WRB-2.0

First you need to know something about what you are buying then look for good low price deals. Tackle Warehouse has clearance sakes on rods and reels, usually models being replaced with newer. TW also has rod & reel combo listed plus sales seasonally. For example 13 Fishing was recently purchased by Rapala Corp and TW is clearing original models. There are other online companies like TW, ALF for example. The BR forums has a Flea Market check that out some excellent buys available. Tom

Back in the 80’s the Lowrance paper graph upgrade technician located in Longbeach CA was also installing refrigerated temp controlled systems in livewell or bait tanks. I was at Bob’s shop getting my graph updated when he was installing his system in a local rod builders bass boat to keep live bait fish* strong and healthy, so the technology has been around for a few decades. Tom *trout

When Abu reels were made in Sweden before 2000 they were decent reels. Personally I owned 1 black 5000C and several 2500C & 4500C Super turned reels until Shimano came out with Bantam 100& 1000 followed by Daiwa HTIA 103 &105 in the early 90’s. Instant anti reverse, smaller light reels fast free spools and never looked back. Pistol grip rods I gave up in the late 70’s when Fenwick came out with their Trigger Stick handle design. My 1st reels are now antique Langley* 330 & 340 made in 40’s , Ashaway 10# Dacron braid line and Connolin Feather Lite 5’3” tubular glass rods. The old reels could easily cast 50 yards using Hawaiian Whiggeler #3 spoon with the short rods but no anti reverse. A friend and I would go out once a year using our antique rods and reels until Covid time period, Ron’s health ended that tradition. I prefer today’s light weight rods, reels and line, but use a lot of retro lures because they still catch bass. Tom * reels weighed 4 oz, all aluminum drilled spools. Jason Lucas recommended rod & reel combo in the 50’s.

Soft plastic straight tail worm rigged weedless with a bullet weight dates back into the 60’s, hair jigs with pork trailers into the 40’s, 2 lures I use every outing. Tom

I get a lot of debate over this statement but mono, copolymer and FC lines all stretch the same % under 1/3 rd the line strength. Braid being much smaller diameter stenches less under the same applied force. Of you use 12# mono, copoly or FC and your drag is set at 3 lbs that isn’t enough force to “stretch those lines. 4 lbs approaches the beginning of line stretch for 12 lb lines. Set your drag @ 1/3rd the line strength and forget about line stretch. What feel as line stretch is tightening the line bow in the water. Tom

Off topic the weight of a 5” Senko isn’t the issue casting it with a bait casting outfit, it’s instant slack line letting the Senko do it’s thing sinking. A few years ago I was Senko fishing with friend who was using spinning w/yellow braid and leader and was using MF casting with mono, 10 to 1 bass I got my butt handed to me. His largest was 6 lbs with 2 in the 4 lb range. Mine were 2 lb bass. I went and bought bright braid with a leader lesson learned. Tom

Fish Lab Nature series nymph are amazing with their back flappers moving they look alive. Caught bass on them drop shot, slip shot and as a jig trailer. They last made from tough plastic. Check term in TW under soft plastic insects. Tom

Yep! My late son Tommy caught a big carp on his light rod / Zebco trigger spin outfit when he was 8 on a blue back Rapala CD07. All could talk about was the big “Clark” he caught, they are hard pulling fish. Tommy also caught a 26 lb Channel cat on his little rod at Castiac, a lake record at the time, one ugly fish. Carp and big Blue or Channel cats eat several lures from spoons, soft plastics, jigs, crank baits alway a ah ***** moment. Tom

Dick Trask** won 7 boats and and dozens of tournaments camped over suspended bass using a dart head jig with Flutter Craft* 4” Screamer ribbon tails and and 4 curl tail worms “strolling” through the depth the bass were suspended. Takes dedicated patients to fish 1/8 oz dart heads and good boat control, skills Trask fine tuned. Tom * available from US Bait co. ** Sticks From The Past, Dick Trask by Terry Battisti

I have both Stradic and Vandord spinning reels. The differences are weight, long spool and not to over looked shorter reel stem with less finger space on Vanford reels. Double handle may be an issues with less finger space then Stradic. Tom

Wrong forum.

1/4 oz bullet weight is bait casting for me, in fact 3/16 is my average with 12# FC line. Yes, Victory is St Croix and they offer 10% discount for 1st time buyers through American Legacy Fishing. Victory has a very comfortable spinning rod handle👍 Tom

Photos files could be too large, try downsizing them. Tom

Don’t know why more then 75 yards of .015 diameter line is needed for bass fishing using 100 or 150 size baitcasters. 300 size swimbait reel 150 yards of .016 diameter line is useful to keep the IPT more consistent. Tom

Define your light Texas rig? Finesse weedless hook w/ sliding bullet weight? Most ML spinning rods lake the tip strength to perform a solid hook set with T-rig worm hooks. MXF may be a better choice depending on MFR. Tom PS, the Victory MLXF has a weak noddle tip imo and exchanged it for MXF Victory..

Use the 5 wire A-Rig add Owner CPS spring to hold the dummies without hooks. The long wire use a swimmer about 1”longer size or different color tail as most initial strikes occur on that lure. If you want the rig to run deeper led a bullet weight in front of the head. Tom

Rapala-VMC Corp owns 13 Fishing and Okuma now able to offer 3M Nano technology in rod building lighter stronger blanks. Tom

Friend of ours wants to catch a marlin on her bucket list so off to Cabo in Feb to fill her wish. Tom

You don’t want the tray any shorter, need space for the control cables to exit. Tom

I don’t have my antique lure books anymore, gave to a BR member who bought my older lures. The Injured Minnow was made 1st by Heddon and followed by Creek Chub Bait Co. The props are CCB design so my guess the prop lure in a plastic molded Creek Chub Injured Minnow. Tom

Check out the forum Flea Market, Daiwa Elite and Coastal are for sale👍 Tom

Comfort, weight-balance with reel, how well the rod cast the lures I use. Rods are not sensitive, finger tips are! Too long of a rod the hits the water working a jerk bait is my only consideration for your rod set. I use a 6’8” MF for jerk baits and top water poppers w/Armilo Nylon line. Tom

^^^^on sale @TW^^^^ Tom

Also Epic Baits Bright Eye Swing Head add your hook. Tom

TW, “Swinging head jigs”. Tom