Benjamin Bunting

Thanks I will try them

The wife and I will be there, already have our hotel arranged. Glenn, the wife and I should be able to join you there. Appreciate the invite.

I'm in, had a great time last year playing solo as BassMarshal. I'll share my picks when we get closer to the first event. MLF had said a few weeks back they were going to have a fantasy fishing game as well.

Welcome, what part of England? Savannah is on the coast, might I suggest you hire a local guide.

Does anyone know where to find a schematic for this reel? Or any info about it at all, I know it's not a great reel but it has sentimental value to me, it's missing the brake retaining reel and I have been looking for years for a replacement. Thanks for the help. Retaining ring not reel.

I have been a deckhand and a captain on guide boats and never expected a tip but when I was the client I would always have up to $300 in cash on me and never tipped less than $40 to each deckhand and what was left went to the captain. This tip was for my guests on the charter too so if it was a day that deserved more than my $300, but the act of me tipping would always encourage them to chip in so the tip amount can vary drastically. The cost of the charter is really barely covering most expenses included in the charter price and a day on the water is better than any day at Disney World which costs a whole lot more.

Great act of kindness and conservation. I'm glad to have seen this post and proud of your actions.

Hi Robert, I'm new to this forum too, but I can share my experiences with line for top water. Braid is fine if you are satisfied. I wouldn't know if you would catch less or more on braid but if you have a lot of misses you might change those odds if you went to monofilament, since it has a stretch characteristic that braid doesn't which could cause you to set the hook too fast pulling the lure from the bass before it had a good hook set. One characteristic I have experienced with monofilament is it floats after awhile in the water but it will absorb water and start to sink, this is easily remedied by cutting your main line back to dry line. This isn't too costly with monofilament. Braid is the opposite, it will float and not absorb the water. I use braid with a monofilament leader for top water so not to compromise the designed top water lure action. The braid can pull the lure too swiftly due to lack of stretch and decrease the designed action of the lure. Your Pop-R and Tiny Torpedoes can both be affected by this on braid but a monofilament leader gives you best of both lines but remember that the length of the mono leader tied to braid still should be considered when you set the hook. I use about 3 feet of leader. I hope I don't sound like an expert, just my experience.

It's a shame that this could be the result of poor fish management on board a boat, but I see this quite often during the summer here in South Carolina out in the main channel of the lakes making me thing that they could have been hit by a boat prop or even hull smacked. It's a tough discussion when the result is the same, a loss of a precious resource.

If you enjoyed yourself, with or without catching fish, you did it just right.

This post describes why so many of us become obsessed trying to figure them out.

Great post, I would like to add that Black lights are the ticket for night fishing in a boat. They also light up your fishing line like the line is glowing.

Retired U.S.A.F 1975 - 1995

Hi Tobias. I meant Lake Marion in my post, but I have some friends in Columbia that have told me that the fishing is picking up in the Dreher Island area.

For recreational or hobby fishing, my budget has always been the limiting factor on how many and what type rod or reel possessions I have. Over the years I have accumulated quite a collection of tackle and lures. But when I have made freshwater fishing destination trips in the last , I have developed a satisfaction of having 5 rigs, 3 casting and 2 spinning. If flying I use my rod case that that won't allow 7' one piece rods in it so so I use 6'6" MHF and 6' MF casting rods. Bait casters are 2 6'6" and one 6'. I use 6'6" spinning rods. Line and lures vary for trips but that's my two cents.

My two cents, I have found that two things to spooling a spinning reel are more important before concern about spool fill amount. 1. Make sure that the fill line is coming off of the fill spool properly so that it isn't creating line twist while spooling the reel. Usually I have found two ways to accomplish this. First method is if you position the new line spool horizontally to fill the reel, I make sure that the fill spool has the new line spooling off of the bottom instead of over the top. Imagine a toilet roll hanging on the wall and the age old issue of hanging the the roll with the paper coming off of the top or the toilet paper is placed with it coming off between the roll and the wall in a downward direction or off of the bottom of the roll. With bulk line spools, I place the fill spool on the floor with the label on the spool facing up before attaching to spinning reel, if you still see the line twisting as it comes off, turn the supply spool over. 2. Ensure that you use proper line tension when spooling onto the reel. This is especially important with braid for it is the worst if not put on with firm pressure it will cause all kinds of trouble. The same is true of monofilament and fluorocarbon but they are more forgiving than braid. I hope I'm not coming off as a know it all, just my input.

Fishing is good, going today and I expect it to be off the chain. Areas to visit, Lake Murray in the Russell Flats area. Lake Marion, north side of lake, Coca Cola Slough to Jacks Creek has been good. Water color is off in a lot of areas, but those areas I mention here are good to fair and really fishable. 8 ft to the bank, Sunday I even caught top-water with water temps in low 50s. Saw quite a few fish moving in shallows, mostly Bucks. And the Dogwood trees are in bloom, as my Daddy said, it's the sign that fish are on the beds. Let's hear from you guys about this area or elsewhere, it's Bass fishing in the greatest season of the year! Have fun and get those lines tight!