BassinLou

You are going to receive a mixed bag of answers on this one. Listen to the answers carefully, try a few, and see what works for you. Goodluck.

That depends on the lake you are fishing on. There are deep lakes here in FL, that utilizing electronics properly will help you ID brush piles, shell beds, and bait balls. There are other lakes where GPS will be more important... lol

I have caught nice bass on the field mouse. Isn't has tough as the LT HB Frog though. Takes in a lot of water, to much for my taste. I still have several of them though. When the topwater bite is on but they are finicky for the frog, I will toss the mouse. I also have the LT Sunfish, looking forward to see how it produces this Spring.

I can't believe it's been 30 yrs already. I was in the 6th grade, when one of the teachers came in upset and announced the Challenger Space Shuttle suffered a tragic accident. Sad day indeed.

10lb is also pretty good. But for the application mentioned, 12lb is just right.

I adjust to the conditions presented to me. Just this past weekend, we had big cold front blow through and had full moon. Still managed a couple of decent fish, but I had to adjust my presentation. For the most part, when I mean adjust my presentation, I mean I had to slow down my approach. Yesterday for example I landed a 5lb+, using a bitsy jig. Fished it slow and methodically along the bottom.

The stretch of Alligator Alley that Drew is referencing is a fairly long stretch of ramps and docks, on either sides of the alley. The last set of ramps and docks that I know of is MM51. Right at the edge of Big Cypress. As you work your way East from that location, your next set of ramps will be MM41 on the South side of the Alley, next will be MM39 on the North side of the alley, following MM35 with ramps on both sides of the alley. Every few miles after that you will find several MM markers with ramps and docks. Gonzo, the best and easiest way for you to reach these areas is to take I-75 North. (This assuming you are from Miami-Dade County). So take I -75 N, until you see the signs for Alligator alley (Naples) exit. Continue West on Alligator Alley. You will reach a toll booth. Once you pass the toll booth, you will shortly begin to see boat ramps pop up. First one will be on the right (North) side. From that point its up to you to decide on which ramp you want to try. Just because I mention a ramp, doesn't mean these areas cannot be fished from land. Your access will be limited, but I see plenty of land based fisherman out there at the locations I have mentioned. The only ramp in the area that has restroom facilities is MM35. All the rest do not. Best of luck to you out there. You will see its extremely easy to find these ramps. You can only go East and West on Alligator Alley. Best tip I can give you is GOOGLE EARTH, this is by far besides word of mouth, to find and research fishing spots.

Another vote for the 704

I agree with this, but I bought it anyways... lol... I will stop here however, respecting the OP's wishes of not getting into a pricepoint discussion.

I am not going to play the guess the weight game, but I am going to say, that's a solid, healthy fish. Cudos to you for sticking it out, and staying persistent. It pays off at the end.

Very cool.. best of luck to you.

I am all for saving $$, and when it comes to trebles, spending a little bit more $$ on quality hooks will prevent future heartache. Those stock hooks will fail when you need them the most. There aren't too many ways to improve catch ratios when bad hooks were your culprit the whole time. Just my humble opinion.

Having a boat down here is a huge plus. Opens up your accessibility to new waters tremendously. Good luck

Juvenile cuda.

Yes..... ooops!! Slone you are correct. Sorry I wasn't clear on that. Flushing units are a must when running your outboard outside of the water. If your motor isn't peeing when you have the flushing unit on, readjust them. But the engine has to be peeing once it warms up and the thermostat kicks in.

Fishing the frog, tops my list as favorite baits to throw. Once you understand when, and where to throw this bait, you will catch some very nice bass.

Also the colors you choose are important. Matching the hatch in this situation will help you tremendously.

Spinnerbaits can be fished many different ways. You can fish the entire water column with this bait. Cover water until the fish tell you what they want. Personally I like to fish the SB on top, and form a wake on top of the water. The blow ups are crazy when I do this technique.

A rooster tail is considered an in-line spinner. Spinnerbaits that consistently work for me but don't stand up to abuse for too long are booyah spinnerbaits

This is a good point. Work a search bait thoroughly until you find active fish. Crankbaits will also serve you well in covering lots of water. If you bank fish, covering water is the key imho. Standing around and not covering water can be frustrating. Canal bass are always on the move unless they are spawning. They will stay put for a little while.

Welcome to Bass Resource. Every time this question comes up, and yes it's come up many...many times, I will always recommend Google Earth. Scout your area via GE, and then take a drive to check the area out. South Fl is loaded with canal systems. Some are bigger than others, and some stretches of these canals have nice cover and/or structure. Right now with all of this rain, water is moving. Find moving water and focus around culverts and you will find fish. Good luck.

Congratulations. My first til this very day is a Tracker ProTeam 165. I bought mine in 1999. Great little tin. Here are some tips that I think you will find useful for years of enjoyment: 1. Max out the HP. Trust me on this. I know for mine its 40HP, but I got the 25 instead. Rookie mistake!! 2. Always keep your boat covered when its not in use. Prolonged exposure to the elements will rot out the wooden deck and carpet. Another costly mistake I learned from. 3. Max out the TM for your length of boat and/or voltage. For example. If you have a 12 volt system, max out your TM, and run with 55lb. I upgraded a couple of years ago to a MK Maxxum and its been a night and day difference ever since. 4. Pack smart. This boat does not have a lot storage so pack smart and minimize clutter. 5. Lastly, if you don't run your boat often, and you find it sits for a while. Run the motor every week or 2 for about 3 min. Treat your fuel if you run ethanol or not. This tip alone will save you $$ and headaches down the line. Another area I learned the hard way with. Again, congrats on your purchase, and enjoy your tin boat.

Thanks for the report George. Great work on figuring out a productive pattern. WTG!!

Hmmmm.... Pines and Davie are very productive areas to fish. Especially for Peacock Bass. What setup are you using?

I have thrown this bait several times already, and I have to say I really like them. They have a unique way of moving through the water, due to its design. It's also a hefty bait, so it can be launched quite a ways. Unfortunately, however, I have yet to have a decent blowup yet to test those trokar hooks. It's not the bait isn't attractive, its just not the right season for my area yet. In the next couple of months, I think this bait will produce very big strikes. The 2 things that I found interesting are: 1. why the bait takes on water so quickly. The action is not effected, but every other cast you have to squeeze out the water. 2. The lures counter balance was not painted white or some other color to blend with the bait. The disc weight is a plain lead, contrasting against the bait color's like a sore thumb. But, like I said. The action of this bait is very intriguing to me, and I will continue to throw it.