Wal-mart Has Seaguar on sale(North Florida)

[Jonathan Evans]

Never used Fluorocarbon but it was $8.00 marked down from $10.00. I might as well see what all the fuss is about. This was at the Wal-mart in Crestview Florida.

[Nitrofreak]

I use the red label from there in 15 and 20lb. Test, never had a problem with it, you'll like what Fluro has to offer. 

[fishnkamp]

Make it even cheaper to use. Spool 1/2 of the reel up with quality mono or copolymer first.  Spool it real tightly and make sure your arbor knot is tight. Then tie on your new fluorocarbon ( and this goes for braid as well) using a uni to uni knot and spool the rest of the line on. Now you have plenty of flouro on but have used only half a spool so it will fill another reel. All of my reels are done this way and when it becomes time for new line it only needs a partial spool to replace it.  Saves money. 

[Jonathan Evans]

4 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Make it even cheaper to use. Spool 1/2 of the reel up with quality mono or copolymer first.  Spool it real tightly and make sure your arbor knot is tight. Then tie on your new fluorocarbon ( and this goes for braid as well) using a uni to uni knot and spool the rest of the line on. Now you have plenty of flouro on but have used only half a spool so it will fill another reel. All of my reels are done this way and when it becomes time for new line it only needs a partial spool to replace it.  Saves money. 

Do you think the mono quality really matters? I am new so forgive my ignorance but The mono is just taking up space right? it will not even get down that far, especially for bass fishing?

[fishnkamp]

Well I look at it this way I can buy a 1500 yard spool of Bass Pro Shops Excel mono in 14 pound test for $11.00. I used to use that line to fish with before I began using Berkley Original FireLine as my go to line on all of my spinning reels.. Now I use that spool for backing on all of my reels, never mind if it is a spinning or baitcasting reel. It also makes good leader material when fishing braid.  I am convinced that I make my own luck by proper preparation. So I use good quality line across the board. I agree most times, while bass fishing, you will not have a fish pull that much line out. However I fish in lots of different waters. I live and fish on the Chesapeake Bay so when I fish for bass I can encounter stripers, bass, perch, pickerel, big cats and even snakeheads.  All spring and summer the big stripers live in the main bay and the equipment to catch them includes big boats, planer boards trolling parachute rigs etc. During the fall they come into the creeks that have warmer shallower water and I chase them with my bass boat.. Here rattle traps mimic the food they are following.  Along with them are some huge cats. So far my biggest blue cat was 18 pounds and yes he nearly spooled me as he hit the bait and ran under our boat.  My partner had to run up and pull the trolling motor up for me.  During a bass fishing trip, on Dale Hollow Lake in Kentucky, this spring we were fishing Z Man Ned rigs on G Loomis 6 foot ML rods with 6 pound leaders. My wife hooked a cat in 18 feet of water, it again almost spooled her and I got to laugh as that fish ran her from the front to the back of the boat several times. We had to work the fish very carefully as I knew what bit her lure. Since we had such a light leader and a really light action rod it was no easy fight. The fish emptied over half of her spool more than once. So I did not want her to break a $300 plus rod or lose the fish.  She fought it perfectly.  We even saved the TRD Ned rig. That fish weighed  6 8 pounds.  Also when I  change my line on a reel I almost never respool the backing so I want something good on there. Some of my reels have 10 year old backing on them  Here is the pic of the cat and one of the bass we were chasing out there, most of the bass we caught were over 5 pounds

[Jonathan Evans]

4 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Well I look at it this way I can buy a 1500 yard spool of Bass Pro Shops Excel mono in 14 pound test for $11.00. I used to use that line to fish with before I began using Berkley Original FireLine as my go to line on all of my spinning reels.. Now I use that spool for backing on all of my reels, never mind if it is a spinning or baitcasting reel. It also makes good leader material when fishing braid.  I am convinced that I make my own luck by proper preparation. So I use good quality line across the board. I agree most times, while bass fishing, you will not have a fish pull that much line out. However I fish in lots of different waters. I live and fish on the Chesapeake Bay so when I fish for bass I can encounter stripers, bass, perch, pickerel, big cats and even snakeheads.  All spring and summer the big stripers live in the main bay and the equipment to catch them includes big boats, planer boards trolling parachute rigs etc. During the fall they come into the creeks that have warmer shallower water and I chase them with my bass boat.. Here rattle traps mimic the food they are following.  Along with them are some huge cats. So far my biggest blue cat was 18 pounds and yes he nearly spooled me as he hit the bait and ran under our boat.  My partner had to run up and pull the trolling motor up for me.  During a bass fishing trip, on Dale Hollow Lake in Kentucky, this spring we were fishing Z Man Ned rigs on G Loomis 6 foot ML rods with 6 pound leaders. My wife hooked a cat in 18 feet of water, it again almost spooled her and I got to laugh as that fish ran her from the front to the back of the boat several times. We had to work the fish very carefully as I knew what bit her lure. Since we had such a light leader and a really light action rod it was no easy fight. The fish emptied over half of her spool more than once. So I did not want her to break a $300 plus rod or lose the fish.  She fought it perfectly.  We even saved the TRD Ned rig. That fish weighed  6 8 pounds.  Also when I  change my line on a reel I almost never respool the backing so I want something good on there. Some of my reels have 10 year old backing on them  Here is the pic of the cat and one of the bass we were chasing out there, most of the bass we caught were over 5 pounds

That is nuts you guys get those monsters like that. I am going tonight and looking at some mono to use as backing. I have been fishing fresh water for about a year and the only other thing I have cought was a gar. its amazing how the species can change in different parts of the country.

[fishnkamp]

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

[Fish4bigfish]

1 hour ago, fishnkamp said:

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

Nice fish the spotted bass in your profile pic was 7 lbs?

Here is my buddy with a 6.1

[Jonathan Evans]

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

 

1 hour ago, Fish4bigfish said:

Nice fish the spotted bass in your profile pic was 7 lbs?

Here is my buddy with a 6.1

 

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

 

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

The only thing I have caught here in Florida besides large mouth are gar and pan fish. Do we have spotted bass here in north Florida? I will have to do some research on that. I only knew of small mouth and large mouth never herd of spotted. I have only been freshwater fishing for about a year but I know an older guy that has been fishing for bass for 30 years, I will ask him about this spotted bass because I want to catch one now

 

 

Just now, Jonathan Evans said:

I think I have seen that spot watching the FLW. Could that be Lake Chikamauga perhaps?

 

 

The only thing I have caught here in Florida besides large mouth are gar and pan fish. Do we have spotted bass here in north Florida? I will have to do some research on that. I only knew of small mouth and large mouth never herd of spotted. I have only been freshwater fishing for about a year but I know an older guy that has been fishing for bass for 30 years, I will ask him about this spotted bass because I want to catch one now

 

 

 

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

If you click on my members picture that fish I am holding is a Kentucky spot I caught in Center Hill Lake which is located about 40 minutes east of Nashville TN. I did not know it but it was a state record that weighed 7 pounds. My guide was an FLW angler named Craig Powers. We both thought the record was over 8 pounds. It was my personal best and I released her.  5 years later I learned the record Craig and I were familiar with was an  Alabama record not TN. Tennessee's record is only a little over 6 pounds. UGH!!!  If you watched Major League Fishing when they competed near Cookeville TN, you saw a couple of anglers fish a steep bluff across from the ramp, that was her home. It is a 60 foot deep stair step bluff.  Here is a pic of it. Also you saw the bridge some of the anglers fished. We spent some time there also catching bass like this one. 

What!! So you missed out on getting in the record books because of a misunderstanding? OH man that would sting so so bad. Knowing how rare that fish was.  Not to mention you cought it in a spot that some of the legends of bass fishing have fished before.

[Fish4bigfish]

Spotted bass fight harder than largemouth but don't grow as big. I don't think you have em in Florida.

[Jonathan Evans]

2 minutes ago, Fish4bigfish said:

Spotted bass fight harder than largemouth but don't grow as big. I don't think you have em in Florida.

That sucks. I am going to Alabama to visit relatives in a few months so I might get lucky lol

[fishnkamp]

I caught it 5 years before the MLF guys got there and yes the spotted bass was huge.  If you notice the water lines on this undercut rock and the stair stepped rock bluff the is a story behind it. We booked our trip in January when Craig Powers of CP Custom Baits came out to MD. for our state's biggest bass and boat show. He fishes the FLW series and had won a million dollars in FLW events. We booked him for two days of guiding during a week long vacation. I had been wanting to catch a spotted bass and was thinking of going to Watts Bar Lake near Knoxville. He told me instead to go to Center Hill Lake and that is where we fished that April. The Kentucky Spotted bass is a largemouth and smallmouth bass hybrid and no they do not have them as far as I know in Florida. Anyway that year had been really wet and as I am driving for 14 hours all I am seeing is muddy rivers. I was afraid we waisted our vacation. In a two week period Center Hill had risen 5 feet in height.  Those undercut areas and the wall had that much water on them.The fish were tucked up inside those cuts and ambushing our baits. The wall was great because the spots like vertical structure ( like bluff walls, bridge abutments etc.) and just move up and down to stay in touch with the bait and their comfort zone. That fish hit a shakeyhead worm about 20 foot down on the stairs, She torpedoed down almost to the 60 foot  bottom then tore back up to the surface as I frantically reeled in to keep up. It tail walked a few times before I landed it. Sooo Cool. The really funny thing about that lake is the lake is fed by 4 rivers (two of which go over waterfalls before entering the lake) but the main river enters through an hydroelectric power  dam on the southwest end of the lake then all of the other rivers flow into the main body before it flows out the north- northwest end of the lake. So if you want to go "UP" the lake you have to go south and vice versa!  The lake flows out that north end through another power dam again. All part of the TVA projects for flood control and electric power generations. 

Where are you going in Alabama?

[KDW96]

My walmart had all Suffix 832 marked down to 6.00. So i bought 10 rolls,some for myself and family. They were very happy to get it.

[fishnkamp]

Boy that is a great price and I like that line.

[Jonathan Evans]

On 7/25/2016 at 1:41 AM, fishnkamp said:

I caught it 5 years before the MLF guys got there and yes the spotted bass was huge.  If you notice the water lines on this undercut rock and the stair stepped rock bluff the is a story behind it. We booked our trip in January when Craig Powers of CP Custom Baits came out to MD. for our state's biggest bass and boat show. He fishes the FLW series and had won a million dollars in FLW events. We booked him for two days of guiding during a week long vacation. I had been wanting to catch a spotted bass and was thinking of going to Watts Bar Lake near Knoxville. He told me instead to go to Center Hill Lake and that is where we fished that April. The Kentucky Spotted bass is a largemouth and smallmouth bass hybrid and no they do not have them as far as I know in Florida. Anyway that year had been really wet and as I am driving for 14 hours all I am seeing is muddy rivers. I was afraid we waisted our vacation. In a two week period Center Hill had risen 5 feet in height.  Those undercut areas and the wall had that much water on them.The fish were tucked up inside those cuts and ambushing our baits. The wall was great because the spots like vertical structure ( like bluff walls, bridge abutments etc.) and just move up and down to stay in touch with the bait and their comfort zone. That fish hit a shakeyhead worm about 20 foot down on the stairs, She torpedoed down almost to the 60 foot  bottom then tore back up to the surface as I frantically reeled in to keep up. It tail walked a few times before I landed it. Sooo Cool. The really funny thing about that lake is the lake is fed by 4 rivers (two of which go over waterfalls before entering the lake) but the main river enters through an hydroelectric power  dam on the southwest end of the lake then all of the other rivers flow into the main body before it flows out the north- northwest end of the lake. So if you want to go "UP" the lake you have to go south and vice versa!  The lake flows out that north end through another power dam again. All part of the TVA projects for flood control and electric power generations. 

Where are you going in Alabama?

Nice man, I didn't even think a bass could go down 60 feet! I had kinda the same thing happen at my local creek only the opposite of what you said. I have a nice little spot called Penny creek, it is used by local farmers as an irrigation canal. Well, it got so low due to no rain that the bass had been trapped inside of the man area of the canal. I of course left the camera at home still hooked up to my PC. I caught 3 dinks and one nice 2 pounder within 45 minutes. I have been following advice I get on these forums and my fishing has improved so much. The water is real copper colored hence the name "Penny creek"So I used a white fluke. I read on here about throwing a fluke and working it like a Sinko, Letting it flutter as it sinks. Everyone on here says summer time means fish slow. Its amazing to me how much I have improved and The things I look for now. I am starting to realize what bass fishermen mean when they say that you will gain knowledge without even realizing it. To give you an example, I have a few spots that if the conditions are Ideal I know a bass will be sitting in this shadow or under that overhanging tree and every time like clockwork they nail it. Not sure if you are familiar with Glen Lau but he is a local bass fisherman here in Florida. He made a documentary called Bigmouth Forever(amazing video btw). He keeps a journal and when he has a good day he writes down conditions and what he used. I have just started doing that as well.

The place we are going in Alabama is called Lake Guntersville. its down the road from my father-in-laws and he is taking me. I have been but never fished it, I went with my brother in law to meet some pros a few years ago. This will be my first time fishing it.