WRB-2.0

Why use 80 lb braid f or swim baits? 20 lb mono or FC is all you need. You need a reel spool that holds enough line to maintain IPT during long casts. Try to select a reel with about 175 yds of .016 dia line with 5.8:1 to 6.3:1 ratio. You will be casting 2 handed to get more distance with swim baits. Tom

When you dedicate your time on the water to catching the biggest bass that lives there you miss out on catching numbers of bass. The biggest bass don’t often make mistakes by striking lures. The vast majority of big bass are caught by live bait fisherman and that also takes skill and patients. Sitting on a spot for hours in bad weather for a chance at a big bass when using jigs takes its toll. You keep telling yourself your in the right place and time, buy a negging thought is always there….am I at the right spot. Looking around at the lake running serval other spots creeps into mind, hold them or fold them. Moving usually wins out and sometimes you win most of the time you loose. Trophy fishing isn’t for everyone, in very few do it. Tom

Excellent review👍 Tom PS, if you want an article on casting jig fishing, PM your email and will send you a copy that is perfect for your highland lake jig fishing.

I don’t do spread sheets! Tom

A little history so it doesn’t get lost in the haze of time. Larry McCain was a tool maker at JPL who made the 1st Football head jigs around the late 50’s and early 60’s, commercially for Bill Haddock. I have fished football jigs since the late 50’s when vinyl skirts were the hot item until silicone and living rubber skirts took over the market. Vinyl was final! PVJ purple vinyl jig. The hook used was Eagle Claw #530 size 3/0 for 1/2 oz football jigs. Good article Glenn, just add keep in touch with the jig. The only issue I had with football jigs was they tend to snag broken rip rap rocks. So in 1971 I had Larry make my Viper head jig that is shaped like a rattle snake head with 90 degree hook. The Viper head stands up 30 degrees and like a football head keeps the hook upright, very important! Changed the hook to Gamakatsu #114 5/0 in the late 80’s. I credit all my giant bass caught on this jig tied with buck tail hair. Tom PS, Lefty’s “puff Ball” jigs now has my Viper head mold.

1993 and get another shot at that 20+ lb bass I lost and fish with my son everyday. Tom

Shimano Aldebaran BSF reel is phenomenal and $245 shipped from Digitaka, $500 from TW. Tom

Bemar lake looks shallow with a few islands. The pike will own the shallow weed lines during the summer months, the smallmouth should be near the steeper breaks around the island or any similar bank area’s. Smallies in Ontario Canada love top water lures the only issue is treble hook lures can be difficult to remove the hooks easily, need a good pair of needle nose pliers! Soft plastics tubes and grubs are killers and a lot easier to catch and release. Shallow to medium diving crank baits can be fished effectively using the same top water rod, reel and line. I suggest taking the MF rods in 6’6” to 7’ spooled with 8 lb Sunline SuperNatural mono or 7 lb Sniper FC. Pike are attracted to shiny lures and lures with blades. Use bright flashy lures with the MH casting combo with 12 lb to15 lb Big Game mono and wire leader. Listen to Swamp Girl, Katie knows Canadian Shield Smallmouths. I have experience with Western Ontario lakes. Tom PS, I doubt those smallies have ever seen a wacky rigged 5” Senko!

Covers work but mine come off during an outing and stay off until returning home. I started using terry cloth towels to cushion the reels in the rod locker or vehicle and that works good. On the boat deck keep out only what you are using, having a display of everything on the deck creates a mess that you step on rods breaking or bending guides the reels banging into each other . Having a few strapped down with a pad under them works good, keep them off the carpet. Now a back seater the rods get transported in sleeves the reels between terry towels, I tend to loose reel covers, they stay home. Tom

You forgot the spinning outfits. If you can’t remember what rod combo is used for what lures it’s time to reduce the inventory.😎 Tom

For decades I bought 6 ea if any crank/jerk bait and fish all of them and 1 or 2 would stand out as bass catchers. Sell off the lures that didn’t do as well. When you see a peg in the tackle shop empty that gives you a hint what’s a hot lure. Being a jig fisherman I have my Viper head jig with at least 5 different color hair ties, another dozen tied with silicone skirts and Pull ball skirts…same jig! Soft plastics the same thing about 4 to 6 different color worms of the same type and about a dozen different types, adds up fast. Sometimes the bass aren’t choosey and eat the 1st lure presented to them, others they are very selective and only strike very specific lures and color. You can be stubborn and use a pet lure the bass don’t want at that time or be versatile and try over lapping colors until the puzzle is solved. Choices we all have to make, catch bass a or practice casting. Tom

The fact that multi-species rods and bass rods use arbitrary ratings to describe both rod power and action. Very difficult to find the rod you prefer without handing each rod. Members say the Dobyns rods are feel different than St Croix. The Dobyns MH is similar to St Croix M and Dobyns Fast action is close to St Croix mod- fast etc across the popular rod brands. To be honest I don’t have an answer to this issue, it’s a touch and feel or maybe feed back from BR. I do have decades of experience with hook sets. I reel fast to start the hook point(s) penetrating bass mouth tissue and make the same firm rod sweep to complete the hook set while continuing to control the bass by reeling. The different rod power action takes care of the power to the lure using the same hook set. I learned not to adjust the hook set and let the rod and line self adjust. Tom

The 2” Wee Craw in mud brown works good for Smallmouth bass. Tom

Just melt the lead and add candle wax to flux the lead in mold pot. The contaminated material floats to the melted lead surface. Use old table spoon to scoop off the junk on the surface. I use a pie tin to put the waste material in. Work with safety glasses, gloves and out doors if possible. Tom PS, old muffin tin makes a good ingot mold.

His neighbor is an electrician should be able to find a hot wire under the consul terminal block to use that run to the bow. Electrical diagrams are called schematics. I would use a Ram mount so you can adjust the sonar unit position and remove it easily. The sonar unit comes with a connectors to operate the unit, 1 for the transducer, another for power and should have a schematic instructions. Tom

Our local public lakes are water storage reservoirs that change structure elements with every draw down and refilling to various pool levels depending on the weather rainfall. Major structures don’t move they erode changing their shape etc. Earthquakes can cause slides changing the underwater topography, not common but they happen. I have fished the local lakes since the dams were build creating the lakes. Watched the structure elements when dry and underwater every year. I know the geography well but the bass keep changing locations as the prey source changes and other predators come and go. Tournaments have an impact on bass locations and electronics discover new locations. It’s a never ending learning curve and love the challenge. Tom

Define best bait bait caster? Tom

Dobyns Ultra Finesse is now $129 Aliexpress. Tom

Aliexpress has a sale coming up on Dobyns Ultra Finsse rods $146. Tom

When using ML bass spinning rods your hook set needs to be firmer in lieu lighter to drive hooks past the barb. I use the reel set with firm rod sweep and it works with every rod I use including BFS light rods. Don’t worry about breaking off, the rod applies the force. Tom

Get out in the water more often and catch more bass on BSF tackle and a few big jig fish. Tom

Multi species rods for trout or walleye have moderate actions, more parabolic. Bass angers prefer fast and extra fast actions. Suggest looking at “trout” spinning rods wide variety available. Tom

The op may not be able to see the trailer wheel on the driver side using his mirrors. If this is the situation open up the rear of the vehicle so you have a visual of the trailer solves the problem. Tom PS take off your fishing hat, don’t want anything blocking your rear view.

Welcome to BR from SoCal. Tom

Only have 3 BFS rods a Falcon CARA ML BFS and 2 Phenix Classic BFS. Reels are Ark Limited Edition BSF and 2 Aldebaran BSF. Castaic had a good surface bite going in Sept for BFS with some Stripe bass mixed in. Stripers are a hand full on BSF and crush Karashi small hooks! In am back seating now no boat. Big Hands is my BSF guiding light. Tom