Alex from GA

When I'm at a place I don't know, or a place I do, I'll throw a finesse worm with light line and the lightest weight I can get away with. When you're at the dock ask what depth they're at. That's the main question, not what they're using or where are they. No one's going to tell you that anyway. I buy 40 packs of finesse worms a year, usually use them all and they're all the same color.

I'm a little late but I use Minima or SSR guides for light weight with a ceramic tip top. I'll use the high guide on the first one and lower ones on the rest. I also like the CRB Comfort Palm Swell Spinning Reel Seat for a comfortable reel seat. I have a couple of rods, spinning and casting under 3 oz.

Yeah it does but I haven't caught any yet.

I've been bass fishing in central FL for a couple of weeks and found if I found a couple of degrees increase in water temperature there were fish.

I agree with Gone. I always measure line and use the thinnest for the lb test, although the lb test may not always be accurate.

I have 2 extra fast blanks that I cut 7" off the butt of one for a small stream kayak finesse worm rod and left the other full length. The short rod fishes like a fast action rod and the longer one is still extra fast. I imagine if you cut enough off it changes the action.

Went to order some stuff yesterday and after getting some hooks in my cart every time I tried to buy another product the site crashed and reloaded. I had to order on the phone, which was a PIA and took twice as long. Has anyone had the same experience or is does my internet have so little band width that it's the culprit?

After my topic of "Last fish" we arrived in Central FL and, after getting settled and a few cold windy days I made it to the river. The 8.25 lbs wasn't the bass. Since then I've gone everyday, to a lake or the river, but haven't caught a fish over 3 lbs but I'm fixing to.

About 15 or so years ago I bought a Basspro Pro Qualifier 85 million modulus casting rod and loved it so much I bought another one a few weeks later. I caught over 2000 bass a year for about 13 years until I broke the last one. I took up rolling my own now and they're just as good.

Faster.

Went to take the boat out of the water in preparation for our winter Florida exodus and stopped by a shallow marker close to the house. Caught a 2.70 Alabama bass on a worm, called my wife and headed for the ramp. Next report will be from central FL.

In the early 50s my folks bought me an UMCO tackle box for pitching a no hitter in Little League. Had it for years and don't know how it got away.

I only take the rods I'm going to use that day. Always a worm and spoon and some kind of moving bait. When I'm fishing rivers in my kayak I bring one rod, light worm spinning with 6 lb line, hooks and a couple packs of worms.

When I'm in GA I'll catch lots of others, crappie, bluegill, catfish, walleye, perch, rock bass, gar. A jigging spoon will catch everything. Caught my largest striper with 6 lb line and a worm, 24-12. In FL the most bycatch are bowfin/mudfish on spinnerbaits with some pickerel.

To show the kindness of others; I was fishing for stripers that were boiling and not catching anything while a nearby boat was killing them. They noticed I was struggling and came over and gave me the bait they were using and told me how to fish it. I thanked them and proceeded to catch several fish. I returned it when the bite was over and went to the tackle shop and bought a few. It was and underspin with a pearl fluke.

I'm a snowbird, spending the spring and summer in N GA and the winter in central FL and find that's the best for me. I live next to Lake Lanier and the N GA rivers and very close to good bass fishing in central FL both lake, river and the Gulf Coast for salty things.

Like some of the others my worm/bottom contact rods are the most expensive. They're not that expensive because I roll my own and a really good blank is less than $150. For reels I use less than $100 spinning and $150 bait casting.

Get a multi meter anyway and learn how to use it. It'll always come in handy.

The speed function, on those old locators, was a wheel on the back of the transducer which were notoriously inaccurate. You can buy a complete locator/gps combo for as little as $120. It'll be a 4" unit but will work OK and give you GPS speed and water temperature.

First an 80 lb 24v trolling motor is plenty for any 16' boat. Second 2 50ah lithium batteries will power your trolling motor easily all day. Third a group 24 lead acid or 30 ah lithium battery will power your engine and electronics. Forth a 36v or 24v charger, that you'll have to have is expensive. Get 12v batteries. Your boat must have high sides to require a bigger trolling motor than a 55 lb. My 16' has a 46 lb and I can't imagine needing anything higher.

To all the nay sayers, I wasn't kidding. I'm over 80 and have been doing this for as long as I can remember. I didn't say drink it.

Saw these paddling in FL last spring. I had a bimini top on a fishing boat and found it a pain to fish/cast around.

I'm with schplurg, the only way I'm putting a sticker on anything is getting compensation for it. Same with caps and tee shirts, if they advertise their name I don't buy it. If it's free I'll wear it.

I learned to bass fish in So Cal about 1980 with probably one of the best finesse fishing guys in town. When I moved to GA in '99 I went with a few guys that power fished mostly and I almost always out fished them. They were smart guys and learned quickly. Now we're pretty much even. Last year I caught my largest bass on a buzzbait so I know if they're active what to do.

Dip your finger in the liquid and taste it. If it's sour it's battery acid and leaking. Wash your finger and mouth out if it's acid.