WRB-2.0

Yes, when you put bass in it. Do not circulate lake water. Tom

Once is the SD jam, twice is the SD double jam knot. Tom

ZEBCO or Zero Hour Bomb Co was incorporated in the 30's, True Temper made steel rods and may be the company you are thinking of?OP, Torsional torque loading will happen with spiral positioned guides. You might want to look at how the rod blank is laid and if it's scrim or scrimless. Sounds like a good project and hope all exceeds expectations. Tom

Pox

The aeration system should keep the livewell with enough DO (dissolved oxygen) high water temperatures are another issue. 100 qts = 25 gallons of water when the cooler is full, you will only keep the water lever about 4" below full, about 15 gallons. 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide ( over the counter, general use) mixed with 15 gal will keep your bass alive if the aeration pump has any issues, good insurance. The big problem at is warm water and low DO, the aeration takes care of the DO, ice takes care of hot water. Freeze pint plastic drinking bottoms, remove the label first and de chlorinate the water with a drop of tropical de chlorinate. Get a swimming pool thermometer that floats and watch the water temps; 70-75 degrees is good. Add a frozen plastic water bottom as needed to keep the temps in range, 1 every 2 hours should be all that needed. Fill the cooler with water, add Catch & Release and the h2o2, check the water temps, add ice (frozen water bottle) turn on the aeration system, (do not recirculate lake water) when you add bass. Good luck. Tom

The line through rod blank without traditional guides eliminates all the guide issues and just doesn't sell to the average angler. Understand the engineering of spiral wrap rods, however never have broken a rod while casting or fighting bass.....never in 60 years. Tom

Your question is; what is a swim jig? And what is the difference between a presentation and jig type? A swim jig is a presentation, how you retrieve the jig. A swim jig is retrieved without the jig bottom bumping. All jigs are casted out and retrieved back by the angler. Flipping is a casting technique. Finesse jig is a skirt design; a coller of skirt material that covers the jig head, usually living rubber skirt. Football is the jig head shape. Grass is bas fishing is aquatic vegetation, grass jig is a jig head that can go into and through grass without becoming tangled with grass. Hair jig is the jig skirt material is made from hair, usually deer buck tail. Tom

Eagle Claw and Lunker a City makes a lead nail weight, R2Sea makes a tungsten nail weight in several sizes, the 3/32 works good. Lunker City is about $1.50 for 25 pack, Eagle Flaw 2X that and R2Sea are very expensive. Tom

+1 7'11" heavy and you can use it for most swimbaits including the 68's or 6" Hudds.

Rat swimbait.

Dee Thomas proved all you need to catch bass is a rod with line and lure, reel isn't needed. Dee called this presentation "flipping". State of the art rod with 20 year old reel catches bass, the opposite may not work nearly as good. I upgrade my rods before my reels. I would say the rifle needs to have a cartridge that fires before the scope does any good. Tom

Carp are not considered game fish in CA and it's legal to use bow & arrow to shoot carp with no limit because they are considered trash fish.Tom

What is wrong with the reel you have?Tom

Take a look at 7'4" to 7'6" med/hvy pitching-light flipping rods, St. Croix, Dobyn's, Phenix all make good rods for this presentation that can also be used for frogs. Don't know what you budget is, check rods in your price range. Tom

What size worm; 5", 6" or 7"? 5" use 1/0, 6" use 2/0, 7" use 3/0 #11 Gamakatsu or #5100 Owner straight shank light wire worm hooks.Tom

A world record Spotted bass from New Melones this year tends to put in the public eye in a hurry.

Kills my ego, what isn't Texas about about Texas rig? Agree the weedless hook into a plastic worm has become the Texas rig, wasn't always. Florida rig was the pegged weight "punch rig" back in the 70's. Texans can make the claim they invented modern bass fishing and I agree, it all started there before Ray Scott came along. Tom

Welcome back to CA. Lake Hodges isn't too far from Encinitas, take a look at the local fish reports. I know it's down about 25' which reduces this lake size about 30%, leaving the shoreline bare of any cover. Boat rentals are available and you will need a CA fishing license. Laguna Niguel lake is near Doheny Sate park, it's a trout lake with some good bass fishing and a fee to fish lake, go online and check the fishing reports. This is a good swimbait lake and the bass could be on some beds, this is a better day outing for the family option. Good luck, wish I could help more but haven't fished either lakes in a long time. Dana Point harbor next to Doheny has good spotted bass fishing, the beaches is where the original Scrounger was invented! Check the surf fishing reports for the area, plus a sport fishing boats operate from both Dana harbor wharf and Oceanside harbor Helgrens that have rental tackle available, your bass tackle is OK for sand bass and calico bass targeted by the local spirt fishing boats. Tom

The lowly soft plastic worm doesn't win as many tournaments today as it did in the past when the Texas rig was the dominate presentation. The Texas rig with a sliding bullet weight, isn't as popular today with the average bass angler. If you combine all the different soft plastic worms/creatures including heavy salt worms (Senko) with the T-rig, C-rig, drop shot, split shot/mojo, punch rigs, No contest. Soft plastics dominate the numbers of bass caught everyday and night year around. Tom

Keep in mind that no lure can grow bass where they are not located, ie they are not a panacea. Your question is what line? Heavy cover with both brush and aquatic weeds braid works **** because it cuts through vegetation. More open water presentations like casting and retrieving FC works good. Can't tell if your pond is full of weeds or not. My preference is going with 14 or 16 lb FC, one knot at the jig. If the cover is fairly weedy, then use a single tail grub trailer, sparse weed growth go with a double tail trailer, jig weight 3/8 to 1/2.0z should do it for you. Tom

Send a PM and will give you a phone number to order from.Tom

How do you plan to fish your jigs, casting and retrieving like a T-rig worm or pitching short cast into heavy cover? Your answer will help! Tom

Go to the fishing tackle forum where this thread will be moved and look at the top pinned thread, Jig fishing questions, should keep you busy for awhile. Tom

Because I prefer cork fore grips on my swimbait rods the Okuma Guide Special 7'11" heavy swimbait rod works very well with 68 and 8" Hudds and most swimbaits between 1-6 oz. $139 Shimano Cardiff 300 series reel, $119 You have enough left over to buy the line and swimbaits. Tom

It would be great if a line maker would make hollow braid, then you can make up knotless leaders like we do for salt water big game fish with loop to loop connection. Hollow braid isn't available in 15 or 30 lb. No reason to loose anything but the weight with a drop shot rig, the weight should come off first. Selecting the proper jig head shape and weight for the structure or cover will help reduce snagging. Developing control of what the bottom contact rigs are doing will also keep you of snagging or hook setting into a snag. Often a light rod tip giggle into controlled slack line with the rod held high overhead will pop the jig out of a snag. When you tightened up on a snag it may worsen the problem and with a boat you have the option of pulling it out from another or opposite direction, often works good. The bow & arrow trick is the last option before sliding a lure knocker down the line or breaking it off. You can also super glue coat the braid to FC knot, then snipe the tag end flush with the braid. Good knots shouldn't break. Keep practicing until it turns around. Your lines are good choices, knots need a little TLC. Tom Pa PS, the little Pocket Knockers work OK for jigs but you lose them if the line breaks.