WRB-2.0

Driver failure he wasn’t watching where he was going. Bass boats are fast boats, some modified for more hp and speed then unskilled driver can handle safely. Bass pros for the most part understand their responsibility to drive safely and be good ambassadors for the sport. A few don’t give a dam about safety and want to be 1st at the spot regardless. Allison and Bullet bass boats are very fast light weight bass boats owned in most part by hot rodders. You don’t see Allison boats often because the light weight fastest boat are not the best fishing platforms. Any boat center punching another boat at 65+ mph is usually a fatal accident, doesn’t often but it happens every year by reckless drivers. Tom

Several years ago I was fish lake Casitas early fall and was on a spoon bite all day. When returning to the marina there was a tournament weigh in going on and slowed coming past the log boom to watch and stay out of the way. Put my TM down and a school of bait was being attacked under the boat. Got the spoon rod out and instant bite. The anglers weighing in stopped and watch as I caught 2 bass in the 9 lb range, biggest spoon bass that I ever caught. What I didn’t know was the tournament anglers had a tough day and greeted me at the dock with lots of questions. Spoon bite all day today, there looks on thier faces was priceless! Tom

Don’t back up to the point you vehicle exhaust is under water. Get what you need prepared and ready before and after you launch. My issue was getting and out of the boat without a dock next to the boat. Keeping your wench strap out long enough to hook it up when retrieving the boat and a long enough rope to pull the boat onto the trailer to hook up the wench. Getting in the water is unavoidable with electric only boats. The trick pulling up the bow mount motor doesn’t work good. Tom

Knowing what type bait fish are being target by bass is the 1st step. Threadfin Shad are phytoplankton eaters basically a tiny plant that relies on sunlight to feed. Gizzard Shad are zooplankton eaters basically a tiny animal that relies on cover to feed. Perch and Crappie are common pelagic fish that bass target that also eat small Shad or minnows. Herring are not Shad but like Gizzard Shad eat zooplankton. WHY is the bait off shore? Usually the plankton has drifted off shore and the food chain follows. Bottom structure affects the flow if the water column and therefore the movement of plankton. Trying to locate off shore bass you need to find there prey source. I use birds and my sonar to determine how deep to look and where bottom structure elements come into play with water currents. Yes, lakes have slight currents from wind usually or dam flows. Tom PS, trolling was how the World Record Smallmouth bass was caught. Buck Perry trolled his Spoon Plugs!

The traditional plastic used for diving bills are polycarbonate (Lexan) molded into a specific shape to optimize diving depth and lure action. Circuit boards are layers of fiber glass flat sheet with resin cut to shape used for bills. circuit board sheet is very strong and combine some flex with rigidity and light weight. However the bills are flat, thin and not cupped good for shallow diving crank baits and some swimbait tails. Think of circuit board bill as light weight metal bills. Tom

Accident looking for place to happen and you found it! Tom

Spawn season bass often chase away anything near their nest area, not feeding. Following up with a soft plastic in the nest area the bass needs to pick up the lure to move it and they don’t have hands! Tom

Welcome Evan, youth members are very important to BR and our sport of fishing. Be safe in your kayak. Tom

Fish eating birds are your friends locating off shore fish feeding on bait schools. Birds can see bait fish flying over them and dive into the bait. We have Grebes both Western and Piedbills. The Western Grebes are swimmers that stay on the bait and dive very deep. Piedbills are smaller buff ball birds working the shore for shallow bait. Although near the Ocean Gulls, Shearwaters and not a big factor on fresh water. Cormorants and Pelicans usually feed on lager fish and a factor locating bait schools. You can see the birds at a distance and watch their activity whatever direction the flock on the water is moving and how long they are diving. The birds swallows the bait at the surface before making another dive. The birds feeding activity is my best indicator where the bait is and how to set up to catch bass. Seeing a bird flock sleeping on the water indicates the bait isn’t balled up from fish predators like bass. Tom

When I detect damaged spots on the line. Usually only a few feet at a time. Deep backlash the FC gets respooled. Tom

Accurate SPJ reels and rods! Don’t know anything about the 2 you listed. Tom

Accurate SPJ reels are not made in Japan, USA reels made to order and exactly what you are looking for. Tom

Back in the 70’s most bass boats were under 17’5” and more narrow hulls, the bomber style boats with 65 ton85 hp OB’s. We fished big lakes with white caps and had to use common sense to make back to the marinas. Boats are bigger and faster today overall. Safety is an afterthought for recreational operators. Kayaks are hard to see on the water and you need to remind yourself that you are invisible to big fast wake boats and stay out of their way! I would add a strobe light pole if kayaking today! The Souther would be safe if the operator uses common sense, same with Jon boaters. Tom

Off topic; Regarding skipping something I am not doing anymore do in part to fishing a steep rocky lake with sparse cover. When my late friend who lived at West Lake we skipped under floating docks that had small openings between the floats. In the beginning I tried to hit the small openings a few feet in front with little success. My friend John was very good at skipping and watching him he started the skip cast half way between the boat and dock about 10’ to 15’ away from the docks. I started to skip the lures in open water to get the start point down. Like a rock you don’t start skipping far way from you, closer works better! After several outings with John my skipping became more natural cast motion. We only skipped unweighted Senko’s because that was all you needed at West Lake*. Tom * West Lake is a man made lake designed with dozens of finger coves that have about 20 docks , 1 for each home. Hundreds of docks to target with aggressive bass.

Glass boats with wider transom area are more stable platforms to fish from standing. The fact the boat is heavier per foot length and the bottom surface design also comes into play to add stability. Choices, weight of glass vs lighter weight plus durability of aluminum. Tom

Start up a local dealership! Tom

I mentioned trying the dam area for that reason. Floating debris including trees sink by the dam, it not always a rip rap dam face. Good advice👍 Tom

The reason you want a floating crank baits that dives is when you stop reeling the lure float up out of trouble, then restart the retrieve and repeat. Holding the tip up helps the lure to run shallower. When you feel a snag slow down or stop the retreive, if it pulls back reel and set the hook. You will loose diving crank baits fishing from shore! Tom

Fishing from shore you don’t want to start using deep diving crank baits! Shallow running floating crank baits like square bills are a good choice, wake baits and shallow running jerk baits should also work for you. Remember these lures have treble hooks and snag easily. The hook set is reel and firm rod sweep, not a hard rod whip set. Crank baits are all about retrieve cadence and chance of pace. Steady cranking can work but stop and go usually works better. Cadence means speed that can be fast, slow, in between or a combination of all 3. Trial and error until the bass react. From shore I would start in a marina, the dam area and long point points are places that bass tend to locate when hunting prey fish. Tom

PM Way2slow, Kieth is the expert on your engine. Tom

Congratulations your smile is a big as the bass👍 Tom

Selling like new St. Croix Victory spinning MFX & MF, see Flea Market. Tom PS, make me an offer, remember shipping cost.

We have Threadfin Shad and Silverside minnow that school, both tend to be mobile and move. If the bait is balled up you know they are being attacked, in a loose cloud they are not being harassed by predators. In prefer casting to the bait past them and let the spoon fall through the school. Depth determines how far to back off the bait. Generally stay about 50 away unless the bait is over 30’ deep then get closer. Tom

No experience with 13 fishing now owned by Rapala/VMC I believe. Take a look at the Flea Market forum, I have St. Croix Victory spinning MFX rods for sale an MF rod, they are very different, the MFX has a softer tip. Tom

Welcome from the left coast. Tom