soflabasser

I live in a fisherman's paradise with beautiful weather so I know how fortunate I am. Florida also has lots of natural beauty that most states do not have. For example there are no coral reefs in New York so I have no interest in living in that state or any other state without coral reefs. Sanibel Island is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. It also has very good fishing. Another beautiful place with very good fishing.

The weather was very nice this past weekend in South Florida with temperatures in the 70's to low 80's. A small cold front might come in the weekend that might bring low temperatures in the 50's to 60's. Spring starts on March 20th so Winter is almost over.

Redfish are one of my favorite inshore fish to catch.

That is good you where able to get the hook out. It happens to most fisherman if they fish long enough. Gamakatsu make excellent hooks that is for sure.

You all can keep the snow and freezing temperatures. It might be pretty for some but I much rather fish in a warm weather paradise that South Florida is. I saw at least 5 different out of state license plates when I went fishing this weekend. I do not blame them since cold weather and snow is miserable weather. I rather deal with the occasional hurricane that leaves quickly compared to months of cold weather.

That is great that young man found a arapaima in Florida. They are one of the best freshwater gamefish in the world. I read an article online that says a young man recently found a arapaima in Florida. I am sure there are more of them along with other exotics. Florida is one of the few places in the world where you can catch fish from at least 5 continents. It is a paradise for a multi species fisherman.

Good product.

That is correct and that is why I found muskie much easier to catch than what some people say. They are not the ''fish of 10,000 cast'' and anyone who is good at catching big bass should be good at muskie fishing. Every place I have caught muskies also had larger than average size bass. It seems muskie improve the quality of bass in a body of water.

I prefer spinning over baitcasting and I can cast a 4/0 Penn Senator which is much more difficult than a little bass baitcaster. For some reason most bass fisherman think baitcasters are better than spinning reels. I catch lots of nice fish so you can bet I will continue using spinning reels for bass fishing. Some of those fish can eat the biggest of black bass to give you an idea how big of a fish a spinning reel can catch. Back to the main subject, with $150 you should be able to get a decent Ugly Stik and Shimano spinning reel.

For under $150 you can get an Ugly Stick rod and a Shimano spinning reel.

What was the length and girth of this bass? Most 10 pound or larger bass are over 25 inches long. I spoke with a man who caught a 13 pound bass from land while crappie fishing on a crappie jig so any one can get lucky once in a while. I have also caught big bass on small lures but the vast majority of big bass I have caught have been on techniques more suited for big bass.

Anyone can get lucky every once in a while but that is not the case for those who are consistently catching nice fish. Hard work is always better than luck.

The answer is simple but doing it is not. Focus on fishing for bass 7 pounds and up. Use proven big bass techniques. Put your time on the water. If you do this well you will eventually catch many bass over 7 pounds. Reading fishing forums is not enough you have to put in the work if you want to achieve your goals. Well said. You can catch a big bass in almost any state if you are willing to work for it. If this is too much you can always take the easy way and hire a guide on a big bass lake. The guide will do all the hard work and put you on a big bass.

If I lived up north I would fish more for muskie than almost any other northern fish. I would still fish for bass but I prefer catching muskies.

Only a starving person would eat a nasty fish like a carp. The truth is they will most likely never be able to eliminate asian carp from Illinois and other states just like they where not able to get rid of the wild boar, common carp, and the many other non native animals that are thriving throughout the country. Another thing is many non native fish have high levels of methyl mercury and other nasty chemicals in their meat. For years people have tried all kinds of methods to get rid of asian carp and in the end the asian carp are still thriving. The Northern Snakehead and bullseye snakehead have decent tasting meat unlike the asian carp. Both of these snakeheads are thriving and will most likely continue to thrive regardless of how many people harvest them.

There is no denying that the weather has gotten warmer in the past 10 years. This is a scientific fact just like the sea level is rising in some parts of the world. That is why it is no surprise that more Northern states are able to have Florida largemouth bass and F1 hybrids when before it was too cold for them.

Welcome to the forum

Hard pass. I rather eat walleye, or another good tasting fish.

The fish you show in this picture is a copperhead bluegill. I have caught many of them including some over 2 pounds in South Florida. There are also northern bluegill and painted bluegill in the Florida panhandle. There are at least 3 types of bluegill in Florida and many other species of sunfish. The bluegill you catch in New York are northern bluegill.

Interesting subject. I choose my lures based on my past experiences on the water and not on what a professional fisherman tells me is the best lure since often it is a lure from a company that sponsored that fisherman.

Yes I carry a net when I fish from the shore and it has helped me land many large fish.

Welcome to the forum

Sometimes a unique color can trigger a reaction bite. Most of the time what matters most is how you present the lure and where you present the lure.

I have had more days I caught a 8 pound or bigger bass than days I have caught 100 or more bass. I also had more days where my top 5 bass where over 25 pounds combined weight so I much rather have another 100 or more bass day. I will be grateful for whatever I catch regardless how big the fish is since having a good time in the Outdoors is #1 for me when it comes to bass fishing.

I have been catching several species of freshwater and saltwater fish since I first started fishing. That was several decades ago and I still feel like a kid with a new toy every time I catch a new species or new personal best.