WRB-2.0

So your the one in that Jon boat with the dam boom box!

Listen to Aaron video on this site main page. I have 3 custom jig/worm rods with micro guides about 2 1/2 years now and really like them. I don't use braided line and use 10 to 16 lb FC line on these rods without any negative issues to date. I am very careful with my rods and the micro guides are tiny and take some TLC in storing and laying on the deck, don't step on them! Tom

Put the original plastic bags in Zip lock bags unopened and they will last for decades. Some original worm bags break down and fall apart. Don't add bass attractant scents to the worm bags, the chemicals can affect the soft plastics. Pure anise oil is OK, better off not opening the original bags. I have a few DeLong worms from the 60's that are stiff and soften them by placing in boiling water for a few minutes and they are softer than they were originally! Tom

Nothing in bass fishing is absolute or black and white. Fishing memories isn't always a mistake but it can be and that was my intent. Several years ago I was thinking about where to start my morning out based on all my past experiences when a thought came to me; fish the opposite side of the lake, the steep side. The time period was pre spawn, the weather was forecast for light wind and rain, wind out of the S-W. Our normal wind is N-E and usually fish the sloping side of this lake during pre spawn. Tucked the thought away and started out fishing my usual spots on the N-E bank, no wind and overcast, the rain hadn't started yet. Catching a few bass, not what I am looking for, the thought nagging me to move to the oppose side and different arm to where my premonition was the night before. Classic fishing memory scenario; I knew exactly where to go based on prior success. The rain and wind had picked up everything was right and 3 cast later a 17.4 lb bass was the result. Success like this supports the habit of fishing spots that we have success with, because it works sometimes. When it works it's not a mistake, when you stay and force feed bass that won't bite, then it's a mistake. I am not advocating not using your experience or following your instincts, do both but be open minded when it doesn't work. Tom

What you call gin clear water varies from region to region and the type of bass is very important. Gin clear to me is you can see the bottom clearly at 25'. Even when the water is gin clear the bass blend into the environment, otherwise they would starve. We can't see the bass easily, they can see us, our line and lures,make longer casts, keep,a lower profile and use more stealth approach to your fishing presentations. Tom

Do you always know the direction your trolling motor is pointing? It's a lot easier to know where the boat is pointed vs trollng motor, ie transom mount the side scan, it's more stable and safer for the expensive TD. When you network the TD's just remember the data is behind the boat real time, when you have a transom TD. Tom

Good article that supports this thread , thank you for posting the link.Tom

This thread should be in rod forum. FYI Ducketts White Ice series are $200. I personally wouldn't fish with a white rod, bothers my eyes looking at it for several hours, plus has poor UV performance. Another fad that will fade away. Tom

The full moon affects nearly every living species on earth and definitely affects the spawning cycle of bass. Back in the dark ages before the internet I did log books during the 60's to early 70's , about a 10 year period. The first 4 months of the year Jan to Apl, where I fished in SoCal, my success rate ( hours fished vs number of bass caught; fish per man hour) peaked during the 5 day full moon cycle when the sun was rising or setting 30 degrees of the horizon. Full moon plus or minus 2 days and sun rising or setting creating low light periods. The balance of the year or summer transition through winter cold water periods the moon had no affect, the sun over head better during the winter, the night being better during the summer. I fish when I can and focus on big bass during the first quarter the of year always try to be on the water during the 5 days surrounding the full during this time period known today as pre spawn. If you bed fish, then the sun over head helps the angler see better, the bed bass are not active feeding at that time, they are spawning. Tom PS, you always need to factor in weather and we get 90% of our rain during the first 3 months.

Move the smaller unit up front, the larger scanning unit needs the transducer transom mounted, the head unit should be consul mounted. Tom

There isn't a panacea line available today. Braid is difficult to cast compared to mono, get a bad backlash and braid is very difficult to pick out. Braid is lighter weight, smaller diameter and limp, both good and bad characteristics. The good; small diameter and limp without any memory issues and very low stretch. The bad; floats in the air during your cast and can create wind knots. Braid is stronger by equal diameter than mono about a 3X factor. The good; less drag in the water, however higher drag coefficient than the smooth surface mono, both FC and Nylon, in water and going through rod guides. Braid floats because it is very light weight making it buoyant creating a belly in the line until the lure weight or resistance pulls the line tight. Braid is a solid color, mono,Nylon and FC, are translucent or clear. Bass have excellent vision and see all line types, the question is does that matter? The answer is; it does when it does, otherwise it doesn't. The strength of braid is both good and bad, cuts through vegetation, get cut by sharp hard edges. Hang up a directly tied lure on braid, you can force the lure out, if not it's difficult to break off. Combine the two line types creates added knots and failure points. My take is use whatever line you are confident with. Tom

Do you want to post a map of this lake? Tom

Bass anglers are just getting started with application specific rod thinking and Gary Dobyn's may have stared that ball rolling. Trout anglers ( fly fishers) have been on this for a few decades and the salt water crowd even longer. Fishing salt water for several decades you can gather up dozens of rods specific for various fish, lures and live bait from inshore to off shore and specific reels go with all the various rods. Bass fishing we tend to use about half dozen different rods, usually several of the same type with the same reels which is a good thing! Having 20 different rods, reels and lines isn't where we should be going with application specific. Tom PS, good custom rod builders on this site and elsewhere that will make you exactly what you want at a decent price.

Love to night fish in the summer months, few bugs in SoCal makes it pleasant.I can fish week days and avoid the weekend traffic most of the year and that helps a lot. Tom

You have a point Roger, Oklahoma may have a few natural lakes, very few. My guess is this lake is man made impoundment and the small lakes shoreline is hammered every weekend by some good bass anglers. Even on a natural lake there are often structures like humps or reefs 100 feet or a 100 yards, in the right depth for this lake, off the shoreline that most bass anglers don't think to fish because they fish a casting distance from the bank. That is what I met by looking over your shoulder. How about adding your advice where and how this angler should fish. Tom

Impressive, you get to weigh in 6 bass? Opening day, does LA have a closed bass season? The 90.34# 3 day Clear lake weight, the last day the winners had 35.78 for 5 bass, not too shabby for tournament weights. We have a few lakes as good as Texas or Louisiana, not nearly as many or as big or as well managed.Tom

KVD comes to mind when discussing upper MI. When KVD first hit the tournament trail he used 2 lure types, spinnerbaits and jerk baits. Tom

If your bass are Smallmouths in deeper clear rocky structure the 2 1/2" to 3" craw trailers are a good choice. The larger craws with big flapping appendages tend to get largemouth bass attention, however they will eat the more compact jigs with smaller trailer when a faster falling jig is what they want. It's good to have a variety of trailer sizes, shapes and colors. Good luck. Tom

Bump this up for Tim Kelly

River; Sacramento Delta, lake; Clear lake in NorCal, DVL in SoCal. Honorable mention, New Melones 10.48 lb pending world record Spotted bass. Tom PS, March 14-16, 3 day tournament at Clear lake posted 90.34 lbs (15 bass) to win.

Rarely use either of those hook styles, usually use straight shank worm hooks.

This is a very good rod for the $$, the short foregrip is a problem for me, most folks don't use fore grips today.Tom

No knot will pass through small size micro guides smoothly, better off straight braid or mono/FC lines.Tom

Today the generic bass rod is defined as 7' MH fast action. This rod is high modulus lightweight graphite. You can cast a deep diving crank bait using the generic MH rod with difficulty because the fast action doesn't cast very good. Application specific crank bait rod; 7' MH moderate fast, slower action to cast crankbaits with ease. 7'6" heavy fast action flipping rod works good to present jigs or punch rigs into heavy cover, however makes a poor choice for 7'6" heavy swimbait rod, both application specific rods. These are obvious, there are others and there are marketing ploys that use the exact same rod blank labeled for specific applications. Tom

No set time, usually a few days after the fry hatches, the male leaves and the fry become part of the food chain for several larger predator fish including bass and bluegill or crappie. Tom