WRB-2.0

Having a few jigs made locally using my jig and looking forward to getting back to using soft plastic trailers to catch more numbers of bass. My plan for 2023 is to fish Casitas, Castiac and Cachuma this year if invited. All 3 lakes have more water with flooded 10 to 15 years of brush growth, challenging for sure. Tom

Don’t run the hook through the center of the worm diameter. Insert the hook to the barb ( about 3/16”) and rotate the hook point out the center of the worm head. Now run the hook point through the side of the worm body, not the center. Pinch the worm body where you want the hook point inserted and skin hook the soft plastic. What happens is the bass hooks itself when striking, you feel the pressure and reel set with a rod sweep. Tom

My 2005 TR175 glass bass boat, Folding tongue trailer with 115 Merc Opimax fit my garage that is 19’6” straight back. 96” hub to hub trailer width. It comes down to the trailer design. Tom

If I manage to catch a big bass it will be on a jig. Since my favorite is a Anywhere anytime hair jig with barn red pork trailer that should be highest %. Tom

The 19’10” garage depth isn’t an issue as most 17’ 6” boats with motor and folding tongue trailer O/A length is 19’6”. The issue is the door opening width of 94” or 7’10”. Most trailers are 96” wide hub to hub. A small wheel-tire trailer solves the width problem as they are under 7’ hub to hub. USS relief (floating toilet) are available at most public lakes. Several stand up pee devices are available for women. Tom

Owner #5133 size 2/0 for weedless rigging drop or slip shot worms and 4109 size 1 for nose hooked or wacky weedless or not for worms and Senko’s. The 2 hooks cover everything I need. Tom

When the water temps are approx 55 degrees at the depth they burrowed.....generally Jan-feb. Tom

Looks like Toledo Bend is healthy. Cody Pitt catches a 13.6lb bass tops his 39.9 lb 5 bass limit. Details Catt? Tom

Dr. Keith Jones, Berkley Fishing, has scientifically proven the bass can’t detect and don’t react to either anise oil or garlic scent. It’s good that the I bass catch can’t read? Tom

At our local lakes Bluegill are not a prime prey source. Crappie with softer spines and more slender shape to swallow are preferred over Bluegill. The exception is when bass are spawning, Bluegills are egg eater and a enemy to bedding bass. Any young of the year fish under 4” are bass prey including Bluegills, adult size Gill over 6” are generally safe. Try to keep your Bluegill lures 3” to 4” size, 5” max outside the spawn. I prefer crappies colors in 5” swimbaits in lieu of Bluegill. Tom

Bill Murphy author of In Pursuit of Giant Bass passed away from skin cancer, it’s more then a cosmetic issue. Anyone with blue eyes light skin isn’t genetically suited to be exposed to bright sun. I am in the heritage group and was ignorant of the fact skin damage from sun burns could be fatal and like my generation didn't take any effort to protect ourselves. We wanted a good tan! About 25 years ago I had my 1st Squamish cell skin cancer removed from my face, about a 3” long chunk of tissue removed. I can’t remember the number of pre cancer freezes, chemical treatments and small cancer surgeries over the past 25 years. I am on a quarterly dermatologist exam schedule. If I knew 60 years ago what sun damage was caused from extended sun exposure covering up would protect me, would have done that. Since SPF lotions and clothing became available I use them anytime out in the sun more then 20 minutes. Oddly we need some sun exposure to remain heathy about 20 minutes. Tom

With the heavy rain fall we have experienced this winter and may continue to have in February the local lakes and ponds have flooded shore areas with 10 to 15 years of brush growth. This makes shore fishing very challenging, plus the water is off color and surface covered with floating debris. Irvine lake is public in Orange County but no rental boats now, only shore fishing. Hiring a guide is a good choice, cost effective and good chance at learning techniques to catch bass and where to fish. Give it until March before fishing this year from shore. Tom

Northern strain LMB are comfortable in water less then 45 degrees, Florida strain have a hard time servicing in water 45 degrees or less. Cold water it’s hard to beat black jig with black trailers having high lite colors targeting NLMB. The old living rubber bumble bee black and chartreuse can work at times. I use the same 7/16 oz jig with 4” pork trailer year around. The 3/4 oz football jig at times. Using 1/8 to 3/16 oz. finesse jigs at times usually with shad color soft plastics to imitate baitfish. It’s pre spawn now in California, no finesse presentations, it’s fat girl time. Tom

Shore fishing in a pond?

You are obviously using silicone skirts. Tom

A chunk is a soft plastic imitation of a #11 pork frog. Both a chunk and pork rind are nose hooked setting the tails further back from the skirt ends. Whereas a soft plastic Craw tends to be threaded onto the jig hook up to the skirt collar, shortening the overall trailer length. The simple Twin Tail Yamamoto grub has a good slow action in lieu of using a Rage tail. Chigger Craw swims in lieu flapping another good choice. The #11 pork frog nose hook has a life like action to bass. Tom

Rage Craw is a fast motion trailer more suited for very active bass imo. The skirt has minimal impact on the jig compared to the weight, head shape and trailer used. The most active subtile skirt movements in water temps under 50 degrees is hair. 2nd would be Living rubber followed by silicone. Shortening a skirt make it stiffer not softer. They shorter skirt gives the jig a compact appearance and can increase the ROF somewhat. Tom

As you may know I sold my reels with 65# Fins PRC that had line on the salt water reels since Early 90’s In 2020 or over 25 years of use. The braid looked the same, no fading or any signs wear. I haven’t tried Wind Tamer braid but did buy SpinBraid 10# and 15# this year to try leader to braid one more time on spinning tackle being a back seater should be easier to manage line twist. Tom

Fins Braid I made in Georgia and has been costing their Spectra fibers with polyurethane since the original PRC braid. Wind Tamer is designed for bait casting reels so it reduces digging into itself. 10# is .007D. Tom

This is where the rods suggested line strength comes into play. Never set your drag more then 1/3 the max rods mono line # test. Fresh Spinning rods rarely recommend mono more then 15#, 1/3rd of 15 = 5#. Most fresh water 2500-3000 size spinning reels can’t efficiently cast mono-FC line over .010D or 10# test. 1/3rd I’d 10# = 3 # of drag. Tom PS, spinning reel use your index on the spool to increase drag.

Buy 100% pure* anise oil and glycerin. Add a few drops of anise oil and a teaspoon of glycerin in the original plastic bags and your soft plastics can be stored fore decades. Tom * pure no alcohol.

Crawdads don’t hibernate but they do burrow into clay banks during the winter cold water period. Why clay? Because mud soil tunnels collapse and clay doesn’t. The key is crawdads tend to burrow below the water line at the time it’s cold water/winter. Generally about 8’ below the water line. This wet season the lakes are 20-25’ higher then winter pool. Those crawdads are 20 to:35’ deep now and moving “up”. Tom

G. Loomis inshore MH spinning rods have similar lines ratings. My advice use whatever line works for you, meaning you can cast the line with ease using the lures you fish with. Tom

Per spawn is by far my most productive big bass seasonal period. Warming water column means warming day time temperatures to warm the water top down. The bass have been in deeper water slightly warmer then the colder surface water. This occurs as weather is changing from cold nights and days to warming trends. The problem is the weather is also in transition with rain and low pressure fronts followed by wind and clearing skies. Everything is unsettled and nothing is stationary including the bass. What is driving the bass during pre spawn is high protein food, larger prey fish and crawdads. The most critical factor imo is what depth to target followed by location where prey is abundant. Crawdads are nocturnal critters so low light extends their activity. Cloudy weather with light wind and light rain is ideal when targeting bass feeding on crawdads. Clay to soil transitions are good locations. Larger baitfish is the opposite when calmer brighter skies are active time for the baitfish movements and the bass feeding on them locate where the water column is compressed or funnel zones. Saddles, humps and points are ideal structure to compress baitfish schools. ”Spring Up”, only 1 direction they can go “up”. Tom

5500c = Cardiff 300A Tom