BassinLou

??? As per the FWC website. Use of Fish for Bait Black bass, peacock bass or any part thereof may not be used as bait. Live non-native fishes (including goldfish and carp) may not be used as bait, except for variable platys and fathead minnows. Whole pickerel or panfish (e.g., bluegill, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, flier, warmouth) or parts thereof may be used as bait for sportfishing by the angler who caught them. Whole pickerel or bream or parts thereof may not be used as bait for trotlines or bush hooks or any method other than by rod and reel or pole and line. Panfish less than 4 inches in total length raised by a licensed aquaculture facility may be purchased and used for bait.

I re-read your post. Duh.... you are looking for a guide. Then just what Dwight recommended Capt Shane would be my recommendation also. He is a BR member as well. Drop him a PM and he will steer you in the right direction. As far as time out in the glades 4 to 6 hrs will be more than enough. My son is the roughly same age as your son. At about 6hrs he is showing signs of being tired although he won't admit to it. Lol. Enjoy your trip!!

The Tournament MG is great reel. This reel flew under the radar for while, but its an absolute workhorse with a magnetic braking system. I don't know how and why this is but my reel has become smoother over time. This will be my 4th season with mine. The only thing I would do different with my reel is replacing the stock handle with a 90mm HawgTech.

Determining how, where, and when to fish a particular bait is one of the beauties and challenges that I love about bass fishing. When it comes to swimbaits, imho, the fish will tell you how to fish it. For ex. the Ez swimmer you are using. I use the exact bait as well. I was told once to fish the water column. Top, middle, bottom. When a hit occurs, take note where it occur'd. What speed and/or cadence were you using. What cover was it around. What depth. etc.. etc... Keep presenting the bait in that same matter. If you continue catching fish then you have established a pattern. After throwing the swimbait for a while, and (you will determine what that time is), with 0 results, then I think its time to change baits and continue the process with another bait. At least that's what I will do. Some people play the numbers, they will continue throwing the same bait until they get the bite they want. Kudo's to them if they attain the fish they desire. Me, I go out to fish, so if something doesn't work I will find the technique that's going to illicit continuous signs of life.

LEWS has several good models right now that are at that $$ range.

Going back to the OP's question. First off, welcome to BR. One thing you must quickly learn here is to be extremely specific with a question. Whenever you ask what is the best rod and/or reel you are opening up pandora's box. LOL... We know you are looking for a frog outfit. What is your budget? Some of the outfits that were just listed as an example are more than a few $$ hundred dollars. Here are some tips for you. There are several good named brands reels and rods. What fishing retailers are close to you? Go to these places and go get a feel of these rods and reels. Once you have, go on-line or take advantage of our site sponsors and see if they can get you the same outfit for a lot less. Rods, you will be looking at a minimum of 7ft and the power rating should be a MH to H. Reels: high IPT (inches per turn) and ratio. 7.1:1. Line. Braid reigns supreme in frogging applications. 40lb or more will suit you just fine. Best of luck with your frogging endeavor. It's one of my personal favorites techniques as well. Remember to post a pic of your first frog bass!

12 - 15lb copoly for the application mentioned

Are you sure you don't have to slide them over. I have never experienced a Metanium but on a Curado I you simply slide the brake over til it clicks. No popping out is necessary.

To answer your question, yes. Something is seriously wrong if you are going through a 300 yd spool in a week and half. You must give us more info to try to help you find the root cause.

Every time I have caught one I was fishing different bass fishing techniques. I have caught them on soft plastics, frogs, jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. If a big one gets a hold of your favorite lure there is a strong possibility that it will be destroyed. I have found however, that if you use the fishgrip on them, it will neutralize them from thrashing and spinning. Making lure retrieval a little easier and safer.

If braid has been working for you lately, then why change? I use braid for several applications and catch nice fish. However, do I keep an open mind and switch to other lines when the situation calls for it? Absolutely!!

Mudfish and the Everglades are synonymous. I have caught my fair share of big mudfish. They have fooled me more than once in thinking I have caught my personal best bass until I feel the death roll. As far killing them. I am really against that. Don't worry our precious bass are doing just fine living amongst all the mudfish and gar. My son loves catching mudfish. They put up one heck of a fight and they can be pretty big. To a 7-8 yr old kid mudfish are awesome!!

Snook, looks like you were using a good ol Chug Bug. I have box full of those. Good memories. Nice catch!!

The suggestions to use another brand of other braid is sound. But I think the OP is missing something to cause that braid to be snapping like that with so much frequency. To the OP what lb braid are you fishing with? Have you always used this lb test of braid? Is it higher or lower than 40lbs? Where has the 1000 yd spool of braid been kept? Have you checked your rod? I have been using power pro for years. The only reason it snaps is when the line has some abrasion and the strands have been compromised.

Power pro is great braid. There is no doubt there are other good braid brands out there. If your power pro broke on you 3 times in one outing something is going on. Several factors could be the culprit. I will found out why first. Something could be wrong with one of the eyes on your rod and the next braid you choose will suffer the same fate.

Look into VMC drop dead hooks. A friend of mine turned me on to these. I am a Gami hook user myself but the concept of these VMC's I could not ignore. Since these frogs are usually fished while the frog remains in motion, when you see the blowup keep reeling until you feel the fish's weight. Then set.

Here is a perfect example of knowing your craft. Picking the right combo, in the given situation. Many may not know what the right combo is because they haven't caught a pig in heavy grass. Once they experience the power a big bass posseses compunded with heavy grass, their next outfit will definitely be a Heavy rod.

I carry one outfit and a slingpack. If you plan on bank fishing for hours at a time, you have to be light and mobile. Carry a rig that serves as a multi-purpose combo. Inside my pack i have water, spools for leader material, and essential known baits that are known to catch me fish. Remember to apply sunscreen and have at it. Carrying more than one combo is an accident waiting to happen. Imho. You can step on it by accident fighting a nice fish, forget it by mistake, or worse get it stolen.

Very small tins with small HP engines. Google Everglades, Holiday Park and Sawgrass Recreational and ask directly. They will be able to help you. Also follow SoFLABassaddict's advice and get there early. Holiday can be flat out packed. I personally stay clear of that area. I can't stand crowds. Good luck

Productive outing. Good report.

Welcome to BR. Here is my humble opinion in regards to canoe use in AA. Will I do it? NO. Depending on the wind, which can be pretty stubborn at times, will make canoeing challenging. The wind will push you along just great, but you have to fight your way back against the wind. That's not easy. Especially if your by yourself. I have seen people fishing on yaks but they are not out there too long. I guess once they see the volume of gators they turn right back around. Which leads me to my next point. Gators. If your afraid of them, then AA is not the place for you. I am not going to lie to you. Some gators will get really curious and follow you around for a bit especially if your catching fish. If you have a small tin with a small motor then you will be fine. I see those all the time. Hopefully this info helps. Best of luck, and be safe if you do decide to go launch your canoe.

I own both series. I hear the Savvy is a dead stick, but it works really great for me. The Champion is a step up and yes it delivers. Great rod, balances real well. What application(s) are you looking to throw with this rod?

Wow... I think maybe you might have made a mistake on your weight. Most punching weights go from 3/4oz-2oz.

Holiday Park or Sawgrass Recreation. Both are off US 27