WRB-2.0

Over 50 years ago Rapala came out with CD (count down) series lures that had a fall rate of 1 foot per second. Started "counting down" the CD Rapala's and never stopped with other sinking lures. After doing this for 1/2 century the count down clock in automatic with known lures. I initially check the sink rate at the launch ramp in 10' of water by making a average cast and count until the line goes slack or I feel it hit the hard ramp bottom. Repeat this a few times and know the sink rate fairly accurately. One reason I fish the same weight jigs so often, the sink rate becomes a critical element of the lures presentation. Tom

A good premium mono casts good and strong knot strength, works for crankbaits and spinnerbaits. A good hybrid like FluoroClear or Yo-Zuri also casts good, decent knot strength and works a better for bottom lures like jigs or worms. Hybrids are good all around line and might worth giving a try the next few months. Tom

+1 that's sums it up! Was that John Denver?Tom

Read the thread Misconceptions. As the water cools the threadfin shad school up and migrate to areas where there food is plentiful, phytoplankton. The bass follow and instinctively know it's time to feed heavily on shad. The problem is trying to compete with live shad when bass are focused on them. Your high % lure is a structure spoon about the same size as the shad and shad colors with flash. Cast the spoon past the shad school a few yards and let the spoon flutter down through, the jig then spoon under the school. Lots of different types of predator fish eat shad, spoons work for most of them including bass. Tom

Bass don't have hands, set the hook!Tom

There so much don't know about bass behavior, like memory. When a predator is in a feeding there behavior is competitive, survival of the fittest. Like everyone that bass fishes for several years I have caught the same bass on back to back cast after backing it off, very aggressive bass. Most of the time when you have a bass get off, it's gone. There old bass and bold bass but very few old bold bass! Bass defiantly learn to avoid some lures. Tom

Most bass anglers choose 10 lb braid for use on spinning outfits to help reduce line twist. My guess is these anglers believe smaller diameter braid that = 2 lb mono/FC line diameter gives them an advantage with strike ratio in clear water. The problems with braid in general is poor abrasion resistance and knot strength if you believe the TT reports. Splicing FC leaders to braid is the most popular choice, both lines have poor knot strength in the 70 to 75% range. For line twist reduction you end up with a splice that reduces line strength, to over come this use stronger larger diameter line, if you have knot strength issues. Tom

Cedar.

Wood Lunker Punker, rainbow trout. Tom

The jig type trailer that works good T or C rigged is GY Hula grubs, twin tails. Beavers work OK if you pegged the weight and hop them. Tom

Take a look at StowMaster, knotless, not a rubber net...too heavy. 20" is good for bass with a boat. Tom

Start with the spawn, same everywhere; winter cold water period warms from lower 50's to 62-65 the bass move onto beddibfpg sites. Prey type isn't a factor, egg eater are the enemy. The month prior to the spawn can be the height of pre spawn, the bass are staged outside of spawning areas. Prey is whatever is abundant in your area. Backing up to the cold water or winter period, water temps in the mid 50's to high 40's the bass are located where ever they can find the find warmer water; deeper, springs, power plants. Prey, whatever is available, usually smaller baitfish, crawdads. Backing up to the fall or currently in your area. Water somewhere between 58 to 70, bass are moving looking for prey that is relocating. Prey, baitfish and crawdads. Summer, Florida has lot of critters frogs, lizards, snakes, big bugs that make top water, big worms good. Take some time and study what baitfish are available. Golden shiners are common in central and southern Florida. Not familiar with northern Florida. Tom

Are you using a leader? The braid diameter should equal the leader diameter, especially if you are handling the line when pitching, you always handle the line flipping. Tom

The problem with a Palomar knot tied directly to a larger lure with treble hooks is you over heat the knot clinching it tight with a big enough loop to go over the lure. Crankbaits perform better with snap or split ring. If tie direct., It should be to a split ring with improved clinch, SD jam, Uni, or whatever that doesn't require a big loop. The key is keeping the attachment light weight with good knot strength. Loop knots like the perfection loop wear the loop and break the loop. Norman speed clips are good, however difficult to take a lure off at times. The Duo Loc clip is good, not as strong as the Cross-loc. Tom

This is similar to a Zipper Reaper and should work good nose hooked with a size 1 mosquito hook. Don Iovino offers the original Reaper through TW if interested. Tom

The best search tool is your sonar unit. Tom

The 300E recovers 28" with 1 handle turn and being a large size spool compared the 200 the line recovery doesn't change much at 90' cast. This is a fast reel with a lot of power. If you can't control your cranking speed, the 300E isn't a good choice for you. Excellent reel for the application. Tom

Sprain grass

Use a high quality snap clip like Berkley Cross Loc size 3 and the Palomar knot. Tom

Either the Daiwa Tatula or Lew's new BB1 are good choices in the $150. Tom

Fun fishing other species are usually not an issue. Tournament fishing other species take time to get in the boat and tend to shutdown your bass bite, so it does bother most anglers. Caught a 26 lb musky smallmouth bass fishing and was trilled, fun fish jumped several times and my wife was with me. Caught a 30+ lb Channel cat, snagged under the pectoral fin with a jig, thought it was a giant bass and was very disappointed to see a big cat instead of a giant bass come up after a very hard battle due to how the cat was hooked. Tom

You can go up 1 size on the center treble hook, upgrade the rear treble and use the same size that it comes with. Most of my lipless crank or trap fish are hooked on the center hook. Tom

Like nearly all terminology in bass fishing presentation techniques have different definition regionally. Flipping is different from pitching, both are power presentations. Finesse is a light tackle presentation and both spinning and baitcasting outfits are used to precisely present smaller lures on line less than 10 lb test. Shaky head jigs are designed to attach a soft plastic worm or smaller creature, the weights are 3/8 oz or less, heavier you are getting into power jig fishing with standard bass tackle IMO. I fish shaky and dart heads with spinning tackle, 6 to 8 lb FC, jigs between 1/8 to 1-4 oz with 5" to 6" worms. Any jig 3/8 and up I use my standard jig rod with 10 to 14 lb FC and consider this power fishing. Tom

You will need swimbait tackle for lures that weigh 2 oz or more. Lures an ounce or less your standard heavy fast action bass rod, 7'+ should be good. My question is, do you have a swimbait rod? Tom

Try a 1/4 oz egg sinker weight with that 10 lb braid (2 lb test dia) should still cast a long distance and stay out of the rocks better. I use Pro-Jo's painted black in 1/8 and 3/16 oz with 6 to 8 lb FC, spinning tackle, works good. When the weight finds rocks, hold the rod high over head and shake it free. Tom