WRB-2.0

Are aquatic plants (grass) primary cover during the winter cold water period? You can fish a Hack Attack FC jig year around, not a fan of short compact flipping jigs in light cover. Yes, bass will eat a jig year around but=not everyday. Tom

I can name at least 10 different styles of bass jigs, what you are calling a jig? I catch LMB and Smallmouth year around on my custom 7/16 oz buck tail hair jigs with pork ring trailers. Tom

Wooden Sammy, shad Splash-It, shad Zip ‘n Ziggy, Baby Bass. Buzzer, white Down sized my tackle and use the above year around. Back in the day add 8’ Lunker Pucker, trout 9” Pup Fish, trout 5” Rats, grey/brown Tom

I did post a thread on FFS a few years ago stating this technology is a game changer. Now the cat is out of the bag and FFS is dominating most tournaments with big bass catches concern is raising as it should. My argument is related more of survival rates of big bass in live wells is poor from my own experience catching lots DD bass. I made up a 10’ stringer with SST D clip and 12 oz weight to keep the big bass in cool water before releasing her. IMO never put these special bass in a livewell is ideal. With our iPhone cameras and accurate digital scales there isn’t a good reason to put big bass in a livewell for a weigh in. Josh Jones advocating tournaments limiting use for 5O% of the event is hypocritical at best. Tom

Donate the Daiwa rod combo to a local youth group. Tom

When does a 6 lbs bass become a giant in Texas? Tom

Removing to top and replacing the wet foam is the ideal method. Dry and mold free! Gravity does work! Water is 8lbs per gallon. Tom

As AJay clearly expressed make wearing your PFD a good habit. Like putting on your seat belt it’s a good habit. Operating any mechanical equipment including vehicles or boats intoxicated is illegal nearly everywhere, alcohol levels vary by state. Not condoning drinking alcohol and driving a boat but also don’t know bass anglers who do drink excessively, none I will share a boat or vehicle with. My belief is most boating accident occurs from unskilled operators and lots of those on the lakes everyday. Tom

The problem with live Shad is crowding, 100 Shad in a livewell is 50 too many. What kills live fish in 15 gallon tank is scales clogging gills. Tom

Senko’s swim down through the water column unimpeded on slack line. Spinning combo’s do this better then casting! Tom

I started using Indiana blades painted black on the curved side and white on the cupped side decades ago and never found a better color for low light or night. Tom

If the spool shaft is positioned pointed straight up along with the handle means the spool is perpendicular to the water surface. This also positions your thumb on the spool pointed towards your ear at the top of the cast, allowing your wrist to have full range of motion as you cast. Todays bass anglers tend to rotate their wrist during the cast putting force on the tendons to position the spool parallel to the water surface. What Rick Clunn is saying is correct casting motion plus the spool spins with less torque on upper bearing and nearly zero torque on the lower bearing. The result is more accurate casting with proper wrist motion and further casting distance with less friction on the spool shaft. Try picking up your casting out fit keeping your arm near your side with the thumb towards your ear. As you cast keeping your thumb on the reel spool with the handle upright your wrist performs the cast without rotating the reel 90 degrees to position the spool parallel to the water surface. This is the traditional casting motion. Tom Tom

Dobyns SUF701C Tom

^^^^This^^^^?? Tom

OP more the likely snagged a dead floating bat as it was dead when retrieved. Tom

It looks like 20# BG is on your menu Tom

No, it’s a requirement that the fish be examined by a fishery biologist, length, girth, weight and validate the species before releasing the fish. This can be difficult in California to locate a CDFW biologist and getting this validation while trying to keep the bass alive. Both Castaic and Casitas have a CDFW biologist available at Fillmore fish hatchery within 1 hour drive. The problem with budgets is contacting the biologist the time and day you need them. A few years ago a potential Spotted record bass caught at Bullard Bar couldn’t be validated because the biologist couldn’t get to the lake before it closed for the day. Fish was video’s and weighed, measured etc, etc, but released without being validated. Almost have to put the bass on ice to get a validation. Tom

Can't see Any reason not to use the 20# Max the OP already has. Big Game is good and inexpensive but a superior line then Maxima UG or Chameleon. Tom

Suffix 832 is very popular on this site, but like all line types consider diameter. 832 10# =.0080D, 15#= .0085D, flattens. Fins Spin 10# =.005D, 15# = .006D, stays round. Tom

Ethanol is added to gasoline. Tom

Can’t change the Crocs that got you there. ? Congratulation are well dissevered ?? Tom

Maxima UG and Chameleon are high memory copoly lines and coil in the larger diameters, especially in colder temps. Tom

Why fight success, use what is working! Tom

Lake Perris California produced a World Record Alabama Spotted bass at 9.04 lbs. Today the Spotted bass are gone from Perris only Largemouth Bass. The Largemouth Bass didn’t displace the Alabama bass at Perris nor did the Alabama take over Perris. What happened? Florida strain of Bluegill obliterated the Alabama Spotted bass spawn and fry. Tom

Big difference! Every lake has shallow water next to the bank with the exception of a shore ledge bluff. I take it you like to fish in water less then 8’ deep with lots of cover for Largemouth bass and Smallmouth. A weekend trip near LaCross WI. Lake Mille Lacs comes to mind, shallow large lake in MN. Vacation trip I would suggest hiring a guide for any top bass lake south of you. Clear Lake California fits a vacation destination, shallow big lake with world class bass fishing. Tom