avidone1

this happened to me. Years ago I had a yellow and black heddon dying flutter (prop bait) It wasn't just a good lure, it was a great lure. The best in my tackle box. It got bit off by a big chain pickerel and so I immediately replaced it. Nope. not nearly the same catch rate. Over the years I have tweaked, bent, loosened, tightened, hung on car antenna, and bought about 6 different of the same bait. Nothing even comes close to the bass catching magic of that first one. No explaining it other than to say that it had a secret magic ju ju that comes along once in lifetime. I had my time

seems to me that yo zuri has the best jerkbaits

I caught two and had a couple of redfish bust on top waters, but not hooked. fun day

got this beauty on a charter fishing the jetties around Stuart Fl.

sounds really exciting. I booked a charter out of Stuart for Thursday morning seeking tarpon and snook. I'll post a report. Cap'n Clancy suggested November for the reds in mosquito lagoon. Maybe the worst of the jerks are finished by then?.....I dunno...I hate that crap, but I want to fish the lagoon and that was he suggested so that's when I'll call him. I like the fact that he is affiliated with fish camps where I can stay and get that 'old florida" experience. It's great living in the fishing capital of the world eh?

Beautiful redfish. Your stories of your catches are a very exciting read....You have a future as an outdoor writer. I'm planning a guide trip for after the 4th and spoke with Captain Brian Clancy out of Oak Hill. He says the trout bite is on fire and there are some reds on the flats, but he suggested I wait till the fall for the big tailing redfish. I should have told him to call you LOL anyway, looks like I may head south for some tarpon. I do really enjoy reading your reports and seeing the pictures of your catches. Keep em coming

I have been getting breakoffs at the knot to lure connection with flouro line. I'm NOT talking about the braid to flouro connection. Specifically my knots are breaking at the lure. this is with heavy (30 lb) braid and different lures.....I'm asking what you experienced flouro guys use for knot strength and manageability. PS> The knots (different knots) Are BREAKING....not slipping or coming undone. this question is only about line, not knots. so let's hear it anglers...What's your favorite flouro and why? Thank you

Great catch and great eating.....flounder are about the only fish I never throw back if their legal. They are just too good. Enjoy

What can I say? Amazing! Fabulous day on the water. I'm glad you took pictures because this is a day you will remember forever. I can hear you saying to grandchildren "Did Grandpa ever tell you about the time I caught a 5 fish slam"? and the kids groan because they heard the story a thousand times already. LOL PS is it my browser or do those shrimp have a sort of golden/orange glow to them?

excellent stuff here......Now if I could just find a valid test of fluorocarbon visibility that would be perfect!

That's the new bass boat by Ford. Notice the nice forward casting deck

Lots of good advice here, but your post starts off with "For the past few years I have found myself struggling more than normal" This implies that you used to do much better. Maybe you should 'forget' what you have read and go back to what you learned on your own. In any endeavor in our lives, when we struggle it's usually a good idea to get back to the basics. Try using the tactics you did 'back in the day' and see if you can't restore some confidence

Florida bass love the heat, so I'm familiar with the issue. I used to fish often off a good sized boat and would put a bunch of wash cloths in the freezer the night before. Then throw them in the cooler with the ice. when you get good and hot, pull out a wash cloth and stick it on your head under your hat while letting the cold water slosh all down your shirt. Cools you right down. Also don't cheap out on coolers and jugs. Yeti brand is a wallet crusher fer shure, but this is a safety issue and you should with the best. When it comes to keeping things cold there is Yeti, and then there is everything else.

I have a ton of bass tackle. Even after giving a bunch away to the police kids fishing program I still have drawers full of stuff. When not bass fishing I like to target redfish, speckled trout, snook etc. in the brackish inshore water. I've caught them on jerk baits like the yo-zuri crystal minnows, spooks, and rattletraps, but what about some other bass lures? I've tried chug bugs a few times as well as a devils horse, with no luck but I only tied them on when other baits weren't working so that's not really a fair test. I suspect a senko would work but haven't tired one yet. And what about ned rigs? Anyway, you get the picture. so what works for you inshore that comes from your bass box?

I love walk the dog type baits and fish them often both for bass and inshore species. Today I was out early 'walking the dog' and started getting pretty bad wrist pain. I switched over to cast and retrieve baits, but I guess the damage was done because I'm hurting. I'm taking aspirin and icing it down, but it still hurts after 6 hours of this treatment. To be honest I can't blame it all on top waters paddling the kayak also puts some torque on the wrist, but it's mostly the fishing I think, because when I just go paddling with my kayak club I don't usually feel any pain. Anyone else suffer from fishing injuries? Who said bass fishing isn't a contact sport?

BPS is like any other corporate run retail store. Policies are usually pretty good, but the help especially customer service phone reps get paid next to nothing and that's pretty much how much fishing knowledge they have. some days you get a good one other days you get one who likes to pretend they know something. anyway, my last two experiences went like this: Last week I'm looking at the shimano stradic ci4+ spinning reel. A very sweet reel indeed. I ask the guy behind the counter how it will stand up the brackish water conditions for inshore fishing, and he says 'not great' if you dunk it it's toast".....so I asked about the daiwa ballistic. he says that's what he uses and it's good for brackish water. Now for the headline. This BPS doesn't sell any daiwa reels. So he recommended a reel that BPS doesn't sell. How about that?......................................ok ...fast forward to yesterday. I'm again looking at the ci4+ and there is a different salesperson who sees me eyeing the reel and immediately pulls out the stradic fk and proceeds to show/tell me why it's a better reel than the ci4. So I hold it and immediately notice that it is heavier and there is a subtle but distinct wobble. I mention this to him and tell him I am a weight weenie when it comes to rods and reels to the point that I'm usually under-gunned a little but that's how I like it. He says "it's only a little lighter" then shows me how the drag is stronger and some other stuff. So I ask him "if it's a better reel then why is it cheaper than the ci4+?....He doesn't really know but tells me that he 'thinks' the ci4 is being discontinued. So I ask him the question "are these good for brackish water" and he says "yes, they are designed for inshore fishing". I didn't buy either reel. and when I got home I did a search for "shimano stradic spinning reel" on the bps home page. The FK was the only one they now carry. hence the push at the store. I hate this crap, but it's just a part of life. Buyer beware!

Seems like wherever you go, you will want to be the last person to move there.

there are certain lakes that I fish often, and I feel this same way. But I like to try new places and will travel a good ways to new water. Once there I will always stop at the local bait shop and just look around, listen to the chatter etc. I find that asking questions about the lake can open up the staff and any customers hanging around. Things like, "I'm new to this lake, what's the structure like? or something real general like that. It's a good way I find to get a feel for the staff. If they are willing to talk about the lake and not immediately go to the selling of lures etc. then I may have a decent sort of guy who wants to help me and sell me the right stuff. It also seems to reason that they want you to catch fish. If you do well, you just might come back

I believe most states have similar laws for both fisherman and hunters. I think it started when the peta types began to harass sportsmen from exercising their licensed recreation, but I could be wrong about that. I myself have had some harassment both in the woods and fishing. it sucks but I found if I don't engage it usually ends pretty quick. Problem is sometimes I can't not engage, and get into these "I have a right to be here" arguments with people who think putting a worm on a hook is murder. One time, I kinda deserved the cussing out I got. I over shot a dock I was casting to and it bounced off the top deck, ricocheted off the rail and landed right on the belly of the woman who was sunning herself on her deck. LOL....it's funny now, but she tore me a new one, and I was all like "so sorry lady" and meant it, but couldn't help laugh as I motored away from her. she was muttering curses at me all the way back to her house. Florida Statute 372.705, “Harassment of hunters, trappers and fishers,” states: (1) A person may not intentionally, within a public or privately owned wildlife management or fish management area or on any state-owned water body: (a) Interfere with or attempt to prevent the lawful taking of fish, game, or nongame animals by another. (b) Attempt to disturb fish, game or nongame animals or attempt to affect their behavior with the intent to prevent their lawful taking by another. (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. (2) Any person who violates subsection The latter two statutes set the penalty for a second degree misdemeanor as up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Read more: http://www.floridasportsman.com/2005/12/01/features_051258/#ixzz49zq3F4NE

Down here in florida you can get used to stuff. there are so many critters and cooties that can ruin your day, that it seems we just sort of get immune to worrying about it. Gators, snakes both in the water and on the dirt, big snapping turtles, assorted rats, infected mosquitos and all sorts of other biting/stinging insects. In the brackish bays and tidal rivers there are lots of sharks, stingrays, and barracuda. And let's not forget the intense sunshine that makes skin cancer a real threat for anglers, and summer heat and humidity that can, and does (believe me I've been there) make you delirious and dehydrated from sun stroke. So like I said, we sorta go where we hear the fish are biting, bring plenty of water, goop up with sunscreen, be mindful of the gators and other hazardous critters we can see, and trust our fate to the big guy for the ones we can't. Fishing is too good down here to let the fear of death get in the way.

I guess my answer to this is something like, I'm always a little skeptical but some guys I listen to cause they seem knowledgeable and sincere. Others just want to sell me something, like that pos bait they can't give away.

Super spook jr......bone is a stand bye for me, but baby bass works good too. Lately I've been tossing the Rapala skitter walk in a brown trout color. Killer. don't know why cause we're at least 300 miles from the nearest brown trout, but the guy at the tackle shop said to try it, and so I done did.

Oh, and maybe you want to ask for opinions before you buy stuff.............just sayin'

Swim senko is my favorite but I suppose any soft plastic will work in one situation or another.

Hmmmmmmmmm could be a bait.................(wait for it) and switch...........................yeeeeehaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..