BassinLou

FYI... keep an eye out for wildlife with these high waters. This evening while fishing in my neighborhood canal a little gator was just sitting there. i don't know where it came from, but when the canals get unusually high, a gators can sometimes appear. That goes for snakes as well. Be safe...

Hey Pz3.... the Seibert spinnerbaits have not caught me any decent bass yet, however this guy decided to tangle with it.... This fish is called a jaguar guapote, we have a lot them down here in Miami. Enjoy!!

Good for you Brian!! Congrats. I will always remember the feeling of accomplishment when I wrapped up with school. It's an exciting feeling. I am happy for you.

If you look in the SE threads titled " Florida guys check in here". That 5lbr I caught last weekend frog fishing, was caught as I was about to lift the frog out of the water to cast again. It startled me for a second. When frog is on the menu, bass will get to your frog regardless of what you are doing sometimes... LOL.. .

If you don't want your heart broken, do not put on a leader, imho. At least not for this application. By having a leader, I consider the knot, although it may tied on perfectly, a weak spot. With such a powerful hookset, if there is going to be a failure, the leader knot will be one location. Second would be the tie off to the frog. I "always"!! Tie the frog straight to braid.

To answer your question, both can be productive. Canals will be murkier right now however, the water is flowing so if you look for clean flowing water, you might get lucky. Lakes or ponds, water is up so new areas are flooded. The fish will move up to see what the higher water has to offer. Work the grass and visible recently flooded structure. Good luck.

I allow the fish tell me what retrieves work best. If I notice they want the frog constantly moving I will walk it. If I noticed that they are slamming it while its motionless for a little bit then I will pop it periodically. Sometimes they even want the frog worked really aggressive. Very hard pops and chugs. That's how I landed the 6lb bass in my avatar. Lastly, braid is the only way to go for this application. Imho. Good luck!!

There is no rule that says you can't fish a frog in open water. #2, 50lb braid is fine. I use that on my frogging outfit as well. I personally like to throw frogs around visible cover. I will also throw it if I see submerged grass in the area. As you have experienced so far, throwing a frog does not guarantee action. Sometimes frogs are on the menu and sometimes they are not. If you are not getting any looks while your frogging, have a plan B in mind.

Be careful out there my South Florida peeps. The rain and flooding is unreal out there. Good news however.... after all this, the canals are going to have water flow, fishing should be interesting.

I would consult a professional before I would remotely try to build my own dock. Imho. Safety, stability, and integrity of the dock is my primary concern. On a side note: Congrats on the new home purchase!!

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you want to look at it. These reels are getting scooped up before alot of people knew their retailer had them in the first place. LOL..

If they had any in stock, ask to handle one out of the box, display models get handled by alot of people who have messed with the reel in many different ways. I don't think a display model can give an accurate representation on how smooth your own reel will operate. Imho.

Aw man! I went to same Dick's last week and I completely missed that Bogo.... LOL...

Congrats speedbead, your persistence definitely payed off.

Interesting question. When I bank fish I prefer to be alone. However when I take the boat out, I really enjoy being with people who enjoy bass fishing as much as me.

That was so cool!! Thanks A-Jay

^^^^ This is the best description of the bait monkey ^^^^

Sirsnook provided some good info, I would add, to throw an ez swimmer on top of the water,or buzzing a u-vibe zoom worm.

This curado, is my first low profile Shimano reel I have owned, and I must say I have been so impressed I will be getting my second reel before this year is over.

When I fish the glades, I will throw the frog 90% of the time. There are times when I throw it the entire time I am out there. Mainly its hollowed body, but if I notice the fish are hitting while I am retreiving, I will switch to a soft body. I am not concerned on the time of day. If its morning I will make more commotion, in the afternoon I will walk it more. If I don't get a hit on the frog in the glades I know its going to be a slow day.

I walk the frog in the pads all the time. Find the breaks inside the pad fields and work the frog, til you get out of the field. Hooking up in pads can be challenging. Many times the fish can be lost and you are left fighting a lily pad. Lol..

Glad I could help.

The only swimbaits that I use are the Gambler EZ's with Gami swimbait hooks. 1/8 oz if I want to keep them up top and level, 1/4 oz if I want to work the mid depth ranges.

Currently I use a carbonlite 7ft MH, paired with a Revo S. In the past, years ago, I used tourney specials.

Check that your side plate is secure. The spring screw on the right side of the reel that allows you to remove the side plate may be loose. That happens alot on my revo S. When you secure that screw the noise goes away. At least it does for me when the noise happens.