WRB-2.0

Been using Maxima Ultra Green since it came out about the 1980’s. UG is excellent copolymer line with 1 down side is high memory in cold weather. 5 lb UG has been my go to finesse line 45 years now! 5 lb was hard to find for awhile now available again. Changed to 10 & 12 lb Big Game for my crank bait fishing around 1990 for better low temp performance and price to change line often. Sunline Armilo was ideal line using 11 lb for bait casting crank baits and 25lb for all my swim baits wish they didn’t take it off the market. Dieter Shooter Nylon can still be found and very good line. Tom

Big swim baits work for a few reasons their size makes them highly visible and detectable from a greater distance than small lures. Bass don’t know their size so they can only get close to determine if the prey can be eaten and make mistakes sometimes trying to eat something they can’t swallow. The bigger lures drawing power can’t be over looked. The fact a big swim bait can be cast a long distance takes advantage of its drawing power. Just because it’s big doesn’t guarantee the big bass will strike it. The bass may be curious and follow the swim bait. In musky fishing this follow is called raising a fish revealing it’s location, bass are no different they also reveal this location. I have caught DD size bass using big swim baits but no giant bass over 15lbs. The giant bass I did catch were using hair jigs with pork trailers because that was the lure I choose 90% of the time. jig doesn’t cover a lot of water unless you make very long casts and harder for a bass to detect, must be within their strike window lowering the odds. When a big bass does locate the jig they usually strike it more often than a bigger lure. No panacea using any particular lure just lots of time on the water grinding it out. Tom

No on a hair jig with pork trailer. I learned my hook set technique using a falling twin spin spinnerbait. Tom

I credit my skill in detecting and getting solid hook set after making a long cast over 40 yards using twin spin spinner baits. Why…the old twin spin was a vertical helicopter falling lure that required keeping in touch with the line vibration from the blades. When the blades stopped before hitting bottom a bass had it. I couldn’t move enough line to get a hook using the rod and developed the reel set cranking the line tight then firm rod sweep to complete the hook set. I adopted my horizontal jig presentation from the twin spin strike detection feeling live movements and hook set. Without that experience would have missed all my giant bass catches. Tom

There’s is always the exception to the rule! Most PB big bass are broken off by angler error.The big bass get hooked and comes towards the boat before it knows what’s going on, see’s the boat and panics about the same time the anger see’s bass and panics! The combination of confusions ends up loosing the bass! My practiced reaction is tell myself to slow down pull on the line to check the drag and remind me this could be the fish. At this point it has taken a life time to hook this bass and everything goes into slow motion no mistakes, the only thing that matters is put the bass into the boat…follow the fish keep in control I put a lot of giant bass in boat following this advice. Tom

Lyman bullet lead. Tom

Introducing Floria strain LMB into areas away from their native zone creates boom & bust cycles everywhere. The initial Year class does very well for about a 15 year period. The following year classes depend on F1 recruitment year class hit and miss. We blamed bust years in everything imageable but it comes down to successful spawn survival rates adjusting to a new environment, fishing pressure and good management. Tom

It matters what the bass think it is not what we think. Colors give us confidence to use the them. Exact replicate allows the swimbait to blend into the environment the prey has evolved into to survive. I believe contrast stands the lure out from the prey and nature stand outs don’t live long. Tom

Big swim bait is a term difficult to define today. Length is one factor but width is rarely discussed and very important. Big bass avoid eating bluegills wider than you hand because they swallow safely do to spiny dorsal fin get stuck in the throat. long and skinny big swimbaits like Deps or Huddleston are easy profiles for bass to eat. Tom

Fish are not high enough on the intellect scale to have a temper to be angry. Territorial protection shouldn’t be confused with anger. Crayfish (crawdads) are high in protein as a food source, don’t know where your information is coming from? The majority of giant bass caught in California were caught on live crawdads. I am an exception using jigs that replicate crawdads because jigs allowed me to cover more water and not anchor. Tom

This will sound silly but to catch big bass you must fish for them where they live. Can’t catch em if you don’t fish where they are at. For whatever reason became fascinated catching the biggest bass where I fished. Study big bass habits and learned everything you can about them. For example big bass are females. Female bass are their heaviest weight prior to spawning or “pre spawn’ and feeding heavily to add body weight to get them through the spawn cycle without feeding. The big females don’t eat once they start laying eggs. The big bass will protect their beds but that is a makes basses primary duty. Target the big girls before they go onto beds! Big bass eat high protein prey and avoid spiny prey like big bluegill. Study what big bass avoid eating bluegill!….yes! Big spawner’s will attack any egg eater like bluegills but not as a high protein prey source! The big girls prefer softer ray less spiny prey fish and crawdads. You want to catch big pre spawn bass use lures that replicate their preferred prey source. Tom

I will be 82 in July and inside looking out I am 22 and still love to fish. Still can get up at O’ dark 30 and get ready to fish. My balance isn’t what it was but I believe in my fishing skills, casting and working lures, detecting strikes. No longer have my boat so must rely on back seating. Tom p

Catching old big fat bass using jigs. Tom

Most pro bass anglers are at their peak between 30-45 years old and a few stretch that to 25-55 years old. Rick Clunn the exception winning in his 70’s because he could fish and stay focused 3 days in row. Ever since Lowrance put the green box on the market finding bass became easer for each generation taking advantage of sonar technology to locate bass. It is now the same as it always was location, location, location to find bass regardless how it’s done. We age and our ability to carry the torch disappears before we know it. Tom

Pure Fishing owns Fenwick and the rights to 3M Nano resin used in high end rod blanks. The World Class series Fenwick rod are made with the 3M Nano resign so the blanks are every, the overall rod build is questionable. Tom.

They offer a light weight glass. Tom

Should be easy to add 1 1/2” aluminum angle fastened to the sides of the existing storage boxes, to support the lid, use 5/8” marine ply wood hinged at the bow platform and coved with carpet for a lid. Making a hole in the front deck support for the rod tips. Add a step at the cockpit end could be a shallow cooler. Tom

Check out your local Coast Guard regulations having bow riders ( your kids). Only other option may be using rocket launchers like the kayak anglers use. 5 people in a 16’ boat is 2 more then it’s safe. Don’t want to sound like lecturing you but you need a longer boat. Tom

What are the red cushion used for? The dual consul takes up a lot of space so I would consider removing the passenger side consul to extend the storage box lengthening the top surface to accommodate your rods. Tom

Welcome to BR👍 What area in Ontario? Tom

I fish Texas rig with a bead and sliding bullet weight. Worms anywhere from 6” to 13” straight, curl and ribbon tails. Most common weight is 3/16 oz for worms 6” to 7 1/2”, 1/4 & 3/8 for larger worms. Hooks prefer straight shank 3/0, 4/0 & 5/0. Tom

Ponds are small and the ecosystem fragile for predators like bass. Over population vs prey supply impacts ponds quickly. Lake are larger bodies of water with a diverse ecosystem with more predator fish the bass competes with to survive, over population isn’t a problem imo. I occasionally get the opportunity to fish private lakes without any fish management and very little fishing pressure. These lakes are well balanced producing bass of all sizes including big healthy bass. A few of these water storage lakes are approaching 100 years old. Regarding C & R with bass stored in livewells for hours there is a higher post release mortality rate then most bass anglers recognize. Trophy or PB bass often end up being shown off and over stressed/ handled ending dead. Over population in lakes isn’t the issue imo . Tom

Been bass fishing since the mid 50’s before reels had drags and used Langley 330 & 340 reels. My preference is having a casting reel with smooth quite retrieve and comfortable using. Back when Abu Ambassador reels came out with red 500 followed by 5000 the reels were heavy and gear noise uncomfortable reels to use. The introduction of the 2500C and 4500C reels became out and became My go to casting reel until changing to Daiwa TD HTiA reels in the 90!s. The Abu Ambassador reels required polishing the gears using tooth paste to quiet them. Some good oils came out like Rocket Fuel that helped. I only use Daiwa and Shimano casting and spinning reels the past 35 years no reason to change. Tom

Lot of lactose free or low lactose dairy type foods. Being gluten free is more difficult but doable. What I experience when traveling aboard is their food doesn’t affect me negatively like our local food does, especially regarding gluten impacting my arthritis. Horizon lactose free milk is good and fruit gelato in lieu of ice cream. My problem with gluten is my love of good bread and pasta being pre diabetic and don’t like our domestic gluten free products. Eggs are lactose free and most meats and vegetables so that makes up most of our diet. Catt I know you will adjust and get back to everything you like to do soon. Tom

If you can find a Major Craft NAC-T681M/SI Iovino Slash-It 6’8” MMF rod is what I use with SLX 70MGL reel for my utility rod 1/4 to 1/2 lures. Tom