WRB-2.0

Discover the Neko rig worm in the 70’s....it was called a nail weighted wacky worm. Tom

The1st jig design was the simple ball head marketed by Doll Fly. This was followed by the banana head for use with live minnows and disappeared as bass anglers stopped using minnows. I believe banana head are still by walleye anglers. Darts became popular out west by Dick Trask who used Mister Twister curl tail worn to swim through suspended bass. Dick also popularized the old Split shot presentation used for decades before with live bait. Trask dart heads allowed curl tail worm to “swim” like a live minnow either fished veritable or horizontal. Dick Trask dominated SoCal tournaments introducing Flutter Craft worms that swam better then Mister Twister one of the first curl tail worms. Darts have a balanced weight front and back of the hook eye that allows the worm swimming motion to rock back and forth like a live fish. This swimming motion is critical to attract bass to strike. Ken Huddleston recognized this motion and incorporated the same motion in his soft swimbaits. Give it try, it works! Tom

The actual spool diameter and how full it’s filled affects IPT. PI X Diameter = circumference, it’s that simple when measuring the reel full of line. The factors of how full is full is the only question. Now pull off 30 yards and test IPT things get more complicated with spool width and line diameters etc. Tom

The Vamp is a antique wooden lure there are some 70’s plastic lures around with the same metal bill, that is your only option imo. Tom

Ball heads don’t swim Darts do.

The dart jig has been forgotten by most and renamed by a few but it’s hands down the ideal suspended bass lure. The dart jig is fished using a curl tail worm, curl down, and retrieved parallel at the depth the bass are suspended at. You cast the dart worm and count it down to the desired depth and simple retrieve with a steady slow pace. The trick is rate or fall with the line and dart jig weight and worm needs to be tested at known depths. For example a 1/8oz dart with 4 1/2” curl tail worm may fall at 1’ per second to 10’ and may take 30 seconds to reach 20’ depth, you need to test to know for sure. My old rule of thumb was 1/8 oz dart and 5# UG with 4 1/2” curl tail was 1’ ROF for 10’, to get 1’ ROF using the same line and with required 3/16 oz dart to reach 20’ at 20 seconds and going to 1/4 oz dart to achieve 30’ in 30 seconds. Knowing the depth the jig is at is important factor when dart fishing. Then factoring the wind is another. Colder water slows down the ROF. For these reasons simple test at the launch ramp and count down at known depths. I only used smoke colors with various different flakes to change colors. Salt & pepper being the standby. Adding blue, red or gold flakes would next option. Changing to light cinnamon in lieu of smoke with blue neon was another effective color when the water was slightly off color. Owner or Gamakatsu darter heads painted pearl white is all I use. Presentaion is a long cast, count down and slowly reel back, no need to add action, just stop every 10 yards or so for a few seconds. Rigging is exposed hook, the worm must be straight on the hook shank. I used spinning tackle back in the day and still do. Try it! Tom

Not to get a ticking contest but torque is a rotation force for fishing rod balance doesn’t directly apply, that a moment force. If the reel seat center is the balance pivot point the reel weight shouldn’t be a factor. Anglers like a 14” reel seat length from butt so added weight is needed to balance longer rods. Dobyns is a rod builder who focuses on balance off the shelf adding the needed butt weight. I would look into Dobyns punching rods. Tom

There isn’t an over abundance of Ethanol available to make up E10 let alone E15 gasoline. The pump must have a sticker but that doesn’t mean it’s E10 gasoline. The premium grade in California rarely contains E10 ethanol mix, pump always has a sticker. The only ethanol “free” gasoline here is aviation 120 octane and a few stations that offer 101 octane. Since I no longer have a OB to worry about, it’s a none issue for me. Tom

E10 is 10% ethanol for usually found in 87 octane gasoline. You should be running 91 octane gasoline in your Merc. Seeing oil mixed in the fuel filter is normal, oil in the gasoline fuel tank or in the line between the engine and fuel tank means your quick disconnect line ball check valve is working. Tom

Pop rivets work. Tom

^^^^my malady is reading what I to see^^^^🧐 Tom

Sonar is your friend and eyes underwater...use it. What you are looking for is the depth the bait and bass are located at, no reason to fish any deeper. My maximum depth is set at 45’ any deeper the pressure change can be fatal for bass, they don’t have pressure relief values to release gases. Finesse techniques drop shot, slip shot, doodling worms, Flick Shake jig and wacky worm, smaller finesse jigs. Casting tackle everything and focus on structure spoons and tail spins. Tom PS, the forgotten dart head jig with curl tail worm is deadly for suspended bass.

My Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar Fall period following Summer period the water temps 68-58 degrees. Bass being cold blooded are a thermometer with same body temp are the water they live in. Tom

Knowing what you know now would you buy this boat? Sometimes it’s best to know when to fold them. Tom

Fins 40G 65lb on braid is .016D, round smooth, 8 around 1, strong and doesn’t fray. Tom

That measurement has more to do with the reel then the rod.

A percentage of big bass are simply uncatchable using artificial lures, these fish will survive the impact of technology and pass on the genes. You will know when that occurs! Tom

Lots of 5” & 6” knock offs of the Bull Shad design that should work good. Tom

Curious went into the garage and weighed my 2 casting combo’s. Custom ALX JWR 5+F, 6’10” w/Daiwa SV70 12# FC is 10.4 oz MJ Iovino Splash-It , MF, 6’8” w/Shimano SLX MGL 11# Armilo is 10.7 oz. Spinning St Croix MXF 7’3” w/ Vanford 2500 is 11.6 oz. Light combos but not super light weight. Surprised my ALX was the lightest of the group weighed. Tom

You either use a separate zip lock bag for each color or put them in trash at the end of the day. Tom

I don’t use Ultra lite rods for bass fishing. Made up a 4 1/2’ Ultra lite rod for my son when he was 6 with a Zebco Mini Omega trigger spin reel with 5# Max UG line. When Tommy was 8 he caught a 26# channel cat with his combo. Can’t remember how many big bass Tommy caught using slip shot 3 1/2” reapers on combo. He was very excited catching a big Clark (Carp) because of fight that fish up. When Tommy was 12 I gave him a Iovino signature Phenix Split Shot rod with Shimano Stradic 1000, 5# UG line, not a Ultra Lite more ML in today rods. He loved that rod and used until he passed and caught dozens of big bass on this combo. We fish lakes with sparse cover, mostly rocky structure from a boat so it's possible to fight big fish and keep them away from trouble. Tom

If you use a barrel make sure you take the prop off. Tom

Sounds like you spooled the line onto the reel against the filler spool Memory. If you use a axial method where the spool spins make sure the line comes off from the bottom of the spool filler spool spinning clock wise. Tom

It may come as a surprise that Worm King in San Diego was making a swimmer that looks exactly like the one posted....in the 70’s they called Anchovy. Fish head jigs with small swimmers have been around nearly 50 years now. Tom

I didn’t retire from work until age 72 to spend more family time. The past 8 years were both great and horrible as life took twists and turns. The lows related to health issues out of our control, my sons fatal renal cancer passing away in our arms was the and is the traumatic and life changing. Cancer is something we can’t predict and now my wife has WM blood-bone cancer to deal with. We think retirement is the Golden age and a time to enjoy our bucket lists, doesn’t always work out that way. Regrets are not spending enough time with those we love. No regrets with fishing, wouldn’t change anything and blessed. I will still get up at 0 dark 30 to go fishing and look forward to getting on the water but my heart is no longer there. Tom