WRB-2.0

Don’t you wonder how we ever caught bass using worms and jigs with 5 1/2’ pistol grip glass rods, yet we did! How?....by feeling line movement using our finger tips in lieu of thinking the rod transmits strike detection. No rod ever made is more sensitive then your finger tips. Tom I make that statement because it’s a fact. Would I use a composite glass light weight rod for bottom contact yes. Do I use glass composite rods for bottom contact no and haven’t since boron-graphite rods became reliable in the 80’s. High modulus light weight rods does give the angler an advantage over composite glass, but it’s line that transmit strike detection. Tom

Use Sta-Bil in the gasoline you will be OK. I suggest waiting on buying anything other then trailer tires and change the water pump impeller. Check the batteries they more then likely need to be replaced. Tom

Don’t you wonder how we ever caught bass using worms and jigs with 5 1/2’ pistol grip glass rods, yet we did! How?....by feeling line movement using our finger tips in lieu of thinking the rod transmits strike detection. No rod ever made is more sensitive then your finger tips feeling line movements. Tom

I am kind of old you know👨‍🦳 Tom

When you were 15! What do you use for a tow vehicle? Tom

We discussing spinning rods and as far back as I can remember spinning rod handles were either Tennessee style with full cork handles no reel seat, full cork no reel seat with 2 aluminum reel rings in lieu of using tape and full cork with real seat rear locking ring and about 2” long fore grip. Cork has given way to various materials when premium cork became scarce. Aaron Marten designed for Megasbass before enigma has a 4 1/2” long tapered fore grip allowing you to side your hand foreword when holding the rod. St. Croix Victory spinning rods have copied this design along with a few others. Tom

Take a look at my 1974 Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar (internet search), it’s all defined. Tom

My hair jig w/pork trailer👍

The SteelShad listed on TW site is obviously in error with the 1/2 oz shown as 2 1/4” length, is it 3 1/4”? The 3/4 oz is 4”? What size should we buy? 1/2 oz seems a good choice if the length is 3 1/4”. Tom

You will never discover what lure works best for you where you fish unless you try different lures and presentations. 7 decades of bass fishing and trying a wide variety lures from tiny Turner Jones Micro 1/64 oz micro jigs to 16” 12 oz Worm King Dinosaur swimbaits taught me bass will strike nearly anything when you take the time to fish lures effectively. The worn out phrase Time on the Water should be Productive time on the water. Trying baits new to you should be done when you know the bass are active and willing to strike. It’s hard to put down old reliable when the bass are biting but that is the time to learn a new lure or presentation. I can’t think of a lure type top to bottom that I haven’t tried. By type I mean a lure category not every brand. The only way to get skilled at using different lure types is putting time fishing them. I have enjoyed a lifetime fishing all types and becoming skilled with them. Today no longer have a wide variety of lures, rods and reels needed to present several lure types and try to select a few lures I have confidence using where or when a opportunity to fish is offered. Tom

I believe we tend to get caught up in the latest or hottest lures and techniques forgetting what actually works for us. Yes, you should focus on fewer lures and presentations that work for you. Tom

There is a reason rod handles evolved it’s called improved performance. Nothing wrong with trying to revive nostalgia using modern rod blanks and materials. Today’s spinning rods today that use Aaron Martens fore grip design are superior in function and performance allowing balance with performance. Nostalgia shouldn’t be lost and is a part of bass fishing. Tom

I use glycerine and pure anise oil in a zip lock bag. Tom

Try casting a Thinfin, excellent lure that far more difficult to cast then a Shadrap😎 Tom

I see you have a solution to your inquiry. For future reference Artifishail-Flutter Craft has finesse worms you are looking for and pours custom colors to match your samples for approx $15 per 50. (858/395.0198 Frank Pasalich). Tom PS curl tail you can cut to make a cut tail.

Tell him man to man why you will not fish with him anymore. To have a friend be a friend. The bad behavior is manifesting for a reason and you are not the only person experiencing his tantrums. Check around for local bass clubs willing to have experienced non-boaters. Tom

I use 4 line types, 11# Sunline Armilo Nylon (mono) bait cast reel general use, 12# Seaguar Tatsu for jigs, 7 lb Sunline Sniper leader w/ 10# Fins Spin5 braid spinning Senko’s and 5# Maxima copoly no leader spinning general use. Tom

The drag has nothing to do with the spool released to cast. You said you swapped tension knobs and that didn’t work but the original knob works on that reel. The side plated are tighten properly, no gaps? Try swapping the spools, if that works return the new reel! Tom

If you a search (upper right ) there are 31 pages of posts in this topic. Suggest reading the related threads. Structure spoons require a boat because the presentation is more vertical the casting. A short cast a little further than the depth you are targeting, then letting the structure spoon fall on controlled slack until vertical watching for the spoon to stop is my highest % technique. Vertices jigging through Shad schools after making the short cast works well, basically 2 presentations with 1 cast. I fish structure spoons from Summer to the start of pre spawn, anytime baitfish are schooled. Bird watching to locate baitfish schools and sonar to determine the depth. I am a fan of adding white and white-chartreuse chicken hackle feather to Owner treble hooks. A crank bait rod works good for structure spoons with a moderate action to help prevent the hook tearing out near the boat. Take a look at TW structure spoon assortment, lots to choose from. Shad colors, silver, gold, chrome-blue all work. I prefer 1/2-1 oz where fish. Hooks sets are rod lift and reel with the drag set about 3 lbs using 11-12 lb mono. Tom

Boat positioning is how to retrieve the lures path to get the bass to strike it and that depends on where the bass is located. During my lifetime determining bass location was and is more trail and error. I can’t look at a lake and know where the bass are located, but I can eliminate a lot of water where the bass are not located. This is how reading lake maps and suggesting to members fishing lakes I never fished before areas that are higher % locations based on structure elements. What I can’t see on a structure elevation contour map is aquatic plant growth, that requires over head satellite study. What does structure and cover have to do with boat positioning....everything. LMB like to position themselves to ambush prey within their strike window, in front, above and to both sides. Bass can’t see behind them or underneath them without moving or turning. Ideally you want your lure to come into view within the sight window and without alarming them. A lure coming from behind or underneath them often alarms or spooks them. Above, in front or to one side or the other doesn't Spook the bass. When fishing long major points 90% of bass boats approach from deeper water towards the shoreline. Bass get conditioned to boats approaching and simply swim away from shallower locations out to deeper water under and passed the boat and suspend until the boat leaves. If you approach the point into any wind close to the shore line and cast to the shore base of the point the bass isn’t alerted lure is within their strike window. I like to:work points the base wider areas and fan cast the point ridge retrieving from shallower to deeper water parallel to the points sides working all the way out to deeper water than fishing the opposite or down wind side all the back to the point base. Sometime with big top water and swimbaits I will cast to the other point side and retrieve up and over the ridge, especially casting into the wind from the opposite side. I like to approach and fish aquatic plant cover edges using the boat position, inside weed lines then outside weed line. Boat control needs to quite and not getting on top of the bass before you have casted and fished the area. Tom

I prefer standing but setting is less tiring and safer in windy white capped wave conditions. What helps the most is today’s TM’s with spot lock and GPS map depth control ability to follow contour depth. This makes the TM a real asset when fishing from the front seat alone standing or setting. Tom

I learned a lesson a long time that swimming with any shoes on is very difficult. Boat shoes should be worn to protect you from stepping on something sharpe.....and be easy to remove if you find yourself needing to swim. Try swimming in your shoes or boots, it isn’t easy. Tom

5” wacky rigged Senko. Cast into the water fall and let the Senko do it’s thing. Tom

Try adding a weighted butt cap, no reason to use a uncomfortable unbalanced rod. Tom

Brown bear is a Grizzly bear, there are Black bears with brown fur. Look up Bob Marriott Fly Fishing store they have everything. Tom