soflabasser

I rather have a over Engineered reel than have a under Engineered reel. Cheap gear might be ok for small fish but it is not ok when you hook into a large powerful fish that can peel lots of drag from your reel.

Peacock bass, tarpon, snook, and other fish I catch are much faster than any smallmouth bass and I never had the need to backreel. There is a reason why less and less spinning reels have that option. I suggest you do not try back reeling if you ever decide to fish for large powerful gamefish in the ocean. You can fish however you want but I will continue relying on my reels drag system. So far it has worked very well for many species of fish including the black bass species.

Thumbing the spool to me is as useless as back reeling. I rather rely on my reels drag system. It might be ok for small fish that do not fight much but it is not good for something powerful enough to peel line from your drag.

No need for thumbing the spool if you have a spinning reel with a good drag system. I do not thumb the spool on baitcasters either.

Fishing in heavy aquatic vegetation is very different from fishing open water.

Penn and Shimano makes many reels that are excellent for saltwater fishing.

20 pound or less braid is more than enough for small bass in open water but might not be enough for 8 pound and bigger bass in heavy cover. Not the wisest idea to fish light tackle if your goal is to catch a big bass or other large fish in a place with heavy aquatic vegetation.

One of the things I like about bass fishing is that bass will hit a large variety of lures so I prefer bringing a couple different lures when I fish for bass. With that said a medium action combo and a couple spinnerbaits in different sizes can catch lots of bass in the hands of someone who is comfortable fishing spinnerbaits.

Shark fishing is very similar to catfishing. In both forms of fishing you need lots of patience. Make sure to learn how to tie a good leader and use quality gear.

I have fished in the ocean for over 20 years. Have caught many saltwater fish that most would consider fish of a lifetime and I still love to fish for bass and other freshwater fish. To me there is something special about fishing for bass and I hope to continue bass fishing for several more decades.

I wrote this over a month ago and will write it exactly the same today. Florida, Georgia, Texas, and California has the best bass fishing in the USA. Look up Florida's TrophyCatch program and Texas Sharelunker program and you will understand why so many tourist visit these states for bass fishing. No need for magazines when you can visit internet forums and Youtube for free.

Once you catch a large powerful gamefish on a high quality reel you will understand why a reel is more important than a rod. A good rod is still needed but the quality of the reel is more important. A good drag is extremely important when targeting large fish. For example a cheap reel might be good enough for bass under 5 pounds but will not be very good for a redfish over 40 inches.

It is better to go fishing than staying at home.

At this time I do not fish tournaments but agree that a trustworthy person is needed to be your partner. You need to be able to read a persons true intentions since there are too many greedy people that want to be your friend just to post pictures on social media to get likes and follows. The more mature a man gets the more he realizes he does not need alcohol to have fun. I have met young men that are very mature and middle aged men that drink like they think they are a college student in a party. I have fished in little mountain rivers all the way to deep sea fishing over 100 miles from the shore and I still enjoy fishing for bass. I have friends that look down on bass fishing and I do not care what they think since I still enjoy catching bass and other freshwater fish.

It is very fun to use light tackle and it works well in clear bodies of pressured water.

Beetle spins can be a good lure in certain situations but I prefer fishing with inline spinners. Try fishing with 4 pound test mono with a inline spinner.

Florida most likely has more alligators than Mississippi and also has American crocodiles, spectacled caimans, and even Nile crocodiles have been reported.

Throughout the years I have fished with lots of friends, some are very reliable others are not. Fishing friends are easy to make especially when you know how to fish and can prove it. With that said I prefer fishing with my Wife since she is the most reliable and trustworthy person I have fished with.

I have caught lots of nice fish before, during, and right after a big storm.

It is no surprise why things are the way they are now. Greed and arrogance is mankind's worst behavior.

Welcome to the forum

There are more people fishing in the ocean now than any other time in history. On top of that the ocean is being overfished by greedy people all around the world, especially in the Pacific Ocean and other areas nearby.

We all started knowing nothing about fishing and working are way up. What I do not like are those fishermen with little to no respect for others. I feel that knowing how to respect other fisherman and respecting the resource should should be the first thing everyone learns before going fishing. Too many of these ignorant fishermen also throw trash all over the floor.

I think it is obvious to leave a man and his Wife alone when they are fishing but some people are very desperate, disrespectful, and greedy when it comes to fishing. I do enjoy teaching children how to fish but could care less for a grown man old enough to be my father bothering me and my Wife while we fish. Those who know how to fish have no need to follow the bent rod pattern and they can find their own fish. Besides I find it much more rewarding when I catch my own fish by my own effort.

Following the ''bent rod pattern'' describes people that purposely get close to you since they see you catching fish. It is a very rude thing to do since most people like to fish in peace. For example I enjoy fishing with my Wife and do not like when some random desperate fisherman gets too close to us since they see us catching fish. We often leave when one of these people approach us since we have plenty of other locations we can fish in peace. Like the saying goes two is a party and three is a crowd.