WRB-2.0

Most of the local lakes pattern at specific depths and soil transitions in lieu of cover. Wind plays a roll and seasonal periods. Soft plastic colors can often be the pattern maker or breaker, but depth is primary. This year do to extreme rain run off water quality is a major factor because of debris, ash and fire retardants. The lakes are deep and the junk will sink in time returning the bite to be more predictable. The 2nd tournament was won with 7 lbs, 7 boats caught bass mostly 1 fish and rest of the field blanked again. Shocking considering it’s pre spawn/spawn seasonal period when weight are in the 20+ lb and very few ever blank. Tough early season. Tom

Several boats over the past decades and several different types of chargers and batteries. The best wet lead acid battery for me back in the 80’-90’s was Trojan SC 225’s with a watering system and unplugged the charger when fully charge, batteries lasted about 5 years. When AGM’s came out around 2005 bought a smaller Boat with onboard NoRCo Genesis 3 pro charger and VMax AGM’s and still unplugged the charger when charged, just didn’t fully trust the charger. Sold the boat in 2021 with original batteries and the buyer is running them! Don’t know if he unplugs the charger? Tom PS, 2 gr 31’s and 1 gr 27 for cranking-electronics.

Can’t control weather and never will, but we can be aware of what in the forecast. Low pressure generally means good bass fishing where I live, high pressure means high winds and tough fishing conditions. Low pressure system rotates counter clockwise bring clouds and onshore southwest light wind. High pressure system rotates clockwise bringing northeast high winds down through the canyons where our reservoirs are located creating havoc with 30-70 mph wind for a few days. Both low and high pressure systems move west to east and just wait for highs to clear out or lows to move in. Cold front is the day in between or front of the high pressure system following the low and most unpredictable day. Can’t catch bass at home so be aware of weather conditions and plan for it. Tom

Trail and error until something works. Tom

Get it fixed before permanent nerve damage occurs, it doesn’t heal itself! Tom

Water temps at the depth the bass are located. Not surface temps or air temps. Above 75 degrees the swarm of blurgills and carp can overwhelm the nest eating eggs and fry so survival rates drop significantly. Tom

Ask!

I would put about 1/2 the spool depth using monofilament line as a filler and top off with the 10 lb braid. Make sure the the mono filler going evenly. When spooling the reel mounted on your rod hold the line coming off the spool* between your index finger and thumb near to 1st large rod guide with light pressure so it fills evenly. A simple blood knot works good to join the filler to the braid. * use a mandrel like pencil and take the line off the bottom of the filler spool. Tom

PM Catt

Yamamoto Hula Grub 4” #221 on 3/8 oz football head jig. Tom

The more isolated a pattern the more difficult it is to repeat the same conditions in other areas. If it’s a isolated area then I would call it a spot not a pattern, 2 or is pattern. The lake you are fishing is in horrible water quality condition, so bad the last weeks tournament produced 7 bass total and won with 2.76 lb wth 2 bass, the next 6 teams caught 1 bass and the rest of the field blanked. They didn’t find your “pattern” it was so isolated. Tom

Matt Lures Hard Gil, Talopia $85 Tom PS, contact Matt and ask if he would paint the back a little greener. Medium sink.

3 power Dobyns rod no reason to be using braid with a leader imo. I use 12# FC/.011D* no leader w/ SD Jam knot for my jig & t-rig w/ bullet weight, this line is stronger then your rods power. Shallow spool does loose a high % of IPT. Tom * Seaguar Tatsu or Sunline Shooter.

Australia is a major supplier of lithium to China but it’s Cobalt mined in the Congo that is criminal use of child labor, key component for Lithium batteries. Getting too political for this site, suggest reading Cobalt Red. Tom PS, Owens lake/Death Valley has the worlds largest lithium deposits.

Lithium batteries use materials mined by children* and made in China. For that reason I avoid buying anything with lithium batteries. When we start mining our own resources and make the needed products here or somewhere without child labor the technology is good. Companies like Ford and Mercury are being forced to go with electric power. Tom *Colbalt Red

Don’t second guess bass, all lures can come into play including top water. It’s difficult to slow down the 1st few outings so my suggestion is start with something you like to use and have confidence with under the prevailing conditions. When you get the wiggles out and can slow down then soft plastics usually work everywhere, weightless wacky rigged Senko is hard to beat for getting some bass. Tom

Way back in 1960’s barometric pressure was very popular as we had few other methods to predict bass activity. Where I live the pressure varies very little and soon set barometric away as it never was accurate. If fact the opposite was more accurate then the gage shown by Team9nine. Lower pressure indicates rain was in the forecast and a slightly falling pressure was better fishing then a rising pressure indicating a cold front followed by wind and higher pressure clearing skies. Today we have accurate weather forecast with satellite imaging indicating low and high pressure regional maps and wind velocity and direction. Tom

Should always close the spinning reel bail by hand. 2 years the reel probably needs maintenance; light oil for the bail parts and reel grease for the drive gears. If the drag isn’t smooth look into Smooth Drags. Close the bail using the reel handle can create a loop in the line. Tom

I cast both spinning and bait casting right handed and reel spinning left hand and bait casting right handed. Fly fishing same as spinning, cast right handed work the line and reel left handed. Tom PS, tried casting left handed, just doesn’t work for me.

What reel?

Short list for 2023. Get out and jig fish 1/2 dozen times, maybe 1 night tournament and catch a few decent bass. Tom

A lightweight composite frame reel may not be strong enough to braid. FC line isn’t inexpensive and requires TLC (line lubrication treatments like KVD, also pricy) to manage the so it lays on the spool without a backlash. Considering the price of this reel an excellent mono line like Berkley 12# .014D Big Game (green) should ideal for your CC80 and inexpensive @ $10 for+1,200 yd spool Tom

I once thought crayfish hibernated, then noticed a few crawdads on the bank during mid winter and caught bass with craws in their belly during cold water periods. Changed my mind thinking our lakes don’t get cold enough. Then again deeper water is warmer during cold surface water, even frozen ice over lakes. Only warm blooded animals are thought to hibernate like bears. But turtles and frogs hibernate and cold blooded. So I decided to call the very dormant time hibernation for crayfish and let the scientists debate it. Tom

Suggest contacting Alex at ALX rods, he makes excellent custom rods. Tom

Yep Crayfish do hibernate when the water temps drop below 50 degrees. Cats correct? Tom