WRB-2.0

Walmart can’t knowingly sell defective merchandise! Talk to a manager they need to replace the reel and sell at advertised price. Tom

Anytime you choose to use braid with a FC leader be aware of the FC knot strength will be less than the line strength about 10% and you are using 2 knots. Using mono in lieu of FC for a leader it’s common to get 100% knot strength. Tom

You should cast using the hand as your eye dominance to be accurate. Right eye dominance cast right handed, left eye use your left hand to see the target where it actually is located. Tom

Specific gravity (weight ) has nothing to do with volume. If it’s lighter then water it floats. Tom

Take a look at Sunline Natural mono line, smaller diameter with better performance.

Monofilament Nylon line is ideal because it tends to float on top of the water and doesn’t affect a top lure action. Braid also floats but is too soft and the lure trebles hook snag the line. FC and hybrid line tends to sink and fouls the front treble hook. You can add fly line dressing about 3’ of FC line to make it float. I use 10#-12# mono for both top water lures and crank bait baits because I like it. Tom

My bass seasons are sesonal periods; Winter, cold water period, below 50 degrees. Pre Spawn is follows the cold water period and the best time to for me to bass fish, water about 55 degrees. Spawn, follows pre spawn, about 62 degrees. Post spawn follows spawn, about 70 degrees. Summer the warm water period, 75+ degrees, good night fishing. Fall follows summer before winter, about 68 or less, good for numbers of good size bass. Tom

Success often is tied to how your day is going. Some days getting out bed goes downhill it seems nothing is going right and it carries over in the days outing. At times everything is going well you are in rhythm with the outdoors and the fish cooperating. Be grateful for the good times. Tom

Falling out of the bass boat seams silly until it happens to you! I fell out fishing during the winter several years back operating a friends bow trolling on his Bass Cat. The TM had a feature that returned the motor sideways apparently to stow it when switch off. The on/off switch was located on the side of the steering pedal and must have bumped it off fighting a bass, then bumped on turned sideways and the bow turned 90 degrees out from under me falling into cold water. This happened so fast I couldn’t react, plus the boat is moving away from me. Luckily the owner turned off the TM and help me back into the boat soaking wet fully clothed. If you havre tried to get back into a boat fully clothed and wet it isn’t a easy task in cold water! Tom

Don’t confuse me with facts my mind is made up! Fly rods have multiple sections and Gary Loomis considered the expert on graphite rod construction learned his trade making fly rods with ferrules. I am not in the camp a bass rod looses sensitivity being 2 pieces built properly . My 1st crank bait rod was a 7’ Fenwick salt water popping 2 piece rod blank I made a crank bait rod from . Fenwick ferrules design dates back into the 60’s on their fly rods so wasn’t concerned about strength. I caught fish all over the world using this rod including Musky. Japanese have several high end 2 piece bass rods that are popular do to traveling to fishing areas. Mick thank you for posting the repair technique. Tom &

Ugly Stik are heavy weight rods over 8 oz in lieu of Heavy Power bass rods that weigh under 5 oz. Tom

Consider Irod IRG754F it’s called Fred’s Magic stick gen 3, 7’5” made for frogin and general use 1/2 to 2 oz about $150. Tom PS, look for sales 10-20% off.

Welcome back to BR Steve. Tom

You look up my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar that details my thoughts on bass behavior. Weather is a factor to consider but can’t predict in advance. The impact weather has is changing lighting conditions and wind direction both are important factors. The barometric pressure changes are important. Lower pressure indicates possible rain and cloudy conditions, improves fishing. Higher pressure indicates a cold front developing with wind increasing light that can be a negative for fishing. Tom

Every lake fishes differently in regards to big bass. Reading topo maps (I use topo in lieu bathymetric) because it’s a common term in bass fishing underwater terrain to relate to above water terrain in map reading. Denny Bruaer is primarily a cover flipper vs an off shore structure casting jig fisherman. Deep is relative to each lake, could 20’ or deeper or 10’. In general big bass locate where the prey they prefer is concentrated and at that depth. Big bass may move from a sanctuary location into cover areas when they feel safe and active to hunt prey. The key word being active. You can’t read the activity level on a map, it’s time on that specific water to know the rhythm of the bass on that lake without being on it. In general the structure element big bass locate are funnel zones that concentrate prey. The most common funnel zone is a saddle where the tappers deeper then rises up before dropping down deeper. The saddles can be on the point, between islands or humps etc. Another favorite location is on small flats protruding out along a steep drop at the active depth zone. This is my favorite structure to target, they are isolated and over looked, but easy to find on a topo map. Bass angler s are looking for a larger areas but big bass prefer areas that concentrate prey. I am not a believer in path ways for bass to follow, they can go over deep water to where they want to be without pathway to follow. Big bass often swim across a lake to the opposite side if the wind conditions has relocated the prey they want. The phytoplankton drifts with the wind and Threadfin Shad follow their food source the bass follow the Shad schools. This is why funnel zones are important to concentrate the baitfish. Downwind funnel zones come into play, another factor to consider is the weather element in bass location. I do believe bass follow break lines like weed edges, road bed with brush on the sides, changes in soil types etc. Tom

PM me, I have a Don Iovino Phoenix Split Shot spinning rod 6’6” I am willing to send to you for your son for shipping cost. Tom

Your XPress should have a TM with spot lock as standard equipment. Spot lock is essential today! My suggestion to shorten your learning curve is hire a good guide that can teach you how to use today’s sonar units, money well spent! The type of sonar comes down to where and how you bass fish. For example shoreline fishing you don’t need State of the Art FFS live scanning sonar, 2D down and side scan is all anyone needs IMO. Tom PS, I have my sons spinning rod he used when 5 years old. I set the rod with an Omega Zebco 154 Trigerspin reel, but can’t remember if I have the reel? Will send it to you if interested for shipping cost, PM me.

Following winter rain runoff our lakes are filling to max pool flooding brush at the far backend of creek arms. The surface is clogged with floating debris and the only way back to where bass are+located feeding critters where running water is flowing is 4 wheel driving the boat through the debris. The glass bass boaters avoid these areas and become close to virgin bass hideouts. Hollow body frogs using braid works or unweighted wacky rigged Senko’s cast into small open pockets get hammered. Tom

My old reels found a good home👍😀 Tom

Think seriously changing from lead acid to AGM’s, no outgassing issues that can kill your Onboard charger and longer battery life. lifeP04 lithium prices are getting reasonable price zero charging issues. Tom

The Guadalupe River was the area of severe flooding in Texas. You shouldn’t rely on past history of the River! Tom

When I need a bass my go to is Slip Shot rigged 3 1/2 shad color reaper where I fish. This rig targets shallow to deep water imitating a shad bait fish. Rig the hand poured reaper* flat side up using #5133 Owner hook size 2/0. Tom * US Baits smoke w/salt& pepper + fine gold flake.

When I launch my boat the 1st thing I would do is survey the marina area with my sonar unit and also visually look in the water under docks etc to determine how deep the bass and bait is. By doing this it determine where and how I bass fish and eliminates unproductive water. Can’t catch them if they aren’t there or wrong depth. Tom

Wouldn’t Thank you! Tom

The reason I use lifting power for a bass rod is that is what a fishing rod does regarding power. I disagree with MudHole explanation it’s force needed to bend the rod to it’s action shape, that only takes a few ounces. Trying to explain a tapering tube hoop strength for a wide variety of materials is meaning less to a bass anglers needs. Tom