WRB-2.0

How big is this lake and what is the forage base? Is your intent to catch trophy size bass?Tom

Not talking about drop shot. With the bait caster go to a C-rig.Respool your bait caster with 12 lb FC. Use a 1/4-3/8 oz mojo style weight, glass bead and small black swivel with 24" 6-8 lb FC leader, same hook and worms. Not ideal but should work OK. Tom

The SoCal lakes are down about 35 vertical feet, the shoreline are very accessible, however provide little cover with a few bushes here and there. The marina areas of all 3 lakes is generally a good place to start. Casitas has 2 launch ramps, the main ramp and the coyote ramp, both are good areas. The coyote ramp around to the model airplane strip where deep cat canyon starts, there is an old dam, fish that area. The main ramp up towards orchard point is all good with isolated brush, fish the brush and ditches. Fish orchard point. Let's keep this real simple; finesse slip shot rig, 6-8# spinning tackle, 31/6 oz mojo weight, size 1/0 Gamakatsu light wire worm hook, Roboworm oxbool w/ light red flake and peoples worm, both 6"curl tail. Fan cast the areas slowly dragging the weight along the bottom. Castiac is a little more difficult to shore fish, the marina areas, both west and main ramp areas are good. Same exact presentation and worms should work. Pyramid lake is a better choice than Cachuma now, again limited shore access around the marina and bozos areas. Same tackle and presentation. Casitas is very good now! Tom

Bass anglers have a misplaced belief that reel drags need to be tightened down to the max so the drag will not slip. IF bass anglers learn to set their drag to no more than 1/3rd the rods rated line or equal mono line strength they are using, most rod breaking during fish fighting will be eliminated. Bouncing bass into the boat is a problem all the way around, for the bass, line and rods...it's just wrong! Store your rods in rod sleeves and treat them as if they can be damaged because they can be broken when over stressed. Breaking rods in locker covers, car doors, running the tips into trees and stepping on them cause most rod failures. Be careful. Tom

Is this sandy beach typical of the shoreline perimeter? Fishing from shore eliminates a lot of lures and presentation you can effective use. Bass tend to stay on the outside break line where the water is deeper during daylight. During the day the bass will be looking for prey to push up into shallow water, you need to locate areas where the bass can do this or you see them doing that. Using soft plastics in natural translucent colors that are similar to the prey should work. Finesse C-rig or slip shot rig works good with 6-8# line and finesse worms or reapers. Senko's should work and nail weight worms. Minnow lures like broken back Rapala often works in smaller lakes and ponds. A glide bait like S Waver may be good. Night is your best choice for larger bass, then larger T-rigged worms and creature, buzz baits, spooks or whatever should work. Tom

I am sure B.A.S.S. And FLW would publish a list of PB for each touring pro if anglers requested a list. There may not be that much interest in a PB list based on the fact it has never been published or maintained. While I agree a Pro can catch big bass, they don't focus on catching big bass unless they needed to win a tournament. Pro bass anglers are no different than weekend bass anglers when recreational bass fishing for fun, everyone wants to catch a big bass and they are not easy to catch. Tom

The impact man has on the earths environment is debatable, so let the scientist debate it. What isn't debatable is the impact volcanic eruptions have on our planet and nothing we can do about that. Weather cycles are changed from these eruptions and we are going through a now as a result of several major events the past decade. We should all be good stewards of our local environment, that is something we can do. Tom

Bass have very good eye sight, can't hear you cough or scream above water, they can see any of your movements and any movement underwater they can feel via their lateral line. Drop anything in the water they know it's there, making noise by dropping things into your boat, the hear that because your boat is in the water. Step on a twig and snap it, they can't hear that, if the branch moves neat the water, see can see it. Bill you keep trying to catch those DD bass, I catch my share. Tom

The majority of the oil from 2 stroke OB gets burned along with the gasoline it's mixed with, unless someone is spilling oil into the water. You are more than likely seeing seepage from on their source. Tom

Salmon run the Sacramento River and it's a heathy river system. The Delta is made up of several rivers and the Sacramento is one of them, this is a massive system teaming with wildlife and is also a wonderful fishery that has commercial fishing along with sport fishing. The largemouth bass fishing is world class as is the striped bass fishery. The fact fish are commercially caught and sold for human consumption should answer your question. Tom

Basstrix Flash Minnow and Bait Fry are both hollow bodies that float*well and great for drop shot. Both Don Iovino and Uptom Custom worms are true hand pours,soft and very good drop shot floating worms and reapers. Tom * coat the inside with attractant, use a Q-tip. Oil is lighter than water and attractants with fish oil base help soft plastics to be more buoyant.

I believe KVD PB is 11 lbs 13 oz caught at Lewisville Texas, during a tournament. Tom

The expando type sleeves help to protect the rods and guides. To protect reels you need reel wraps or use towels to separate each layer of rod/reels stored. The towels provide cushioning and keep the reels separated. I put the rods tip toward the bow, reels toward the stern. I have trailered boats with rods loaded in the locker more than 40 years without any problems. Tom

Just using TT knot strength data!Tying knots on the water under fishing conditions isn't always easy. Tom

The Palomar knot on FC line has about 65-70% knot strength, about 4 lbs with 6 lb line and you think that is good? By using 10# braid direct you gained close to 10# knot strength, good choice. The 8# FC will give you about 5# knot strength with 2 knots!Tom

To define a bass pro don't think professional fisherman, think promotional fisherman. The pay checks 90% of the bass pros make from catching bass doesn't pay the bills. These anglers must promote themselves to sponsors who expect the anglers to promote their products and that is their, the pros, job. Winning a few bass tournaments helps the pro to promote himself to sponsors and in turn the sponsors fund the angler to continue to bass fish, they need each other. Tom

Getting old! Looked at the box and it says Thailand, makes me feel a little better because China counterfeit everything!Tom

Tatula R 100 series runs about $140 from Valley Tackle, site sponsor, good reel very smooth retreive. Tom

The American Tatula reels, I believe based on the box they come in, are made in China.

Differences between superstition, myths or wives tails; bringing bad luck is superstitious, beliefs based on myths are wives tails. If we were able to separate myth from fact, anglers would have little to talk about! Tom

You are witnessing classic bass behavior in small ecosystem that is replicated everywhere. When bass are active feeders they are easier to catch,neutral not as easy and inactive very difficult to catch. You can fish after dark or dawn and dusk when the bass are less wary. I would try split shot rig with 3" reapers on 6-8# spinning tackle! leader length about 18". Fan cast the areas you fish. Tom

Out west we have several grebe species that are diving birds and feed on the Threadfin shad. The grebes are here year around and by watching these birds you can easily tell where the shad schools are located. The small Pied billed grebe usually works close to shore, the larger Western grebe staying off shore. By watching the grebe it's easy to tell what direction the shad are moving, get out in front of the school near structure and bass are usually there. Tom

Target accuracy using one handed casting. Tom

Dobyn's Randy McAbee crank rod in 7'6" is a superb rod for your application. It's a med-hvy which is good choice for the crankbaits you plan to use. Tom

Could be the hook,more likely how you clinch the knot tight. Palomar knots and FC line are not a good match. When you do the overhand double knot, like tying your shoe, the overhand knot portion of the knot should be snug, but not tight. Put the hook through the loop, wet the overhand knot and loop, pinch the loop forward, then draw down the loop with the tag end of the line until tight, then clinch the knot tighter with the tag end only. Now look closely at the line exiting the knot....there shouldn't be any shiny or flatten line next to the knot!! iF you see flattened line retie. Your drop shot hook should be point upright, if it isn't retie the knot. Hold the hook so the point is facing away from you, the end of the line is inserted through the hook eye so it comes out the hook point direction, then doubled back to make your loop. Good luck and practice the knot until you get it right. Tom