WRB-2.0

Try using self wicking penetration oil (SuperZilla) on the bolt ends and nut, let sit a few hour and try to loosen the nuts. Your trailer has wood bunk boards covered with carpet and the hull is painted, not bare aluminum. Tom

I rely on line movement with my finger tips, far more sensitive then any rod material. Lamiglas came out with carbon handles to achieve lighter rod rod weight but they were unconventional and didn’t sell well. Now Edge offers the same design. Tom

Take reel and receipt back where you purchased the reel and exchange it. Tom

It is! Long “pencil” body with larger rear end that sits tail down in the water at rest. Cordell came out with a plastic pencil popper popular for Stripe Bass in the 70’s-80’s. Newer versions are smaller and designed for LMB feeding on Blue back herring and larger Shad bait fish. You can work a pencil popper at several speeds, faster splashes creates more strikes for me. Tom

The hook removal through the gill is on the BR site. Nice Smallie! Tom PS, got to remove the before releasing STAT?

Fresh water bass are not fast running fish when hooked like most salt water fish. This means when fighting bass your goal is control keeping the fish in front of you and out of cover or structure damaging the line. The reel drag “set” at 1/3rd equal mono, Copoly, FC line prevents the line from breaking and enough force to control bass. You shouldn’t reel against the drag, simply add force using your thumb if needed. Tom

Cut a hook slot in the belly of the toad and us 5/0 CPS hooks. Tom

Another I’ll defined term “slow sink”. ROF rate of fall was 1st used by Ken Huddleston ROF 5, 12 & 16 feet per 10 seconds. Where does “slow sink” fall in the ROF rate of sink? Any lure ROF is affected by water temperature. Colder water is higher density so lures sink slower vs warmer water with less density. Out west where swimbaits were introduced to mimick planted trout the water was between 50 to 60 degrees, fairly constant. It’s not the lure weight or size as much as it’s the buoyancy. A lure that floats naturally needs added weight to sink it. Tom

Take a look at dock bumpers, several can be attached to steel piling, may take a drill and self taping screws. Tom PS, Taylor 8450 post bumper attached with straps.

When to use finesse presentations depends on targeting keeper size 1 1/2# to 3# bass. Smaller soft plastics and jigs on light line with light weights requires slowing down and saturate the area in lieu of cover more water looking for active bass. I know from decades of experience my odds of casting big bass is during low light with low boat traffic and my go to lure is a jig w/pork trailer. Casting and fishing the jig is very similar to a precision finesse presentation except 7/16 oz jig with 5/0 hook and 12# FC line do to the water clarity. Like finesse fishing you got to get bit for catching the bass. Big bass will strike finesse lures but difficult to put them in boat using finesse tackle. Bright over head sun between 10A to 2P is my finesse time period, unless sight fishing. Tom

To be honest I rarely use a shaky head jig-worm. Finesse for me are soft plastics drop shot, slip shot, wacky nail weight and weightless Senko’s a high % of the time. Finesse jig I use is the dart head-w/ 4 1/2 to 6” curl tail worm. Left’s Lure Puff Ball jig w/ 2 1/2” trailer. Jackall Flick Shake w/4.8 FlickShake worm. Bass size depends on location and luck. Tom

I had a Skeeter with Silver metal flake bottom similar to the Phoenix. At the time there was an option to add Shad school print to the bottom surface. Tom

You need a boat!?‍♀️ Tom

Wood cover and treble hooks don’t go together without snagging. Square bills can deflect off of stumps and larger branches if you know how to work them. A lipless tends turns sideways do to the line tie near the center of the lure and snags easier. A blade type lure works good with 1 hook upright, same with spinner baits. Overlooked is the Scrounger that also works through wood cover effectively and the 6” sluggo trailer is a big bass lure. Faster moving lures get strikes from more active bass and jigs or worms work better to precisely target the stump. Tom

^^^^^this^^^^^my 1st Langley 330 & 340 casting reel were direct drive knuckle busters. Great casting reels, light weight 4 oz with drilled aluminum spools...but your thumb was your drag. Tom

Always add a pair or carpeted 2 X 4’s in the right spacing. Tom

Can’t overlook Hank Parker or Roland Martin. Tom

USPS Next Day Air to a trusted friend where you are gong. Tracking info and insured. Tom

Evaluate by IPT in lieu of gear ratio. Vanford doesn’t offer lower gear ratio for the 3000 w/IPT of 37”. The 2000 is same ratio w/ IPT of 32”. Tom

Shimano Tranx 150 is extremely strong. Tom

Correct!

Changing the ROF (rate of fall) by using larger size trailer and/or lighter weight jig often helps when a soft plastic bite is working better. Why force feed bass something they don’t want for whatever reason...adapt and use what is working. Jigs are my go to lure but always willing to try other lures if the jig bite isn’t working, rather catch then cast. Tom

The Daiwa CC80 is composite frame light weight reel. If you are new at baitcasting reels then less expensive mono line like Big Game 12# is a good choice. Sunline Defier Armilo 11 or 13# is more expensive Nylon Mono , very smooth casting line with all the properties you are looking for. Compare line diameters and Yo-Zuri Hybrid is very large vs Armilo. Larger Diameter = more memory. Tom

Define close to the boat; 5’, 10’, 20, ? Tom

My Horizontal Jigging In-Fisherman article I define the difference between horizontal and vertical casting jig fishing with a illustration. From the water surface down 45 degrees is the horizontal zone. 45 degrees down to 90 degrees (straight down) is the vertical zone. This is my interpretation. Tom