Mike L

I have the Amber 580's which are recommended for cloudy days as Blue mentioned and for driving as Papa said. Since they are the only pair I own, I use them in all conditions and have no complaints. Mike

I live here and you made we want to do all this! Mike

I just picked up a Loomis MBR 843C GLX. I'm not too crazy about the soft, to me anyway, action for a MH/F rod. Haven't used it yet but gonna give it shot anyway. Thinking of pairing it with an older Chronarch 100 SF spooled with 20# braid. Mike

Gar-Track and Lou are right you really can't fish in the Lake proper, but You can try the pier on the back side of Eagle Bay off RT 78, Okeetanee Park, along the rip rap seawall on the rim ditch near the Moore Haven lock, or inside of Taylor Creek but you'll have to ask a home owner first. You can also fish the bank of the river about 1/2 mile before it opens to the lake just past the Scott Driver ramps. Most any acesss to the Lake waters itself are inaccessible unless you have a boat. Mike

Ditto Mike

No, but no better place to go!! Mike

Just love the Mr. Twister twin tail grub on swim jigs. It's action just never slows down. Mike

I used that for years and years and it holds. But given the heavy to moderate cover I fish in the most down here, I just have more confidence in the SDJ. Been playing with the No Name and starting to use that more for jigs with heavy Flouro. Mike

Yes, for all but braid..For that I use the Palomar Mike

Love those things! Mike

San Diego Jam Mike

No, you're not wrong. I use the 12# for cranks and will this year start useing it for spinnerbaits also..It doesn't float or sink, it just kind stays where you put it. It's fairly sensative enough to use for bottom contact presentation's but not ideal. 12# would scare me in heavy vegetation, but with it's 19lb breaking strength you can get by. I know guy's, and some on here who use 20# floro for flippin and not braid, and they do fine. Good Luck and Welcome Mike

Good luck to you guys in the playoffs today. I'm just gonna sit back and relax. ; ) Mike

I use 12# for cranking, and really like it. Because of it's stength and since I throw a lot of spinnerbaits in scattered to mildly heavy grass, I'm really thinking about useing it for that too. Mike

Love those Cut R's..The ability to make the tail rise or fall depending on how you rig it...If you haven't already just play with em, you'll see what I mean. Mike

I really jealous of all you boaters. I have just 1 3700 box with swim and arkie head jigs with trailers already attached all jammed in together. I hate it like that but have no choice.. Being in someone else's boat all the time, space and the ability to change up quick is everything. Mike

Power Pro is the only braid I use. Tried a few others but allways seem to come back to it. Mike

Ditto Mike

Challenging? Everything.... Depth, bait, color, size, speed, action etc etc Mike

Never gave it any thought... I just did...No Mike

Stay strong Pal!! Wait a second....Today's prayer sent. Mike

I also own the M1 and use it as my dedicated spinnerbait/chatterbait rod. I just love the way it feels in my hand.. Light, strong, sensative and load's great. I have never used a Recon, but if I was considering another rod the M1 would be hard to pass up. Mike

Ditto I see guys down here wearing the Gore-Tex suits maybe 2-3 times a year when it get too cold for our standards, but at 300.00 a pop it's a bit much for not getting the use. The Frogg Toggs will keep you warm with a few more layers underneath, and also bone dry when it's 90+ deg every day with a rain storm for 7 months of the year. Mike

"Too much for a first timer"? No, not at all. The conventional thinking is that the BFL circuit is for the more experienced angler, while the TBF and B.A.S.S. Nations are for the less experienced.. I fish them all and have for years and IMHO that is not true at all. Some may disagree, but there seems to be more rules savy angler's in the BFL, mostly on the boater side, but that's about it. In any Gator Div. BFL, Your chances of fishing are absolutely increased if you can find a boater to link with. I and many other co anglers have been shut out by waiting too long to register without one. (And that includes the Florida Bass Federation (TBF) and to a lesser degree B.A.S.S.'s BASS Nations circuit) My advice is to start looking for one to link with now. If you can't, then as soon as priority registration opens for the tournament you want to enter, call FLW's office direct (270-252-1000) to resister. Don't do it on line or through the mail! And do it at exactly when thier office opens, don't wait around. You will be put on a waiting list in the order the calls come in. Try to enter them all if you can, even if you don't get to fish them all. If you register for them all and fish as least 2 you will be eligible for the Wild Card tournament which is held somewhere centrally located. This year it was on Lake Hartwell in SC, in 2014 it was on Kentucky Lake. Good Luck, and stay in touch if you have any other questions. Mike