WRB-2.0

Hobby shops have small paint brush’s made for Testors 1/4 oz bottles. I use a small diameter rod ( small bore riffle ) or tight wire under a cabinet through screw eyes to hang painted jigs to dry. Tom PS 1/4 bottles will cover 50 + jigs. Tom

I use Testors 1145 white. Tom

Look for USS Relief, floating rest rooms. Tom

2015+ Merc 75 4 stroke rpm 4,500-5500. Your boat is rated to 115 hp. 1/4” smaller diameter prop isn’t going to help with your hull. Adding 2” pitch you need more hp to increase rpm’s. Your flat bottom hull isn’t designed for speed, too much wet surface. Weight distribution is the easiest method to increase speed. Dry livewell, put anything that adds weight behind the drive seat. Change the trolling motor batteries to LifePO4 to save weight. Tom

In SoCal colors are lake specific and generally Threadfin Shad smoke colors. Purple, browns and greens or combinations of all 3 make up colors that work in our clear water reservoirs with Florida LMB populations. Reds and black are not as effective as the Shad and purple, browns and greens with FLMB however very good with lakes having Northern LMB and Smallmouths populations. Greens for Spotted bass. Blues especially neon blue highlights in all the colors works good.

The Quagga mussel problem raised it’s ugly head in CA 2008. The 1st step was Clean & Dry inspection and sticker. Then lake Casitas raised the bar adding a 35 day quarantine period with a cable to lock the boat to the trailer to reenter the lake. Most SoCal lakes today have the Clean & Dry sticker requirement listed a 7 day quarantine period initially plus a cable tag to the enter lakes. A few lakes honor the same Clean & Dry cable tag system so you are not locked onto 1 lake. NorCal is just starting the SoCal protocol do to new invasive mussels being discovered. Berryessa appears to be adopting the Casitas protocol except 30 days and looking at lake Cachuma’s steam wash technique. The Delta like the Colorado River lakes are beyond saving, the Clean & Dry protocol is an attempt to prevent the spread. Total PIA, Tom

Does the “barrel” livewell have a drain and fill circulation pump? Do you intend to put fish or bait in the barrel? Weight distribution is important in all types of boats so balance the load. Pontoons are difficult to maneuver in the wind, you may need a stern TM to help turn the boat in tight spaces. Telecoping push pole comes in handy along with a longer handle net. Enjoy, Tom

For the sake of discussion let’s assume there is a “sensitivity” meter to measure casting rods on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most sensitive. To make this meter we must first define what sensitivity is. Transmitting line movement going through the rod tip and rod tip movement traveling down the rod blank to the reel seat. We need to include a meter setting for line type, mono having the highest setting and braid a lower setting to compensate line stretch since most of you believe mono stretches. We also need to factor in rod weight and balance with the reel mounted. Lighter weight and perfect balance is entered into meter. Perfect balance to weight scored 0, tip heavy is 1 over 4 oz is rate 1 for each 1/2 oz. The total subtracted from the total score. Casting performance is another factor to enter into the meter. Subtracting 0 to 3 points O being excellent, 3 being satisfactory. Bottom lure contact rods we want the meter to read 9 to 10. Using your sensitivity meter located between your ears how does bottom contact rate? Tom

Getting well ain’t as easy as it ounce was. Rest my friend and take care of your wife. Tom

Signature rods date way back ie; Dee Thomas Fenwick “Flipping rod” but Fenwick didn’t set up a full line of application specific rods. G. Loomis offered JWR and MBR rods in a few different actions and power still not a full line up of application rods. Daiwa referred were Signature rods based on the “Pro” known presentation of the day, not full line of application specific rods. When I wanted a deep diving “Crank bait” rod I had to make it using Fenwick salt water Popping rod blank w/trigger stick handle in the 70’s. In the 80’s if I wanted a specific action/power, length bass I had Lamiglas build it because they had a wide range of rod blanks. Phenix rods offered a few signature like Don Iovino’s Doddling rod. Today we have several rod mfr’s offering a full line of application specific rods ranging from BSF Ultra Lite to A-rig and big swim baits, it wasn’t always that way. Tom

Dobyns rods was the 1st to offer application specific bass rods in 2009. Before that time the MHF 6’6” off the shelf bait casting bass rod was standard for the majority of bass anglers for decades. MHF worked back in the day and does today. Tom

We talking about bait casters! Tom

Agree when the line is vertical or out 45 degrees the set is upwards in lieu of a side sweep. Thumb us on the spool! Tom

Yep over the tip of my index finger and under the tip of my thumb holding the rod with the remaining 3 fingers in front of the reel. Finger tip feels the line movements better then any rod can. No reason to move my rod grip to hook set because I use the reel to set hooks and a firm rod sweep to finish the hook set it’s faster moves more line plus puts more force to the hook. Tom

Tenderloin from Elk, Moose and Wild Boar are as good as it gets from game. All the other cuts you need to know how to handle and cook it. Not a fan of deer because we have mule deer and it all depends on their diet and how it’s handled and butchered. Game birds puddle ducks are ok again based on their diet. Geese Canadians and Specks brined* and cooked properly are OK . Chucker and Quail you can’t go wrong, they are both good. Pheasant again depends on their diet, like ducks I brine them over night. * soak over night in 1 part white vinegar or salt to water in the frig over night. Stuff with chunked apples and oranges. Tom PS, my hunting days are over and now rely on gifted meat.

It’s called O’Shuaughessy bend (forged Spoat bend) around for decades. Tom

Not knowing the make or size the prop shouldn’t move in/out on the shaft splines. I used a 12” length of 2x 4 wood under the cavitation plate to keep the prop from rotating when tightening the prop nut until the nut was tight. The lock washer has tabs to fold over the hex out flats. Tighten the nut and align the hex nut flats to 2 tabs and fold the tabs up to prevent the nut from loosening. Tom

I changed my treble hook lures to Owner Zowire STX treble hooks because of Stripe bass destroying standard treble hooks. STX 45 for lures with treble hooks size 4 & 2, STX 58 for larger sizes. Tom

Is there a reason you want 15 hp in-lieu of 20 hp, same engine weight and price? 4 stroke? Any authorized Mercury dealer will work on and/or warranty the engine. Do you have a TM and battery? If so get the electric start, you will thank me some cold morning. Tom

For years I used Traps in blue back bleeding Shad it’s all I needed. A few years back started using Yo-Zuri 3D Prism Gold back black and prism Tennesse Shad Followed by One Knock Rattling Vibe Metallic bleeding shad. The Yo-Zuri 3D is 1/2 oz and has a good triggering strike on the fall unlike any other lipless. The Vibe is 5/8 oz and cast like a bullet in the wind and stays the depth you count it down works with a slow steady retrieve with a few rod pumps. Tom

XF for diving crankbaits? Tom

Glenn has a good video how to cast a bait casting reel. Adjusting the spool tension knob etc. Your casting motion with a spinning reel is usually a fast snap cast, can’t do that with bait casting reels. Let the rod launch the lure and your rod is good for learning to cast, Tom

Depending on the TM model the upper shaft is stationary doesn’t move. There is optional TD shaft mounting TD pole on the market for side scan. Tom

Sunline Shooter has all the same performance toss up to Tatsu imo. Daiwa J- Samurai FC comes close to Tatsu at a lower price, a step up from Sunline Sniper. Toray is very good FC line but can’t keep the changing brand names and reducing meters of line on the spools. Tom

The 3 colors are Shad, PBJ and Fritz (Dave Fritz) color for Smallmouth or LMB. I use a Hitchhiker spring to attach a 2” piece of finesse worm cover the hook point for a weed guard. Bluegill PB&J with Green pumpkin Chigger Craw trailer claw tips dipped in chartreuse Spike-It. Chigger craw swims like a bait fish. Tom PS, wash the bucktail hair with Dawn soap to remove sticky oils.