WRB-2.0

Both! Quantity of big bass. Tom

Depends on several factors, type and # test of the line. Braid doesn't weaken under time and stress, no need to re tie. Mono or FC over 15 # test can be pre tied weakening 20 to 25 % knot strength (12# is still strong enough). I always tie hook, jigs, clips on just before launching with FC or mono 12# or less. Both nylon (mono) and FC cold flow under time, pressure and heat. Cold flow reduces the diameter of the line and deforms the knot weakening it about 20 to 25% within 24 hours. Don't believe it? Test your knots after a day or so! Tom

No problem in SD lakes, it slows the fall rate down, thus slowing you down! Black-blue is a popular color everywhere except out west. BB can good at night and in cold water (55 or colder) in deep water or around tullies. We use more dark browns with red high lights and dark greens with purple out west where big FLMB are dominate. Tom

Generally the 65 to 60 degree water temps at the depth the bass are located, not surface temps. When you see the bass going deeper in lieu of migrating horizontal with a specific depth range, it signals fall-winter transition period.Tom

The fall migration tends to favor horizontal the 8' +/_2' contour depth in most lakes. When you see the going deeper it's the fall-winter transition period, vertical movements. Tom

Does this lake get a lot of bass fishing pressure from local clubs? Lot of recreational water use from boaters?I would first divide the lake into 2 halves at blue ribbon point. The west end being flat and shallower, the east end being deeper with more structure to fish during the fall to pre spawn. Good map if it's accurate! The original creek channel blue line isn't accurate, good enough to get an idea where it ran, more than likely silted in today. Starting at the east end dam area, this zone has the most deep structure to fish and it's all shallow enough to hold bass. First things first, determine where the thermocline is if there is one. Next locate bass on or near structure. Look for weed beds near deeper structure. I can't tell where weed beds would be located, could be the entire west end! Need to log off and will get back to this later. I am back... The island located near the dam looks interesting; there is a hump where the channel makes a S turn (shown as a straight blue line). The island slopes west to the hump that creates a saddle or funnel area, this is a big bass location and Inwould spend time fishing this spot and the sloping breakers within this basin. Sloping banks are good during fall, steeper bank breaks during winter. The bass will migrate towards the first spawning coves during pre spawn, then scatter towards the west end during summer. The blue ribbon point is also interesting and needs to be checked and fished, however could get a lot of local pressure with a ramp there. Tom

If the lines is old or poorly handled then brand has nothing to do with performance. Tom

This is a good size lake and Navonics should have surveyed it and mad available a map. Big lake that will need several trips to dail in, good luck. Tom

While a agree with the first part of this statement, the second is debatable. Hooks can and do a lot if damage in and around the mouth, head and gills. I have killed a few bass with large hooks going through the rough of the mouth into the brain and ripped out gills resulting in the fish bleeding out. Eye damage isn't common but happens, bass can live with one good eye. The percentages are very low, but in this era of C & R where anglers believe killing a bass is catastrophic, there is concern for the health of the bass. When I seriously injure a bass I take it home for dinner.Tom

Not a fan of using reel gear ratio for line retrieved per handle turn. The reason being the two are not always equal and is dependant of reel spool diameter and width. The reel mfr's have gone to higher ratios to off set smaller spool diameters. I only use 2 reel line retrieve speeds; 22"-26" and 28"-32". The 22"-24" is used for nearly all my bass lures except big swimbaits that I fish with. A larger and wider spool diameter reel. What is Important to me is how much line is recover when you make a normal 75' to 90' cast! Tom

Don't blame the line for your mistakes. P Line FluoroClear is a good premium line. Learn to tie good knots. Re tie knots every few hours fishing and cut off hooks when done fishing for the day. Pull out the line between your fingers to check for any abrasion, if you feel a rough spot, cut off the line and re tie. Heavier or larger diameter line doesn't behave well on spinning reels, 8 lb should be OK, if you use a net and avoid grabbing the line. Set your drag at 2 to 2 1/2 lbs and trust the reel drag. Your problem was grabbing the line and trying to land the bass by had using the line to lift the bass. Tom

Most braid is coated with Teflon and it will shed water. Tom

Take a look at Bobby Barrack Perfect frog rod Cara T7 by Falcon. Tom

Vanish line seemed like a good idea when first came out, then major problems started to happen. Berkely made some changes and re introduced New Vanish, at this time period FC and FC-hybrids line came of age and Vanish basically vanished! I have been using Berkely Big Game for cranking for decades, tried lots of other line and still use Big Game green 10 or 12 lb for deep diving crankbaits, we have gin clear water. FC line I now use Blackwater Int'l Solaroam Bass Hi-Class FC in lieu of Sunline Shooter that was my go to FC line for decades. Have't tried the Blackwater mono line. Tom

I don't palm a reel, instead hold the rod in front of the reel and balance the side of the reel against my hand. I do this because it's comfortable and allows me to run the line under my thumb one over the index finger tip. It's important to me to feel the line and this rod grip gives me more leverage to control bass and make controlled hook sets. My rods have a small foregrip. The size of this reel is a concern and I haven't picked one up yet to feel. I like the Zillion, type R, don't like the price! Tom PS, I like round reels for crankbaits and swimbaits; Calcutta.

Just took a qwuick look at Brookville lake, very interesting and this lake will take time to learn and study. The Fairfield causeway area in the center zone of this lake look interesting and has a lot of variety of structure elements to try out. The east side just above the causeway has a cove with a small flat, I would check out. You need to do some sonar surveying to locate baitfish, key to this type of reservior. My guess is the thermocline is still present, so find that depth; somewhere between 20' to 40' ? Depending on the life zone, the depth the bait is holding, will determine where you fish and what to fish with. This is the type of lake I fish; deep structure. So my lure choices are different than a shore oriented angler because of targeting bass on deeper breaks. If you take the topo map in the Fairfield area and high light the 20' break line, then look for deeper ledges or breaks with flat areas between 15' to 30' , those isolated flat areas with sharper breaks are what I look for. The small cove mentioned has these elements and is the reason it looks good to me. The large flat north of the area also has a nice look ledge at the 20' zone near mid lake, the is classic structure spoon area. I would rig up a jig, drop shot, structure spoon, swimbait, deep diving crank bait and work the life zone depth near flats with breaks. Tom

The Owner 5317 or 5304 style hook also works good depending on the jig head design. Oden's hook look like Mustad 32786 NP-BN or Gamakatsu 291 on his snootie head jig. One problem a EWG style jig hook creates is caming over or rolling sideways during the hook set. Tom

The mistakes most new jig anglers make that normally T-rig a soft plastic worm is use too heavy weight jig with a compact hook/ head design and create too much uncontrolled slack during the retrieve. Without knowing what type of jig you are fishing with, my suggestion for a casting jig is a football head design that has more distance between the hook point and jig head than a flipping/pitching type (Arkie) style jig. The next item is the jig hook; use jigs with premium sharp hooks with standard wire, not a heavy wire hook when using lighter line. Always use a trailer when casting and retrieving a jig. The trailer should be a high floating or not a soft plastic with heavy salt added. Trailers with good swimming action at slow retrieve speed or falling down through the water on controlled slack line is important. I am not familiar with RageTails, they look great, GY twin tail grubs work good. When I teach new jig anglers to cast and retrieve a jig, my suggestion is a 3/8 oz plain GY wire guard football head with GY 4" twin tail Hula grub, color similar to what the T-rig worm is that works for you. You can make up a similar jig using sponsored components. Bass tend to hold onto a T-rigged worm longer than they will with a jig, so you needed to detect the strike and set the hook instantly. The bite is quicker so concentrate on the jig and don't loose contact with it always feeling some slight weight. The classic tick bite is easy to detect, all other bite not so easy. Fishing jigs we have a saying "swings are free" so set the hook when you feel anything odd with the jig, vibration, getting lighter, sudden stop, the line move. Hook sets; when casting a jig over 30' away, I use the reel set with rod sweep, keeping the rod tip lower than a T-rig so I can sweep the rod back firmly. When the jig is closer or more vertical I use the snap set, whipping the rod into the controlled slack line. Never lower the rod and take up slack with a jig, you will miss 90% or more of the jig strikes. Good fishing. Tom

Not enough info to help because your profile is empty. You are holding a nice smallie and smallmouth use different locations then largemouth for example. Tom

I would look at the new Daiwa Tatula. Read the thread on this forum and TT video. I remember my first new bait casting reel and still have it after 55 years, good memories. Tom

The major point at mid lake that has a creek arm leading to another lake is the first area I would focus on. This is a 20' elevation map, nearly worthless. However, there is a 20' flat on this major point that drops into the main creek bed; fish that break. The second area is the little cove and small point by the dam on the opposite shoe. This small point also has a flat that drops into the main creek bed and the creek bed has a fork; fish this break. Tom

You were front seated and only could fish used water. My guess is the front seater was pitch or flipping his jig and hit all the good targets. What you should have done was back seat fish. C-rig works good for back seaters that are not fishing up front with the boater. Tom

Take a few minutes and look at largemouth bass anatomy on line. The brain is behind the eyes, the nostrils are in front of the eyes. Tom

Bass everywhere migrate seasonally in ponds, small or large natural lakes and in man made impoundments. How far they move and where depends on the water temperatures and prey type. The spawn for example is a seasonal migration to shallower protected areas. The bass during the coldest period we call winter are located in the deeper water zones where warmer water is located, usually spring water in a natural lake. Post spawn to summer the bass migrate to where they can find food and shelter or sanctuary areas and stay close until fall where agian they move deeper as aquatic cover dies off or prey move deeper. Most natural lakes have dermasil prey types that live near shore or structure, no reason for bass to move away from shore unless there is prey there. Man made lakes tendcto have both dermasil and pelagic prey types like shad tend that move out into mid lake zones where the shad are located during bright sunny periods. Natural lakes have natural structure elements like humps, ledges, reefs and islands. Tom

Learning to use your electronics to locate deeper suspended bass can be frustrating because sonar returns from fish with similar size air bladders look the same. Bass that are suspended are almost always inactive and difficult to catch unless they are on or near structure or active feeding on baitfish. Lure presentations like structure spoons and drop shot soft plastics are good when you locate suspended fish. Lots of fish suspended in schools; bass, crappie, perch, carp, gizzard shad and trout are common. Threadfin and gizzard shad school very tight together in a bait ball. He basic maneuver is circle the school to determine what structure or baitfish may be in the area. Way point the spot or drop a marker bouy on the spot so you can back off and or return later. Under water camera helps to solve the problem or catching a fish helps. Tom