WRB-2.0

Yea wake boats with boom box blaring means the recreational crowd just hit the water and jet skis are heading the way. The sound at night of a bass boat running full speed with no lights and hull slapping the water I am 200 yards off shore fishing a hump. Making a cast in the dark using a crank bait and doesn’t land on the water. Deep guttural growls or a rattlesnake buzzing as you go to retrieve the snagged crank bait. The sickening sound of the prop grinding on rocks. Casting a expensive swimbait hearing the line snap then watching the lure sail off into deep water. The warning buzzer going off on the big engine after running an hour up lake...not good! Breaking off a big bass near the boat as the FC fails for no apparent reason. Telling your partner to get the net and the reply is where is it! Tom

Do you have bait Casting rods & reels or is spinning going to be your all around rod? What reel and line do you use? I am not familiar to Daiwa rods and no standard exist for power ratings other then personal opinions comparing apples to oranges. Tom

The Nylon line is subject to breaking down from heat over 105 degrees and like any line nicks and abrasion, but not from higher forcing pulling like FC is. I had the 25 lb on the swimbait for 3 years, never needed to change it. Tom

Skip a heavy expensive treble hook lure...skip buying it. Tom

My ideal of the ideal jig rod will be different then yours, the only thing known is price point. The Daiwa TTU711MHXB is 7’1” long with full cork handle and cork cover reel locking ring that is more comfortable then a bare metal locking ring. The guides appear to be micro?, the reel reel seat has underside exposed rod blank , power is MH, action is extra fast, lure range 1/4-1 oz. Very good features for any jig and worm rod casting jigs or T-rigs between 3/16 to 1 1/4oz. Works for me..... Tom PS, ALF offers 10% discount.

Bass fishing from a boat I rarely used a landing net unless fishing with multiple treble hook lures like Crankbaits. Very easy the hand land them. My old net was 16” wide by 18” long by 16” deep and no reason to go over 18x21x16 imo, even for world record size bass. There is a skill in using a net by calmly leading the fish into the net in lieu of trying to scoop up a hot fish. I bought a rubber net and it was so heavy and slow to move in the water I gave to the 1st person at the boat dock when loading boat... At night a net is a real help to land bass, but again don’t try stabbing or scooping hot bass. Getting treble hooks tangled in the net mesh is your fault by letting the bass flop around in the net. Keep calm and left the netted bass out before it flops around. Tom

Being a waterfowl hunter for decades the sound of a flock of Canadian geese approaching in flight, ducks at the crack of dawn. Also like watch birds of prey in flight talking to each other, more of cry then a chirp. Ospreys you don’t hear until they grab a swim bait out of the air, then you hear me swearing. Wildlife in general around or in the water, bull frogs low rumble, tree frog chirping it’s all soothing. Always listening for feeding fish splashes. Our bass lakes are from remote but still we hear wildlife, especially at night. We don’t have wolves but do have noisy coyotes barking, howling, occasional mountain lion culling bone chilling cry, bears generally don’t travel quietly, Owls etc. The loon cry is a distant memory now. Love the sound of stream running water in remote back woods camping out, very peaceful. Tom

Being a jig fisherman who still uses real pork rind I keep that rod wit the pork rind in the water when not using it....dangling! It’s 1 rod and I keep an eye on it! When I moving the boat all y lures get lure wrapped and strapped down. Tom

Anyone doing this ( releasing the spool into free spool) are lucky the fish is a Black bass that doesn’t make hard fast runs. Consider releasing the conventional/bait casting reel into free spool with hooked fish that can run 100’s of yards at 30-40 mph and your thumb is wedged under the reel frame cross bar and spool. Your thumb pad is the only drag control when the reel is in free spool. To engaged the drag your thumb needs to stop the spool before re engaging that spool. You only have 2 hands, one holding the rod the the other operating the reel. True story. I was Marlin fishing casting a live mackerel to a fast feeding bill fish and over ran the reel (backslash) casting into the wind as the boat approached the fish. My reel was in free spool to make the cast and as I was pulling out the loose line the Marlin ate the bait and took off on a fast long run pulling my thumb under the reel frame cross bar. Couldn’t move the lever drag to increase drag until the fish changed directions reducing pulling force. My thumb has never fully recovered from having the pad burned off from the line, it’s scared. Bad things happen very fast! Tom

Bad things happen disengaging the spool while fighting a fish. Don’t know anything about you casting rod, reel or line but set the drag at 1/3rd the weakest line strength or about 4 lbs I’d using 12# to 15# test mono/FC lines with MH bass rod. If you ever need more force put your thumb on the spool. Tom

I would call this a 3 acre pond. The aeration system is there to produce dissolved oxygen and prevent a strong thermocline from developing. Target the aeration systems with 4 it should be easy. The upper right corner where your white line ends, the large boulder (?) looks interesting and the lower end has another hard small point that should be similar. What is the water source? Tom

Take a look at Frabil conservation Ultralight net. Stay away from “rubber” nets. Tom

Glenn has a review on the Trigon rods. Tom

The weather is something we can’t control and never will! We can understand the effects of weather from several view points especially #1 Safty. Look at weather from the basses point of view, they live in water so whatever impacts their water world directly affects them. Every adult bass has experienced severe weather changes and has learned to adjust to it. Normal weather has little affect on the basses daily routine. Cold fronts rarely change water temperatures the number 1 factor that impacts bass survival, water temperate drop of more then 10 degrees in a few hours can be fatal. The bass simply change depth and location if they can. Wind direction for most regional lakes large and small has a prevailing direction, it’s directional, changes of more the 90 degrees that upset the basses water world. Changes in light intensity can have more of an impact as bass are sight feeders. Low light helps them giving advantage over prey, bright light exposes them giving the advantage to the prey. Barometric changes affect bass but they simply change depth to off set pressure, but it affects insects tremendously and that affects the food chain. wind also creates waves increasing dissolved oxygen levels, good for bass and prey activity. Tom

Why are you using Alligator clips instead of insulated female spade terminals? You new need to make up proper electrical connections and resolve your problem. Tom

Yep, barbs damage line anytime they sang them. Tom

Consider how sharp hook barbs are! When a lure snags one of your rods line left dangling or laid on the deck the barb stops on the line and necks it. No wonder random line breaks occur away from the lure knot. Tom

Since it is very difficult to find any aquatic vegetation in our local lakes (fish it if you find it) you fish rocks or go home. Every soft plastic works finesse rigged. If it’s a bass lure give it a try and let the bass tell if they will strike or not. My favorites are jigs of all types, medium and deep diving crank baits, all types of surface lures including white frogs, big,medium, large swimbaits both hard and soft. Finesse drop shot, slip shot, nail weighted worms, Senko’s etc. Tom

Unless you are fishing in aquatic grass/weeds you don”t need to stupid rig a tube. Standard 60 degree eye tube jig simply lubricated with attractant and slide up inside the hollow tube until the jig head is at the nose end. Press the bump the jig eye make and push it theu the soft plastic. Tie on the jig and ready to fish. The tube will spiral same as a stupid rig tube except not weed less. Length of the tube vs length of the jig hook determines the jig style, weight depends on how fast in current you/want the tube to sink. TW has a good video on rigging Stupid Tubes and suggest jigs to use. Tom

Call SC CS and exchange it! Tom

The last major hurricane created flooding and EV’s started catching fire up to weeks after the storm, still a problem. So what do you think caused a dead short? Tom

Katie you are a treasure? Tom

Jigs & T-rigged w/sliding bullet weight/bead 12# Tatsu or Shooter, MH+F J&W rod. Finesse jigs and 6” worms 11# Armilo with my utility MF rod. Only have the 2 casting outfits now. Tom

FYI Seaguar Bass-X 100% FC is $9.99/ 200 yard spool all # test. Known and respected manufacturer who invented FC line. BPS Excell 100% FC is $9.99 /200 yard spool 4#-8# test, $9.99 150 yard spool 10#- 20#. No brainer! Tom

Lithium batteries don’t do well when wet or moisture, problem in a marine environment or outside in the elements. EV’s can and do catch fire weeks after the car was flooded. Tom