Florida Cracker2

That's what I was thinking reading through this post. Playing a fish is more sporting to me than winching him in. I just set my drag stiff enough for a good hookset and tire the fish. But I guess tournament fishing is different than sportfishing and would do the same if money/prestige were riding on it.

Now your talkin-my-language. Nothing like a big jack to get the heart pumpin.

A couple weeks ago I caught a 19" on a 1/2 oz. rattletrap in Tennessee Shad color.

Since most everyone is talking bass, I will keep to it. My best fishing days have been fishing salt water. But my best bass day was about 25 years ago I was at a orange grove drainage ditch about 25 foot wide and a little over 10 miles long that ran the perimeter of a grove. Usually it is so badly choked with hydrilla it can't be fished. That day they had the spillway that drains it into a large drainage canal open and the waterflow had all the grass laid flat. Using firetail black worms I caught one after another nearly every cast until I ran out of time and had to leave. I don't know how many I caught in the 3-4 hours I was there, but it was a blast. Most only in the 2-3lb range and only one over 4. Now you can't get to it anymore unless you work there.

What size fierce do you have? I have been eyeing the 1000 size in either the Fierce, Battle, or Conflict. I wish they made the spinfisher V that small (I really like the 4500 I have).

I never heard them called that... It fits. They put some in my area and call them sunshine bass. I have caught 4 so far and noticed they die quickly if you foul-hook them and take a little too long getting them back into the water.

I'm sorry I keep coming back to this thread...but the result of the ongoing lawsuit effects me directly as I have riverfront property which 1/4 of is Corps of Eng. wright-of-way and I want flood control. I want to put things in perspective. The locks at Moore Haven has a spillway 90 foot wide. The next lock at Ortona has a spillway about 110 foot wide allowing for drainage of its surrounding area. Move on west to Franklin Locks and the spillway is 330 foot wide allowing for the numerous creeks and a 70 foot spillway dumping into the south side of the river east of it. By the time you get to the mouth of the Caloosahatchee, you have added Orange River (sizable river) and many other drainage canals. An honest estimate of how much lake O water compared to other water would be about 20%. Factor in Peace and Myaka rivers and it could be as low as 5-10%. All the creeks and spillways were flowing the last few days...and still are now. Sorry if I have ruffled any feathers...I really don't mean to.

That's a beautiful collection!

And also a lot of that dirty water comes from the Peace and Myaka rivers as well from the north end of Charlotte Harbor. Also carrying pollutants from pasture lands. Even as a kid in the 70's we never harvested oysters during rain season. Again...don't get me wrong, I don't like it...but stopping the release from lake O won't make as much of an impact as people may think.

I have mixed feelings concerning the water release. I have lived on the Caloosahatchee most of my life and during rain season the river often flows like it did over the last few days. It's just big-news since everyone along the coast got together the last couple years and filed suit. Don't get me wrong...I don't like the polutants flowing past my property and creating health problems, but for decades it has done this. And I love all the snook I caught over the last week. Usually I have to wait till June/July before they come upriver.

I have an Orvis 50A spinning reel on an old matching brown rod that I like to use from time to time. Sounds like a coffee grinder, but fish seem to like the vibration because I often catch them with it when my smooth reels don't. (just a silly theory) I also use a Zebco Cardinal 3 and a 4 regularly. Both on vintage graphite rods. Very good reels. I had to retire my 2 430ss penns because I cannot find any dragknobs for them. I also use a penn 704 greenie for catfish off the dock. I have a Diawa 7000C on a stiff rod for saltwater grouper fishing. I have a DAM 550 I haven't put on a rod yet. Still in it's original box. A couple Shakespeare sigmas, a 2300-40 and a 2500-50. Those are some smooth, tough reels. Oh, and last but not least, a 5000c (3screw) on a uglystik. I use it quite often for trolling.

Wow...I was just going to say my wife...but you beat me to it...lol After that, the wind would be the next reason for me to keep the boat on-shore. Yesterday we had white-caps in the river...but I still fished from the dock for a while...listening to the fishing line whistle in the wind.

hahaha...a 30 inch minnow....now that's wild! When someone askes...what ya catchin...say...just minnows.

I have had a lot of success with the gold and black repalas over the years. The river I fish is very black with tanic acid and that color works well. I haven't used the ones you listed...but repalas have always caught fish for me. Fresh or salt water. Just put some better trebles on it because I have had snook straighten them out on more than one occasion.

Well on the river I live on (Caloosahatchee) the fishing is better than it was 30 yrs ago. Back then 90% of the boaters were fishing and now 90% are skiing or joy-riding. Lots of jetski's now. Also there were many more places for people to fish from shore (cane pole fisherman). A fish didn't stand much of a chance. I still get skunked...but I catch a nice one more frequently than I did then.

That's awefully nice of you to offer. Wish there were more willing to share a trip like that. I fished a little while tonight and it is COOOOOOLD!!!! I got 3 good hits...but no glory.

Well I haven't seen any anacondas...or pythons sunning themselves on my dock. But I have a gator that persists on getting up there no matter how many times I chase him off or whop him on top of the head with a 10' 1/2" pvc pipe....he keeps coming back. Eventually I will have to have him taken to Arcadia to be processed.

Well I don't know your area, but sounds good. Here in SW Florida, a skirted jig with a crawfish trailer works good. Gold/black repalas always get results here also.

Hi Dustin...I'm new too...welcome.

I have been looking at the ugly-stik USSP 702UL and either a Penn Fierce, Battle, or Conflict in the 1000 size. I just got a Spinfisher V 4500 for X-Mass and fell in love with Penn again. Last Penn I purchased was a 430ss a loooong time ago. They are still not US made...but are all-metal and very smooth.

I caught one years ago with a gold/black countdown repala while fishing a spillway. I thought I had a jack until I got it to the boat. It wasn't no more than 12 or 13 inches but had a huge neanderthal looking forehead and chin. I never weighed it and released it.

Yes. I have caught many there over the years.

30 years ago I had a Shimano Bantam 100 with the red wooden grips that had a centrifugal drag (2 little barrel-shaped weights on spool). It was mounted on a 6ft boron rod with 12lb mono. With 1/2 oz egg sinker I could nearly spool it on a cast. After that reel I had the Bantam 10mag (If I remember correctly) with the magnetic drag and could get nowhere near that distance. But I will say I had my share of birdnests with that 100. I have owned several others since then and nothing compared.

Well, being a native and dealing with gators most of my life...they attack things low to the ground like crouching landscapers, dogs, and swimmers swimming alone. If your in a remote location and standing upright, they will stay away from you. If you are in an area where cattle are...they will come right up to you and not be afraid. Golf courses are the most dangerous places.... where they are used to people and will take any easy meal they can get. My father...who is in his 70's and his high school buddy have a nuisance-gator license and remove them from residences 2 to 3 times a week here in SW Florida. When used to people, gators get brave and are quite dangerous.

Hello, my name is Don. Been fishing since I was too small to remember...now I'm pushing 50. I live along the Caloosahatchee River down in SW Florida and fish Lake Okeechobee and the Pine Island sound area and everywhere in between. Been reading the forum and thought I would join. So hello.