WRB-2.0

The #1 crappie lure is a tube jig everything else comes in 2nd. Crappie like to hang out under docks in the shade. 2 tone color soft plastic tube jigs work everywhere 1/16 to 1/8 oz is the standard size. Crappie rods 7’ to 8’ light power with moderate or slow tip lets the tube jig work and allows the crappie to hook its self by pulling the rod tip down. Spinning reel 500 or 750 size with 4 lb mono. Tom

My confidence lure is not a high numbers of bass per man hour fished, it maybe the lowest bass per hours fished. Why use a lure that isn’t consistently producing bass? Because my hair jig with pork rind trailer producing strike for giant bass I know they will eat it! For highest numbers of bass per man hour fished year around us the lowly soft plastic worm. When I want to catch bass the worm gets the call. Big bass it’s the jig! Tom

Owner #5185 Mosquito Circle hook or #5114 Mutu light circle hook solved gut hooking bass issues. Tom

BR members debate what a Texas rig is often. Some say it’s the method of weedless hooking a worm like the photo above less the bullet weight. My interpretation is the rig shown in the above photo. But let’s not open that can of worms again. I was referring to the worm hook rigged weedless and a sliding 3/16 oz bullet weight that overall weighs about 1/4oz +. No reason lob cast a T-rig using a bait caster just let the rod load up to launch the lure. A Medium Standard action rod will load up nicely using lures in the 1/4oz to 5/8 oz range. After learning to cast properly the MHF rods are the common choice. Tom

The late Aaron Martens mother Carrol was a pro bass angler in western open events. Carrol talked about the difficulties for women sharing a boat with men in draw torments like relieving yourself. I believe Keri Glenn completes in a women’s bass tournament trail. I feel bad that I can’t remember the names of some of women who competed successfully as pro bass anglers. Tom

I have been a B.A.S.S. Life Member since 1968 and the only article that is interesting to me anymore is Day on the Lake series. In-Fisherman is a multi species publication and decent but dropped it when the Linder’s left. Western Bass has a good free online bass fishing publication not print. BR is by far your best up to date bass fishing resource. Tom

The old saying rods cast lures reels hold line us as true today as it was decades ago. Learning to a bait caster after years using spinning tackle and on top of that being right handed and casting left handed is a challenge. My advice for what it’s worth is bite the bullet and get a 7’ Medium power moderate fast bait casting rod* for your lures under a 1/2 oz. Put the reel you can cast the best with and 12 mono. Set everything else aside for awhile until you master casting the 3/16 oz T-rigged soft plastic. With practice Set your goal to cast 30 yards/90 feet. You can’t whip cast a bait casting reel like a spinning reel. Casting motion is all in the wrist, elbow down to your side, thumb and reel handle up to your ear downward swing keeping your thumb towards your side using the wrist to accelerate the rod. The rod and lure weight starts the reel turning, thumb lightly on the spooled line to keep it coming off smoothly then stopping the lure just before it lands. Adjusting the spool tension knob and braking as suggest already. Tom *Daiwa TTU701MRB, Tatula 7’ Medium Standard action rod or similar .

All lakes go through eutrophication aging. Natural lakes Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic and Eutrophic eventually disappearing. People introduce organic materials that accelerate the aging process. man made impoundments age in the same manner except have the added siltation filling the lake runoff debris. Killing off aquatic vegetation and letting it sink to the bottom uses up oxygen to decay accelerating aging and often creating massive algae blooms. We (people) are the worst enemy aging lakes. Boom and Bust cycles are part of big bass populations usually generational depending on recruitment and the ecosystem health. Tom

Hybrid is the product of to species, Intergrade the product if subspecies. Black Bass can produce both Hybrids that don’t procreate and Intergrades that can procreate, spawn together and produce fry. NLM bass can spawn with FLMB = F1 intergrade. Smallmouth bass spawn with LMB = Meanmouth bass a hydrid. This is a problem depleting the pure strains as Black bass are introduced in regions outside their normal range worldwide. Tom

The new IGFA doesn’t have a genetic test required for either FLMB or Alabama Spotted bass record applications… strange but true. The correct term for FLMB and NLMB is intergrade F1. You can field identify pure FLMB and F1’s by counting the lateral line pore scales ; over 69* it’s a Florida strain LMB. I don’t recall if legally caught legacy bass qualify for new records? It’s about time the 2 new categories for FLMB and Alabama (Southern) Spotted bass are separate species because they are and have been fir well over 50 years. Tom *McClane’s Standard Fishing Encyclopedia pages 128-133, page 131 detail NLMB vs FLMB. Copy 1965

If you are fishing with a partner using swimbait rods a 21’ is minimum. Keep in mind most 21’ bass boats will have a jackplate extending the overall length restricting the ability to maneuver in tight places. 19’ is the longest bass boat I owned mostly fishing 2,000 acre lakes occasionally the Colorado River lakes and wishing I had a longer boat. Fished out of several 21’ bass boats over the years and had to be careful the engine was 4’ further back then my 19’ boats. Go with the 21’. Tom

There isn’t anyway to validate the Perry LMB record let alone what species the fish was? On the other hand we know the Kurita bass weighed 22.312 lbs and was a Florida strain LMB. Lots of pictures and formal examination to validate the Kurita FLMB. Same issue applies to Alabama Spotted bass the Dulleck 11l lbs 4 oz is the current validated world record. Tom

Mike Folkestad Special Roboworm is an excellent color at Mead, Mojave and Havasu. Greens don’t work too well but the Purple with neon do. Drop shot is good to keep the worm above the Quagga mussels. Another Clear, Smoke and Cinnamon Gitizs with red flake works at Mojave. Tom

Good lures with poor hooks. Can’t tell from the photos the lure sizes? Upper could a 200, middle 300 and bottom 400. You grind grind them bumping the bottom. Tom

Not the MGL reel? The small spool looses IPT quickly so the higher 8:1 compensates. For larger size deep diving crank baits the 70 size reel is too small IMO, 1/2-5/8 oz sizes would be OK if you don’t go over .012D line. Good for jerk baits. Tom

Senses like vision, hearing, smell are taking in our environment helping to make decisions coupled intuition often seals the deal. Tom

In my life time never had a Largemouth bass bite a soft plastic worm tail off on its own. Bass have big mouth to engulf prey close it then kill it by crunching down between their tongue and crunchers located in the upper back of the mouth basically squeezing to death. The bass teeth grip not tear like fish with sharp teeth. Smallmouth and Spotted will at times grab a crawdad by the claw and shake the it to remove the arm before engulfing it. Don’t know what you all think nibbles are but ain’t caused by adult size bass. Thinking a LMB picked up something by the tail end of a worm and chews it or sucks in like a piece of spaghetti would be rare event IMO. 1st tap the bass engulfs your worm, 2nd tap the bass blows it back of the mouth, 3rd tap is on your shoulder telling you to set the hook on tap #1. Tom

Nibble? Bass don’t nibble they engulf prey. I like everything about fishing except getting up at 0 dark 30 to go. Tom

Personal preferences and how the rod/reel combo feels to you. Today’s reels and rods are lighter weight with good combination durability and performance. Personally the $250-$300 price point satisfies my needs. It comes down to your needs eg; pigeon grade vs field grade shotguns both shoot the same ammo accurately. Tom

The only thing I recall Berkley innovated was Power Scent and it’s in a wide of Berkley products. I am impressed with the Drip series and realize it’s a knockoff but the product looks very good and colors I haven’t seen in their soft plastics. Tom

Found the July 8 thread in Fishing Rods, Reels, Line and Knots forum. Looking for lures! Tom

Do we have a thread on this already? The Berkley Powerbait Drip Minnow and Drip swimmer got my attention, excellent colors and very thin tail that should work great Tom

Never thought of belly landing big bass. My technique was mouth landing by putting 4 fingers inside the mouth grabbing one side with the thumb on the outside. Lifting the bass while turning over on its back lifting the fish out of the water belly up. This technique freezes and the bass doesn’t move making handling the bass easy. Maybe the belly hold does the same thing? Treble hook lures use a net it’s too dangerous get your hand near those hooks. Learned my lesson trying that with my hand with a hook completely through my hand between the nest of thumb and index. Tom

The problem buying pre Rapala Wiggle Warts is you don’t know if they are culls that didn’t catch bass….it’s a crap shoot. I suggested Iovino’s Major Craft Zoner Hunter because they catch bass out of the box. It looks the Zoner Hunter is getting hard to find now. Tom

I really appreciate all the support ❤️ Members Big Hands, Hammer 4 and ATA have visited my home and garage where the old dead mounts still live. ATA bought a lot of my tackle 👍, Hammer 4 a few swimbaits and Big Hands bless his ❤️has taken this old man fishing and I appreciate that more then I can express👍, Thsnk you all🥰 Tomo