Aaron_H

Those all sound good. I'd throw a jerkbait and chatterbait in there as well if they're techniques you throw.

I've been fortunate that I haven't hung up any of my chatterbaits yet (I'd say 'knock on wood' but that's the opposite of what I'm trying to do with the chatterbait), only one I "lost" was due to a massive softshell turtle biting that 5/0 hook in half. I actually haven't been throwing them much with my nose to the jerkbait grind so far this year. Hmmm....maybe I'll take it with me next trip.

That neighborhood was built in the 90s, lot of time for quality bass to grow in those golf course ponds. If you have access, I'd say you have a good chance at some nice fish.

The shirt says it all. Nice fish, Mike. (Still no chatterbait fish yet?)

I have two of the Quantum Smoke PT S3, got them on sale for about $125 each to be matchy matchy with some SLX rods. I like them a lot, but I wouldn't pay MSRP for it. They feel about on par with my Daiwa BGs.

I only have three hard baits that I retired after I caught a PB on them. They're just sitting on my desk sans hardware at the moment, not sure what I'll do with two of them. The third is the jerkbait that I got my first DD on recently, and once I get a replica made I'd like to have the lure mounted along with it.

Yep, but I see it every time I stop in BPS and @fin did ask for the biggest one so...

This. The Curado K is salt rated. The Core Protect on the new Tranx should make it a better option but we'll see. Personally I don't see much point in a 150 size if you are sacrificing the power the Tranx line is known for, but again it's too early to tell. Edit: I stand corrected, the 150 MGL is not rated for salt like the 200.

Nomad makes a 10" 16oz lipless if you really want to entice those big girls. ? https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/nomad-design-madmacs

Bitter's Bait & Tackle in Longwood, FL. Fantastic selection of lures, their own soft plastics in every variation and color you could want, as well as a great selection of rods and reels from low to high end. Great customer service and locally owned.

2/0 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse

Heck of a noggin on her. Great catch!

There are gators in just about every pond I fish. Heck, I've had 7+ footers in the canal in my backyard. For the most part they are shy and wary. They don't want to be anywhere near you if they're not conditioned to people. Even the big ones are usually scared of people and will spook off if you get too close. Oh big time. They'll attack anything running across the surface that they think they can get. Within a few feet of some smaller ones. I try to give the bigger ones more berth, but sometimes have to get a bit close to them when they're sunning up on the banks. Yeah three times, all three were the same gator but on separate days. Just a smaller guy, 4-4.5 feet long, first two times was coming after bass I had up on the bank and was getting unhooked. It came charging up the bank at me, so I stretched my arms out and hollered at it, spooked off back in the water. Third time was later in the evening, I saw it sitting out in the middle of the pond for a while, then it decided to quickly get reallll close. No fish this time, I guess it associated me with the food by then though. Ended up hitting it in the head with a big stick once it got too close and it spooked bank to the middle of the pond and stayed there. In hindsight, I should've called FWC and had them remove it, but I haven't seen that gator there in a long time. Only time I've ever been run out of a spot by a gator was a few years ago. Was fishing a pond in my neighborhood where are have been some big DD bass caught. There's always been one resident gator there that's around 6-7 feet that always stays far away from any anglers. This time I was down by the bank and I saw a gator on the other side of the pond that had to be 11 feet long. As soon as it noticed me it made a bee line for me, no skittishness at all. Decided I'd go fish some other spots for the rest of the day..... For the most part, though, I don't pay them any mind. Pay attention to where they're at and then go about my business. 99.9% of the time they're not gonna bother you.

Not to mention that giant Pirch got. Happy to see Martin make it to the top 10 to fish tomorrow. Not everyone's cup of tea but I like the guy.

Gotta do what you gotta do for that Speedo sponsorship.

I will take immediate family members (father, siblings) to any of my best spots, and taken a couple of my best friends (who are just casual fishermen) as well. But the waters I fish are smaller (10 acres max) and I don't want to risk a bunch of yahoos coming in and trashing them up just because they heard I caught a DD out of one. I put in the work to find quality spots, and so can they.

Zoom sets the standard IMO but if you're looking for something a little different, the Savage Gear lizard comes in a 4".

I'm still a jerkbait amateur, but anything 3/8-1/2 oz I throw on a 6'10" M/XF Shimano SLX. Seems to be doing the job well for me.

I feel like a spinning combo with a softer tip that will load up better on 1/10 oz will be your best option if you're insistent on sticking with ultra light braid. But if you're only spooling ~35 yards of line then a BFS reel is the way I'd go. Plus a rod that will load deeper on light weights. Medium light/fast IMO.

If you haven't purchased yet, Bitter's has a good selection of mid-priced rods in stock. Be a good chance to get them in hand to compare them before committing.

Blink twice if Seaguar is watching you type. ? They do put out great products, though!

If she can handle the blasphemy of pairing Diawa with Shimano, take a look at the new Curado rods. IIRC they're essentially the previous model Zodias which I was very impressed with how light it was. They've got a 7' MH and a 7'2" MH depending on whether she prefers a fast or extra fast action.

Google Earth Pro is my favorite pond scouting tool. The access to prior satellite imagery is immensely helpful in eliminating water too new to hold quality fish and for seeing if/how the pond has changed over the years. Plus street view is nice to get an idea if there is any signage posted barring entry. The ability to save pins/waypoints with specific info is fantastic, as well. I use them not only to keep a log of fishable areas and known structure, but also to track where bass over a certain size were caught, date/time, and the lure I caught it on.

I have braid on all of my casting setups (30-50lb PowerPro) and do not experience this issue to any significant degree, even casting into heavy winds. The only time I noticeably had this issue was when I first started out and spooled my reel with smaller diameter braid. Upped the diameter and voila. I am glad you have a technique that eliminates the issue for you, but I don't believe your experience to be very universal.

STUD!