Floridabassking352

I find it hard to believe that snapping at someone because they spilled something on a guitar is worse behaviour than trying to fight someone or guilt tripping them, and that seems to be the general consensus here. I have never tried to fight one of my friends before. Oh my God! He snapped at me! Gee, I think that calls for me beating the crap out of him. Where is the logic in that?

After the incident, I picked up my guitar and walked away because that's the smart thing to do when everyone's been drinking if you want to avoid getting physical. I needed to take the strings off and get my guitar dried ASAP, as at the moment that was my main concern, to make sure that I cleaned it up before it could do any damage. It is clear that a lot of people still don't get it, and that's fine. When you are a musician and someone does something that could potentially damage your instrument, whether it's intentional or an accident, you will understand and I guarantee that you won't be able to help getting a little bit angry. If you wouldn't get mad, then my hat's off to you. I wouldn't really have given a crap if it was inexpensive, but the more expensive equipment is, the more expensive it is to fix. At the time, I was concerned it might be damaged. Aside from that, I guess the moral of this story is that alcohol affects the judgement of people and can turn an otherwise harmless situation into a big deal, and I need to understand this and chill out next time and try to not to let my temper flare. Usually tempers and alcohol don't mix. I guess I can't really say that I'm right and they're wrong, and they can't say that either because all three of us reacted a little bit immature, and three wrongs don't make a right. I appreciate all of the advice guys. I realize that I may have been too quick to pull the trigger and I will keep this in mind in the future and let my friends know. Thanks. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I don't see how you can possibly say I'm the one that went off the deep end. That's exactly what everyone else said, and that's incorrect. The only thing I did was get mad and and leave and ask him to get my case. He's the one that tried to fight me. I didn't confront him or cuss him out or try to fight him or even yell. The problem is that people who don't play an insrument just don't get it. Musicians are very picky about their equipment. One of my friends I've known for years who I'm starting a band with won't even let me touch his guitar. Ask any musician how they would react if someone spilled beer in their guitar and they would all be ticked. Granted, I should not have played it in that situation but I've done it countless times in the past without any issues. I certainly won't bring it around alcohol ever again. But honestly, I did not overreact, I merely got mad and asked him to get my case. I don't see how anyone can say that me getting mad because he spilled beer inside my expensive guitar means I'm the one that overreacted. It's a natural human response to get upset in that situation. The guy tried to fight me! Who the hell tries to fight someone after they spilled beer in a guitar and the other guy got mad? That's totally backwards. He shoulda just said sorry but instead he wanted to fight. Just because someone becomes a Marine doesn't make them an invincible badass. I had every right to get mad when something like that happens, and I even told him a few minutes later that I wasn't mad anymore and that accidents happen and I understand that.

I don't like making personal posts on the forum that don't have to do with fishing, but I can't stop thinking about this one incident and it keeps bothering me. One of my best friends just became a Marine a few months ago. He's gone through boot camp and had a couple more months of other training. Being that he's on leave right now, he had a party at his place with a few of our friends and we were drinking of course. I brought my nice Ovation acoustic guitar over to play at the request of my friends. I've done it in the past without any trouble but this time was different. I was playing a song and all of a sudden he spills a crapload of beer on my $800 Ovation (on accident) and a lot of it went inside the guitar. I got mad and said what the *#@% and immediately started drying it and I stormed out and told him to please get my case so I could put it away. He totally flipped out and my friends had to restrain him from fighting me. I went to my car and got in to chill out and he grabs my door to prevent me closing it after I told him several times to let go of my car door. We talked it out a few minutes later and he started telling me I need to think before I act and that I have no authority to "give him an order" and that it took all of his strength not to deck me. He tried to tell me that he's gone through all this stuff that I will never go through to guilt trip me into thinking I'm wrong and that me getting beer spilled on a guitar is nothing compared to Marine boot camp. Then my other friend jumped in and tried to guilt trip me as well by saying his uncle committed suicide and having beer spilled on my guitar is nothing compared to that. I'm still incredibly mad about this. I mean come on, when someone spills beer on an $800 guitar, don't you think they have a right to get mad? It can warp the wood or mess the electronics up (it's acoustic/electric). Expensive instruments are nothing to be goofed around with. It's not like I cussed him out and tried to fight him, I even said I wasn't trying to disrespect him. All I did was be a normal human get mad and react and he's mad because "I snapped at him." Eeventually I ended up driving home drunk, which was not smart. My friend tried to stop my car by jumping in front because he didn't want me driving but I went around. I just wanted to go home and clean and dry my guitar out. Now neither one of them will talk to me and I feel like my two best friends aren't friends with me anymore. Do you guys think I overreacted? I honestly feel that my Marine friend was the one who needed to chill out and my other friend had no business getting involved as he had nothing to do with it. I don't know how to resolve this issue now other than to wait a couple days and discuss it again later. It just goes to show that even your best friends can change and I expected him to be different but I never imagined this happening. The whole thing is stupid but I don't think we're friends anymore. Any advice or words of wisdom?

Thanks for the tips guys. I got out there today with my new braided line and had excellent hookups! No problems at all with setting the hook and risking a rod snap. Braided line is now my favorite for bass fishing (previously I only used it in saltwater). I've got some 30lb test Power Pro in green spooled on now. The sensitivity is amazing! I could literally feel every single underwater object my t-rigged worm hit and I detected the lightest bites from bass.

Gatrboy, Thanks for the tips on Lochloosa. I got out there today and caught a nice, chunky 3.5lber on my first cast with the Tiny Torpedo (which I just bought yesterday) in the hydrilla. I couldn't get any Ultravibe Speed Worms but tried the Ultravibe Speedcraw but no luck with that today. The t-rigged worms were workin today too.

Micro, I use a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook in red with my Zoom Horny Toads.

It's brand new. I bought it a month ago but I always fish with fresh line.

The last couple of times I have fished I have cast my line out after fishing for a while only to find my lure and 4ft piece of line fly off my baitcaster. I can't figure this out, it has never happened before. I fish from shore a lot and I think it might be because when I get snagged, I will put my thumb on the spool and pull slow and hard so that I can rip my lure out of the pads without losing it. Do you think that when I do this the line stretches and after doing it so many times becomes weak and then just breaks midway through the spool when I cast? I was using 15lb test P-Line monofilament.

Gatrboy, What time of year do you have the most success on Lochloosa and Orange with the topwater frogs? Also, what sections of Lochloosa hold bigger fish this time of year? I was on the far North end of the Lake and to the East of the little Lochloosa creek.

T-rigged plastic worm. I do fish it year-round (every time I go to be exact); it is my number one confidence lure, the first lure I throw, I have caught the most bass on it, and I have also caught my personal best on it. My favorite worm is the Zoom Trickworm in black.

Abu Garcia; I think they make better reels than Quantum IMO.

2 Problems: 1. I fished two weeks ago with a white Zoom Horny Toad during the day (it was very cool outside and a slight chop on the water) over hydrilla mats. I kept getting massive explosions from bass as I reeled the toad over open patches of water in between the hydrilla. But every single time the bass missed! I swear I had at least 25 missed strikes and it really got me frustrated. What was the problem? My Dad landed a bass on the toad but I couldn't. I think maybe I was reeling too fast, but you can't really retrieve a Zoom Horny Toad very slow without the legs stopping to kick. I think if I had a Spro Tournament Frog on (which is completely topwater and floats on the surface when motionless) I would have landed all those fish because I could have reeled it at a snails pace. What do you guys think? Btw, I was fishing a natural lake in Florida in about 8-10ft of water (Lake Lochloosa to be exact). 2. I would say about 85% of the time my Zoom Horny Toad ends up turning upside down when I retrieve it. This is very annoying. Are there any remedies?

I am going to use braided line on my 6' 6'' medium action bass rod. Since braid literally has no stretch at all, I am concerned that I will get much stiffer hooksets and could potentially snap my rod. Do you think this will be an issue? Has anyone ever snapped a rod on a hookset with braided line?

Another pic. How big do you think it is?

Hey guys, after fishing my Mattlures Baby Bass Swimbait (Largemouth bass color) on and off for a month, I finally caught a fish! I was fishing a private lake in Land O' Lakes, FL and cast the swimbait off of a dock just past some lily pads. I thought to myeslf, "I've always read that you're supposed to let a swimbait sit on the bottom for a little bit before you start your retrieve." So I laid the rod down on the dock and picked up another one to make a couple of casts. Just as I picked it up, my swimbait rod shot off like a rocket! I barely had time to pick it up and set the hook before it went in the water. I don't know how big the bass is; I estimate it at 20in and 3-4lbs. It was so exciting! Thank you Mattlures; your baits are outstanding! Anyone else have success with Mattlures swimbaits? Here are the pics of the bass.

I finally went bass fishin again sunday for the first time in a month. I slayed those fish! I went out with one of my buddies on Lake Thomas here in Tampa (it's a private lake) and we fished live shiners. I caught 8 bass: 5 on the shiners, 2 on a black Zoom Trickworm, and 1 on a yellow Devil's Horse. The conditions were great; cool breeze, overcast skies, slight chop on the water. I lost a 5lber right at the boat though, somehow he cut my 12lb test Stren that I had just spooled, have no idea how it happened. Anyway, just thought I'd share. I'll post pics when I get my film developed and scan them. I got 20 pics left on the camera though, so I gotta catch 20 more fish first. ;D

Use the smallest bobber you can get by with.

I'm gonna have to disagree with "safer." I have a friend who likes to shotgun cans of beer on his head (just shake it up and pound your head), and one time he did it the can split in half and cut his forehead open.

I always heard that a dog should only be put down if it is in physical pain, but my dog isn't. He has minor arthritis in one paw and we give him medication for it. I don't know if he should be put down yet, like I said, he still seems to enjoy life and likes to play. But the decision isn't really mine, my parents will most likely make the choice since I live away from home. Does anyone else think it's time to put him down?

The vet said my dog is perfectly healthy, although he is blind, deaf, has a couple of fat tumors, and arthritis in his paw. He still seems to enjoy being around everyone though and likes to play although it's difficult now. I just can't get over the fact that his condition is declining and he doesn't have much time left. This weekend was the worst. I went to the beach with my family and can't get the images out of my head. I saw my mom walk him and since we were at a resort, he had to go down stairs and fumbled down them, and he's so blind that he turns his head all over the place and couldn't even see me when I was sitting right in front of him petting him. All I can think is that this was his first, and last, vacation and it makes me sad. Ever since I saw him in the pool it's made me very emotional and also I'm off at school, so I don't see him but once a month. Just wish I could put it behind me and not think about until the day finally comes.

I couldn't find my dog and I heard my mom go outside and yell. I ran out and found my dog in the pool. He's 12 now and completely blind. It's a miracle he managed to find his way to the steps when he can't see. I can't take it anymore guys. It's incredibly sad and depressing to watch my dog's health deteriorate. All I can think about is what if I didn't find him right away? He could have drowned. I know he's just getting old but it's really starting to wear me down emotionally. I got him as a puppy when I was 7 and basically grew up with him. Now sadly his days are coming to an end. :'( I almost want to just put him down so I don't have to deal with the pain of watching him struggle anymore (he runs into stuff, can't find me when I leave a room, etc) but he's healthy aside from a heart murmur and being blind. It tore me up to see how terrified he was when I found him; he was trembling. This whole thing really scared the hell out of me. I guess I just have to put it behind me and enjoy the time he has left.

Driving a stick shift is awesome! It's way more fun than an automatic. I had a VERY rough time learning to drive though, and pretty sure I gave my dad whiplash in the process ;D. I drive a 2007 Scion tC (btw, this isn't the best car to learn on because it has an incredibly sensitive clutch) and have had it a year, so I'm still fairly new to driving a stick I suppose. I don't stall anymore but I grind the gears occasionally.

Does anyone know of any lakes in Tampa that have good bass fishing where the public is allowed and that are big enough to walk the shoreline (I know some lakes are heavily wooded and don't have much open space to roam)? Any places you know of will be very helpful; I don't have a boat and am itchin' to go fishin'.

I fish Florida lakes for crappie in the winter, so I don't know how well this will work, but I have found that the best thing to do is troll 1/8 oz pink jig heads with a small, white soft body grub. This rig slays the crappie every year, and I have found that it always outfishes live minnows (for me at least). Trolling is definitely a fun, exciting way to catch crappie. Throw your line over the side, troll, open up a beer, and wait for that strike.