soflabasser

For less than $200 you can get a Fierce, Battle, Spinfisher VI, Conflict, and many other choices. Some complain that the reels are a little heavy but that is because they are built to last and take abuse. Besides anyone that works out a little will be just fine fishing with these reels.

How much money are you willing to invest in a spinning reel?

I know since I like having a little fun naming some of the places I fish as well. I have had days my top 5 largemouth bass where over 115 inches combined length in a place I call ''Jurassic Park''. That place has lots of big alligators so you have to keep an eye on them constantly. With that said you still need to know what you are doing so not everyone will have the same results you and I have on Lake MenderChuck and Jurassic Park.

I read a couple recent reports from Mullett Lake where they say the fishing is very good. Tubes and jerkbaits are good lure choices during the Fall.

The Shimano Stradic is one of the best spinning reels for its price range. Penn also makes very good spinning reels.

Mullett Lake near Gaylord, Michigan is known for having good smallmouth bass fishing. I am sure there are many lakes that are ''Lake MenderChuck'' in Northern Michigan.

Welcome to the forum

There are many members in this forum that I would gladly take advice from. I cannot say the same for most ''pro'' bass fishermen or any other sponsored fisherman who promotes a lure like it is the best lure for bass fishing. For example there are countless Youtubers who's videos look like commercials for lures. I understand they have to make living but there is a thin line between making a living and being a dishonest person who is being a shill overhyping a lure or other tackle. Reminds me of a couple Youtubers I know that are constantly overhyping lures since they are sponsored by those companies. There are many talented bass fisherman in this forum that give free advice without expecting anything back. They are very generous and I trust their advice much more than some sponsored fisherman overhyping a lure or other fishing tackle.

I have caught lots of big bass in +90 degree weather in the middle of Summer as well. Less people fish in these conditions which makes it more enjoyable. I have had lots people approach me after I catch a big bass but never have I seen one of those bent rod pattern people catch a big bass in front of me. Goes to show you it takes a lot more than just fishing a good spot to be consistent at catching big bass.

Pound for pound a bluegill fights harder than any black bass. I have been fortunate to have caught +2 pound bluegills and +2 pound redear sunfish. There are places I fish where the average size bluegill is 7-9 inches with a good possibility of catching a couple over 10 inches. Another good thing about bluegills is that they are not picky and you can easily catch over 100 of them in a day.

If you fished long enough and caught enough memorable fish you will have many once in a lifetime fishing stories. For me one of my favorite memories in bass fishing is catching a double digit bass from land in a pressured public park. This is a park that most people think is not worth fishing. Another time I caught a tiger shark while fishing from land on a reel older than myself. Loved hearing the drag scream on my Penn Senator when that shark took the bait and when it peeled locked down drag with 100 pound test mono. Have been fortunate to have caught some extremely rare fish and hope to catch more of them in the future.

Lake Menderchuck is awesome for smallmouth bass. I prefer a place I fish that I named ''Jurassic Park''. Lol Hook into a decent sized peacock bass and you will never see a smallmouth bass the same again. It is a good lure for river fishing.

Weather is beautiful here in the Deep South. This is the time of year snowbirds come to South Florida for fishing. I can't blame them since very few people enjoy fishing in less than 40 degree Fahrenheit weather. The trees are full of leaves and many plants are full of flowers. That is one of the many reasons why I am grateful living in the Fishing Capital of The World.

South Florida recently had temperatures in the high 40s-low 50's which is the lowest temperatures since the beginning of the year. From what I researched this has been a cold Winter so far for many states. This is the time of year where snowbirds start traveling to Florida for fishing and I can't blame them since few people enjoy fishing in less than 40 degree weather.

The prespawn and spawning periods are the best times to catch a big bass in Florida but I have caught them in every month of the year. Go fishing when you can, use proven big bass techniques, put in your time on the water, learn from each fishing trip, and you should be able to catch lots of big bass.

I have also had many +100 fish days and those are some of my most memorable fishing trips. What is your favorite species of sunfish to catch?

If you are good at catching bluegills, crappie, and other sunfish you will have no problem transitioning to bass fishing. The soft plastics you mentioned are good choices. Try fishing soft plastics weightless near aquatic vegetation or structure such as rocks, bridges, etc. Watch a couple videos on how to learn to watch the line while fishing weightless soft plastics, it is a very effective technique for picky bass. Fishing with soft plastics is fun but it is nowhere near the ultimate in lure fishing, at least for me. A topwater blow up from a big bass is much more exiting than catching the same bass on a soft plastic.

Welcome to the forum.

Largemouth bass are one of the easiest fish you can catch in North America so you will catch a bunch of them sooner or later. A couple good lures you can try are the following; poppers, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics such as trick worms.

Live bait and cut bait are good choices but the OP is asking which lures work well for saltwater fishing. The bucktail jig and other saltwater jigs are probably the most versatile of all saltwater lures. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors so they are many choices.

I prefer green braid but have caught bass on other color braids. One of my cousins does very well with yellow braid even in clear water.

Businesses are already returning back to the USA and hopefully will continue to do so. If enough products are made here they can lower the cost and still make profit. It is not wise to allow other countries to make our products. I can go in more detail but it is not needed since it is so obvious. The purchasing power the average American had was more powerful 40 or more years ago for a reason.

Congratulations on your new personal best bass.

Any decent saltwater fisherman will tell you that bucktail jigs and other similar jigs are some of the best lures you can use.