soflabasser

This is a typical winter time thread, always fun to see people's answers on subjects like this. Bass do whatever they want, whenever they want. Funny how the Alabama rig is outlawed in some bass tournaments since it is so effective yet some swear that finesse fishing is the only way to catch a bass.

I have learned that bass do whatever they want, whenever they want. Have caught bass on 100 pound test mono while fishing for other species, on brightly colored braid, cutbait, hotdogs, bread, and on a bare hook to give some examples.

Over 25 years ago I was fortunate to see hundreds if not thousands of giant cicadas all around me. It was an awesome experience.

That 6.3 pound redear sunfish is bigger than many peoples personal best bass. Looks like it has been eating lots of quagga mussles.

You can get an Ugly Stik rod that will be good for inline spinners and Shad Raps for less than $80.

Most of the 8 pound and bigger bass I have caught have surfaced at least once during the fight. Carp and catfish tend to stay under the surface.

The techniques that were good 10 years ago still work well today.

Nice striped bass.

Any time you can go fishing is the best time to go fishing.

Earlier in this thread I mentioned how some of my Penn Senators are older than myself and still work great. These reels where made in the USA which explains why they where made so well. Hopefully Fishing tackle companies start making more reels again in the USA since the quality is much better here.

@Further North. I have caught muskie, they are fun to catch but barracuda are much more powerful with sharper teeth. If you tie an equal sized barracuda to an equal sized muskie the barracuda will pull the muskie around like a wet rag. You don't know what you are missing until you hook into a 40 inch or better barracuda. Barracuda also grow larger than muskie. With that said all these fish have sharp teeth so you have to be careful handling them.

I have Penn Senators that are older than me and these reels still work great. Have caught many sharks on these reels.

I remember you mentioning this a while ago. It is cool that your friend found a way to have Suwannee bass in a pond. They are one of my favorite black bass species to catch.

We also have bullseye snakehead, peacock bass, snook, tarpon, and other powerful fish in the same lakes and canals bass live so a size 4000 reel is a better choice for me than a size 1000-2000 spinning reel. You can also cast further with a size 4000 versus a size 1000-2000 and you can reel faster if needed since the IPT tends to be higher in larger spinning reels.

I fish with size 4000 spinning reels and they work great for bass fishing. Have caught many big bass and other nice fish.

Penn and Shimano are well known for making excellent fishing gear. I have Penn Senators that are older than me and they still work great.

I have seen 2 panthers so far in my life and hope to see more of them. The first one was well over 25 years ago and the last one was a couple years ago. The Florida panther population is increasing in some areas so there might be more sightings in the future. Have seen other rare animals and caught many rare fish so yes I am very fortunate and I am grateful for the experiences I have had.

I am comfortable fishing a lure at whatever speed I feel is needed to catch bass.

Hope you have a good trip and catch a bunch of bass.

Muskie and pike are nothing compared to barracuda when it comes to big sharp teeth and fighting ability.

Shimano and Penn make great spinning reels.

It looks like this weekend's temperatures are going to be in the mid 80's during the day. Last weekend was very nice as well. Looking forward to going fishing this weekend in the tropical paradise of South Florida.

There are times stores have clearances and I have bought some fishing tackle that way.

Welcome to the forum

That is crazy that many Northern states are still getting cold weather at this time of year. Weather has been beautiful where I live and the fish have been biting very good.