SFL BassHunter

Since we are kind of still on the topic of the bait casting reels, Do you guys have any recommendations for rod action thats best for bass fishing with a bait caster? I've already got a spinning heavy fast action rod.

Trust me I don't get mad at others success. I was just mad that I had been fishing there just 2 minutes prior and didn't land a fish. More mad at myself lol. I find it fun and relaxing which is why I go fishing. But after spending so many hours out there and nothing to show for it, you start getting concerned that you're doing something wrong. Ultimately I go fishing to catch fish otherwise I would just take a lawn chair to the park and sit there watching the water lol.

Lou that makes a ton of sense. I guess my theory was, find the fish. If they aren't at this lake, go to the other lake. Instead of there have to be fish here, I just need to learn this spot.

I've been looking at a bait caster for my second rod. Never used one before so I probably won't be going high end. Is there a reason why people switch hands? I've always used a spinning rod and reeled with my left. Wouldn't it just be easier to get a bait caster that I can cast with my right and reel with my left? I was watching a major league fishing episode and I think it was shaw grigsby who kept switching his rod over to his other hand to reel, just looked awkward. I'm a righty and my left hand is basically worthless for anything other than reeling lol.

Pz3, I do have the same problem as you. I am landlocked and I have noticed that I have not seen any fish shallow. For example in Tropical Park before the cold fronts I could spot some bass, now I can't. Vista View had 2 or 3 small bass (I'm talking 5 or 6 inches) on the shallow part. That lake does seem to have a drop off and it is reachable. I figured some of the fish would be up against the drop off wall but I got the 1 bite. Oh and lost several hooks and worms and bullet weights on the rock wall.

Hey Snazzy thanks for the info. Yes I do fish at high pressure places and I can see how that makes it harder to catch fish. I have tried Holiday Park, 75 rest areas, and after going to Vista View I went to Holey Land and got into some canals there. Holiday Park and 75 rest area are high pressure too but I hear guys catching fish on these canals left and right. To answer your question, yes. I try every lure, ever color, every soft plastic in my arsenal every time I go out there. I normally head out before the sun comes up to get that first light bite. I usually start top water early. I don't finish fishing till the sun sets. Sometimes I am out there for 4 to 8 hours. Depends on the day. Monday I got out there at 8 am and finished up at 6pm. So you can imagine I tried everything in my tackle box.

That does help, I might be going way to fast. What I consider slow seems fast compared to what you are doing. I actually did Vista View on Monday. I caught a decent fish but I lost it. I was getting frustrated because I had been there all morning. I had a bass boil on my top water early but couldn't reproduce the bite. A group of guys showed up and one guy went to a spot I had just fished with a worm and less than 5 minutes in he caught a nice one. I was on the other side of the lake at the time and was cursing under my breath. I had just been there and then all the sudden I got my only bite. I set the hook and reeled it in, but lost him about a couple feet from me. I texas rig my worms, lizards, creatures. That is the other thing I forgot to mention.

Hey guys so I've been out bass fishing a ton of times and only caught some a very small number of times. I'm hoping to post what I've used and what gear I have to see if maybe I am doing something wrong. Obviously you wouldn't know if I am doing something wrong with the movements of my rod but if I can rule out the gear I have then maybe its just technique. I've watched a ton of videos on how to use each lure so I think I'm doing what I should be doing. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting pretty frustrated. I've had at least 5 outings with 0 fish caught while being out there for at least 6 hours each time (which gives me plenty of time to try different baits). Lakes and Canals I've fished - Canal behind Homestead Speedway (Unsuccessfully) Snapper Creek like 8 times (Caught 1 peacock) 8th st canal in the city and in the glades (0 fish) Tropical Park 5 or 6 times (3 Largemouth same day) Lake Osborne (1 Largemouth) Vista View (1 Largemouth and lost him bringing him in) Amelia Earhart Park (0 Fish) Rod - Shimano Sojourn Spinning 7'0" Heavy Fast Mono Line Rating12-25' Power Pro Line Rating15-40 Lure Rating 1/2-3oz Line - Spiderwire Stealth Braid 15 lb (Moss Green) Leader - Fluorocarbon 15 lb (Clear) Reel - Shimano Sienna 2500 Line Retrieve Per Crank (in.) 29 Line Capacity (# Test/Yards) 6/200,8/140,10/120 Power Pro Line Capacity (# Test/Yards) 10/170,15/145,30/95 Max Drag (lbs.) 7.0 Ball Bearings 3 Roller Bearings 1 Gear Ratio 5.2:1 T Type Weight 9.0 Baits & Lures - Havoc Pit Boss 4" (Big Texan) Kalin's Sizmic Toad Jr. (Chartreuse) Culprit Worm 7.5" (Crawdad) Havoc Juice Worm 8" (Watermelon) Hawk Hawg 5" (Green Pumpkin & Bama Bug) Top Water Poppers. Not these exact ones, mine are hand painted. They do their job popping and creating a ton of splash. Mine are baby bass and bluegill colors. Crankbait - Shallow - 3 1/4 inch Total Length - 1/2 oz Lipless - Sinking - 2 3/4 inch - 2/3 oz - Tight Wiggle, Makes good Sound. Jigs - 1/2 oz (Tried w/ and w/o white grub trailer and Pit Boss trailer) I also use the same rod for Saltwater Fishing and at that point I change my leader to mono 30 - 50 lbs (I am not having trouble catching fish in saltwater. LOL its those d**n bass that are tricky.) To end it, I just want to say that I have tried fast retrieves, slow retrieves, and super slow (with the worms). Thanks in advanced for anyone who actually read all this and has some advice for me.

Nice, thanks for the info! I might have to give Vista View a try. I actually didn't get a chance to meet with my friend. We decided to leave it for tomorrow. So I went south to fish. Did some saltwater fishing, caught a baby cuda. Then I tried the canal behind the Homestead Speedway. I have never seen such clear water in a canal. I could see everything from top to bottom. I also had never seen Jack in a canal. A school of em swimming around having a good ol time. The bass were tiny, and the peacocks too. There were some small mangrove snappers in there. Several schools of what looked like american shad. A school of what looked to be lady fish. 2 GIANT CARP! These suckers were huge! A manatee, and a few turtles. I could see them all, but I couldn't get anything to bite. One jack came flying out of no where up to my green fly and got to about half an inch of it and made a u turn. LOL.

Cool! Thanks.

Awesome guys thanks for the info! Going to put it to good use this Sunday! Hopefully we will catch some big uns! I like the thought of Markham because of the possibility of catching snook as well. Are the snook also catch and release? If they are that's a d**n shame.

I'm meeting a friend half way to do some bass fishing in Broward. I live in Dade and he has very little experience with Bass fishing. I was hoping someone on here could help me out with some decent fishing spots in Broward. I don't go there often because it is a bit out of my way. I would rather not go around exploring and waste time. If anyone has any info they can message me or post on here. I was also looking at TY Park, I know they have Little League Tournaments there but does anyone have any experience with that park, how good is it for bank fishing? Thanks Rick

They have that 29 dollar extended cast thing online. You can watch all the videos which are pretty long. I think it is well worth it. I'm going back and watching the 2012 cup till I make it to the current one. It's cool cause its a yearly pass you can go back to whatever episodes you like and watch them again!

Guys I'm meeting a buddy half way in broward area to do some bass fishing this sunday. I live in dade so I don't go up there often. Any tips on decent spots? I know a lot of people don't like to give out where they fish. But since I'll be out there I would rather not start driving around to find places and waste time. I fish off the bank cause I have no boat. If anyone can post or even message me a few spots to go to it would be great. I was looking at TY Park, I know they have boat rentals there and are pretty cheap. On the map the lake doesn't seem all that big so I don't know if it merits a boat or not. Like I said I've never been to that area to do bass fishing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. FYI I am currently in NY for a business trip and I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK TO MIAMI! It's freaking cold up here folks. Snow and Ice all over the place. Glad I live in Miami.

I went out there in the beginning of last month. I didn't get a bite. I saw plenty of Carp but no bass. Some guy with his kid was fishing under the small bridge catching panfish. Plenty of those. But I had no luck with largemouth or peacock. Then again I don't consider myself all that skilled yet so who knows!

I just bought the MLF Extended Cast online for 29 bucks! Excellent, exciting fishing!

I don't have a boat so I am at a disadvantage but I did try holiday park off the bank, and then the rest areas on i-75. I experienced the same issue as you. I was out there for hours, I did try just about every lure in my tackle box. I tried slow and fast, hard baits, plastics, topwater. You name it. I just had no luck that day. But the fish are out there because like you said, others go out there and catch some good bass.

Nice fish! Looks like that walmart spinner bait is pretty good.

Went out to Snapper Creek and tried on Sunday. I ended up empty handed again. I'm having a hard time getting me some bass!

I was fishing from the bank.

I tried Holiday Park and 75 recreational areas on Monday and I got NOTHING! It was bad. I tried worms, lizards, creatures, jigs, shallow cranks, top water cranks, deep cranks, All different colors, slow, fast, extra slow...it was horrible. I was out there for 6 hours!

Not bass related but figured I would post in case anyone wants to do some trout or snook fishing. Went to Flamingo National Park all they way to the end of the road where the campgrounds are and caught a nice Snook with my handpainted popper jr. Caught another snook with a shallow bomber but I lost that when he jumped. Caught a 15 inch trout on that same bomber @ West Lake in Flamingo NP. Fish were jumping all over the place but most of them were out of my reach, if only I had a boat lol.

There is a joke there... but I'm going to leave it alone.