New From South Florida

[Evo_Ant24]

Hey Guys,

 

Iv been doing alot of reading on here lately and decided to finally make a introduction thread.  Im from South Florida, and pretty much just got into fishing a few months ago.  Iv mostly been fishing for largemouth bass but hope to start doing some saltwater in-shore fishing soon.

 

 

My current rod setups are: 

 

Uglystik 6'0 M spinning combo 8lb mono

Uglystik GX2 6'6 M spinning combo 6lb mono (thinking of going braid w/ floro leader?)

 

 

My gear is slacking a bit, so i have been looking around... iv mostly been fishing worms (Zoom, Senkos) and just now trying out crankbaits and jigs.  What kinda of setup (rod/reel) do you guys recommend i go with? and/or line to switch up on my current rods if its worth it.  Iv also thought about going with a baitcaster setup as iv been seeing is the most popular for bass fishing.

 

Anyways, learning alot just from reading on here and i hope to continue to learn alot more, and of course catch big fish!

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard!

[lanzbass]

Greetings and Welcome to the forums

[00 mod]

Welcome to the forums!

 

Jeff

[FrankW]

Hi Evo_Ant24,

I live in Central Florida and have worked or fished most of the state. Nothing wrong with using spinning outfits but you may need to go heavier on your line. 6lb and 8lb are more for northern fishing where there don't have the heavy cover like we have in Florida. I do have a drop shot spinning setup with 8lb Fluro but I only use that in spring fed rivers with minor cover. It is hard to recommend gear not knowing where you are fishing. But I would take one spinning rod and load it with 20lb braid. This would be used for your worms, zooms, and add in a tube. You can buy Power Pro at Walmart.

Please be careful with the braided line. You should not break off a hang up with the rod and reel. You should not try to break off with your hand. You need to use something other than your hand to hold the line and break off with that. A dowel will work. Bare skin and braid will result in a cut.

For bait casting I suggest you buy a Diawa Tatula 100 on sale. You can find them as cheap as $105/110. This may seem high to you but a reel in this range will make learning to cast a bait caster a lot easier than a cheap reel. We really need to know your budget to recommend gear to you.

Frank

[A-Jay]

Hello and Welcome to BR ~

 

A-Jay

[BassinLou]

Awesome!! another S.Floridian on board. Welcome

[Evo_Ant24]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys, happy to be here

 

Hi Evo_Ant24,

I live in Central Florida and have worked or fished most of the state. Nothing wrong with using spinning outfits but you may need to go heavier on your line. 6lb and 8lb are more for northern fishing where there don't have the heavy cover like we have in Florida. I do have a drop shot spinning setup with 8lb Fluro but I only use that in spring fed rivers with minor cover. It is hard to recommend gear not knowing where you are fishing. But I would take one spinning rod and load it with 20lb braid. This would be used for your worms, zooms, and add in a tube. You can buy Power Pro at Walmart.

Please be careful with the braided line. You should not break off a hang up with the rod and reel. You should not try to break off with your hand. You need to use something other than your hand to hold the line and break off with that. A dowel will work. Bare skin and braid will result in a cut.

For bait casting I suggest you buy a Diawa Tatula 100 on sale. You can find them as cheap as $105/110. This may seem high to you but a reel in this range will make learning to cast a bait caster a lot easier than a cheap reel. We really need to know your budget to recommend gear to you.

Frank

 

Thanks for the info, yeah i figured my line was too light.  Should i do 10lb mono on the 6' rod setup for crankbaits/jigs/topwaters? and 20lb braid on the other? and with the braid do you recommend a leader?

 

If i can stay using my spinning gear for now then i will, not too sure how much i wanna spend on a baitcasting setup right now.

[whitwolf]

Welcome!

[FrankW]

Hi Evo_Ant24,

Ten pound mono would be a good choice for cranks and top water but not a jig unless you are fishing really light jigs. Use the rod with the twenty pound braid for your jigs.

The lakes I fish are very shallow and I use braid for cranks as it helps to keep it a little bit shallower. From now till it gets hotter and the hydrilla tops out, you can fish a trap or crank above the growing grass. That is personal preference and you just need to gain some experience and find what you like.

I personally don't use a leader for braid in the lakes I fish. If the fish are in heavy cover I just don't think the leader makes any difference. Our lakes also have a lot of color most of the year. So just analyze the waters you are fishing and set up your gear accordingly.

If you go with the 20lb braid on one spinning rod remember that your rod is probably not rated for 20lb line so don't bend your rod double on a snag. Just use a little caution and you will be OK.

Frank

[Evo_Ant24]

Hi Evo_Ant24,

Ten pound mono would be a good choice for cranks and top water but not a jig unless you are fishing really light jigs. Use the rod with the twenty pound braid for your jigs.

The lakes I fish are very shallow and I use braid for cranks as it helps to keep it a little bit shallower. From now till it gets hotter and the hydrilla tops out, you can fish a trap or crank above the growing grass. That is personal preference and you just need to gain some experience and find what you like.

I personally don't use a leader for braid in the lakes I fish. If the fish are in heavy cover I just don't think the leader makes any difference. Our lakes also have a lot of color most of the year. So just analyze the waters you are fishing and set up your gear accordingly.

If you go with the 20lb braid on one spinning rod remember that your rod is probably not rated for 20lb line so don't bend your rod double on a snag. Just use a little caution and you will be OK.

Frank

 

Thank you for the tips, really appreciate it  

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Welcome

[Glenn]

Welcome Home!