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Have any of their reels worked well? My buddy had one that had to be replaced 5 times. Besides they havent kept a model line going long enough to establish a record of reliability

Yup almost to the bend usually

I use the Copperfield and Smokin Shad colors. Not a lot of luck weightless as they always torque sideways except at the slowest speeds. If you find that to be a problem dont discard the hook but add a pinch weight or wrap a little solder on the hook. Hooks are way too expensive to not use!

2014 was a C- for me. And only fishing with my best friend made it that. Size was poor, lost many a big fish at the boat. Numbers were down too. Weather played a big part and made the spawn season nearly non existent. 2015 has been a complete turn around. January alone surpassed all of 2014 and with the spawn just now ending number have been the best in years. Bigger bass too and hardly any lost fish.

Never found the Berkeley gizmo to work for very long before the little rollers got grooved and unable to grab the line. Not even last through the first reel. Never worked at all for line under 15lb.

I have better luck with the standard size EZ. Check out how Swedish Pike anglers rig soft swimbaits with standard hooks and a hookless jighead. Helps when landlocked snook and tarpon hit your bass tackle.

Thats what soured me to shimano. 12 reels I couldnt use because the septon turned to goo. Only thing arrogant customer service could say was go buy knob covers we dont make those models anymore. No interest in just selling me the replaceable knobs.

Wow what a nice way for a bunch of forum veterans to be towards a new guy with only 83 posts! Makes folks feel real welcome! "Too much work" ? You guys write longer replies squeezing every bit of man love you can muster for your beloved gear. Some welcome atmosphere for a new guy who wants to become involved.......

I take the split rings off all my hardbaits and use a Non Slip Loop Knot. Topwaters, jerkbaits and crankbaits....

Belleville washers, the ones that look like- (). They loose their springiness and reduce your drags performance.

Ask God......everything man touches, he complicates.

Sadly this is very true. I'm to the point that I cant use my beloved pistol grip rods. But I dont see any difference when I use the "vogue" long gripped rods either.

Sounds like the way Hank Parker holds his casting gear, always feeling the line in front of the reel line guide.

Be careful of what? The crazy shooters and their lack of gun range manners are by far more dangerous than the gators.

Hate braid. Unimpressed by flourocarbon. I use mono for all applications with no regrets. Who cares what 'internet Andy' uses anyway.

Dont let the gators stop you. FWC puts a lot of trapped nuisance gators in there and many are very big. But I never have had trouble with them either on the bank or in my kayak. The little ones are the trouble, they just wont leave a topwater lure alone. Its top secret but there are some HUGE reds and snook in Webb Lake. Stocked by FWC and remants from old Alligator Creek which is now in the center of the lake.

You can get a non resident permit at BPS, Dick's, any walmart or the county tax collectors office downtown. Lots of filamous algae around here hampers most crankbaits. Soft plastics are fine.

I dont fish in Ft. Myers but I'm in the next county north. Right now the bass are both in the last of pre spawn and some on their beds. Some could be still on beds around the full moon in March. Focus on the shoreline. Other than neighborhood ponds there is very little freshwater fishing there. Cape Coral, the next town to Ft. Myers has both fresh and salt canals. Webb Babcock WMA has a huge fish management lake easily fished from shore. It is just north of Ft. Myers. Be careful it is full of huge gators. Golden Gate south of Ft. Myers has bass fishing but I dont have any info on it to help you.

Funny, Jan through March are the hottest months here and we are just 3 hrs. apart. Bass are bedding, aggressive and fat this time of year. We are even having good days right after a front comes through this last month.

Small stuff, and Ambassadeur 2500c, 10# mono, on a 6'6 crankbait rod med.mod. action. For standard size baits, an Ambassadeur 4500c, 12# mono on a pistol grip IM 6 rod. More and more lately Im find that spinning gear works better for me with a Daiwa Ballistic 3000 and a med. St. Croix LTB.

Then the Revo/Phfeluger/Browning etc etc must be the best too since they are the very same reel as your Lew's...

I found the action of my MH Veritas too stiff for casting some more wind resistant and weightless baits. It does well using mono and I relegate it to throwing big ez's and ez swimmers.

Your not likely to get many Revo replies on a shimano board! I gave up on Revo's and went back to round Ambassadeurs myself. There are pics around showing the new generation Revo's that came out in Asia awhile back. Now seeing that pure fishing is offering a rebate on all Revos, I suspect that something new is coming and they are flushing out the current inventory. They are also doing it to the Premier spinner. With 5 in mind I think I'd wait to see if I had to have the new version before I pulled the trigger. Just a thought....

Your really not missing all that much. Between unregulated growth and deregulated environmental laws by the current Gov. fishing here in the domain of the snook has taken a huge hit. You wont see that truth on t.v. though. I'd be thrilled to have the diversity you enjoy up there frankly. Huge cats, yellow bass, white bass etc. I'm sorry my comment, as usual, was taken by the same certain folks as being a line in the sand and ripped away the purpose of your post. Your right about gun talk. There I am a true elitist. 1911's only and plastic guns are the great demise! Anyway.........

Ditto