SoFlaBassAddict

I use a MH Crucial 7'6" Flippin stick with either a 6.4 or a 7.1 ratio PQ and have been thoroughly pleased with it. Planning on buying another one shortly.

Now thats a nice Tarpon. I've caught a bunch of them, but nothing that size. Looks like it's at least 140-160. Great fish.

Lets go Panthers....... ..... .....

To say it is or isn't dangerous is really based on your perspective. If thats what you've grown up doing, the danger really isn't the same as it is to you and me. I sure as hell wouldn't go out messing around with a gator though. I see them frequently down here and I stay the heck away. Mind you, as a kid growing up I spent a lot of time in the saltwater. I've been swimming and fishing around enough sharks that they really don't concern me. Lots of people would consider that dangerous as well. As long as you've got a sense of respect for the animal and you take the proper precautions you can lessen the amount of danger quite a bit. There is always something to be said for having years and years of experience as well.

A hundred bucks for just the reel? BPS Pro Qualifier. You won't regret buying one.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1281732335/0

A while back the FWC sent out emails, and asked people to do an online survey about Black Bass here in Florida. Looks like they've got up a working draft from the results of the first survey. http://myfwc.com/BassPlan_survey/BBMP-WorkingDraft-30August.pdf

Steve, I hate you.

Looks nice. Really good fabrication on it.

Finally. Football. Whoot! Can't wait! LETS GO CANES!!!

Congrats! Nothin better than having a kid around the house....at least until they get old enough to start being a smart ***.

Nice fish right there. The one in the third picture has some gorgeous color.

Kind of makes it not the world record then....

Unfortunately, I've got to agree. We're really due for another major storm. We haven't had a major storm in South Florida since Andrew steamrolled the area. Some Cat 1's and 2's and thats been about it.

Hurricanes don't worry me all that much anymore. After living through Andrew, I know what the worst case is. 200 mph winds were no joke. With my new house, I know I'm safe. I don't really concern myself worrying about them when they are that far out. Once it gets to the three day forecast then I'll really pay attention. I keep my house stocked each year with Hurricane stuff ready just in case. Like Glenn said, have cash on hand. Anything else is useless. Have gas also. Fill your car up, gas may not be available for a while. I usually go out and buy a good 50 gallons or so to have at the house for the generator. I'll also fill the boat tank if it's going to be a really bad storm.

Kodak PlaySport ZX3 Cool little toy. I just shot an underwater video of a jig outside because I could. Gotta love having waterproof electronic toys.

Depends a lot on the fish and how it's hard it's fought. The angler can do a lot to help the fish by not instantly releasing it. If the time is spent to revive a fish, there is a much better chance for survival. Sturgeon are pretty tough fish also. They've been around and mostly unchanged for...well a long time. Some people say since the dinosaur age. Heck of a fish no matter where it was caught. I bet that was like trying to reel in a bus.

Got it going to this thread. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1280939567

Steve, you really need to stop posting these pics. I'm getting incredibly jealous. Great fish right there. Gotta love nightime bassin.

Great fish Randall. Looks like you guys had a blast.

Ok, I ended up grabbing the little Kodak Playsport. For 130 bucks or so this thing is pretty cool. Being waterproof is just awesome. I was messing around with it in the backyard. Actually got a video of a few juvenile Bluegill and Redear Sunfish in a school by my dock. Wish it wasn't so overcast and rainy right now, otherwise I'd still be outside playing around. Decent video quality for such a small camera also. Is there a cool electronics monkey I can blame for this?

I'm getting it once in a while as well.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1213554116/225#238 It's an older picture, but you get the idea. It's a 1236 Jon. Still plenty light enough to pick up and put into the back of my truck. TM and electronics up front as well as storage. Cables ran under the floor to the rear, two batteries wired in parallel. If you have the cash to do it out of aluminum, it will make it far lighter than using wood. There is a large difference in price though. If you search around on Craigslist enough you can find everything you need for the most part at cheap prices. My bow mount cost me 70 bucks. Buying it new would have been two or three hundred. The seat was free when I got the TM. New batteries are about 80 bucks a piece. The only pieces on that boat that was bought retail besides the flooring and carpeting are the depth finder and the pin mount for the seat. I can take five or six rods, a tackle bag, safety gear, and a cooler in it without a problem.

The punch style skirts aren't a necessity. They came from the popularity of throwing jigs into really heavy cover. The problem with a jig is that you tend to hang if you're working in really thick stuff light mats. The skirt gives you the bulk of a jig, with a fairly weedless bait if you hide the hook in the plastic. The barbs on hooks are primarily there to hold the plastic on the straight shank hooks. You can also use a toothpick run through the plastic and the hook eye to do the same thing. Make them yourself if you want to use the barbs, it's far cheaper. Gamakatsu released a hook at ICAST that I've been playing around with making my own for a while. It's basically a metal barb heat shrunk to the hook shank instead of just the heat shrink pulled into a barb shape. It definitely holds a little stronger. Weights: Use something big enough to get you through the surface layer of the mat. After that, you may need to shake the rod tip a bit to get the lure completely through the vegetation. I like tungsten primarily because its much more compact, and it is far more sensitive than lead. Hooks: I like using a straight shank hook for flipping. Really, I like it for all plastics. The hook up ratio is much better with them. Even more so if you snell the hook. Lots of guys like the Mustad Flipping hooks. I use the Owner XXX straight shanks. Take your pick. As long as you buy a good quality hook you should be fine. Size all depends on the lure being used. One hook that I've really had a lot of success with lately has been a Gamakatsu Octopus hook. You can get a hook with a large bite in a small package. It's great for smaller baits. When you snell it properly, the hook will shoot out to the side on the hookset. Lures: Really any soft plastic will do. I prefer lures like the Gambler BB Cricket, Sweet Beavers, Rage Craws, various creature baits, and other compact plastic lures.

x2 If you're really worried about weight, the total packages is what you go by. It all adds weight. Usually, you don't need to concern yourself with it unless you're seriously overpowering the rod or underpowering it. In the first case, you can risk overloading the rod and breaking it. I wouldn't put a two ounce weight on a rod rated for one ounce. On the other end, if you go excessively light, you probably won't be able to cast very well if the rod doesn't load up enough to cast the lure.