WRB-2.0

15 hour days are long gone for me, pace yourself to who you are not who you were. Good luck achieving your goals🚣‍♂️ Tom

When I was off shore salt water fishing spinning reels were non existent. Charter boats didn’t allow spinning reels on their boats because they failed often with the spools cleaning off the rod guides. Today salt water spinning reels have evolved and getting more common. Better drag systems and stronger drive shaft components that solve yesterday’s failures when fighting hard fast running game fish. Design improvements today are found in some fresh water spinning reels. Back in the day being Old School my off shore fishing used 2 speed Penn International 30 & 50 “Gold” reels for big fast hard running tuna and Marlin, can’t imagine using a spinning reel. Tom

12-15# Big Game works good, put the mono and braid on as tight as reasonable. Fill backing to about 1/4” from the spool rim, braid to about 1/16” from the spool inside radius. Tom PS, no reason to change the mono filler, once and done.

Try a drop of oil or CLP Break Free, it may be dry. Tom

Most 2500 and 3000 size spinning reels use the same frame with deeper spool for the 3000, not a larger diameter spool. It’s more of the line capacity issue and bass fishing we only use the top 50 yards. Tom

Back in the day some plastic tackle trays or boxes didn’t react well with soft plastics as they melted the trays over time. Todays or since the 90’s that issue has been resolved with newer tackle box’s and trays. If you have an old box be warned. As. Everyone has suggested Keep likes with likes. Tom

My top 5 winter cold water seasonal period in our local lake is water between 55-45 degrees. 1. Jig ‘n pig. For me that is a 7/16 oz bucktail hair jig with pork rind trailer. I fish this Horizontal from 1’ to 40’ deep generally covering every foot of rocky structure with some sparse wood. 2. Structure spoons in 3/4 oz Shad colors working bait schools anywhere from 10’ to 40’ deep. 3. Drop shot and Slip shot finesse worms and reapers. Anywhere I meter bass near the bottom on structure. 4. Keitech 3.8 Fat on a swim jig-flashy swimmer in Shad colors. 5. Top water walking lure a wooden Sammy any time I see surface action. Back in the day a big swimbait, no longer have that tackle, so #4 fills that slot. Jerk baits and crank baits if none of the above is working. Not the same 5 the author selected, but not much difference either. Tom

The difference with power and finesse is bait casting and spinning. Tom

For $25 the Colorado Supreme 102 works good with jig tool. Tom PS, vice grip teeth can damage the hook.

You are definitely a hammer! Tom Back in the day drag race drivers were recognized by being called “shoe”, never achieved that accolade. Fishing we called good anglers a “good stick” never heard of hammer. Stick works for me. Tom

Don’t over look the obvious; Rapala CD09 in gold sinks as deep as you want and is a good lure. Tom

Serenity🚣‍♀️

Daiwa Tatula Glass TTU721MRB-G Tom

Imo expensive tackle in hands of a noice is waste of money if you are on a unlimited budget. Excellent rods available in the $150 to $200 price range and reels in the $175 to $200 price range. Reels are slightly more expense and should outlast the rod technology. Tom

Composite rod with “normal” diameter blank unlike the KVD larger diameter blank between the reel seat the 1st guide. Tatula G series are good imo. Tom

Wardon’s Timber Tiger lures work good, look on eBay. Tom

I see said the blind man😳

13 wasn’t allowed on the BR site back in the day. 1 3/4” PM me with email and will send a sketch + article. Tom

There are sales now on rods and reels at TW and ALF. Up your budget to $200+ and lots of good choices. I suggest looking at Daiwa, Dobyns,IROD and St Croix. St. Croix is closing out some models. Tom

Usually late January early February. Tom

Right now sales are going on with 20% to 40% off on both rods and reels at TW & ALF. Brands like Daiwa, Dobyns, IROD gen3, St Croix rods have choices for both spinning and casting. Best reel deals are JDM. Daiwa and Shimano both domestic and JDM within you budget are good. Tom

I made a case for my Lowrance 1610 graph to take to Canada with 5940. Slide the trays out and made guides to slide in the graph fit perfectly. Transducer and cables in the top. The unit looked like a tackle box, the Canadians didn’t approve of sonar in the 70’s. I have the double sided Plano if anyone is interested just pay the shipping cost. Tom PM for photo

The profile of the Baitsanity Gil looks like a wide body adult bluegill and bass avoid them as prey but will attack them during the spawn cycle. The Chad Shad is more slender and year around prey so I would go with Shad shape. To,

Be carefull you don’t damage the line with a wooden tooth pick. So the plastic wasn’t balled up, you just missed setting the hook. The reason I am not a fan of EWG hooks is they can turn flat in the bass mouth when crunched down, they cam over. Tom

When mis the hook set is the soft plastic balled up in the hook gap? Both the stick worm and beaver are large diameter io wide bodied soft plastics, you may need to peg the head end to the hook eye or use keeper style hooks. Glenn has a video using heavy mono to peg with and I like to use Peg-It rubber peg through the hook eye before rigging the soft plastic. With the rubber peg put it through the hook eye and trim off with about 1/8” sticking out on both sides. Keep hooks have built on keeper near the hook eye, all help to prevent the soft plastic sliding down the hook shank. Tom