WRB-2.0

Analytical If you what to know my style read Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar. I want to know where the bass are located during each seasonal period to eliminate as much unproductive water prior to starting to fish. Location, location, location then selecting the right lure at the right time has worked for me for decades. I also like to get in touch with the rhythm of the environment described in my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar by simply looking at, listening to and feeling life around me. This isn’t easy to do with the distractions on public lakes and one reason fishing weekdays and light rain tends to quite down everything. Tom

It all started with a display of Doll Fly jigs being sold at the boat landing my brother worked at and I was his helper. This would be the summer of ‘55 and bass fishing was new to me using weedless spoon and a Injured Minnow prop lure. Customers would ask if the Doll Fly was a trout lure or Crappie and I had no idea. I ask my brother and he didn’t know so asked Red the manager he said he got them for bass fishing. The display had 3 sizes and 3 colors; 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 oz in yellow -red, red -white and black w/red tail. The boat landing had a shack at the end to store the OB engines over night and a open area in the floor by removing a plank. Lots of crappie were under the shack so I decided to try a 1/4 oz Black Doll Fly, dropped down and the crappie scattered. kept jigging the Fly up and down to watch the action when a bass nailed it. My 1st jig afish was caught on a Doll Fly that was actually a bucktail hair jig. Didn’t know about jigs back then because Jason Lucas didn’t write articles having jig fishing content, my main source of bass fishing information. PVJ is final was a sign in the local fishing store where I hung out as a teenager. One day I had to ask what is PVJ? The old guys laughed and said Purple Vinyl Jig, like a secret I had to promise not to tell anyone else. From behind the counter the owner pulled out a box of vinyl jig skirts, football jigs and Pedigo rinds. Sold me a few jigs, skirts and a bottle of purple pork rinds. Told me how to work the jig down rocky steep banks. PVJ was a killer bass lure that started me as a jig fisherman. The Pig ‘n Jig was a lure I did read about in the 60’s and my experience with the Doll Fly and PVJ football jig influenced me to start tying buck tail jigs on football heads in black, purple and brown using pork trailers. I was loosing too many jigs in the rocks and designed my Viper head jig to stand the hook upwards and slide though rocks better then a football head. The viper head works good. Retrying jigs to change colors inspired me to tie all 3 colors black. brown and purple together so changing different color pork trailer on the same jig. The viper head and tri color hair jig with pork rind would became my Anytime Anywhere jig that caught nearly all my giant bass for the next 45 years and counting. Tom

If it’s anything like J-FC Samurai it should good. Tom

Jordan Lee returning to B.A.S.S. knows how to catch with and without FFS-Live Scope, deep, medium and shallow water. Can’t count out old school flipping-pitching if it’s a shallow cover bite. Tom

It must be snowing and the annual which is more important a rod or reel thread surfaces. Didn’t research the site but reel wins every year. Both have evolved by getting lighter weight and more reliable, the rods keep getting longer. My advice is buy both 25% above your budget and avoid lower bargain rods and reels. Touch and feel a outweighs someone’s personal favorite, it’s your tackle! Tom

Glenn May has made this site member friendly with a strong community feel and doesn’t allow personal grievances to become an issue between members. Some of the long time posters has passed, a few have started their uTube sites and others have just disappeared into the wood work. I start my day with a cup of coffee and Bass Resource and feel very comfortable sharing decades of fishing experiences. Where did they go, don’t know? Tom

Effective cast is anything over 75’ IMO. 3/32oz dart head with 4” ribbon tail weight 3.5 gr/ 1/8 oz and 6’8” MC MF Iovino rod Splash-It rod, SLX MGL 70* and .008D copoly can cast that distance with ease. I call this combo a finesse outfit, ML rod would be easier. I have always said any lure under 1/8 Spinning is my choice before BSF. * before this I used an original TD Fuego and sold it. Tom

Don’t pick up the tab if serving Wagyu beef! Give the CEO a Bass Resource fishing cap. Enjoy your trip👍 Tom

1/8 oz = 3.5 grams. Nearly every bait casting 100 size reel with 8 lb mono today can effectively cast that weight using Medium fast rods. I get the shallow spools that accommodate braid line under .005 diameter being marketed as BFS reels. Tom

When you get off the beaten path on Canadian Shield lakes the reefs are not marked. Local lakes maps usually have reef locations marked with a red buoy icon not exact but good enough warning to slow down and look light colored water in the area. Tom

BSF is turning into medium light or lures total weight exceeding 3/32 oz or 3 grams. I could claim my MF rod with 5# UG with SLXMGL 70 is a BSF rod according to the posts in this thread, it’s finesse in my mind. Tom

I suggest you study bass behavior to recognize activity levels during seasonal periods. Google search “The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar” will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Fast moving lures are good to catch very active feeding bass, about 10% of the population at any time. The second group of bass while you are fishing are active bass that may or may not be interested in chasing down your crank bait, another 10% of the population during your tournament time on the water. This leaves 80% of the population unwilling to strike a crank bait, poor odds for catching 5 bass weighing enough to place in the top 10. The next group of bass are neutrally active and catchable when a lure is presented within their strike window representing something easy to eat. These bass usually are caught on soft plastics or jigs where those bass are located and represent about a lager % it the population while you are fishing. All the bass change activity level individually and trying to locate a small % of those bass by covering a lot of water may or may not work depending on the seasonal periods. At a minimum add a soft rigged soft plastic worm or creature bait to work the water column to to bottom in and around cover and structure. Good luck, Tom

Agree except Rivers some are big water. Where the OP fishes can’t see any reason for sonar, GPS might come in handy on a iPhone. Tom

Basstrix Live Trix 3” minnow. US Bait co Reaper. Tom

The water source is extremely important in SoCal. You have drinkable well water supply is perfect. Livingston Sand and Gravel Co where 210 Fwy crosses Tujunga wash had 4 small deep spring water ponds with bass populations. The water supply pond was only 1 1/2 acres and 30’ deep where the pump extracted water for the sand & gravel plant. This small pond had a good population of big Northern strain bass up to 12 lbs. As a teenager fished this pond for a few years catch & release. The plant is gone now but my point is deep cool good water with a food supply was the key to a big bass population. The Livingston ponds had suckers, green sunfish and crawdads as I recall. Good luck with your project. Tom

Take a close look at ALX ENOX LST casting rod, meets all your needs, plus 10 year warranty and excellent customer service. Call Alex to answer any questions you may have. Tom

Iaconelli’s temper tantrum, when his livewell failed killing his days catch, throwing the American flag into the water was unforgivable IMO. I understood antics were his stick but the flag incident put a fork in him for me. Tom

Keep your eye on the Flea Market forum for some cost saving deals on good reels. I suggest staying with name brands like Daiwa, Lew’s and Shimano. Also both Tackle Warehouse and ALF have sales and close outs. What rod do you have or plan to use? What type of lures and weight makes a big difference is choosing a bait casting reel. Just curious what reel gave you problems? Tom

Everything comes down to the quality of your water source. Water needs to flow in and out constantly to keep the dissolved oxygen and ph optimal to support a healthy prey to predator ratio. Tom

Trolling motor amp input power is limited by the circuit breaker rating and the wire size used. Think of amps as pressure too much pressure trips the circuit breaker and over heats the wire if too small circular mill area (CMA) to carry the DC load (Ohms Law). If you to increase ah increase voltage. Tom

I wouldn’t go BFS with that rig. Looks good and will catch bass. Tom

The issue with today’s high horse power OB’s computer shuts everything down when the voltage drops below 11.5V when cranking and will not start. If you think the voltage is getting low start the OB and go for ride to charge the cranking battery. Tom

Doesn’t look good the 11# is gone🤬 Tom

What a tragedy for anyone let alone a elderly ice fisherman who knew better but forgot for a moment everything he knew about ice safety. Please look out for your older friends, we need your help! Tom

I believe Fish Chris 8.5 lb Smallmouth from Pardee is the BR site record. California record Smallmouth was caught in 1991 at Pardee 9.82 lbs. lake Havasu has produced some heavy 5 Smallmouth bass limits during tournament the past 5 years but nothing over individual 6 lbs. I am lucky to catch 5 Smallmouth bass in year! Tom