WRB-2.0

Lead bullet weights are inexpensive and the 1st “bullet” weight on the market in the 60’s, over 65 year ago. Lead was considered toxic to water fowl and outlawed for sale in some States. For those States your choices are Brass, Steel alloys (bismuth) or Tungsten. Tungsten is a very hard metal heaver the lead therefore small in size for vs all the other choices and more expensive to process making Tungsten bullet weights far more expensive. Lead being a soft heavy metal tends to flatten the nose end hole and needs reopening occasionally to slide freely. Tungsten being very hard sharp edges will cut your line especially at the nose end of a bullet weight. Brass isn’t as popular because of it’s lighter weight making it larger size then lead weight. Brass has a unique sound when hitting hard rocks or heat treated glass beads ; “Brass n Glass” used in doddling Texas rig, my favorite! Steel alloy has nearly disappeared as the bullet weight choice. Tom

I would say 80% girth to length ( Lx L x G / 1200=weight in pounds. Add 1% for pre spawn eggs. 26.75 x 26.75 x 21.4 =15,313.0375 / 1200 = 12.76 lbs add 1% for pre spawn with eggs = 14 lbs. Tom

We have a number of sun days until our skin has had enough before the cancer develops, the number of days depends on your specific skin type. I am blue eyed Nordic/Scottish with skin not developed for tropical sun that I exposed it to and damaged my skin beyond repair. Tom

SIMM’s open palm fishing gloves👍 Tom PS, loss of hearing is normal for most men over 60! Almost def in my left ear and about 50% in my right ear…aids needed. Hunting, shooting, vibration testing but A fuel dragsters and drag boats didn’t help😵‍💫 Tom

Palomar easy to tie using small skirt less jigs like a Ned. SD jam knot works good. Tom

Caught a lot of DD size bass over the decades using swim baits in November through January, a few in May night tournaments but nothing over 16 lbs, mostly 10 lb to 12 lbs., 15.2 lbs was my last big swim bait bass in 2012 at lake Casitas. Tom PS, biggest bass I ever hooked was in May 1993 but broke it off on a rocky ridge.

Yep all 5 PB LMB caught in pre spawn using hair jigs w/ pork trailer. 19.3 lb lake Castaic, March 1993 18.6 lb lake Casitas, February 1981 17.6 & 17.4 lb lake Castiac February 1991 17.4 lb lake Casitas, March 1992 Tom

Sonar pinging has been an issue for decades and FFS is stronger pinging. It comes down to how active the bass are and how pressured the fishery is. I rarely use my sonar before fishing a spot known to hold big bass and check the area out while leaving to determine if the bass are there just not active. I also use sonar when trying to locate bass and bait depth and caught lots of bass with the sonar on. It comes down to my feeling at the moment regarding the size of the bass and activity level. It’s good to know the bass are there! Tom

If you can think of it, it has already been tried several times. Like nearly everything in bass fishing if scent gives you more confidence do it! I am a believer in scents for soft plastics, jigs and soft swim baits, not for hard lures. According to Berkley garlic molecules are too large for bass olfactory scenes and bass don’t react positively to anise oil yet I use fresh garlic with 100% anise oil very successfully on my pork rind jig trailers. Confidence probably but I always use garlic/anise oil scent and have for decades. Tom PS; Pro-Cure makes their scents using ground up bait, already done for you!

Yes I lost maybe 2 LMB 20+ lbs one I got a good look at the other another trophy angler got a good look at. I have been blessed to catch the giants I did put in the boat. The ones that got away tend to keep you up at night and hard to forget. Tom

Bubba Lite looks good. Tom

Berkley has done a lot of study on attractants. Bottom line is attractants gives you confidence use it! Suggest you don’t add it to a bag of soft plastics just dab on individually. Tom

Man’s 12 month calendar doesn’t apply to bass it’s all about water temperature where the bass are located. Bass winter is when water temps drop below 50 degrees for FLMB and 45 for NLMB. Tom

2021 thread! Nothing changed since. Tom

Use a hollow body frog in lieu of a toad. Tom

Consider buying extra reel spool for the bait caster; one spool with braid and second spool with 12 lb Big Game mono line. Personally not a fan of braid with leader using bait casting reels. Tom

Major Craft rods are well made and good choices with your combo’s👍 Tom

Lb in fishing line is pound test strength not weight. For what it’s worth .011 diameter to .012 diameter covers 8 lb test to 10 lb test average monofilament nylon line and 10lb to 12 lb test Fluorocarbon line. Bass in the pond/small lakes either line within the diameter range will be good. This is what I use where I bass in trophy size bass lakes using lures between 1/4 to 3/4 oz. Tom

We have Florida straight in LMB that are less aggressive and more wary striking lures then their Northern strain cousins. Lakes with Northern strain LMB the bass and Spotted Bass are easier to catch, strike lures more aggressively. The only small diameter Nylon mono line with superior strength was Sunline Defier Armilo no loner available🤬. Sunline Super Natural is small diameter but doesn’t have the same knot strength or abrasion resistance as Armilo has. Berkley Big Game in similar line diameter as Armilo is a decent substitute. Tom

Try fishing lakes under 2,000 acres with over 100 bass boats daily some with professional guides daily! Line diameter trumps line lb test! Tom

This can be as complicated as you make it. Bass; LMB, Smallmouth and Spotted are not line shy fish! Fluorocarbon line doesn’t increase strike ratio! What FC offers is less drag going through water and it’s heavier than water and sinks. The combined result is better strike detection using bottom bumping lures. What you You give up using FC line is knot strength vs diameter of line. I only use FC for jigs and worms for bottom contact. Tom

Why are big bass at their maximum weight during pre spawn ( January to March) is California? The bass have been feeding during Summer months with a wide variety of abundant prey and continue feeding during fall a time period the big females are developing eggs. Winter or the cold water period bass don’t stop eating they slow down because they are cold blood with cold body temps reducing their need for more food. As the water starts to warm the metabolism increases and the need for prey increases plus the eggs are still developing increase the females overall weight. In the winter DFW plants hatchery raised Rainbow trout when the water temps are below 60 degrees so the trout can survive and this coincides with Winter to Pre Spawn period when the big bass need more protein for the Spawn cycle. Hungry big bass are catchable during Pre Spawn increasing your odds greatly. Tom

20’ of 8 gage wire was your initial statement, 20’ of 6 gage wire will reduce DC voltage resistance. For you set up a 50 amp circuit marine breaker should work good. Tom

It’s called bass fishing, we are always looking for the next lure, technique or presentation to improve catching more or bigger bass. Settling down on a few successful lures or area’s will leave you wondering should I move or change lures? Bass anglers use more different lures and presentation than any other fisherman, it’s nearly unlimited. You are not alone! Tom

PM your email address and I will send you an older In-Fisherman article on Horizontal Jigging using hair jigs. The jig head design dictates where a jig can be effectively fished, the skirt simply adds color and movement along with a trailer. Preacher Jig are open water swim jigs with line tie on top of the jig head, poor choice for any type of aquatic cover. I fish my custom hair jigs year around from 1’to 40’ of water. Buck tail tied correctly has a life like movement and texture, keep oily-greasy attractant away for hair as it mats it killing the movement. Tom