SirSnookalot

Fishing an inlet nearly everyday there is no question that both the full and new moon affect the speed of the current as well as water level. The speeds are faster and there is lower low tide and higher high tide. In smaller bodies of freshwater I don't believe it's significantly noticeable. I'm going fishing anyway, if I could pick the situation it would be the new moon.

12 # strong enough to catch this 50" barracuda in about a 8-10 knot current. It's a good line but the key to landing fish is still the proper drag and letting the rod doing the work. If pure strength is an issue go with braid.

Probably more important is putting the location of where one plans on fishing in the question being asked.

There's a human factor, that being the more money one spends the more they try and justify the expense, both to themselves as well as others. I enjoy using a waxwing, not a cheap lure and it does catch fish. But does it catch more than anything else I use, probably not. The fact is I catch more fish on other lures simply because I use others more often. As I'm throwing only 1 lure at a time, I contribute the strike more to timing of being in the right place at the right time, than the specific lure itself. Durability, longevity, paint finish, etc. are anything but important to me, the only important thing is catching fish. If I'm catching fish it's just matter of time until I lose any lure on a cut off or a snag. I fish offensively, I'm not there to protect my lures from loss.

I'm not bothered on the manner a person uses their gear or how they treat it. This young lady used to come down to the inlet with her boyfriend every weekend, used her spinning out fit reel on top. She caught snook, jacks and tarpon with her method. I might be upset if she was catching fish and I wasn't, maybe she had the better method, lol. I have a long list of things that bother me, I have an easy way to avoid those................I don't fish with certain people.

My first jack snapped my line like cheap sewing thread after peeling out about 25 yards, never saw it. The second one hit a spoon inches below me next to the sea wall, missed the hook but it was the size of my avatar. I wound catching 2, both were about 7-8 lbs., mighty tough hombres.

This is quite true. Many policies are going to have a deductible, it isn't always worth it to submit a claim. If I had say $1500 of gear stolen with a $1000 deductible I wouldn't file a claim. H.O. insurance companies have a reputation of canceling even with a small number of claims being filed.

Haven't caught a decent bass in weeks and the bite has been awful as well. This seems to happen each year around here staring about Feb.1, pretty much ends my bass season. My attention is elsewhere, fish like the one in my avatar are showing up now. This is very difficult fishing from the standpoint the fish don't always make an appearance, the water can be totally dead. Worth it to me if I only have 1 cast before they are gone.

Never heard of Spotify until this morning, a coincidence as a read it on my android forum about it being a major cause of battery drain, F/B was #1. I record what I wish from an online site for free, not much I haven't been able to locate. I used to have playlists on my phone and played them thru my car bluetooth, a good set up but I'm doing something I like better. I now put everything on flashdrive and play it using the USB port, the nav system displays the menu beautifully. No need to use cds any more.

Quite true about not maintaining a healthy ecosystem, it just isn't on their agenda of priorities. In my community there are only 2-3 bass fishermen and they are snowbirds. Even though I limit my bass fishing this time of year it's nice to go into my backyard pond for an hour or so and catch some nice fish, just not happening anymore. Doubt the FWC will look into it.

I've heard they don't reproduce in freshwater too. An email I got yesterday, you know where I'm going this morning.

Warning

I've had to chase 20# jacks down with the boat fishing in current. Palm Beach inlet and the ICW there are meccas for large jacks.

In Palm Beach county I think the spillway gates have too much elevation for snook and tarpon to enter freshwater. We also have 2 sets of locks coming from the ICW before the water hits the canals. Just my thought as I have never seen those fish here in freshwater.

The factors that alter the course of a storm can be constantly changing. I don't mind the hype when a hurricane is headed this way, best be prepared even if nothing happens. Given the choice I'd rather go thru a hurricane than a blizzard, I've done both. Being without power in the heat of summer in Florida is tough with out a/c, that doesn't compare to sub zero temps with no heat.

I found snake heads today, they must be having their mating ritual dance as I they completely ignored my lure. I've caught them before and they can be very aggressive.

2014 hottest year on record world wide. 80 here and I just got home from the beach.

I do have 2 Pfluegers for salt use. I don't use my Medalist 5000 anymore because of it's 18 ounces but the reel is exceptionally smooth. I also have an Arbor 50 I use quite a bit mounted on a Quantum blue runner MH rod, this is my main barracuda rig. It's a pretty nice reel and weighs 12 oz, has good line capacity and drag performance. The Battles are pretty good and I see a lot of them being used these days, maybe a tad heavy for fresh water anglers to have much interest in them. I do have 1 3000 size reel for inshore use, nothing at all wrong with that size, but for the most part I prefer the cranking power and a power knob, plus line capacity of a 4000. My cabo 40 is pretty much used for targeting tarpon and bigger snook fishing the inlet that can produce current up to 12 knots. From the beach I usually use an Abu soron 40, have two that size, 1 on a med rod the other a mh.

My normal everyday rotation is 5 lures, the same 5 for inshore fishing except saltwater versions of the same lures. Seldom do I use all 5 in outing, my rotation does not include plastic worms or jigs and trailers.

Went out a fished a waxwing yesterday, really a nice lure and I caught fish. I was fishing for fast moving fish that are not ambush predators, the darting motion was working well. After noticing the action with this lure I don't think I'd want to use it for bass fishing, I prefer a jerkbait with more of a pause to it. If I were to use it for bass I'd stick with the saltwater version with the hooks pointing up ward, IMO less chance of grabbing vegetation or snags, there is a freshwater version with trebles.

Probably as good as gets. I use it for both leaders of all types as well as adding to my mainline.

Most stores stock items that have the most popularity with their customer base, the emphasis is on mark up. I can walk into stores like Lott Bros or Tuppens here in South Florida and buy as assortment of expensive rods. I do know many of the serious fishermen down here go custom instead.

Only way to snap off a lure with 50# braid is a bad knot or frayed line. It's always possible a nick in one of the guides is the culprit, but if it didn't happen once you put a new lure on, probably not the problem. Don't recall snapping off a lure of any size and I don't use anything heavier than 20# braid, I catch tarpon on that size line. I'm in the process right now of respooling all of my inshore set ups with fresh braid.

My one time outstanding community ponds have been in decline the last few years. So one of the members of the HOA tells me Palm Beach county had forced our community to buy reclaimed water instead of just rain water keeping the ponds full. Fishing several other communities and golf courses in the area I can attest this program is not enforce everywhere as water levels are low as they usually are this time of year. I am also noticing some weird algae and the HOA is spraying more often, our ponds now are pretty much void of any vegetation. The catalyst that prompted my call was the lack of beds, first year I've seen none except tilapia. It's doubtful the FWC will do any thing about but had to get it off my chest. The person on the phone said they would pass the information along, saying they have people that go out and check water quality.

I never thought to emulate a professional fisherman, 50# braid (didn't mention heavier, I don't want those he-men feeling like weenies) skimming a 3# fish back to the boat in 10 seconds or less. You really don't call that fishing or at least sport, does one? There is plenty of thick vegetation up north and don't think for second the surf is always clean. Thick mats of floating seaweed is common place, try pulling a just a 3 # jack thru that, yet it's done all the time with spinning gear. The reel doesn't pull the fish thru it any way, the rod does, so just use a heavier rod when needed. The right tool is the one that you are most comfortable with.