WRB-2.0

The highest population of LMB are the smallest size. 12” to 14” LMB are about 2 years in most lakes or ponds and just growing out of the juvenile stage to adult size. They still stay together in groups hunting in packs and very easy to catch. Bigger bass are adult females and may still hang out in a small group depending on the prey they hunt but tend be loners when not hunting prey. It’s a pecking order where the best most abundant prey source is available with some type of safe sanctuary. To catch these big bass you need to target them with lures that represent the abundant prey source when these bass are active. Sounds simple but remember the big bass population is the smallest numbers in the population. If you are catching small bass that is the wrong location at that time period, small bass generally avoid big bass. Location, location, location at the right time with the right lure. Big bass eat whatever they when they want to. Proven lures are jigs, soft plastic worms and swimbaits. Tom

Lost my original vintage wooden Huddleston trout lure to a big stripe bass at lake Pyramid in the 90’s. The lure cost back in the early 90’s was $60, the hand carved lure by Ken Huddleston today is worth several $100, if you can find one to bid on. Tom

Blades are inexpensive and generally not worth the effort to polish. Nickel plating is very thin and unless a rare lure no need to polish besides a little brightening with a micro cloth. Tom

Flick Shake is 4.8” or 5.8” long with round nose on one end and flat on the other. Call it what want it looks to be 6” long with flat nose. Tom

Micro polishing cloth works. Tom

Looks like a bent Tiki stick worm. Tom

Look up 6 to 8 mil 3x5” or 4x6” zip lock bags. Use a hole punch to make the hole need to use 2” shallow curtain rigs Tom

My system years ago was using Stainless Steel 2” shallow curtain rings, the snap open/close type. Use the original hook bag and the peg hole threaded onto the open rind and close. Holds about 20 bags that you can see each individual bag by rotating them. Works for soft plastics also. Tom

Tinkering with lures is a part of bass fishing, just do it! Tom

Purple Cals is lower viscosity cold weather grease. Good source for reel lubricants and drag washers is Smooth Drags. Tom

How many LMB has Kieth Jones caught? Jones isn’t a fisherman he is a scientists. Dr Jones is employed by Berkley and promotes and develops some of their products, lets just say he isn’t unbiased. Good read generally. Tom

Look up boat trailer tongue planks. Don’t need to drill any holes! I had a plank on my boat trailer tongue and a step mounted to trailer, not the wench stand. This allowed me to get out of the boat in the bow and step over to the tongue plank. Make sure you add non slip strip to plank. Tom

I have my St. Croix Victory 7’3” MFX spinning rod on sale in the Flea Market with flexible tip section perfect for drop shot. Tom

^^^this^^^ Tom

Suggest looking at Overton small boat trailer 2’ bunk guides and 2 step ladder step. Jumping onto the trailer tongue is a accident waiting to happen! Tom

The Boeshield T-9 looks good for lubricant, never used it. I used WD-40 on my off shore Tuna and Marlin rods and fresh rods for decades, rinse in fresh water and spray on the WD-40 then wipe with clean cloth. Tom

California has seasons for specific species and closures. The Trout Opening Day is still celebrated the first Saturday in April although the season doesn’t close anymore! Very little Fresh water Black Bass management besides 12” minimum length and 5 legal size bass limit, no stocking program for bass, only Rainbow Trout*. A few lakes have specific slot limits that come and go, don’t know of any currently. Tom * Rainbow Trout are hatchery raised and Sterile. The Holy Grail fish are native Steelhead Trout.

I had to use spinning tackle for light weight finesse lures that worked OK until becoming a backseater. Going braid with leader helps to reduce line twist that can’t be managed as a backseater seater using straight mono or FC line. BFS reels do not twist line so straight Mono or FC isn’t an issue anymore. Retiring the spinning tackle!* I have always been a light line bass angler using 10 lb and 12 lb mono/ FC line to catch giant bass on jigs. I still have my jig rod but now hooking into a 6 or 7 lb bass is equal to those giants that are very rare today. Back in the game using BFS👍 Tom * good deals on Flea Market.

It is the bass are 2X their size using BFS! Tom

We still have until December 31st and then start the 2026 season. I am all in BFS now👍 Tom

WD-40 protects the guides and does hurt the blank but stay away from the cork. Cork cleans easy with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Tom

You are using too small of a hook! Twist locks uses CPS that moves the hook eye in front of the Fluke that shortens the effective hook point location. Larger size hooks are longer. You can also buy Owners CPS spring and add to 28 ton30 degree jig hook make own from hook of choice. Tom

The original silver and gold with black back for bass, trout for trout or bass believe it not works good. The CD 07 in trout an 09 minnow in Gold black back are other good bass lures. Tom PS, caught a one time 4# line class World Record Pacific Yellowtail on a F13 Silver Rapala.

The F series rightfully gets the most attention and will catch a wide variety of fish including bass. The J jointed series gets overlooked and may be the best pond bass lure. The J09 and J11 are both killer small wake baits for bass. I don’t like using a loop knot, split ring or snap* with Rapala minnows and fish them tied direct with 6 or 8 lb mono line. 6 or 8 lb mono doesn’t affect the lures action. Bass strike a Rapala minnow however you want to retrenched, no right or wrong. Tom * today the size 0 Owner Hyper Weld snap works good on light weight minnow lures.

Young Gizzard Shad like Threadfin Shad eat phytoplankton and the plankton scatters during darkness so the Shad seek the shelter of cover until daylight that when the phytoplankton gathers up. Adult Gizzard Shad eat both types of plankton, tiny insets, debris and sand to help digestion. Muddy water contains food particles the Gizzard eat and could be anywhere unlike Threadfin Shad needs sunlight. Tom