FloridaFishinFool

Nope. Not brand loyal. No reason to be brand loyal. Why limit myself? I've been repairing, modifying, and upgrading reels for close to 35 years. I can not choose to repair or work on just one brand, so I see them all. Over time I buy what I like regardless of brand name. Brand name means absolutely zilch to me. How many people care about the brand name of a hammer or a crescent wrench or hex keys we use on a regular basis? My point is these are tools to do a job. Reels are the same for me. Just a tool. So in my collection of rods and reels is just about every modern brand name made. Rods and reels come and go on a regular basis. I have now gotten rid of all my older Mitchell spinning reels and all of my 1980's and 1990's Shimano Bantam reels too as I am trying to modernize to an all new level for me. I have yet to buy a lew's but it is on my radar for this year. Regardless of brand, I use what works for me. Simple as that.

Mister Twister keeper hook.

Nail polish does not have good adhesion properties. It would crack and flake off in no time.

Thanks for those answers or reasons.

Absolutely not. Cork is used for a reason. Sealing it changes for me the reason it is used for a handle in the first place. I prefer cork as cork is meant to be. I have some rods that have been exposed to the elements for decades and are well weather worn. I like the feel of this weathered cork even more than new. I just do not understand the use of a sealant, but this is just my opinion. I would seal floors, wood decks outside, wood siding on a house, but a fishing rod handle? Hell no. Not me. If I ever got a rod with sealant on the cork it would be sanded off or a new natural cork handle would be put on it. As a side note, one of my fishing friends had a new rod with the plastic shrink wrap still on the cork handle. I can't tell you how long he used that rod with the brand new plastic shrink wrap still on the cork handle. It had to of been slippery as heck when wet. I can't imagine how using sealant would be all that different??? I'd like to ask those who use sealant- why? And does it make them more slippery when wet?

For some Orange Park pond fishing there is a road off Blanding Blvd. called Argyle Forest Blvd. If one were to start at Blanding Blvd. and drive west on Argyle Forest Blvd., there are numerous ponds and small lakes right along the side of the road for miles. One right after another, some interconnected. Most are mowed down to the waterline and easy access to most of them for bank fishing.

I did not realize fishing line-and hook and trash- animal entanglement was becoming such a hot topic item with Florida activists pushing this issue in the news- and now becoming a growing force for tighter fishing line regulations- and probably higher fishermen targeted taxes to pay for clean up and animal rescue and medical costs for starters... I highlighted the top 3 articles for an interesting read in how this is being spun in the media... especially this first one: ... The MANATEE WHISPERER TCPalm-Feb 18, 2016 This should be extended not only to Florida residents but to the vast tourist ... hand the damage plastic inflicts on turtles, manatee, birdsand other wildlife, ... "I've also helped save animals entangled in discarded fishing line. Cook: How to solve the abandoned fishing line issue The Coloradoan-Feb 14, 2016 The more the bird struggled, the more the fishing line twisted. ... in the late 1970s, Florida's state wildlife agency published estimates based on sightings and actual documentation of birds killed byentanglement in fishing line. Record Florida Manatee Count Reported By Fish And Wildlife ... The Inquisitr-Feb 28, 2016 A record Florida manatee count was reported by the state Fish and ... of fish hooks, litter, and monofilament line; and entanglement in crab trap ... FWC: If you hook a bird while fishing, don't cut the line! Naples Daily News-Mar 3, 2016 By Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ... If the birdis entangled in line, use scissors, clippers or a knife to gently cut the line. How Fisherman Should Release Hooked Birds Southwest Florida (blog)-Mar 2, 2016 ... the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “Birds that fly away with hook and line attached are at risk of getting entangled ... Discarded fishing line kills Loveland Reporter-Herald-Feb 10, 2016 Abandoned fishing line kills more birds in one state than all the wind ... As doentangled turtles, salamanders, fishes and other wildlife for which ... Reward offered after throats of 14 pelicans are slashed, 10 die Wisconsin Gazette-Mar 3, 2016 We are so thankful to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ... A local bird rescue found 18 pelicans near Jacksonville that were ... entanglement in fishing lines, and the disappearance of major food sources. Rehabilitated pelicans released to wild at Pineda Beach Florida Today-Feb 18, 2016 All of the formerly debilitated birds were likely 1 year old or younger, and ... "Some of them were entangled in fishing line, with the fish hooks ... SWFL Eagle Cam eaglet injures leg in fishing line Naples Daily News-Feb 9, 2016 SWFL Eagle Cam eaglet injures leg in fishing line ... after theentanglement became visible on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. The bird's leg was swollen, and it will be observed at the clinic until it's medically stable enough ... North Fort Myers eaglet rescue: 6 facts about chicks The News-Press-Feb 9, 2016 Called E8, the eaglet became entangled in fishing line and was essentially ... The crop, an organ located near the base of the bird'sneck, will ... South Florida Wildlife Center to Hollywood: "Don't feed the ducks" Hollywood Gazette-Feb 17, 2016 "Birds fishing and swimming in our ocean are ingesting the hooks and line, or they step on or become entangled in such discarded items on ...

Reposting and sharing this bulletin as an FYI from the state of Florida: (Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) March 2, 2016 Suggested Tweet: Entanglement is a REEL issue. Anglers can save hooked birds. Don’t just cut the line! http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/139eb22 @MyFWC #fishing Don’t cut the line! Reel. Remove. Release. It’s a beautiful day and the fishing is good. Suddenly, the line snags on something as the cast is made. A bird is hooked. Don’t panic. There’s a way to get that bird released. “The first thing to know is don’t cut the line,” said Kevin Oxenrider, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “Birds that fly away with hook and line attached are at risk of getting entangled in trees and dying. And that line is left to possibly snare other wildlife.” The FWC has come out with these steps to rescue a hooked bird: Reel in the bird. Remove the hook. Release the bird. Go to www.MyFWC.com/unhook for details. “If possible, enlist others for assistance,” Oxenrider said. Reel the bird in slowly and evenly. Don’t try to shake the bird loose by jerking the line – it will inflict additional injury to the bird. Make sure that the bird remains on the water until a net, such as a hoop net, can be used to lift it out of the water. Birds reeled up out of the water can be seriously injured, or can potentially damage fishing equipment. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Take extra care to protect yourself when handling long-billed wading birds and hooked-billed cormorants “Many people are afraid to grab a large bird like a pelican, but there’s a way to do it without hurting the bird or the rescuer,” Oxenrider explained. Firmly grasp the bird’s head behind the eyes. Then fold the wings up gently but firmly against the bird’s body so that it can’t flap its wings, and hold the legs. Hold firmly but don’t strangle the bird. If it is a pelican, hold the beak but keep it slightly open so the bird can breathe. Rescuers can also cover the bird’s head with a towel, hat, shirt or other cloth. This will calm the bird and make it easier to remove the line and/or hook. Remove the hook by cutting the barb and backing the hook out. If the barb is imbedded in the bird’s flesh, push the hook through until the barb emerges from the skin and then clip the barb. If the bird is entangled in line, use scissors, clippers or a knife to gently cut the line. Place the cut line in a monofilament recycling bin, or cut the line into small (less than 3-inch) pieces and place in a lidded trashcan. Carefully check the bird for other hooks or line and remove them too. If the bird is feisty, it is likely healthy enough to release. Place the bird’s feet on the ground and step back while you release the bird. Let the bird take off on its own. Sometimes birds shake out their feathers, assess the situation and are then ready to fly. Other times, they just take off. Either way, this represents a successful release. If the bird has swallowed the hook, or is severely injured, take it to a local rehabilitator. For a list of rehabbers in your area, go to: MyFWC.com/education and click on “Learn about Wildlife,” then “Unhook Seabirds” and “list of rehabilitators” near the bottom of the page. Monofilament and fishing tackle left in the environment create potential traps for unsuspecting wildlife that become entangled or snared, leading to injury and death. What can you do to prevent bird entanglement? Don’t feed pelicans and other waterbirds. This causes them to congregate in areas where they are more likely to get hooked or tangled in fishing line. Feeding pelicans is prohibited by law (F.A.C. 68A-4.001). Discard fish carcasses in lidded trash cans. Birds will feed on carcasses tossed in the water, which can lead to injury or death. Fish carcasses often are larger than the bait fish that birds normally feed upon, and the larger bones and spines can puncture the bird’s throat or digestive tract. Birds attracted by fish carcasses may gather in areas where they are more likely to become entangled in fishing line. Cast away from birds and shoreline vegetation. Collect and store loose monofilament line until it can be discarded properly. Keep bait buckets covered. Take unused bait home. Let other anglers know how to prevent bird entanglement. “By being responsible anglers and spreading the word about ‘Don’t cut the line! Reel. Remove. Release’ (at www.MyFWC.com/unhook) we can save birds and other wildlife from becoming entangled and losing their lives,” Oxenrider said.

I never really liked their prices. I thought they were too high, and they whittled down the size of their fishing dept's. to next to nothing in some stores. It seemed like to me fishing was not a big part of what they do. I would walk into a store and see everything else like sporting clothing and gear for more popular sports like football, soccer, baseball, running, and kayak'ing etc. and fishing seemed kind of pushed down and pushed back to the back of the store and made smaller. Usually about the only items I would be interested in were clearance items marked down. And honestly I am not getting my hopes up of finding any really good deals in stores that are closing. I would expect them to shuffle the inventory to other stores in an effort for them to not take any- or much- losses during liquidation.

I guess we might finally see some decent sales! Something to get us "in the door." Sports Authority is bankrupt and closing 140 stores by Chris Isidore March 2, 2016: 12:40 PM ET Sports Authority filed for bankruptcy early Wednesday and said it will close 140 stores, nearly a third of its total. The bankruptcy has been looming since January, when the company disclosed that it had missed a $20 million debt payment. The store closings will take place over the next three months. The stores to be closed have yet to be disclosed. The bankruptcy filing will allow it to break leases for money-losing stores. The company has 14,500 full- and part-time employees at its 450 stores and its offices, according to the bankruptcy filing. Nearly two-thirds of those workers are part-time. It also disclosed more than $1 billion in liabilities and assets valued between $500,000 and $1 billion. "In terms of their long-term viability, I think they need to do more than just close stores," said Andrew Bove, credit analyst with Standard & Poors. "There's other issues. They're not doing enough to get consumers in the door to spend money." The company has arranged to borrow up to $595 million to fund its operations while in bankruptcy. But to pay off that loan and come out of bankruptcy, it likely will have to find a buyer for the remaining stores. That will be a challenge, Bove said, but not impossible. "It's a well-known brand. They were the leader in the industry, so there is some value there," he said. When the company was bought by a hedge fund 10 years ago, it was the largest sporting goods retailer. But it has struggled with the debt load associated with a leveraged buyout a decade ago. It has been overtaken by Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), which has grown by providing a more high end shopping experience. "Someone who wants to shop in a brick-and-mortar store and try on the baseball glove, or get the feel of a golf club, wants a better shopping experience," said Larry Perkins, of SierraConstellation Partners, an expert in retail reorganizations. "That's not Sports Authority any more." Sports Authority is just the latest retail giant to fall on hard times as more and more shopping moves online. Circuit City went bankrupt in 2008, followed by Borders in 2011. Both eventually closed. RadioShack went bankrupt a year ago, and American Apparel (APPCQ) filed in October, although both companies remain in business with fewer stores. Store closings are a growing trend among troubled retailers not in bankruptcy, such as Sears(SHLD). Even successful retailers such as Walmart (WMT) are closing stores. For Sports Authority, the online competition has come from online retailers such as Amazon (AMZN,Tech30) and Fanatics, and also retail sites run by sports leagues such as the NFL and NBA. "You used to go to Sports Authority or some other store to buy your fan gear. Now it's much easier to find online," said Perkins. Sports Authority spends $6 million a year to have its name on the stadium that is home to the Denver Broncos, which just won the Super Bowl. Whether that 25-year naming rights deal will continue under the bankruptcy is unclear. "This was a tough decision to make, but we believe it was a necessary step in our plan to make Sports Authority an even better partner for our customers," said CEO Michael Foss. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the day of the filing and the amount of assets reported by Sports Authority.

Curious what equipment afficionados around here thought about these guides... I read online these artistic agate stripper guides are made by a French artist- not sure who, could not find much on line, but one person said they cost upwards of $225 each. A Brice Fabre posted this images on his facebook page, but not much else is know about them: Doing a google search on agate guides came up with only one good hit: J. E. Arguello Rod Company Established in 1991 – fine Bamboo Fly Rods are hand-crafted one at a time with the greatest attention to detail that is humanly possible, the process starts with an interview to make sure the Bamboo Fly Rod you get is ‘one of a kind’ made just for you! Although there are many suppliers of the hardware that goes into a bamboo fly rod, and these companies make some very nice hardware, I am continually trying to make my rods unique. I started out making much of my own hardware and as supplies of raw materials became more and more difficult to obtain, I started using some of the readily available hardware. As time has passed I have again been able to acquire a fairly large stock of nickel silver tubing and have also made the necessary tools and dies to draw the needed ferrules and real seat hardware and twist the snake guides. I am also once again making the agate stripping guides for my rods. I have spent many hours refining these processes and now make most of the components used in my fly rods. This ensures that you are getting a fly rod that is truly one of a kind! I am now offering Agate Stripping Guides to my fellow rod makers. These are the finest Agate Strippers avaliable. I make these stripping guides as you would make jewlery. Each one is hand made and the Agate rings are hand bezeled which allows me to use some very fine rings to make my Ultralite Agate Strippers. Below are some images of the Agate Rings and the colors avaliable. I have a large supply of red Agate rings that are mostly solid in color, some have some mottling and some are banded. These rings vary in color from Brown to Red to Amber. The solid red color is from the Carnelian family, here is a good explaination that may answer any and all questions you may have. Agates I also have avaliable some specialty colors: milky white, aqua, blue, green, coffee, and even a few pink ones! Price for my Agate Stripping Guides is $25 USD ($30 for black plated frames) + $7.50 shipping ($15 USD international) USPS. Just curious, can agate hold up to superlines and braid and not develop a groove or cut channel in the agate over time? Is it as hard as ceramics? Looks great if nothing else...

Jennie Pawlowsky Posted on facebook: Manatee are crawling out of the water to get food because we are killing all of the sea grass with the Lake Okeechobee discharges. This is criminal and JUST the beginning of a very devastating year. We need more voices. We need more people to get angry. There is a protest this morning at 11 a.m. in downtown Stuart be there.

I'd hit canals or small ponds this time of year more so than large bodies of water, especially those with heavy fishing pressure like both Toho's.

Florida Officials Drain Lake Full Of ‘Toilet’ Water To Coast BY BRYAN DEWAN FEB 25, 2016 12:23 PM CREDIT: JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH Aerial view of polluted waters caused by last Okeechobee discharge, dubbed the "Lost Summer," in 2013 Share6,049 Tweet With tourist season just around the corner, Florida’s beach communities would normally be preparing for a happy, healthy summer. Instead, they’re reeling from polluted water that is likely to inflict severe damage to the local economy and environment. Lake Okeechobee, a large inland lake in southern Florida, is experiencing its highest water levels in nearly a century due to heavy rains that fell during the month of January. This should not be suprising, because heavy rainfall events are increasing as the planet warms. But after water levels reached a foot above normal, public officials began to worry that the excess water was putting too much stress on the lake’s aging dike. Officials then made the decision to drain the lake out toward Florida’s coasts. There was one problem: Lake Okeechobee’s waters are toxic. Local industry has long been using Okeechobee’s waters as a dumping ground for an assortment of chemicals, fertilizers, and cattle manure. David Guest, managing attorney of the Florida branch of the environmental law group Earthjustice, called the lake a “toilet.” While the pollution was once confined to the lake, it now flows toward Florida’s coastal communities via local rivers. The water, which is flowing out of the lake at 70,000 gallons per second, will soon pollute the ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Lake water being discharged into local rivers. CREDIT: WPTV, DALE This pollution has immediate consequences for southern Florida’s environment and economy. The untreated water contains toxic chemicals and fertilizers that are harmful to local flora and fauna, and the fertilizers and chemicals found in the water are known to cause algal blooms, which are known to poison shellfish and make life difficult for the marine food chain. Dawn Shirreffs, a senior policy adviser at the Everglades Foundation, told ThinkProgress that there have been reports of dead fish being found along the coastline. This is especially concerning since many species will migrate to Florida to seek comfortable water temperatures this time of year. The local economy, much of which is driven by tourism, will also be negatively affected by the polluted lake water. In 2013, the last time a significant water discharge occurred in southern Florida, locals dubbed the season the “lost summer,” due to the downturn in tourism and beach-going as a result of the polluted coastal water. In 2015, FloridaRealtors, a trade organization representing the Florida real estate industry, commissioned a study assessing the impact of water pollution on home values in Martin County, Florida. The results were alarming. During the “lost summer,” aggregate real estate value fell half a billion dollars, as potential buyers were reluctant to buy or invest in property that was near water that was both toxic and objectively disgusting. Furthermore, as sea levels rise, many Floridians are right now coping with coastal flooding even when it isn’t raining. Cities like West Palm Beach, which sits between the south of the lake and the Atlantic Ocean, have faced increased flooding due to higher sea levels. Adding polluted lake water to the mix makes this even more of a problem. It’s also a problem for the tens of thousands of sharks that would normally be farther south off the coast of Miami — but this year are off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. They appear to be doing this because the water is warmer — which puts them closer to the polluted lake water. Lake Okeechobee can be seen from space. This massive dumping ground for chemicals and fertilizers is about to pollute Florida’s coastal communities. CREDIT: NASA, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Immediate solutions are hard to find. Unfortunately, given the immense pressure on the lake’s infrastructure due to the excess precipitation, there is no other option but to discharge the toxic water to the ocean. John Campbell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the water could not be diverted south of the Everglades right now because Lake Okeechobee’s water levels are just too high. Speaking to ThinkProgress, the Everglades Foundation elaborated on current efforts by local, state, and national officials to secure funding for new infrastructure that can help prevent this from occurring in the future. Current proposals include the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and the Central Everglades Project. Dawn Shirreff, of the Everglades Foundation, said these plans have high levels of support. In the meantime, those affected by the lake discharge are raising awareness and taking action. Mayors and local officials are calling on Florida Governor Rick Scott to issue a state of emergency, and a delegation of mayors and activists traveled to Capitol Hill on Monday to ask federal lawmakers for help. Last Friday, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) toured Lake Okeechobee with water experts and the Lt. Colonel of the Army Corps. of Engineers. Nelson said the lake discharge was “idiotic,” and is currently working on getting bipartisan support for funding to remedy the situation. Tourists and locals are posting pictures of the dirty water on social media, hoping to raise awareness, and a local activist group called “River Kidz” organized a protest along the St. Lucie River on Sunday.

From back in 2002: "Scott's idea of light-tackle is not ultra-light gear. He's designed a Sportackle™ spinning rod with a sturdy butt section and tapered tip to handle light-line and downsized lures, but capable to battle bruiser-size bigmouths. The Ray Scott Sportackle™ rod is custom-made in 6 ½ and 7-foot models with unique smaller guides to improve casting distance and accuracy with spinning tackle. "The first stripper guide is only about the size of a dime," continues Scott. "This small guide quickly reduces the size of loops off the spool and line slap on the blank to increase casting distance and accuracy," explained Scott, who has been experimenting with the design for almost 20 years. "First time, I realized that conventional, silver-dollar size stripper guide didn't perform with the most efficiency was meeting a Japanese world champion distance caster at Lew Childre's booth at the Chicago Tackle Show in the 1970s," said Scott. "His surf casting rods had a super-small stripper guide." And:"Scott's spinning rod design weighs only 2.3 ounces. But, don't confuse lightweight with a wimpy, ultra-light rod. This stick either in 6½ -or - 7-foot, has butt strength to handle a bruiser-size bass, but a taper and tip to easily cast lures as light as 1/16th ounce on four-pound test line. To reduce weight, and increase sensitivity, the one-piece blank is constructed through a cork handle with no reel seat or heavy hardware. Commonly called, the "Tennessee handle," the spinning reel is mounted with the use of electrical tape. Scott's downsizing theory is revolutionary as far as typical spinning rod size guides. Starting with the "dime-size" gathering guide 18-inches in front of the cork handle, the guide placement is increasingly smaller toward a tiptop with a "pinpoint size opening." "Conventional spinning rods feature an oversize stripper guide and normal size guide placement," points out Scott. "With smaller size stripper guide and reducing the overall guide sizes, there's less line drag and slap on the cast and improves casting distance and accuracy," he claims."

Here in central Florida I use this type of rod- a 7' MH F rod- for heavy duty lightweight weedless rubber fishing in lily pads and heavy cover. I use a 4/0 hook and 7" rubber worm rigged weedless with no weights! I have yet to find a baitcast reel setup that can cast this lure setup anywhere near as far as a spinning rod and reel can. And I work this weedless rubber worm or lizard or a swim bait across the tops of lily pads and grass and retrieve it into holes in the cover and let it sink down and work it around. I catch a ton of bass doing this. Sometimes the bass are jumping out of the water to get at the lure. The presentation is so subtle they never even know I am there. And I like to beat the banks with it too. I'll cast straight down the shoreline parallel to it, sometimes right on shore and bump it into the water and watch the bass swim straight in for it. Fishing like this has caused me to look at various spinning reel designs and I finally settled on just one type that suits this type of fishing very well. Back in the 1980's shimano invented the fighting star drag mechanism for some of their baitcast reels. And in the years since shimano has adapted this dual control drag mechanism over into some of their spinning reels. With this type of dual control mech, I can set the drag where I want it with the dial, and then use the paddle/toggle control to either add more drag when needed or instantly back it off as needed without changing my original setting. So quite often I will set the dial to the desired drag I need for normal fish fighting, and then move the paddle/toggle control to full on for the hook set and initial get the fish moving in my direction and then back it off so I don't run the risk of snapping the line, which I use only 15 to 20 pound braid keeping it light enough to cast well and strong enough to not lose fish. And I do not use a leader. No need to. All that heavy cover keeps my line virtually out of sight laying on top of lily pads and grass mats so the fish never even sees it. My lure is making all the action vibrations and noise attracting the fish's attention. Trying to fish like this with a baitcast reel is an effort in frustration because they simply will not cast such a lightweight lure setup- and they certainly will not cast it any where near as far as I can with a spinning reel setup- nor as fast. And I like the longer casts because those bass never even know I am there and it is fun to watch them go crazy in heavy cover trying to get at that lure quite often jumping out of the water they hit it so hard. I'm not going to mention any names- but one of the forum members right here on this forum invited me to one of his favorite canal spots in South Orlando last summer and we both stood almost side by side on that same canal and in his hands was his trusty baitcaster and I pulled out my 7' MH spinning setup and we both fished that canal side by side. As I recall I don't think he caught one fish. But he watched as I caught bass after bass after bass right in front of him having those bass jump through hoops- jumping out of the water for my rubber worm. I caught like 6 or 7 in less than 30 minutes to his none within this same time frame. And I will tell you this too... I believe I can operate the spinning rod and reel at a faster rate than I could a baitcast rod and reel setup which is to my advantage big time. I can reel it in and cast it back out there to a missed fish faster on spinning than I can on baitcast. It is not much, but it can make a difference in whether or not a fish is still there or not for that second cast. So the reel size I use for this is a shimano 4000 size similar to this smaller version shown here: I suppose one could describe this type of fishing as finesse fishing with heavier equipment. Last summer this setup put the baitcaster to shame! In the image above the silver paddle/toggle control sticking straight up in the center detent position is in the neutral position neither adding more drag nor reducing the drag in this position. The black rear drag dial is where the normal drag setting is made when the paddle/toggle control is centered at neutral. Once the drag setting is dialed in on the black dial at the rear, the silver paddle/toggle control allows the fishermen to make instant drag changes either adding more drag or reducing it as needed instantly while fighting a fish. I have found this type of drag mech very effective and efficient for me going after bass in heavy cover with super lightweight lures and beating the bank too. Hey if it works, it works! And this works! ADDED: Fishing like I describe above for me requires a somewhat stiff rod. This is no place for whippy, rubbery rods. I depend on that rod to control the fish out of cover. I need a very responsive rod for this- for instant hook sets and fish control more than anything else. Sensitivity is a non-issue since I am watching the lure at the surface (most of the time) and can see every hit- so I have no need to feel anything through the line and rod. And it is nice to have a dual drag mechanism like the one shimano designed. I would not want a front of reel adjustable drag for this type of fishing when I need both hands on the rod trying to control a fish out of heavy cover. Another use for the MH is inshore fishing for reds, trout and other...

Makes one wonder why he would even use braid if his leader is so long.

I use braid but I never use a leader. No reason to. IMO, the leader is more than likely- and usually- the weak link in the chain. When and if you lose a fish, take note if it is leader related. I never use a leader and I don't usually lose a fish- at least in so far as the line breaking. So why use a leader? I have never seen a fish scared of or run from my braid line. In fact it has been the opposite. I have watched bass hit at the braid line because they saw it move. So question first why you would even think you need a leader... you may find out you might not.

Lake Dias Being in Sanford you have Lake Monroe and St. Johns River right there! Though I prefer to fish it South of Monroe- and South of Lake Harney... Also within driving range you mentioned is Winter Park chain of lakes. I just noticed in your profile it says you are in Chuluota??? Heck, that is about 30 minutes from Sanford! I don't live too far away from Chuluota myself...

It has gone national now, and when this happens, so to does the spin... SOUTH FLORIDA’S TOURIST SEASON FROM HELL By David Guest | Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Polluted fresh water from releases from Lake Okeechobee, near shore reefs off of Stuart and Jupiter Island. JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH/JACQUITHURLOWLIPPISCH.COM February and March are the prime times for tourists to come to Florida for a respite from cold winter weather. So imagine the panic that people who run fishing charters, paddle board concessions, beachfront hotels and restaurants are feeling as dark agricultural swill gushes from the state’s center to the east and west coasts, killing marine life. “It's brown, it stinks, it's cold,” a tourist from New Mexico told a TV reporter in Fort Myers."It doesn't look very appealing to get into to go swimming in.” The scuzzy water that’s wrecking this year’s tourist season comes courtesy of Big Sugar and other agricultural operators around Lake Okeechobee, which sits in the state’s sparsely populated center roughly between Palm Beach on the east coast and Fort Myers on the west coast. It’s America’s second biggest lake in the lower 48, and thanks to ridiculously permissive policies, it’s become a private dumping ground for mega-agricultural operations. These corporations pump the public’s water from the lake to irrigate their fields, then send the water; polluted with fertilizer and other farm chemicals, back into Lake Okeechobee. Because heavy winter rains have raised the lake level and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dike around the lake is old and weak, South Florida water managers have been releasing some 70,000 gallons of polluted lake water per second into two rivers which lead out to the coasts: the Caloosahatchee, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico, and the St. Lucie, which empties into the Indian River Lagoon and then into the Atlantic. "I just call it the black curtain because everything on one side is perfectly clear and all the dark water looks like a curtain was pulled on the waterway," Charter Captain Mike Wilson told reporters in Fort Myers. The pollution has caused outrage so fierce that an angry mob gathered to shout down Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam as he arrived at a local Economic Development Council meeting at a high-end resort along the Atlantic beachfront. An angry crowd greets Putnam because of water pollution. KERI WEST/YOUTUBE Local politicians on both coasts are demanding that Florida Gov. Rick Scott declare a state of emergency to compensate businesses for their losses, and several mayors are traveling to Washington, D.C., to urge Florida’s representatives to take action. A throng of people crowded onto a southwest Florida causeway to protest the assault on their Florida way of life. It is an environmental tragedy that we here at the Earthjustice Florida office have been intimately involved with for decades. For more than two decades, we’ve been filing lawsuits from various angles to stop this heartbreaking situation from happening. Ever since water officials opened the flood gates to let the polluted water out of the lake on Jan. 30, people have been sounding the alarm. “The dead ocean creatures and red tide have had an immediate impact on my business," an innkeeper on Southwest Florida’s beautiful Captiva Island told his local NBC station. “How many people will never come back because of this?” a protester told a WINK TV reporter in Southwest Florida. “Can’t go swimming, can’t go fishing, boating’s gone down the tubes.” “My business has been devastated by this,” a commercial fisherman on the St. Lucie River told WPTV. Feeling the pressure, Gov. Rick Scott asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to break from its usual practices and drain Lake Okeechobee south into the Everglades instead of out to the coasts, and the Corps complied. As you can imagine, that approach is certainly raising serious questions. Remember, American taxpayers are paying billions to clean up the Everglades, and the federal government sued Florida decades ago for failing to keep agriculture’s polluted runoff out of Everglades National Park. The solution has nothing to do with moving the water around. It’s about cleaning it up. And that’s where Florida and the federal government have continually been falling down on the job. Only a month ago, the state legislature passed a law that eliminates pollution permits for agricultural operations around Lake Okeechobee. You read that right – no permits. Instead, these multinational corporations get to work on the honor system. Agriculture Secretary Putnam was the one who shepherded that sham of a law into being. We’ve tried to attack this mess on several fronts over the years. We filed legal actions to stop agricultural operations from pumping their pollution back into the public’s lake. We sued the government for using taxpayer-funded pumps to move the pollution around. We filed legal actions to compel government to set numeric limits on the amount of fertilizer, sewage, and manure allowed in water. Each of these actions spawned massive backlashes from industry and from government that reached all the way to Washington, D.C., and beyond. We’re still in court, attacking the regulatory framework that makes an environmental disaster like this possible. It’s heartening for us to see the citizens rising up, taking their video cameras out to document the damage, holding their leaders to account and joining together to challenge this broken system. Can it be any plainer that these giveaways to corporate polluters have got to stop? If they don’t, Florida’s tourist season will be a memory. -------------------------------------------------------- Some of us Floridians would not mind so much a drop in tourists coming to this state... but there was one comment under this article I did like and agree with: MeMack1 said: "this problem is a lot deeper than sending water south. Sending this cesspool water west....east.... south is not solving the problem that happens every couple years. The problem is the sugarcane farms and SFWMD backpumping their polluted water into the rim canal and the lake. That is the problem...unlit that is stopped this will not go away "

You're not coming across as a smarta** to me so no problem. The everglades use to naturally handle all of the water from central Florida heading South through Lake O naturally anyways. But man claimed the land and drained it off into canal systems all over Florida and generally just messed things up! I'd say yes, the everglades could handle all this water and much more as it once did naturally, but can it handle all the contaminants that come with it? Today there are untold numbers of humans living on this land the water use to flow across. Would they be flooded out if the natural water flow South was restored? This is why Lake O is apparently now caught in the middle and catching a lot of it, and as that happens someone has to make decisions on where to send it and we can see it is usually due east and west rather than South, but maybe things are changing now??? The first thing I would like to know is if the back pumping north to Lake O. can be stopped and all that water sent down through the everglades again?

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To answer your question directly, I am of the opinion that the overflow from Lake O is drained out fastest through rivers to the east and west and directly into the gulf or Atlantic ocean. Let all those pollutants run out of Florida. It happens like this anyways all over Florida and every other state too. Most of what we are talking about is surface pollution gathered up by rain picking it up, dissolving it, and carrying it into lakes and rivers. A lot of it is fertilizer chemicals, some sewage from millions of head of cattle all over Florida, some is from roads, from cars and trucks, fuel, oil, etc. washed into lakes and rivers. Like you said it has to go somewhere. And rather than let it pile up and accumulate within the state, flushing it out of the state is probably the best for those of us who live in this state. If you read this entire thread, you would have read that some ten billion gallons of run off polluted water was back pumped NORTH from down South and into Lake O causing water levels to rise, but as Florida Cracker posted it is also coming from all over the state and running off into lakes and rivers. Back pumping it north into Lake O is not what any of us should want. It makes no sense to add to the pollution in that lake just to let it sit there and accumulate even more. It is best to not pump it in, in the first place. So back pumping is an issue that needs to be dealt with because of growing numbers of people who want that water to flow South through the state as Nature originally intended it which flushed out Florida Bay off the Southern tip of Florida and kept it cleaned out. But once man cut off that natural flow Florida Bay began to silt up and die. So there are growing efforts to restore this natural flow- even if the water contains run off pollutants. The everglades itself was a natural filter for the water. The river of grass is where this water flowed through and it was filtered as it flowed South off the tip of Florida and into Florida Bay. I am with you in that if all of this contaminated water was allowed to flow its natural path South, the river of grass would filter out those contaminants and they would possibly build up in the areas doing the filtering, so there another problem arises which is why I said above it might be best to just send all that water directly to the coast as fast as possible and get those pollutants out of the state. But it is not a good idea to dump them into the gulf or ocean, but we all gotta realize that is where most run off ends up anyways. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. And it just depends on which side of the fence you are on as to where someone would want all this water to go. I personally don't want to see it back pumped into Lake O. I think this BS needs to stop. Let the water flow South as nature intended and see what comes of it. As for Lake O, I think the levels should be maintained by the out flows east and west as well as South and try and balance it out and do so over a longer time period rather than let the water pile up to emergency status and then do power dumps. Try and let the water out slower over longer period of time rather than all at once as we saw here recently. We need better water management, and big efforts towards restoring the natural water flow South, and I would hope a permanent end to back pumping north from down South. This is how I see it anyways... and I am sure others see it differently...

Rules? Here's the Disney deal... there are no signs saying you can't fish. I have fished Walt Disney in Orlando for more than 15 years. My work takes me around to a lot of places including resorts at Disney all the time. And I have never seen any written rule that says you can't fish there. And I have never seen not the first sign posted saying you can't fish there. So anytime my boss says hey can you go to Disney for a gig? I say hell yes and I always throw a rod or two in my vehicle. Always! I will fish before work and after work. I really prefer the Disney canals, but sometimes it is a Disney lake. I generally work at 3 resorts out there, the Dolphin, Coronado Springs, and the Contemporary. Disney runs some pro bass fishing guides in their main lakes. I think one of the sites for the guided fishing is from the Contemporary as I recall. So when there I have fished behind the Contemporary convention center where one of the lakes turns into a canal. I don't recall having security ever tell me I could not fish there. And their guided fishing has to stay on their lake side of the locks in the canals which they can not pass in a boat. So most of the time I am fishing well away from where the guides are fishing with paying customers and I am not stepping on any toes competing for the same fish. The other two resorts are my among my favorites out there. The Dolphin has an awesome canal next to it. I park in the employee parking lot with my car nosed right up to the canal as far away from the resort as possible closer to the bridge where the road crosses the canal. I try and stay out of view but have at times just walked the bank in plain view. In ten plus years of fishing out there security has only asked me once or twice to not fish. That's it. If they see you they ask you to put your rod away. So just keep an eye out for those white vehicles with the flashing yellow light on top and don't let them see you and fish away! At the Coronado Springs resort, out back is an awesome spring fed small lake. I park in back near the lake and beat the banks. Security is the same out there. Sometimes they drive right on by and wave and never say a word, or they might come and ask me to stop fishing. So you know, if I don't see any written rule book saying I can't, and I don't ever see any posted signs telling me not to fish, guess what? I'm fishin! And I don't care if Mickey likes it or not! Fishing out there is just too dam good to pass up. How many people do you think go to Disney with a fishing pole? 99.999999999% of the people going to and from Disney are not there to fish. I am. And I love it so much because NO ONE else is going there to fish like me. So those big ole' bass out there don't have hardly any pressure and don't really know what a lure is! I can throw just about anything that wiggles and moves and they will hit it. And the canals are perfect because I can cast to the opposite bank and bump a lure into the water and they never even know I am there- while I keep an eye out for those white vehicles with a yellow flashing light just in case... but usually I just stay hidden and 99% of the time I am out there no one says a word. I sure wish some of those other Disney resorts had convention center floor space so I can check some of the other resorts out, but for me, most tradeshow work is limited to the big three I mentioned already because they do have large convention floor space to host tradeshows... Rules? Naaaah. As far as I am concerned Disney has no rules about fishing out there! It is catch me if you can! So if any of you go to Disney, carry a rod with you! Use google earth satellite imaging to look down and see all the places to fish. All of the resorts have lakes, ponds, and canals around them. Disney was built in a swamp and they used the canal system and locks to drain the swamps so they could claim the land for development. Fish it! Just use the trees and bushes to stay out of view of roaming security vehicles and you will do fine. If I have never seen a rule saying I can't and there are no posted signs saying do not fish... I'm going fishing!