beatonem

Fishermen will spend $50 on anything. Show a couple big fish on it and people are gonna buy it. This lure maker, im sure saw a window and went for it. Not all wood plugs are fish catchers. Some suck!! If your spending $20 on a plug people will think it's crazy. More fish have been taken on sub $10 baits then all the wood plugs. Bucktails and cheap rubber plastic swimmers have accounted for way more fish by a landslide. The wood plug market is probably one of the smallest niche bait styles out there, like giant swimbaits. It's what you wanna throw and what gets your juices flowing. I was addicted to the plug game like most. Took me awhile to realize I did not really need em all the time to catch good fish. I like to fish em and they are fun, I wanna catch fish and I don't need big $$$ lures to do it.

The cool weather is coming! Things up my way are already starting to shift gears. Gonna be a fun few months.

Interested in any trades?

15# is fine. They break at a higher rating.

You will not need any rod longer than 8ft and a 3000 -4000 size reel. 20# braid, I would carry 30 and 50# leader. Your lures will be on the smaller side 5in or less. Any DOA, smaller x raps, small 1/2oz bucktails. Topwater for low light. Freelining live shrimp. The snook will be moving back of the beach. Bridges, jetties, seawalls and backwater canals and rivers. October to March can be ferocious for snook and Jr size tarpon. I would not spend much time on the beach. You can catch but your odds will be better elsewhere. I am here year round and fish artificial almost exclusively and at night. The fish will be at your feet on the beach, no reason to cast far. No structure, and bare sand bottom on this area of the gulf. You want structure and moving water. It is essential to be successful. Also there is very little tide change as far as height. Use an app and look for the tide phase with the strongest push of water and focus on that time frame.

Gotta come to at least Cape Coral for good shots at them. Naples even better.

A little pop and son 10hr out of Hubbard's Marina. Little man had a blast, as he loves these trips. His 1st Jr. AJ. He battled tough with his little 6ft rod and squidder junior. Took coaching well and after a few minutes. Victory!

Not sure where your staying (Venice maybe. The beaches are loading up with snook and big trout. Get that light wind or East blow being better and you should have a blast.

Excellent thread. As I am one on the lower end of the learning curve. Great info and advice. Living here the last 5 years and fishing for snook specifically and tarpon 3 to 4 nights a week. They are different fish as opposed to the bluefish, barracuda etc. Your dealing with teeth and clean immediate cuts. Snook and tarpon are more abrasive with obviously sharp gills. A good friend and avid fly fisherman has given me advice and tips. He tells me to fish the wand more. I send him pictures of the spots I fish and he understands the precarious nature. I fish jetties and bridges alot. 50. 80 and 100# leader. Big snook will tear em up. Albacized, if you are fishing jetties and the chance of bigger fish. Even 25in fish, I would tie 40# and up for your leader, bite leader whatever your going to run to the fly. I don't think I have ever chased a fish that has the ability to fray leader as fast as snook. I actually find the smaller ones to be worse, because they shake and go crazy so violently.

If fish an 8ft piece of 20# Berkley big game loop to welded loop on the 9wt line. Never had a problem in open water. Structure is a different story and I usually choose not to use the fly rod. Heat and sun is irrelevant as far a breaking down the line as I will change the leader each time out or during a session. Easy enough to do.

I run 50# braid. 15-20ft of 80# mono leader with 8 to 10in piece of wire to a 8/0 - 10/0 offset circle hook. This was standard for me in NY from the beach if I was specifically targeting them. I use the same thing here in SWFL Even have taken 4 and 5ftrs off the beach on 9ft spinning set ups. I am in agreement tho, if fishing bait way more enjoyable on a conventional set up.

What is "small sharks". I use penn fathom star drags on an 11ft CTS. They cast well and easy to maintain. Haven't had any problems with sharks up to 5 or 6ft.

Beach bite is heating up. Non stop yesterday morning on big trout and snook. Little man's PB snook! He had a blast.

What brand head is that. Looks great. How are the hooks?

I'm in the SWFL. I've tried sneakers. Kayak/dive boots they were all so so. I actually suck it up and use my good ol' NE korker boots with the rubber sole. They have been very good. Heavy, (relative), hot can be, but I fish mostly at night. What I like about em. They are more durable than most flats boots etc. Have great ankle support on the sometimes wobbly jetty rocks, grip well to these jagged, sharp jetties and I'm not worried about stepping on most things while wading.