WRB-2.0

Sounds like the suspended bass should be easy to meter along with a thermocline to establish the life depth zone. Use lures that work well at the specific depth the bass and baitfish are located in. MN the pelagic baitfish should be perch and whitefish, determine what the bait are so you can select color and lure profile. Tom

Guide train shouldn’t affect rod bend flex a great deal. More guides distribute lifting power more evenly and overall finished rod weight but doesn’t make the blank more rigid. Tom

This may have overlooked but MC quality is excellent best offer so far if a 2 piece rid is OK! Tom

If they strike a Whooper Plooper nearly every smallie lure should work😎 Tom

My safety tip; Memorial weekend is no time for a sane angler to be on the water! Tom

Knot tying is part of fishing skills, learn as many as you need as no one knot is perfect for all applications or line types. Both Kreh loop and leader knots are good functional knots to learn. Perfection loop is stronger and ideal for live bait hooks, difficult for larger lures for example. Tom

Tip end or length of the blank? No 2 rod companies are the same regarding bending tip down with measuring against a known standard like CCS data and even that feels different to each angler. For me it’s touch and feel ideally with a reel and line installed. Glass and Glass composite crank bait rods will be more parabolic if limber is your goal. Tom

I only use a few brands; Yamamoto, Roboworm (Missle made by Roboworm), Jackall Flick Shake, Berkley Power and Chigger craws. Iovino no longer in business and Uptons big worms rarely, No reason to add another brand! Tom

Dragon fly nymphs are Darner nymphs and look like a Ned rig, all fresh water fish eat them! If you see lots of dragon flies the nymphs are hatching., Ned rig time! Tom

Lots of plain jig sources. For example Barlows Tackle sells plain jigs in several types plus components and skirts. Tom PS, caution it’s deep rabbit hole!

IMO structure bass are active and suspended bass are neutral and most big post spawn females don’t chase baitfish schools. I know the FFS anglers are unlocking those bass. Tom

You don’t need a high end spinning rod for drop shot as the weight is below the hook, no issue with strike detection. Flexible tip, good mid section to control the bass and light weight rod. I would suggest the cork series Expride ML or new Okuma X series spinning rods. Tom

Watch Hackney’s video posted by Glenn on this topic. Hackney is a jig fisherman and suggest using 3/4 oz with Rage craw for faster ROF and movements to trigger post spawn early Summer big bass. Good advice👍 from an old jig fisherman👨‍🦳. Tom

I grew up on a public lake about 7 miles long with a small village town and the lake dotted by cabins, no fences just wide open forest for kids to roam. People with money didn’t want to drive up the mountain as the road back then was dangerous. Today the road is a highway, the homes are 3 story the village has supermarkets and shopping centers, the lake has changed with more weed beds that get harvested so home owners can use their ski boats etc. The fishing is still good for planted trout and few bass fish so it’s still decent. My memories of the lake how it was can’t be changed so we rarely go there anymore, it’s not the same. Time marches on cherish what you have now! Tom

Remelting injection molded soft plastics doesn’t work well as hand poured plastisol, different plastic that tends to harden. Every hand poured home soft plastic guys I knew worked in there garage. Tom

It will be the only color that works but you can’t duplicate it when it does🤬 Tom

If you don’t use them sell them! I know this hard to do but necessary*. I keep brands together sorted color in gallon zip lock bags for storage and use Plano 3600 trays marked brand, color and type up to 6”. Longer worms stay in zip lock original bags and same jig trailers. I keep my night soft plastics to minimum in 2 each gallon soft zip lock original bags. When had my boat organized what I used in original bags clip onto a storage system to the locker covers easy to see. Bait Storage was 3700 Plano boxes for what I used and bins for everything else. When I sold the boat sold the bin storage soft plastics 1st that was saved for God knows why thousands of soft plastics! *If you can’t remember what you have you don’t need it! Now a back seater it’s easier to stay organized keeping my custom soft plastics and a only the brands that work all the time. Should have done this decades ago! Tom

When I first tried drop shot using a bullet weight and a small spilt shot to hold it to end on the line was all we had and worked OK. Someone came up with weight that swiveled to reduce line twist and crimped the weight attachment to hold the weight on the end of the line. No turning back this design is all I have used for decades. Tom

Watch Glenn’s tutorial Video’s and MLF, Bassmaster tournament TV coverage. Not into self grandiose videos, rather spend what precious time I have fishing my own way. Tom

The Missle Magic worms is fatter then Roboworm and you get 14 count. We have been getting 30+ lb 5 bass limits bags on the 6” drop shot with Ed’s orange ( robo orange crusher). Tom

I use Missle Magic worms made by Roboworm….good worm! Tom

Suggest considering a spinning rod for unweighted 5” Senko’s. 7’2” EXS72MLB 10% Memorial Day sale @ TW Tom

Owner 5103 size 5/0 works good. Tom

When line freezes in the guides it’s too cold for this old man🥶

Carolina rig with live anchovies or sardines is your best bet for halibut. 2 oz* egg weight swivel size 1/0 nose hooked. Second would be fresh squid in a jig. Third paddle tail jig. Halibut are usually bottom feeders and tend to chew on bait before swallowing it so delay hook sets are good. Casting lures on a charter boat is frowned on by the crew. A Tady or Salad jig (iron)ir paddle tail Jig is your best bet. Tom * 2 oz weight for every 25’ depth; 40’ =4 oz etc.