WRB-2.0

I recall Hite doing a show on Hartwell lake using the round rubber mop jig Tom

Musky size black wooden Jitterbug works good by adding a small screw eye with CPS spring to attach 7” straight tail black worm for a Rat lure. Same mod on the 5/8 size with 4” worm. Best time for me was dusk. Tom

After down sizing and selling boat/tackle container becoming occasional back seater with 5 rod/reel combos and 2 tackle bags. A terminal tackle bag and a lure tackle bag. Easy to stay organized with minimal tackle. Tom

I lost my polarized glasses prescription glasses 10 days ago and needed a pair quickly for a trip to New Zealand Monday. Costco came though with updated eye exam and picked the glasses yesterday. Exam and Oakley frame glasses under $200. Tom My optometrist couldn’t see me until March!

Suggest you give the bass a break for awhile. Drop shot clear cold water try Roboworm 4 1/2” straight tail midnight and Jackall Flic shake 4.8 in Cola. Wacky rig both. Tom PS, dark colors work good in cold clear water in lieu of more traditional transparent colors used in warmer water.

Wax only makes it worse! Warm soap and water then clean with a tooth brush. White vinegary and warm water following the soap and water. Tom

Stress over time damages the CMC joint and arthritis set into the joint. Steroid shots reduce inflammation and physical therapy helps to reduce pain and keep the joint moving. Surgery is the last step to polish the joint removing spurs. Being a gymnasts in my youth my hand joints along with shoulders and spine were over stressed and arthritis is a chronic condition I deal with. Advil helps, Voltaren and CBD and exercise to stretch and keep the joints moving become a daily routine. If you have surgery then a soft brace needs to be worn until it heals followed by therapy. Using a bait casting reel with incorrect hand motion will over time stress the Thumb CMC joint. Watching pro bass anglers today most have incorrect hand motion. Your thumb should be facing towards your ear at the top of the casting motion and end up with the reel handle to the same side not with your thumb on top of the spool. The twisting of the wrist to rotate the reel over stresses the thumb CMC joint and wrist. Tom

You may not be able to cast 4” & 5” unweighted Senko with MHF casting rods with either brand referenced. Suggest looking at MF casting casting rods. Tom

Welcome to BR Bigtex I assume you are located in Texas? Can you add the spinning reel size; ie 2500 and line type and size? Same with bait casting. Helps to answer your inquiry. Lure weights are ball park and jigs don’t include the hook, skirt or trailer. Tom

Agree very few weekend anglers could compete with the Average pro more the once. Tom

Catching bass on a recreational outing doesn’t compare to tournament competition totally different conditions but the bass behavior doesn’t change your decisions do. Tom

My aerospace engineer career allowed my to travel across our country and several others. Most engineers or technical organizations liked to golf I like to fish, I wanted to fish and did for 50 years. You would be surprised that bass behavior doesn’t change much coast to coast, border to border. Catching bass everywhere wasn’t that difficult. Tom

All during my youth enjoyed competing in serval sports so bass club derbies were another event to compete in. I liked tournament fishing but thought winning was everything and too driven to enjoy the events. Gave up fishing tournaments to focus on my goal to catch a world record bass. I could pick when and where to fish and avoid weekend club derbies or local bass tournaments. When my son wanted to fish local tournaments we fished charity night events that we both enjoyed without any pressure to win. Tom

If you live in California as I do and want to compete in B.A.S.S. Tour events you must move and relocate in the heartland where those events are held. Several west coast Elite pros have moved to Texas, Alabama etc. When I was considering bass fishing professionally moving to the heartland, leaving my aerospace career was out of the question. Tom PS, B.A.S.S. doesn’t schedule events in California because the communities don’t support them.

About 90’s 6.3:1 high speed reels were common and used for all types lures including crank baits from lipless to DD22’s. We learned the deep divers were easier to use with the older 4.7:1 Ambassadors and used used those. Nothing has changed the lower gear ratio larger spool diameter reel are easier to use for deep diving crank baits and 6.3:1 still works for all other crank baits Tom

You are talking about “ Pro’s” that have their boats fishing local events that don’t travel to national events. These anglers aren’t average Joe’s and must fish as pro’s in Open events. Fine line between Elite pro from other local pro bass anglers. Tom

Can you explain when Average beats Elites all the time? The tournaments a Average Joe ( Amateur ) get a chance to fish with an Elite is Pro/Am open events as a back seater. Tom

Deps 175 Crappie is good with dark head and tail few other glides have. BB phantom Shad works. Tom

The 2 speed pen International reels basically down shift to lower gear ratio 4.1:1 to 1.4:1 for example. Shifting is simple push in a button on crank handle center shaft. Down shifting helps fighting big game fish near the boat to put maximum pressure on the fish. Can’t see any reason to have a 2 speed bass reel. Looks like it’s been tried a few times with bass reels without success. Tom

Siebert Outdoors make excellent jigs with premium hooks at a reasonable price, start there. Skinny Bear Pro series are very good but at a higher price. Tom

Old thread and I am 4 years older now. Age is very important to be able to fish a pro tournament trail. With few exceptions pro anglers between 30 to 50 years dominate the pro circuits. Average Joe is in their prime wage earning period of the lives unable to dedicate time to bass fishing and keep up with the fast changing technologies and time sell themselves to sponsors. Tournament bass fishing is night and day from recreational bass fishing. Tournaments have time restrictions, specific days to fish and off limit areas you can’t fish plus lots of rules that Average Joe doesn’t have. Pressure to catch bass under tournament conditions few Average Joe has the skill set to perform and make the cut! Tom

Casting or spinning tackle and what line size and type. Hook style and size depends on rigged weedless or open nose or wacky. I use spinning tackle for drop shot with 7 lb sniper FC line. Hooks; weedless Owner #5133 size 1/0 or 2/0 depending on worm diameter. Open nose or wacky rig Owner size 1 Mosquito hook. Wacky rigged 5” Senko Owner size 1 Wacky Jungle weedless hook. Tom

Cats post the most essential component is your brain to interpret what your fingers and eyes telling you. Tom

Relocating from MN to Georgia is a big change regarding locating LMB that are structure fish vs cover fish. I suggest hiring a good local guide to teach you how to effectively use your sonar unit to find bass on creek channel ledges / breaks. Your sonar becomes your eyes in lieu of looking at visual cover areas. Both Hartwell and Lanier have Stripe bass and blue back herring. Strippers tend to dominate LMB that feed on herring schools. Verticle jigging spoons and working jigs and Carolina rigged worms along the creek channel breaks and using top water lures like Gunfish for school herring will be your primary tackle. Good fishing lakes, enjoy. Tom PS, add another Daiwa reel 7:1.1 for your SC Rod

Phenix Boron rods were good but like all boron rods the resin wasn’t compatible and eventually failed. Today’s graphite rods are thinner wall and very light plus reliable. Tom PS sensitivity is between your ears.