JayW

This is pretty much what I do as well...

Tenoroc is probably 4 miles. It's right off of Combee Rd. Actually, Tenorc joins right up to Sadle Creek Park, but you have to drive a few miles more to the entrance and check in point. Saddle Creek Park doesn't require a pass or check in, but Tenoroc is $3 per person over 16 or under 65. The fish in my avatar is a Tenoroc Bass weighing in at close to 11 lbs. I've caught them up to about 13 lbs out of Tenoroc. The lake I posted pics of above I have caught Bass over 13 lbs! There's some big fish in the area you'll be fishing, so keep your fingers crossed!

Saddle Creek is a good spot and it's technically still in Lakeland, too. Lk Gibson is also good (at times) but I don't know of anywhere to bank fish it. The best place to bank fish will be Tenoroc fish management area or Saddle Creek Park since they have several lakes that allow bank anglers to fish. http://www.saddlecreekpark.com/

You know very little about Lakeland. ;D I was born and raised in Polk County and although there are a few bad spots, there are far more good spots and it's hardly "the hood" with many multi million dollar homes in the area. There are some great Lakes in the area... look into Tenoroc. Also... there are better lakes in some of the other towns IMO... I just took fishizzle fishing this past Monday and we did VERY well. Nothing smaller than 1lb and most in the 2-3lb range. We had at least 3 fish in the 20" range. Here's a couple pics from Monday...

Well, I have 1.2 acres and my taxes are around $2,000 per year on a new (built in 2008) 3000+ sq under roof house (house 2300+ sq ft / carport 700+ sq ft.. Insurance is only $600 per year! Gas is not much different than Georgia, Carolina or Tennessee because I frequent those places each year. Don't get me wrong, I love Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee... but I also like it here and I'm a Florida native! Central Florida has some of the best Bass fishing in the world in my opinion!

Remember all those gators we saw that day out in Saddle Creek? 8-) I've been fishing for over 25 yrs now and have never had a snake try to get into the boat... don't let them worry you any. Same for gators... I've waded in old private phosphate pits with big (and I mean BIG) gators all around! Just keep an eye on them and don't feed or mess with them and you'll be just fine... they usually take off when you get close!

I use a Calcutta 50.

I've always built on the spine. No need to change now with zero rod failures in well over 10 yrs now.

First I've heard of it.

Get with me sometime if you want to learn Tenoroc. I know all of the lakes and there are some incredible lakes to be fished out there if you know them and know their secrets! From one lake to the next, they can be very different and the fish are the same way. Lk B does have some good deep water fishing, but it also has some great shoreline fishing. Last time on Lk B we had a 40+ Bass day.

They are structure. Tenoroc uses old plastic orange crates. Picnic Lk used to have a bunch of them in a canal that leads to the back and we used to catch, on average, 25-35 Bass per trip from that area alone! We caught a 10 lber from out of there back in '99. I used to catch a LOT of 4-8 lb Bass from that area. One time I caught a 28" Channel Cat on a finesse worm by those crates. The fish love them!

No way that's legit. The motor is worth WAY more than double that in used condition!

Can you see a chip or crack in the guide? Run a piece of cotton or tissue through it and see if it snags. If it's damage, call them up if it's new. It would have to be replaced.

Mono or braid?

They come in through your toilet pipe that is on the roof. Every toilet and has them and so does your sinks. The 2" and 3" pipes that are on the roof lead into your toilets and sinks.