WRB-2.0

The original braid knot is a double line Trilene knot and works great. The knot starts like a Palomar double line, except the loop end is warped around the main line 5 turns like the Trilene knot, the passed through opening next to the hook or lure, then pulled tight. Trim off the loop and tag ends. Down side is 3 tag ends, upside doesn't slip and easy to tie. Tom

I believe B.A.S.S. start catch and release in 1973 before On-Fisherman was formed in 1975. In-Fisherman used the term Selective Harvest. I wrote a article in 1969 for Western Outdoor News regarding releasing big bass during March to May and a warning that the modern bass angler could impact big bass populations. I sent the article to Ray Scott and received his reply that stated anglers couldn't possibly impact bass populations. Looking back we were both right, my experience was with small reserviors and Scotts bass lake were massive in comparison; 2,000 acres vs 40,000+ acres. I got a lot of hatefull feedback from local anglers and after a few years of beating my head against a wall gave the cuase. Today the pendulum has swung too far toward C & R and the In-Fisherman Selective Harvest is a better approach. Tom

One rod maker, Gary Dobyn's, believes a balanced rod reel combo is more important then having the lightest weight rod on the market and he is right! The average medium heavy 7' light weight bait casting or spinning bass rod weighs about 4 oz +_ 1/2 oz. The average light weight 100 size bait casting reel, size 2500 spinning reel weighs 8 oz +_ 1/2 oz. The balance point being being the reel crank shaft with the reel mounted and filled with line. The balance point was the front reel seat not long ago and the point I use. If you have a 3 1/2 oz rod with a 8 1/2 oz rod the combo will be a little tip heavy and total weight of 12 oz, very good combo. The 4 oz rod with 8 oz reel is balanced with a total weight of 12 oz, ideal combo The 4 1/2 oz rod with 8 1/2 oz is balanced with a total weight of 13 oz, ideal combo, a little heavier. 6 oz rod with 10 oz reel is butt heavy with a total weight of 16 oz, not well balanced and heavy compared to the balanced 12 oz combo. Going lighter than 12 oz combo will nearly double the cost of both reels and rods; 3 1/2 oz rod with 7 1/2. Reel is 11 oz and approaching state of the art components. Anyone who believes a 13 oz balanced bass outfit will wear you out faster than a 12 oz outfit is over thinking the weight issue. Strive for balance, Dobyn's is right on with this issue. Tom

Location, location, location, then bait (lure), then technique or presentation. The right lure in the wrong place = no bass regardless how it's presented. Tom

Bluegill start to spawn about the same time the majority bass are are finished. Bass should be post spawn, some guarding fry,most moved into deeper water to recuperate. The bass have been fending off the bluegill and now it's pay back time, bass target the bluegill. Fish a little deep with slower moving lures like bluegill swimbaits or whatever post spawn presentation works for you. Crappie usually spawn before bass. Tom

Regarding protecting spawning bass from over harvest. What some of the trophy small bass lakes have done is buoy off a few of the spawning coves during the spawn with signs the area is closed to fishing. This keeps everyone out of those areas, providing sanctuary zones. I agree that larger bodies of water have enough natural sanctuary areas that bass successfully spawn without additional help. The giant bass are vulnerable during the spawn because it's the time of the year these rare fish are visible and up in shallow water being targeted by recreational anglers, weekend tournament anglers, guides with clients and pro tournaments. Very few giant bass are caught after the spawning cycle is completed. The survival rate of giant bass caught is low because they get poorly handled, photographed, weighed, shown off to buddies and a large % end up in a freezer, some on the den wall. If every state had a program like theTexas Share a Lunker, giant bass low survival rate problem would be nearly eliminated. Tom

Roger, I don't get the Outdoor Channel so haven't watched the Major League bass fishing tournaments. I have heard about it and the format is interesting, eliminates poor bass handling issues. The time penalty was discussed a lot, as I recall the conversation the hooked bass can't break off or touch the anglers body or any part of the boat without a penalty being called by the referee. The penalty being a 5 to 15 minute time out from fishing. They also have a no cull rule, you must decide if the bass caught gets weighed or released without weight with a 5 bass limit. Lots of strategy goes on. 24 of the top tournament anglers compete from both B.A.S.S. and FLW. Circuits I need to watch this series, sounds very interesting. Thank you. Tom

Blood makes up about 4% of the basses total body weight and a loss of 2% of the total blood volume can be fatal for bass. We are talking a very small amounts, about 1/8th teaspoon for a 3 lb bass. Water may slow down a superficial tissue wound from bleeding, not a puncture is a vital organs like heart or liver. Healing a bleeding fish wound with Mountain Dew is a myth, you might as well urinate on the bass. Tom

Thank you for responding, few do that. Glad you had a chance to fish and enjoy being out, sorry to hear about the vehicle issue. Tom

The term deep water is relative, what do you mean by deep water; 20', 30' or 40'+? Natural lakes in your area often are aging by filling with decaying vegetation and silt creating muck bottom areas that are void of life do to very low dissolved oxygen levels. Dragging a heavy weight through the muck isn't productive period. Fishing deep hard structure at 40' can be productive if there is life and bass located that deep. You can't fish standing timber because no trees are there in older natural lakes. What is there are reefs or rocky areas and that is your best bet for deep structure jig fishing in natural lakes. Otherwise targeting weed growth with lighter weight jigs is a better choice. Tom

The goal for most states is to provide a renewable resource for public waters and regulate those waters for the health of the fish population. Catch and release isn't the goal, catch and harvest within regulations is the goal. How many top level professional bass anglers are there? Maybe 200, nation wide. The number of local weekend tournament anglers number well over 10,000 and this is what can impacts the local fishery depending on the size and health of that fishery that are being managed for catch and harvest by the recreational anglers. Along came cast for cash bass tournaments with rules to prevent or try reduce cheating. Catch and Release was fought by Ray Scott, now he is considered the father of C & R, how ironic! C. & R was done to promote the sports image and it had some positive benefits,now it's become a cult by it's purist followers. Mortality rates happen, some bass die as a result of being caught and a higher % die when placed in a livewell. I can't see how on the water self regulation will prevent cheating when money is the reward. The catch needs to be validated quickly by impartial referee on the water, can't be your partner or yourself! Some tournaments tried catch and release boats for on the water validation and that doesn't work because of the nature of bass fishing itself is impossible to keep a boat close enough to the anglers without shutting off the bite. All this can work for 200 pros nation wide, not over 10,000. Education is the key for the local anglers and few anglers agree there is a problem. Tom

Agree they should condone it!Tom

Bass are cold blooded fish and don't have extra blood to loose. The amount of blood loss and the injured organ that caused the bool loss are important factors. Gill aracker are tough and can take some abuse without the bass dieing, if the blood is stopped quickly using Please Release Me directly to the injured gill racket. Do not pore soda of any kind in the basses mouth, that adds to the stress. If there is enough blood to run down the basses body, it will die! Rule of thumb with bass out of water is about 1 minute or as long as you can hold your breath. Tom

The Sure-Life Labs products Catch & Release and Please Release Me are both excellent livewell additives, Tony and Lane Gergely are experts n this field. When the Falcon lake B.A.S.S. event had high mortality rates do to mismanagement the Gergely's were vocal about the poor protocols being used at this event. As I recall Gene Gilliland was B.A.S.S. consultant at that time. The Gergely's and Doug Hannon came out promoting the use of ice and H2O2 3% hydrogen peroixed to help manage livewell temps in the 70's and use 1/2 cup of 3% H2O2 to 15 gallons of livewell water. Gene Gilliland at the same time was writing articles in Bassmaster discouraging 3% H2O2 as being harmful to bass. I believed Sure-Life, yes they have a dog in this hunt with their products and something to gain with promoting good livewell management, they are also experts in this field and looking at the health of the bass. Check out the vedio's, I believe there is a link on this site. Tom

No it's not thicker, it's larger in diameter or put another way mislabeled. If I tell my 12# line that is labeled 8# is stronger then another brand 8# line labeled 8#, would you believe you are fishing with 8# line? Get your own Avery labels and mark the Sunline Sniper 12# spools with 8# then you will have stronger line with better knot strength.

From what I hear it's been a decent bite on lots lures and presentations. Tom

Best case 7% died worse case 26% a little over 1 out 4 of died and that is good livewell management! You flipped your numbers. The Falcon fiasco was the low point for B.A.S.S. managed pro bass events for a few reasons, warm weather, big bass, poor livewell and weigh in procedures. Tom

Some states it's illegal to snag game fish like bass and that's the law in California, so here it's illegal period. Remember Dottie the potential world record bass had to be released without recognition do to this law as she was snagged off a bed. Tom

Post mortality rates are anywhere from zero to over 30% depending on how the bass is handled after catching, the depth of water and the temperature of water the came out of or when put into a livewell. What kills bass isn't being mortally wounded, it's suffocation and thermal stress. When a bass is bleeding, that is visual and a obvious problem. When a bass rolls over from stress, it's usually past the point of recuperating. The bass is released and swims away out of sight out of mind, doesn't insure it survived. Summer the surface water is often in the mid 80's, water near the thermocline may be in the low 70's, over a 10 degree sudden temperature change can be fatal to bass and this is a big problem with tournament bass anglers that don't maintain livewell temperature in the low 70's or DO levels between 3-12 mg/L. Tom

Hard lures; Xtreme Custom Tackle. Soft hand poured plastics: Don Iovino products and Uptom's Customs. Tom

The Stratic CI4,FA 2500 is at the top end of your budget, check with Ron at Valley Sports Tom

7'11" MH, G. Loomis Swimbait rod should work for you. Tom

I use to hand land crankbait bass until a Big bass I had by the mouth twisted loose and the rear treble went into my hand between the index finger and thumb on the left hand that gripped the bass. This bass was attached to my hand by the hooks and trying to get off still in the water....never again, I use a net now for crankbait bass. Tom

Confidence should be in your skills not a specific lures. Tom

The small approx 2,000 acre lakes in SoCal get about 100 bass boats fishing tournaments every weekend year around, there are no secret spots. I will share a few spots with folks I know, rarely give away exact spots to stranger. Share what you know about techniques, presentations, depth, angles, lures, colors, not exact locations, few anglers would expect that information. If someone is watching you catch fish, then they know where you are fishing. If a father is fishing with their kids, then go out of your your way to help them, if they are interested. Most tournament anglers always ask, rarely share what they are doing to catch fish when on the water, answer accordingly. Tom