# You might be an amateur if.......



## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

You might be an amateur if.......



If you lose a lot of fish due to faulty tackle.... you might be an amateur. (Get a book on tying good strong knots and various rigs for saltwater fishing.)

If you hold your spinning rod with the reel on top....you might be an amateur. (Spinning reel on the bottom, baitcasting reel on top. )

If you pull up to within 20 feet of another boat (that's fishing)...you might be an amateur. (Give other boats a wide berth and find your own fishing spot.)

If you have never caught your own bait...you might be an amateur. (Usually the best saltwater baits are live baitfish caught with a castnet or Sabiki rig. This is true for both inshore and offshore). 

If dragging hardware for kingfish is your method of choice...you might be an amateur. (Live baitfish is the decisive choice for tournament boats looking for big kings.)

If you use wire leaders for inshore fishing....you might be an amateur. (This scares most inshore fish AND most will not cut through 30 lb mono with their teeth).

If you have never set or test the "drag" on your reel...you might be an amateur. (Drag lets the fish run so the line doesn't break. This is why you can catch a 40 lb kingfish on 15 lb test line.)

If it takes you more than 10 minutes to launch or load your boat at the ramp...you might be an amateur. (Practice and organization makes perfect. Remember it's a ramp... not a dock.)

If your boat doesn't have a livewell...you might be an amateur. (Again, no livewell, no live baitfish, no big fish to take pictures of.)

If you tend to ratnest baitcasting reels...you might be an amateur. (Keep your thumb on the spool when it's in freespool.)

If the only bait you've ever used is frozen squid or frozen shrimp...you might be an amateur. (Artificials will outperform these kinds of baits handily on the big three inshore fish, snook, reds, trout. Live baitfish are usually better than artificials.)

If your tackle is rated for 10 times the size fish you are likely to catch.... you might be an amateur. (This is going to give you trouble casting, jigging and enjoying the fight. Lighten up. General rule: use 8-12lb for inshore. i.e. Snook, Reds, Trout. Use 15-25lb medium offshore. i.e. Kings, Bonito, Barracuda. Use 40-80 heavy offshore. i.e. Grouper, Jewfish, Sharks, Amberjack. I don't know what it is, but most amateurs insist on using 20 to 30 lb tackle for inshore fishing. This is a major no no. My biggest inshore fish, a 23.5 lb snook was caught on 8 lb tackle.)

Im not a pro either must be the amateur coming out.


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## Beachbms (Jan 10, 2003)

Cute Koz, Kewl pic in you signature!!


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## Mullet Wrangler (Jul 4, 2003)

I guess I must be an amateur... I'm guilty of using heavy tackle in the surf! Without it, I keep breaking my line when I cast. And if I use a heavier shock leader for casting, then why is that any better than using heavier tackle. The presentation to the fish is still a heavy "shock leader" line.

So what am I doing wrong? How do you hurl a 4 oz pyramid with a live mullet on the end over 100 yards on 8-12lb line????

Inquiring minds want to know...


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## TopSnipe (Apr 24, 2002)

Just like you're doing it.....with a shock leader. Using 40-50# shock leader doesn't mean you can't fight the fish on 10-15# tackle.

A lot of folks up here use 250+ yards of 14-17# test with a 50-80# shock leader in the surf.

Koz is talking about using 20# class tackle on a 1# croaker, slight overkill.  

I use 10-15# for almost all of my fishing. Got some 25# on 1 reel, only because it came spooled that way and I've been too lazy to respool. Maybe later this week I'll respool with 17# tritanium.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

*Amateur*

Hey I fish the Indian river channels for reds by the pilons with 40lb big game and 100 lb leader. Am I an amateur? Ha those damn reds will make any one look like an amateur when they run for the pylons and go "PING" That is why this year on my trip I have upgraded to spiderwire 80lb braid. Hopefully give myself at least a 25% chance of getting one. It is better than the 10% catch/lose ratio I have now when I go there.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I plead guilty to: 

1. Using bimini'd #100 PowerPro as a shock leader. It's for sharks, I swear!

2. Using steel leaders on inshore rigs. There's an explanation for that, too. Once again, sharks are involved.


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## Bent Barrel (Jul 16, 2003)

I took a guy fishing and his reel looked like he had clothesline wrapped on it... I hate it when I see those people with the spinning reel on top reeling with their left hand backwards. The fish are never biting either... lol...

www.toadpie.com


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## TopSnipe (Apr 24, 2002)

Saw that upside down spinner trick not 2 weeks ago. Also some penn 209s on 30# class boat rods from a little pier catching croaker. LOL for sure. Same little pier, guy using a 12' heaver hauling in 1/2 lb. croaker on a double bottom rig. He was probably casting all of 50 feet.  

But we've all gotta' remember you can only use what you've got. Adapt and overcome!


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## Bent Barrel (Jul 16, 2003)

I moved here to Pasadena and didnt fish for 8 or 10 months so I decidedc to go buy a surf rod. I feel like an idiot carrying this 10 foot long pole. At least its got 12 lb line on it... I can cast that sucker till I cant see it no more and then more... I havent caught anything on it that I can really feel but its hard to get past the waves elsewise, thats what its for. Id rather fight my way down a quarter mile of slippery rocks to use my 7 foot baitcaster lol... I guess its whatever your used to...

www.toadpie.com


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*I thought*

this needed to be bump up again....New people please read


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## Big Worm (Mar 29, 2005)

I don't have a livewell. Putting one in this winter.

Do that make me an amature?


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*ahh*

no....but using the word "do" does LOL  iam always using the wrong words


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## Big Worm (Mar 29, 2005)

Even if you "DO" it on purpose?  

I swear I be edemucated, even if I was raised outside the DC area in public schools....


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