Zcoker

Consult with your doctor(s). They will give you the best possible advice and then you can decide and take it from there.

Yes

There are certain times out there the glades when a mechanical counter is necessary in order to keep track of all the fish, which can go way north of a hundred if the arms are up to it. Often, the lure may even have two fish hooked. They are that condensed and they are that aggressive. My focus, indeed, is to avoid all that, instead going after the big kahunas! 1 cast 8 pounders suits me just fine, yes indeed.

There was the initial expense for things like rods, reels, kayak, stuff like that. And once acquired, things settled down...for me, at least. I've narrowed down and fine tuned my bait selection to but a few items, which has saved a LOT of money. Some of my baits I make myself, which also saves a lot of money. I only use a couple of soft plastics. All my rods/reels are top of the line, which last and last and last. Strait heavy braid last and last and last. So the expenses that I have are narrowed down to the gas it takes for me to get to my fishing spots. I have a 2024 Ford Ranger that gets 28mpg, so that helps BIG TIME in the gas department. Aside from that, juice for the battery, the coffee and sandwich and cold drinks, about it for me, mere nickels and dimes.

Seems like slow moving baits like worms sometimes have their consequence. Have had a few caught on them die on me, is why I shelfed them. Never had a fish die on faster moving baits with trebles, bladed jigs, only worms with single hooks. Of course I minimize things by timing the hooksets best I can because when they pick it up they immediately swallow it, which equates to getting that hookset timing practically perfect. Most don't. They feel things out for a bit and then strike but, by then, it's too late and the bait is way deep, causing all kinds of internal damage.

These original wooden jitterbugs are very expensive! So I just made my own out of cedar at a fraction of the cost. Not so hard to tune them, either. Just work the baits until the right pitch/tone is achieved, which is by repositioning and bending the front lip. The area that I fish is very shallow, so the modifications would be different from, say, deeper water. Works great!

Might just be not enough hook. From your picture (if that's what your rig looks like) the hook needs to pull through a lot of plastic and then, when it does, not enough of it is exposed because the top of the weight prohibits it.

Don't worry about it and just fish. Fish are fish, and it's up to you to figure out how to catch them no matter where you fish at. Fishing pressure is couple of words that mean nothing to the fish. Perhaps they see the same baits over and over pass them up. Perhaps a highly fished place may need re-evaluated, maybe fishing at night when no one is around. Minor adjustments. I will say to NEVER underestimate a place that may seem "highly pressured". I once caught an 8lb bass in a community lake jammed pack with people and ski boats, right in the middle of the narrow ski lane, never in a million years would I have thought to hook and land that one!

I know a number of people who have used online companies for their prescription eyewear with no issues to report. Most of these companies offer full guarantees to fix or replace if things aren't correct or not to your liking. If you already know how the frames fit and like them, then all you need to do is give the online company your prescription information as well as the options desired. If you don't have a pare picked out, then go to a sunglass place and try on different pares until you find the ones that fit well and that you like, then all you need to do is order them with your prescription along with all options desired.

Yep, them too

Areas like this out in the Glades are productive so I can’t see why the area you posted wouldn’t be. Bass luv the thick stuff!

I hear ya. Never have fished Orange Lake but I’ve heard it’s a big open lake and if that’s what you like, more power to ya. Headwaters is, I will say, a bit more kayak friendly. Shallow water fishing with only a few deep areas. I’ve transversed most of Headwaters in my powered kayak with no issues and with juice still remaining. If you do decide to go there on a whim, you take the rim canal from the launch pass the Indian mound straight to the enhanced area. The north side is pretty much topped out and you’ll be doing more paddling than motoring. Happy hunting 🐟

I made my own Frankenstein musky Jitterbugs Lol. The original wooden ones are insanely priced, so I just made my own out of aromatic cedar. Cost me next to nothing but a bit of time. They're much bigger with nasty BKK saltwater Fang hooks and "tuned" to perfection. Tuning is by raising and forming the front cup to get the sound just right. Tuning also effects the wobble in the rear. They're been through the test with some giant bass and are holding up surprisingly well. The swim is impressive. Only the biggest bass grab it!

Oh, I forget. Headwaters is not open. They've been working diligently on the boat launch and boat launch parking lot, amongst other things. So please check back with us at a later date. Thank you!

I'd say loose the leader and fish your heart away. I once leader'ed up out in the glades for whatever reason but not anymore. Glades is about as stained and full of grass as it gets. Not worth the trouble, imho. More knots to worry about. More prone to failure, espeically with floro! Strait braid for me. No difference in the amount of hits, either, even from trophy sized fish.

Last run-in with an 8 pounder was two nights ago, and she said, "yep, skiing right into my mouth!"

Really? I suggest you come down to south Florida and tangle with an 8 pound everglades bass. She'll change you tune very quickly! GUARRANTEED

If you wanna go by the record books, FWC recently dubbed Headwaters Lake as the best trophy bass fishery in the state. Orange lake came in second. The contest was called "Battle of the Lakes."

Bass are bass, big or small. Sure, the bigger ones are harder to come by but often feed the same way as all the others, which is in windows or cycles or flurries, which also means being there when this all happens, armed and ready. Every outing out into the glades I see this same cycle, this same feeding routine. Only difference for me is that I’m ready for it, armed and ready, knowing that she’ll hit anytime, which she usually does, sometimes after all the other ones feed or just before things go off. They are lazy and want to grab a big bite and move on. They hit and won’t let go. They got awfully big mouths! They average 24-26 inches. I call ‘em “two footers.”

Only thing that I will add is strike detection. It can make or break you. Mastering it will make things a whole lot easier. Things that help are a quality rod with good sensitivity, braided line, and a keen focus. The rest can be a bit more subjective, more subliminal, if you will. But it does all come together, eventually, if you keep at it long enough.

Try fishing at night. Big bass love to hunt at night. Darkness also masks your mistakes, something big bass are very aware of. Try fishing with bigger baits. You won’t always get a ton of hits using them but when you do they’re usually big hits. Time on the water is well and good but being in the right place at the right time under the right conditions is much better! In other words, you can isolate and narrow things down to be in those ripe windows. Think big bass in order to catch big bass. Without that mindset, it will be very difficult to beat luck. Be ready for anything! Have all the right tools ready. This gal missed my top water bait so I immediately grabbed my jig rod and fired it over. Had I not been ready to do that, I would’ve missed her.

I use the Costa Blackfin Pro green glass lens which have thus far served me well. Granted, my water down here in south Florida is quite dark, unlike clear lakes and streams. Regardless, I can see the fish well, the bottom well, and the fit is fantastic!

I’m just the opposite with the wind because big bass take advantage of it. This gal was caught with a strong wind pushing me sideways. Some of my bigger fish come on the windiest days…or nights. Wind is a good friend that I’ve learned to “get along with”, which is the key.

Did good. That was brave of him to reach out and put his hopes, trust, and willingness into kind hands. My days are spent seeing the last days of many, and I know first hand the joy of watching those who live life to its fullest. Life is a journey, good, bad, or indifferent, for all to follow, hopefully on the path of everlasting reward!

Probably won't make bit of difference in casting. Only thing I can think of when going half and half is to save on the braid. Then, again, need to know how far the cast will take off the spool before the braid/mono connection shows. I don't take that chance. I load up all my reels with the line used, which is strait braid. No issues yet.