WRB-2.0

Breaking a bass rod usually occurs by operator error high sticking and boat flipping bass. The problems with Carrot Stix was random breaking by pro and recreational bass anglers. Tom

Use a frog hook on the Magdraft and replace the magnet with small round magnet. Are you using the shallow or deep Daingeruos? Tom

My late in-laws in Lake of the Woods would catch small Pike to pickle! I don’t know their receipt but pickle Pike was very popular hors d’ orous in Canada. Tom

This issue with Pike Minnow is lots of small bones making it difficult to eat but is editable. My in-laws didn’t like to eat smaller size Northern Pike for the same reason but when boned properly was editable fish. Tom

Another vote for Kalin single tail grub and add Yamamoto double tail grub! Tom

A jig is simple a head molded into a hook. What makes a jig better is the hook. If you use a jig with weak wire hook it can’t be sharpened really sharp because the metal is too soft to be sharp. Owner and Gamakatsu make very strong light wire hooks that are extremely sharp because the metal used is heat treated hard to hold a sharp point that can be resharpened using diamond hook hone. If a hook bends open it will bend open again with less force because the metal is weakened. Cheap jigs use poor quality hooks. Tom

We call Pike Minnows Squaw fish and they can get over 3’ long some 6’ long! Worthless as a food fish. Tom

Power is rated by Medium Heavy or Heavy the strength of the rod. Action is rated how flexible the rod bends from tip down. Each rod maker rates the power and action differently! For example swim bait rods power is listed in ounces whereas standard bass rods power shown in fractions of an ounce. Confusing…..yes! Tom

We got rid of all our Cannon SLR’s and compact travel cameras because the new iPhones camera’s are excellent quality photos and video’s. Fishing alone a GoPro is ideal. Tom

Skeet Reese “Yellow” Lamiglas rods pre dated Ducketts Carrot Stix. The “white” rods Duckett did introduce to the industry. Tom

Boyd Duckett introduced Carrot Stick rods and within a few years dropped it and introduced his new brand of rods. The Carrot Stick name was poison after several failures. Tom

Aluminum boats add floatation foam under the seats in case the boat is swamped and filled with water to prevent sinking. If you fish navigable water with Coast Guard regulations modifying the flotation foam may be a safety violation. Tom

Haven’t used the traditional C-rig in decades, too many knots! I use what I call the “Slip Shot” rig or finesse C-rig. Cylinder “mojo” sinker, Carolina Stopper or pegged glass bead and 1 knot at the hook. Spinning the weight is 1/8 oz or 3/16oz depending on wind and depth. 5 lb Maxima UG copoly line, #5133 2/0 hook and variety of finesse worms or reapers. The weight is usually about 36” up from the hook. The mono line keeps the line from dragging on the bottom. Bait casting the weight is 3/8 to 1/2 oz, hook is 4107 size 3/0 and 6” to 7” worms, Kietech Fat Impact or Hula grubs. Line 11 lb Diefer mono. Tom

Welcome from SoCal😀 Are you in the Guadiana River basin area? Tom

Neko is the old nail weight worm rig, new name old rig. The is wacky hooked but closer to the head weight end about 1” to 1 1/2” not in the center. Also cutting off 1/4” of the nose so it’s flat to insert the weight helps to stand up the worm when it hits bottom. Worms that tend to float upright are critical. Robo/Missle Magic worms are a good choice and over looked option. Tom

UV can breakdown Spectra fibers otherwise braid ins’t affected by shelf life. Tom

Check the armature brushes. Tom

it’s more fun and catch bass on moving lures then soaking soft plastics. Wacky rigged worms like Weightless Senko, nail weight worm, drop shot wacky hooked worm, Flick Shaky jig worm is boring but fun catching bass on using finesse tackle. Tom

Skeet Reese just retired from pro bass fishing and is a native Californian from Northern CA, top 5 $ winning bass pro with over 3 1/2 million during his career. Tom

Plastic grocery bag works, that is we used before lip clamps. Fasten a new lip clamp onto the hook, problem solved. Tom

Watching a MLF team event held on Stick Marsh area with Bobby and Chris Lane as a team, Scruggins and Robinson team, Skeet Reese and John Murray team and 2 new rookies younger Gill and Robinson team fished early summer heavy matted lake Garcia. The winners were the young rookies using FFS and spinning tackle with drop shot worms in isolated open area small weed clumps won by over 30 lbs. The older skilled Florida angers punching/flipping mats got their butts handed to them. Tom

Both Pike and Muskies have a poor turning radius and miss the lure but get the line in front of the lure resulting in instant bite off using mono or FC line. Hooked in the mouth the line usually stays away from the sharp teeth. big Pike have a habit of rolling getting the line around their gill covers cutting the line, important to keep your fish under control. When I was Musky fishing using big heavy lures 30 lb Max UG copoly line with 12” wire leader worked good. My PB 37 lb Musky was a gift for sure as my wife was with me taking a friend home to her island cottage and stopping to make a cast with a small bass jig under a airplane hanger to catch a Smallmouth that turned out to be the Musky. Good fish that jumped full body length and had to follow the fish until trying to net it with an old cotton net. My wife netted the Musky that went right though the net! Managed to put the Musky in the boat and ran the boat back to the party, lots of exitment and photo’s but unfortunate the Musky died from too much handling😒. The Musky keeps my mounts company and good memories. Tom

It comes down to rod-reel-line-lure combination what size is used. Casting big heavy lures requires tackle that can effectively perform the task. Standard MHF bass rod and reel using lures to 1 oz can effectively fight and land big Pike and Musky if you can control and not try to over power the big fish. My PB Musky is 37 lbs caught using a 2500C reel w/ 8 lb mono line, not ideal but possible. Tom

Started using electronics when the 1st Lowrance Fish Lo K Tor came out in 1960 or 65 years and counting. Sonar is my eyes under water and don’t like fishing blind! Tom

Our SoCal bass lakes have very good water clarity with very little vegetation cover to hide under, yet we catch them on nearly all bright days. The wives tale that bass don’t have eye lids so they seek shade is BS! Tom PS, Bobby Murray won the 1st lake Mead BASS Classic using a spinner bait in clear shallow water!