WRB-2.0

We all started with entry level general use fishing tackle and learn the rod isn't the best choice for bass fishing. A medium heavy spinning rod designed for bass fishing within your budget from Cabalas or BPS maybe something to think about in the near future. Change your line to a premium mono like P-Line CXX, Trilene XL or Big game in 10 to 12 lb test; you don't want to break off the bass you get a good hook set into. Good luck. Tom

First break the lake down into several small lakes. looks like Perry has 2 larger creek arms and the main lake body with a few larger bays, coves etc. The lower 1/3 has the dam area and the 2 creek arms. the middle section lots of smaller points and coves, the upper 1/3 has the highway bridge and shallower water. Next think about seasonal periods; where bass tend to locate during each period. Now Perry is more than likley in pre-spawn transitioning to spawn. Pick 1 of the creek arms and focus there until you know that creek arm. The second choice would be the upper 1/3 and spend you time there. Tom

Take a look at Gamakatsu weedless wide gap finesse hook or wicked weedless drop shot hook in size 2/0. The size 3/0 EWG doesn't have enough gap for Senko's, unless you hook the side and don't go through the thick part of the worm body. 3/0 is good for most standard bodied worms. The spinning gear just doesn't have the hook setting power if you try to "cross the eyes" or swing for the fences type of hook set. The reel and sweep set is how it's done today; just watch the pros when they are fishing soft plastics. Some still use a snap set, works on a short cast with a stout rod. Tom

Senko's are a fat bodied soft plastic worm that you may have better luck using a wacky/o-ring rig and a weedless Gamakatsu or Owner hook designed for Senko's; size 2/0 for 6" Senko. Spinning rod/reel combo's indicate you also may be fishing with a medium/fast action rod and 10 lb line or something in that general range. It's a lot easier to get a good hook set with a premium sharp hook that has exposed hook point and a hook with smaller diameter wire size. Another option is going with a keel weighted hook in 4/0 size EWG, expose the hook point, then skin hook the point just under the top surface of the Senko to make it weedless. Bass are not going to spit out a Swenko too quickly at night, so take your time and quickly point the rod tip at the bass, reel line until tight, then quickly sweep the rod back firmly. Tom

So much to learn, so little time to learn it. You are catching last years spawn, very young juvenile bass. These bass are hungry, very aggressive and easy to catch. The only reason an adult size bass would be in the neighborhood with 6-8" bass would be to target them as prey. Not knowing where you are fishing, the general location like which state would be helpful. You mention coontail, so that leads me to northern states above the Mason-Dixon line, so your bass could be in pre-spawn or spawn? If that is the case, then target staging female bass in deeper water near the breakline where the bass tend to spawn. Put away the jointed crankbait that attracts the juvenile bass and pick up your worm/jig rod and start working the deeper breaks. If you are not a slow type of angler, then tie on a deep diving crank like a Norman DD 15 or a lipless crank like Rat-trap and work the 10' to 12' depth zone. Baby bass color comes to mind. Are shore bound or fishing from a boat? Tom

2 different schools of how to hold a casting rod; old school you have a few fingers in front of the reel with line on top of your index finger. New school you palm the reel, most rods may not have a fore grip today. There isn't a rod made that is more sensitive than your finger tip. If want to detect the slightest bite, your finger tip is your best choice and old school technique with a casting reel is how I hold a jig rod or a worm rod. Look at the best jig fisherman around, they use their finger. Tom

Matt it's time to agree to disagree and move on. Painting a preserved skin with scales wrapped around a manikin that somehow represents a bass someone caught and believes it to be their bass is beyond comprehension. Painting the exact impression of a real bass the exact same size as the bass you gave a taxidermist to paint with more detail on fiberglass that will never crack, that is far more like a real bass, is the best way to go. Skin mounts are and should be antiques of the past. The bottom line is you must kill the trophy to make a skin mount, what a waste of a rare bass, when it isn't necessary. Tom

At the end of the day it's your choice if you want a skin mount or replica. Unless you have the skills to do the work yourself you must purchase the mount. The mount you get back isn't exactly the same as the fish you caught, it's the taxidermist best effort to represent the fish from the known facts about it and your personal preferences. The other ethical issues of did you catch the fish or not only you can resolve. Both skin mounts and replica mounts are available to purchase from taxidermist that have mounts that have not been paid for or from outlets like Ebay. Tom PS; Matt looks like we posted at the same time and I couldn't agree with you more!

How long does a skin mount last? A good skin mount can last 50 years displayed in controlled environment where heat and moisture doesn't degrade it, however it will deteriorate and lose color and fade. I have 3 skin mounts; 10.2 rainbow trout I caught at lake Tahoe in '55, 12.4 northern strain LMB at lake Casitas in '71 (died from stress). 37 lb musky from Lake of the Woods (died from stress). All 3 mounts look faded and need to be repainted. The problem with repainting a skin mount is the skin and scales are deteriorated and very expensive to repair. I have 2 replica mounts; 18.6 from Casitas in '81 and 19.3 from Castiac in '93, both are Florida strain LMB. The replica mounts look as good today as they did they day I picked them up; bright life like coloration and no deterioration. A replica mount can be repainted or refreshed and will last a very long time. I can't see why anyone would want a skin mount today. All you need is a good photo to show the color, length and girth to help with shape and weight, no reason to kill the fish if you handle them properly. Stress can kill fish when you handle them poorly and keep them out of the water too long for photo's, measuring and weight; refresh the fish in cool water between each step, trophy size fish are rare and should be treated with care. Tom

AZ has some good big bass waters across the state, so you are not too far from lakes that have 10 lb+ largemouths and 6 lb + smallmouths. You might want to set your goals a little higher and take photo's of the bass you catch. When you decide to have a mount made, go with a good replica mount. Tom

All that is needed for a replica mount is a photo. The photo shows the color of your bass. The length measure with the mouth closed from tip of jaw to center of the tail and girth around the widest area with the dorsal fin down helps to determine the shape of your bass. Weight is also helpful. Most taxidermist have every possible size molds for bass with the exception of world record size bass, they don't need your fish to make up a replica mount. Just need to know the color and size, the position of the bass you prefer; facing left or right, mouth open or closed or a full free standing mount with a variety of back grounds available. A true skin mount requires the dead bass, wrapped in air tight plastic, fins protected with car board, the bass wrapped and frozen for shipment. In this day and age there isn't a good reason to have a skin mount, it's your choice. Tom

Too many! The basics; black, white, smoke, brown, blue, purple, red, green. Each of the basics with red, black, blue, gold, silver, purple, chartreuse, flakes, blood lines or high lights in light or dark shades. Sizes range from 3" to 16". Worms, creatures, craws, straight, curl ribbon, paddle and cut tails. Last I look about 17 larger Plano boxes. Tom

Lots of factors to consider; day or night, cover or structure, clear or off color water, seasonal period. Spawn you are targeting specific bass, no reason to retrieve back to the boat. Night you are making shorter cast and should retrieve back to the boat. Crank baits, you retrieve back to the boat. Top water, depends on the cover, structure you retrieve back to the boat. Spoons and drop shot, structure you keep at the depth the bass are holding, back to or under the boat. Jigs & worms/creatures in cover you are targeting specific spots, no reason to retrieve back to the boat. Jigs & worms/creatures; structure you are casting and covering all depths all the way back to the boat. Swimbaits you retrieve back to the boat. Clear flat water the bass maybe boat wary, same water with a little wind and waves, not so wary, so on and so forth. Tom

Bass can let you know if they are active or not active feeding by they way they respond to your presentation. Bass are usually active about 20% of any given day, that means they are less active or not active the balance of the time. When bass react to faster moving lures they are telling you they are active, otherwise slow down and keep the lure in the strike zone for longer periods of time. In general slow bottom moving critters appeal to bass that are less active, faster moving lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerk baits etc can be a better choice for active feeders then the slower moving bottom critters. The odds are in your favor fishing the slower moving lures slowly. Tom

Carp normally spawn after largemouth bass spawn, about the same time as bluegill spawn; 68 to 73 degrees. LMB spawn about 62 to 67 degrees, so some conflicts could occur. The buglemouth carp can be 20 lbs or more and they are egg eaters looking for bass nest to raid, that is the reason bass are spooky when a school of big carp come around. All the fry become a food source for the predators; bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish and carp. Tom

Your digital scale can be off 2% with good batteries, weak batteries the reading could be 10% or more off and weigh heavier or lighter. 8 lb bass with a 2% digital scale could be 1 1/2 oz from true weight, at 10% the weight could be off by 12 oz. The best you can do with calculated weight is about 5% variance due to how accurate the measurements and what the bass has in it's stomach at the time it's weighed. Length X length X girth / 1200; 25L, 15.8G = 8.22 lbs with a 6 oz variance. ( 1 oz = .062 lbs) 7.6 lbs to 8.84 lbs is the estimated weight based on your measurements. Go with weighed value, it is what it is a big bass! Tom

If you are walking the shore and looking for beds, then you need to; have good polarized sunglasses, a wide brim dark color hat to shade your eyes and keep the sun to your back. You are looking for beds with bass near them; beds are usually a lighter color then the bottom and anywhere from 1 foot to 3 feet in size and located near something that protects the bed from wind. If you see a bass swim off, wait until it returns, this happens a lot with spawners. A Texas or drop shot rigged soft plastic worm, creature bait or Senko in a color that you can see easily; white for example. If you don't see any beds sites with bass nearby, then keep walking until you find them. No beds then start fan casting the Texas rigged worm in whatever color you prefer and fish the area. Tom

Over 90% of my giant bass over 15 lbs were caught on a hair jig with a pork trailer*, a combination I fish about 75% of the time during pre spawn at the deep rocky structure lakes where I fish. Rainbow trout imitating swimbaits and 9" to 12" plastic worms make up the balance during the pre period. I fish all 3; jigs, swimbaits and soft plastic worms / creatures year around an those lures catch a high % of the DD bass for me. The jig & pig works extremely well when big bass are targeting crawdads during pre spawn, the big swimbaits are better for numbers of DD bass late fall to the spawn period. Soft plastic worms or creatures and jigs are good at night. If you were to ask Butch Brown the same question he would say swimbaits are his go to lure. The bottom line is you must be at the right place and the right time; location, depth, timing and confidence in the lure you are using are the key factors. Tom * the hair jig & pig is so unpopular today that so few are available you must tie your own jigs and it catches big bass.

The beginning of the transition from pre spawn to spawn is evident when you see males near bed sites and females cruising, neither holding on beds. Bass can and do bed as deep as you can see the bottom, the depth of good light. The larger bass stage or hold in deep water and move up to spawn, then move back. As Catt mentioned; why not fish where the larger bass are most of the time, year around. Tom PS; Catt; haven't read a reply from you in months, is everything OK?

There are lots of good tips on how to rig a Texas rigged worm on this site and I'm sure someone will post them. This thread contains good advice for you. Missed strikes with soft plastics like worms and creatures give you information to make adjustments. One common clue is how the worm is bunched up on the hook after a miss. If the worm has slid down into the hook gap, covering the point, you know the hook was too small for the worm or the hook doesn't hold the worm on the shaft correctly. The head of the worm should not slide off the hook eye and down the shaft. Missed taps may not be bluegill; smallmouth and spotted bass often bite the tail end of worms. Check the worm for teeth marks; sand paper like rough area indicate where the bass bit the worm. Type and size of hook is very important; the hook gap should be 2 to 3X the worm diameter. If the hook is in the 2X gap size, then skin hook the worm. I prefer a straight shank wide gap sproat or round bend type premium worm hook; 3/0 to 4/0 for most standard 6" to 10", 4/0 to 5/0 for creatures and larger body worms. Line size is also important; with standard worm hook sizes 3/0 to 5/0 you need 12# to 15# line, unless fishing finesse worms, then down size the hooks to light wire 1/0 and 6# to 10# line. Rods must be able control the bass in the cover condition you fish, they do not need to be any heavier than a 4 power or med/heavy fast action rod rated to 12-20 lb line. A 3 power or medium fast rated for 10-15 lb line works well under light cover conditions. Forget the cross the eyes hook set and use the reel and fast sweep hook set, your hook up ratio will go way up. Tom

C & R doesn't always mean catch and release healthy fish. Regardless of how careful you are, some fish do not survive being caught, there is a mortality rate. The mortality raises if the bass is placed into a livewell, verses being immediately released into the lake, river, stream or pond. Tournament bass anglers try to keep the mortality rate as low as possible; 95% survival rate is very good. 50 bass boat boats with 2 anglers with 5 bass each = 500 bass put into livewells, weighed and released, all alive. Within 24 hours 5% of those die or 25 dead bass, that became food for birds or turtles etc. Bass are renewable resource and managed that way on public water ways, catch and harvest rates are an important factor for the public. No reason to eliminate recreational anglers enjoying fish for food, at least the bass are eaten by the people who caught them within the allowable legal limits. The tournament anglers could kill all 500 bass, they try to handle them properly and release them alive. If you are bass fishing and catch a bass that doesn't look like it will survive, keep it, they are good eating fish. Why bass anglers think throwing away a bass that will die is being a good sport is beyond me. Can bass fishing alone over harvest a lake? Yes, if the lake is unable to sustain the harvest rate. A large 10,000+ acre reservoir with a healthy forage base like Kentucky lake would be unlikely to be over harvested by angling pressure alone. Tom

As a sport bass fishing dates back to Dr Henshaw's book of Black Bass in 1881. As a species black bass date back to a period when the north American continent ecosystem could support thier existence; team9nine estimate sounds about in right. Tom

8 ounces = .5 lb, .8 lbs = very close to 13 ounces (1 oz - .062 lbs); 8 lb bass in the fall could gain 13 oz during the late pre spawn. To many factors to absolute with calculated bass weight. 10% is a good ball park to use. Tom

Female LMB feed heavily during pre spawn and can add as much as 10% body weight including eggs. They loose that weight during spawn to post and add weight back on grow larger the balance the year and repeat the process until they reach maximum weight or die. Fall 8 lber could be 8.8 lbs late pre spawn. Tom

FLMB have more lateral line pore scales than NLMB; 59-68, FLMB 69-73. There are other differences in scale counts, the lateral line scales are easier to count as they each have a small hole. You can lay a live bass on a wet towel and count fairly fast, try not to keep the bass out of water more than a minute. Tom