WRB-2.0

Bass can’t get into your tackle box to strike those Bandits. Tie them on and catch bass! Tom

800 miles sounds like a trip from home to lake Shasta in NorCal no big deal. Check all your towing lights, wheel lube and put everything away that can be stolen during gas’s or lunch stops. Take out the drain plug and out it on the boat key bob. We can only travel at 55 - 60 mph but the 18 wheelers trucks travel 72 mph so keep your eye out for them and cars passing at light speed. When you stop walk around your rig and check everything and wheel heat. Be safe 800 miles isn’t a long distance, about 15 hrs. Tom PS, check you spare tire and know how to change it.

You think LMB are my favorite fish to catch and you are wrong. My life long goal was catching a WR LMB and spent more time on the water pursuing that goal bass are not my favorite fish. Musky over 50” are up there for fresh water fish. My favorite are Blue Marlin followed by Black Marlin, both are equally difficult to catch and get over 1,000 lbs. Marlin are spectacular fighters with high speed and jumps. Stripe Marlin are common and fun to catch but it’s there Black and Blue cousins that get my vote. Tom

^^^^focus making #7 enjoyable time^^^^ Tom

Get a line counter. Tom

Try looking at Siebert Outdoors our site sponsor. The expense is often related to the hook and materials used plus labor. Cheap hooks are worthless! Buying your skirt tab materials and jig heads adds up fast! Tom

Welcome to BR condolences for your loss. I am sure members will be glad to help sell your dads tackle however we need to know what you have and be able to contact you via PM. Posting photos is good method to determine what lures you have. A group photo works OK. Rods and reels need to be identified by make and model, photos help. If you want someone to come by suggest arranging that by PM. Tom

Irod IRA 754C Air very light weight well balanced lures 3/8- 1 1/2 oz, 7’5” fast. $250. Irod IQ744C, 1/4- 1 1/2 oz, 7’4” fast, $200 Tom PS, I have no affiliation with IROD.

When I was still working and traveling to extreme cold climates Eddie Buarer Silk underwater pants and long sleeve shirt was comfortable traveling and warm in very cold weather (-40) with normal warm down coat outer wear without being bulky. My issue was gloves hate wearing them. Good wool hat, scarf and socks worked as long as not exposed to wind. Tom

Yes under TW hard baits. Heddon Sonar very popular in northern lakes to vertical jig. Southern lakes Silver Buddy is the go to blade bait. Tom

60% finesse soft plastics. 15% top water, jerk and crank baits. 20% jigs* 5% swimbaits. Tom * 95% bass over 10 lbs.

It’s easier to remove treble hooks to sharpen them. Tom

Classic Spotted Bass. Tom

At one time there were 3 Spotted Bass species; Northern/Kentucky, Southern/Alabama and Kansas/Wichita now extinct. California stocked Northern Spotted Bass in 1939 at Friant dam/Lake Millerton central CA. Southern Spotted Bass introduced on lake Perris 1974, SoCal. Perris produced the 1st CA world record Spot 9 lbs 5 oz. The Spots have vanished at Perris. Current world record is 11 lbs 5 oz from Bullards Bar, 2015. Pine Flat, Don Pedro and New Melonie’s produced record Spots. Tom

“I landed about 50% of my fish” Tom

Hook, line and sinker I fell for Sound Bite Lures. They were electric jigs and C-rig weights that actually worked at night but they didn’t keep working, the battery died. Tom

Would you use the IMX rod for 1/2 oz bottom contact jigs? chatterbait has the same hook to set and I recall you have a low hook set average. Tom

The OP lives in NorCal with world class Spotted Bass fishing. Hollow body swimbaits were created by Bruce at Basstrix with his paddle tail. The closest Spot lake to the OP is Berryessa and not far from Bullards Bar. Tom

Chatter bait isn’t a crank bait, it’s a jig with a blade. You don’t need to use a moderate action rod with a jig that has a heavy big hook whereas a crank bait has treble hooks that tend to tear out. Now you are talking about using swimbaits, size and weight determines rod, reel and line choices. Tom

Try Break Free CLP for a light oil for level wind worm gear and spool shaft bearings without tearing down the reel. Works good for me for over 3 decades. Tom

Back reeling only applies to spinning reels with right/left hand operation switch to change the reel handle to left or right. No spinning reel was made to reel backwards that is what the Drag every spinning reel has is designed to perform. Bass anglers primarily use conventional bait casting reels that can’t be reeled backwards they have anti reverse devices since the free spool reels entered the market late 1950’s along with a Star drag adjustment device and free spool release to perform casting. The OP’s thoughts are ridiculous as very few anglers lock down a spinning reels drags and allow the reels to handle to turn backwards. We bass anglers have learned to set the drag and trust and maintain it to perform as intended. Tom

PM Glenn. Tom

The topic of rod “sensitivity” is BS! Anyone discussing this topic ever detected a jig strike at 40+yards / 120’ long cast? What rod can do that? The answer is none! The angler holding the rod that made the cast detects strikes, not the rod! The rod simply casts the lure and it’s up to you to detect strikes. The rod helps to get a good hook set and keep the bass under control to land the fish. The line and connecting knot needs to be strong enough to overcome the power of the bass but you the angler that needs the skill to control the fish. I am a big fan of state of the art light weight strong rods that assist and help me cast lures and allow me, the angler, to detect line movements that indicate a bass has my lure. All any rod can do is not dampen line feedback to detect a strike. I caught hundreds of big bass using rods, reels and line most of you wouldn’t use today. Tom

We are allowed 2 brown geese daily in California. Comfort is pricey for a private club hunt. At 50 still carried decoys and enjoyed water fowl with my son and Freckles the Brittany. Tom

6’6” spinning rod the balance point should be the center of the reel seat on the rod referenced, reel weight is negated. Reel size differs on weight for each mfr and model. I suggested the specific 1000 reel for its excellent reputation, smooth drag and performance at the price point. 1000 size reels have slower IPT and gear ratio’s, advantage for the OP’s use. Tom