soflabasser

Walleye is a good tasting fish but I do feel it is overhyped. Mangrove snapper are far better tasting than walleye and they are a common saltwater fish where I live. Have caught yellow perch and heard from many people it taste as good as walleye if not better. Both walleye and yellow perch are in the Percidae family so it is not surprising that they taste similar. I would consider fishing for them again the next time I fish up north. Back to the main subject, the World would be a boring place if everyone liked the same things so it is ok if not everyone likes to fish for bass. Besides it seems more and more people are bass fishing these days where I live compared to 5 years ago so there will always be people that enjoy bass fishing.

If you like this subject you should research the Hanford Site in the state of Washington.

I caught a nice walleye while on vacation up north and ate it the same day I caught it and I was not impressed on how it tasted. It tasted good, but nowhere near a decent saltwater fish. In fact I have eaten better freshwater fish I have caught in South Florida than walleye. The walleye I caught did give a decent fight for its size which was a surprise since so many people say they barely fight. They hit lures so they can be fun to catch.

You are welcome. I am not sure if I mentioned it before but I do like to draw and paint, good enough where I can sell my artworks if I wanted to. I just do it for fun since it is a hobby for me just like fishing. I have played fishing video games as a kid but I find them boring now, which is ok since the World would be a boring place if everyone liked the same hobbies. Yes art can be interpreted in different ways, that is one of the things that makes it interesting.

There are places I fish that remind me of Jurassic Park since I see so many +10 foot alligators. The fishing is amazing from the shore so I have no need to fish in a kayak in these places but people still fish in kayaks in these places. A big alligator can easily flip a kayak if it wanted to, so it would be best to fish from the shore or on a boat in freshwater bodies of water in Florida.

There are many physically powerful men that enjoy drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument, etc. It is something that impresses me about a person's personality. Do whatever makes you happy, that is the best thing you can do for yourself. I liked the drawing you made of the bass touching the line with a stick to make the fisherman set the hook.

Congratulations to Mr. Standford for catching a 11.07 pound meanmouth bass hybrid. From what I read the old record was 7.6 pounds so he beat that record by several pounds.

I have fished and dived in waters with alligators and learned that they will leave you alone if you leave them alone most of the time. During mating season alligators can be much more aggressive. The female alligators protect their nest and it would be best to stay away from an alligator nest. The male alligators are known for approaching fishermen during alligator mating season so you have to constantly pay attention to your surroundings. Kayaking in waters with big alligators is not the best idea but lots of people enjoy kayak fishing in waters with big alligators.

Lots of good responses. I understand that someone that bass fishes for living needs lots of rod and reel combos but that is not needed for someone who fishes for fun. A skilled fisherman can do well fishing with 1 rod and reel combo and a couple lures if he knows the body of water well. The most ''complete'' fishermen are multi species fishermen that target a wide variety of fish from micro fishing to big game fishing. With that said bass fishing is very fun and something everyone can do which is why it is such a popular hobby.

I have had many awesome fishing trips fishing with just 1 rod and reel. The more you know a body of water the less tackle you need to take to do well.

My favorite lure to catch a bass are topwaters so I would say I feel very comfortable catching bass on topwaters.

Central Florida is one of the best places in the country to catch big bass so you have lots of awesome fishing spots around you. Do not underestimate public parks, they often have big bass in them. I recommend you fish the public parks around you and any other public body of water you want to fish. Hollow belly frogs, spinnerbaits, and Zoom trick worms are good lure choices. You can try asking local fishermen in your area what lures they like and try fishing with those lures. Having fun should be your number one priority, catching bass is the bonus. Hope you find a good place to fish that you catch lots of bass.

You mostly fish freshwater so you have not encountered enough saltwater fishermen that think their favorite fish are the best of the best and that bass are nothing special. Many saltwater fishermen where I live have no respect for bass fishing, these are the type of fishermen I will never invite fishing. At this point in my life I have fished long enough and caught enough memorable fish that I now fish for whatever I want, however I want, whenever I want. One weekend I might go micro fishing for tiny fish, another weekend I might fish for bass, another weekend I might fish for sharks, I fish for what makes me happy and could care less what others think is the ''best'' fish to fish for.

I am happy to hear you are doing better. This virus is much more serious and unpredictable than what most people think. There are people who are extremely fit and get hit hard and others who are couch potatoes and nothing happens to them. We all should all be grateful to be alive +2 years in the worst pandemic in history if you take into consideration how advanced Medicine has become and yet the virus keeps on mutating and getting stronger. The victims of the 1918 flu did not have the Medical care we have today yet more people have died from this virus in the USA than they did in the 1918 flu. I hope you have a full recovery and that you catch lots of big bass this year.

The pattern I see is that many people that look down on bass tend to be close minded people that think their favorite fish is better than bass in every single way possible. People are free to think what they want but I won't invite anyone fishing with me who looks down on what I like to fish for whether I am fishing for tiny fish, bass, or fishing for sharks that weigh several hundreds of pounds. Carp are highly underrated fish. They give a good fight, grow large, and are common in many places across the USA. They can be very picky at times so they can present a challenge to the best of fishermen. With that said pound for pound a peacock bass fights harder than a equal sized carp but both fish are fun to catch so I am grateful when I catch either fish.

This reminds me of people that complain about bullseye snakeheads and other exotic species of fish in South Florida yet the largemouth bass fishing here is amazing. These fish coexist well together, that is a fact that many do not want to accept. People will always discriminate against what fish you like to fish for so it best to do what makes you happy and not care much what others think.

Nice gizzard shad. I have caught them on lures as well. A lot of people say gizzard shad is one of the best baits you can use for catfish.

Hope you get better soon. Losing your sense of taste or smell is one of the most common symptoms. It might last a couple days, weeks, or longer. The virus has become more contagious and is much more dangerous than any flu, that is a fact that many do not want to accept. Being fully vaccinated with booster shots helps but does not make you immune to this virus. There are people who got 4 shots and still got infected. Best thing anyone can do is take this virus seriously.

Spinnerbaits are one of my favorite lures for bass fishing. They can be fished near the surface, midwater, and fished slowly near the bottom. Most people like fishing spinnerbaits near aquatic vegetation and submerged timber but you can also do well fishing spinnerbaits in open water.

Shimano reels are superior to the other reel brand you mentioned. Hook into a powerful fish that can peel over 100 feet of line in less than a couple seconds and you will understand why so many people fish with Shimano reels. Penn and Daiwa also make great reels. Well said @Mike L. I rather invest in a quality reel like a Shimano that I know is built well than waste money on a overhyped reel that has inferior components.

USA will win just like it wins in the Summer Olympics. Ukraine has help from the USA and many powerful countries, so in the long run Ukraine will succeed.

I have caught a lot of big bass in my life and have learned that I much rather catch big bass with my Wife than catch big bass by myself. Time on the water is by far the best teacher there is. I go fishing when ever I am able to and do my best to figure out what the fish want on a particular day.

This subject reminds me of a friend that does not like me fishing for bass. One day he went on a rant about how bass fishing is a waste of time and how he does not understand why sometimes I rather fish for bass than fish with him in his boat for saltwater fish. I explained to him that I enjoy bass fishing in the Everglades since it is one of my favorite places and that I catch lots of fish. That whole day he was upset while we were fishing on his boat. To this day he still does not understand why I like bass fishing and multi species fishing. That is ok with me since I like catching bass and will continue to fish for bass for the rest of my life. Besides I have caught lots of big saltwater fish in my life so I can fish for whatever I want, however I want since it is what makes me happy.

There are a couple places I fish that have otters. Most of the time they leave me alone but one of the places I fish the otters are aggressive and have come out of the water to case me away. I just walk away a good distance and keep fishing since I catch very nice fish in this location. Besides I like otters so I enjoy seeing them when I fish. Every place I have seen otters is a great place to fish so I know seeing otters in a body of water in South Florida is a good thing. Otters are one of my favorite animals I see when fishing. I give them the space they need and enjoy watching them from a distance.

Weather has gotten much warmer since the last time I posted. The daytime temperatures are in the 80's, sometimes in the mid to high 80's. Nighttime temperature is in the high 60's to low 70's. We are still getting cold fronts but not as strong. The weather is beautiful at this moment in time and will only get better as Spring comes.