WRB-2.0

Sent you a sketch “how to trim the fat” cutting #11 Frog down to similar #101 Spin Frog. Slitting the tail on a worm is easier using a Safety razor by pushing the blade straight down onto the worm. I use a sharp fillet knife to trim pork pork rind. Tom PS, re dye the pork using RIT liquid dye what ever color you what. I mix the dye 50-50 to warm water and let sit over night. Add a few drops of Pro Cure anise oil to the pork rind bottle.

I rigged my young son with a Spro swivel about 18” above his slip shot rig to reduce line twist. It was a finesse C-rig as a small bead was needed to stop the weight sliding over the small swivel. When Tommy learned to rig the soft plastic so it didn’t spin then the swivel was no longer needed. Tom

^^^^this^^^^If ALF is out of stock try the Japanese suppliers. 1st check the BR Flea Market forum👍 Tom

I recall fishing in a friends boat in 2019 who just installed FFS and Live Scope. It was a brutal day for everyone until we learned how to use Live Scope discovering the bass were suspended over 100’ of water down 18’. Suspended bass are normally tough to catch but seeing those bass react to the lure was amazing and got on them really good. Mentioned this back then stating Live Scope and FFS was a game changer and anyone pro fishing will have this. Fast forward they not only have it they have multiples of the units. Tom

Brass with minute lead content must be labeled in our crazy law. Skin contact with lead isn’t a major problem digesting lead is so avoid eating it. Like most bass anglers my age have handled lead for decades without ill affects. Tom

Toads are at low end weight for the Heavy power rods listed. This may make casting the lighter weight toads a little difficult. Using a belly weight hook like Owner Beast twist lock could be helpful to add 1/4 oz weight. Tom

Bass like to face into current created by wind and waves generated by the wind. Our local lakes have fairly clear water with depth of light over 15’. Wind breaks up sunlight beams and creates surface mud lines that also reduces clarity slightly. Both these factors help the bait fish activity and that in turn bass feeding activity. Mid morning to late afternoon wind and direction is NE normally at our local so the bass activity and locations is predictable. A change in wind direction throws a wrench in location and high wind velocity ends your day. The reaction to wind for most bass anglers is to find more sheltered wind protected areas. Difficult to have good boat control and focus your attention on lure feedback, easier to get out of the wind but you maybe be missing the best bite. Jigs are your friend in the wind and diving crankbaits can be good. I like to cast cross wind retrieving lures at the depth I believe the bass are holding. Lures coming from behind bass often spooks them, lures in front of the bass often creates strikes. Jigs are very wind resistant small, compact and heavy for their size. This make jigs the easiest to cast into or cross wind without factoring in windage. Crankbaits on the other hand are more difficult do to their tendency to sail in the wind. Cranks baits are ideal trolling lure in windy conditions. You can cast down wind about a 45 degree angle to decrease windage issues yet extend the casting distance with crank baits. The 45 degree angle still puts the lure in the basses sight window. Tom

Yep a fast and cheap way to fix a low end rod. If the rod has some meaning or value then re wrap the guide. Finding thread that matches maybe task! Tom

Plants bloom according to photoperiod, bass spawn according to warming water temperatures. Tom

Slip the guide foot into the hole in the wrap it came out of, drop of super glue gel to fasten it in. Tom

Be simple to add a TM with spot lock to the stern and use a remote for control. I really like this concept for storage, weight saving and very sea worthy design. You also can use a set down seat in the bow in lieu of the butt seat. Tom

Spro Micro swivels are very small, size #14 is .28 long and 20# test strength. Using a swivel requires 3 knots, using braid with a leader knot require 2 knotes, using straight FC, mono, copoly requires 1 knot. Uni to uni knot, Alberto knot are easy to tie correctly to join Braid to leader. Tom

I have over the years viewed members topo maps asking where to look for bass. Keep in mind whenI was doing this never being in those lakes and had decent positive feedback the spits suggested worked. Why? LMB seek specific structural elements regardless where they live and was able to identify those isolated elements on maps. Tom

Was the pedestal seat an option? The bow step maybe able to mount a TM, wiring to battery under the center counsel should be easy. The rear “wing” could be used for a rod holder similar to a kayak. Very sea worthy boat, the 420 has a little more room. Tom

Scrounger or Chatter baits. Tom

Reels in general didn’t have instant AR until AR bearings became available in the late 80’s-early 90’s. Spinning reels had a switch to engage a dog that prevented the reel turning backwards. Daiwa introduced their TD SS 1300 & 1600 long cast spinning reels with a “bullet proof” anti reverse switch, this reel is still being sold today for $109. Never back reeling always set the drag 1/3 rd line or leader strength. Tom

I did simple maintenance as bait casters became more sophisticated taking the reels to a local reel technician ounce a year. Tom

This what I have debated for decades about color, how we see it depends on how our brain interprets it. We have no idea how a bass brain interprets color. You say it’s your camera turning red into orange that looks orange to me. If it looks orange to me it’s orange. What does your red lures look like to a bass....food! Tom

Looks orange to me! Tom

The one video clip with dock on a rail is typical at SoCal lakes in the wind, waves going over the dock. So many accidents have happened at lake Castiac for example they shut down the lake if high winds are forecasted. Small 2 mile lake that developes 4’ white cap rollers in less then an hour blowing down a canyon onto the marina. You need to keep a in the wind direction shifts, it usually stronger winds are coming from another direction. The Colorado River desert lakes are notorious for quick wind changes and 6’ to 8’ waves building up, find a sheltered cove and wait sometimes over night to return to the marina. Good video Glenn hopes it saves somebody from making a mistake. Tom👍

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and battery acid is sulfuric acid that react aggressively when acid contacts alkaline. You can add 50-50 white vinegar and water to reactivate baking soda to cancel any remains acid then rinse throughly with water to eliminate the corrosive acid and any byproducts like salt. Tom

The point gets flattened sticking hard surfaces like rocks. All that is needed is diamond hone to the flattened point to restore the sharpe point. Removing plated metal behind the point weakens the hook. Tom

When the Japanese introduced Gamakatsu, Owner, Diiachi sharpe hardened metal hooks the era of having a battery operate hook hone was over. Both Eagle Claw and Mustad had to scramble to be competitive. VMC treble hooks replaced Mustad for most hard baits offered by lure makers. Today I have a habit of checking hook points but rarely find a dull worm or jig hook out of the box because switched to Gamakatsu and Owners back in early 90’s. I will resharpen my jig hooks if it’s dulled from rocks or something. Worm hooks or treble hooks get changed. Yes, I spent a lot of time honing 7/0 to 12/0 off shore Marlin and Tuna lures back in the day. You need very sharpe hooks for Marlin to penetrate the boney bills and mouth, doesn’t matter as much for tuna with softer mouth tissue. Tom

I may be off base but the old tried and true techniques of topo map reading and triangulation to locate off shore spots was based on a skill to interpret 2D map features into 3D elements. I took this ability for granite that everyone visualize underwater 2D terrain by looking at maps or today’s sonar, I was wrong. Now we have 3D scanning sonar and Live Scope so brain interpretation is no longer a factor visualize it’s done for you. My generation needed to learn these skills the next generation will not need to. It’s like your kids who seem to be inherently computer knowledgeable, the next gen will be inherently sonar knowledgeable to locate bass without years of practice, it’s a video game with live bass. Like the old curmudgeons who turned up their nose to electronics thinking it will ruin the sport I have become worried how the bass population will maintain their population of bigger fish with the new technology. I rationalize the new technology draws our kids away from in home computer screens to a boat fishing for bass and getting outdoors is good. Tom

Bill Murphy passed away before Spot Lock and FFS was available to take advantage of what he called the last frontier open water suspended bass. Dick Trask mastered the art of boat control and catching suspended bass using a Dart head jig and 4 1/2’ curl tails and 4” Screamer ribbon tails. Good article, Tom