really haven't noticed a problem. Mike

I just throw it right back a few times useing the same speed and trying to keep it at the same depth, Then change it up a bit. Like I said, for some reason I rarely have success throwing a follow-up on a moving bait. It's been that way a long time and I still don't know why. . Mike

Now I have to worry about if I should stretch my line?? And if I did, was it enough?? If you don't have confidence in the line for whatever reason...Just change the stuff!! Mike

I've had more success following up a missed hit on slower presentations than on moving baits for some reason. If I miss one on a spinnerbait, crankbait, on top etc, I just throw right back, but when useing a bottom contact plastic or jig more times than not throwing a follow-up will get bit. Moving baits are reaction hit's, slow bottom presentations are studyed and thought about more.. If a fish was interested enough to try to get it and misses, somthing else just a little different coming right back down will more times than not get hit. Not so much with a reaction bait, at least for me anyway. Mike

Thanks for the reply! Mike

If you're only talking about surface rust on a hook, just use some fine sandpaper to remove it, the hook will be fine to use. Also, Don't forget to sharpen the hook with a file going in one direction from the barb up to the tip. Mike

Since retiring I live full time in a motorhome and currently on the east coast while my older grandkids live in the house. When I get home we should meet up sometime Mike

Hello and Welcome! Mike

Hello and Welcome! Mike

Hello and Welcome! Mike

Fish, like us have to eat year round. They don't go anywhere. They're still in the water just may be in different locations with different habits based on the different seasonal patterns of any given lake. If you learn those and make the necessary adjustments as they happen, you'll catch fish anywhere all year long. Mike

When I used spinning gear I always used 20lb Power Pro. Mike

Ditto x3

Get rid of 1/2 my inventory of plastics. I have so many unopened bags of stuff I was given to try, won, or bought just for the heck of it it's crazy. I have a few deep diving crank's that are still in the package! Why would someone buy DD when 95% of the time he's fishing in 10ft or less? Or carry around a dozen football jigs when the only rock I see from the water are crushed stones in the parking lot? I don't know either Mike