Since I’m writing this, I’d have to say it’s the trailer.

For all the clever painting of lead heads and the reliance of some on ball-bearing swivels, those components are dwarfed in impact by your choice of a lure body. And I don’t just mean your sexy, hologram, peppermint shad-colored grub.

A trailer may add color, or expand your illusion of something the bass can see or need to see, but it can do more, depending on the situation or your interpretation of what needs to be done to get a bite. Of course, there may be some overlap, since the bass don’t always respond like it says in the book. But here are some common choices and what they can offer to an application.

1. Fluke (or small “F” fluke): The same shape that may zig or zag when fished weightless, is a one directional, minimal drag tail on an under-spin. You want a fast retrieve, single or tandem in clear water? The fluke is the right deal, also long as the body isn’t too “deep” to interfere with the blade.

2. Fishee-style: In and out of production, this elongated, minnow-shaped bait has a small curl tail (for body length) as well as fins. Minimal drag, more transparent colors to choose from, is another favorite in clear water.

3. Swimbait-style: Kicking, boot-like, Sassy Shad, or whatever, common tail is now available in many sizes–solid or hollow. On under-spins of at least 1/4-ounce, you can find a slender one as long as 3 1/2 inches or so that won’t “over-power” the head. Slows the bait, makes it ideal for rolling, and adds vibration even at the most sluggish retrieve. Hollow bodies usually need to be glued to the head.

4. Ribbon-tails: The smaller versions, 4 inches or less (and you can shorten from the head) come in all kinds of shaddy colors. (Examples: Screamer, or old Kalin Lunker Worm). Have a rippling action in the water, but create little drag, and are probably under-utilized for fishing fast.

5. Curl tail grub: Usually pack too much drag for their relative size. Work on heavier heads and breaking fish that are really on the feed. But when the fish get touchy, almost nobody uses one.

“It was an inside bend,” he described. “You know, the outside bend of a creek is a wall, but the inside bend forms a sort of flat point.”

That point gently faded from 12 to 15 feet before falling off into the channel. Then below the break the trees were located where he caught most of his fish. “The thing is,” he said, “those trees weren’t visible to passing boats. They were all 10 to 12 below the surface.”

But for the most part, those tree tops were where he fished the 5-inch Yamamoto grub, especially the first two days and then again on the final day.

So, was there something unique or magical about his grub baits? No. He used 1/4-ounce ball head jig! And the colors? Smoke and natural shad (so go ahead and order if you don’t already have boxes of them in your garage.)

“I’d cast it (from deep to shallow) and let it hit the bottom. Then I’d just kind of swim it through the trees,” the tops of which, he added, “were about the same depth as the flat point.”

Of course, working the same key location four four days required some other wrinkles. “I had to give them something else to look at,” he said. A 6-pounder on a Lucky Craft jerkbait didn’t hurt, and he also took a 3 and a 5-pounder using a crankbait on another day, substituting the grub for a Swimming Senko. His final round was more of the grub, plus a jig.

And as they like to say: It’s all good.

But then I figured, maybe the La Sierra University grad has reached such prominence, he might have somebody else drive his boat so he could fly home–yesterday. If so, my 6 a.m. call was probably going to roust our favorite son.

Anyway, when you scramble for a blog topic, you do that kind of thing.  It would have been nice to hear his tale of 5-inch Yamamoto grubs in the tree tops of Missouri. After the Mike Iaconelli hype from the Bassmasters Classic when Ike fished a grub when everyone else went lipless, it is safe to say, the resurrection of an old Western favorite is in the works. Brent’s $125,000 success will surely startle the bass market like some some Hollywood starlet’s fashion statement on the red carpet.

In other words, the grub is about to become cool again.

But apparently, it will take a few hours to actually get Brent to talk about them. So while we wait, I think I’ll get on the water and throw some grubs this morning for a few hours. At least it’s something I don’t have to special order.

As a long-time observer of competitive fishing, I have pulled out three quotations from the last year and a half, from winning as well as non-winning finishers. Read what they have to say, and then see how your interpretation compares with mine.

1. “I threw the swimbait early and made maybe half a dozen casts with it, but it didn’t feel right.”

I like this one, not because it’s from a young pro on his way up, but because it says something about the intuitive nature of the very best fishermen. In a timed event, where focus is in major demand, you need to have a plan. But you also need to understand when a change is in order.

Veteran anglers seem to develop the ability to get off what’s not working (but not all, and not all the time). Typically, their experience has thrown enough curves at them that they adjust more quickly than a casual angler. But the great ones don’t just make deductions and change (which is still a good thing) but rather, they sense a course correction.

2. “If I lose this tournament, it’s not because I didn’t find the fish.”

Forgive me, but this sounds something like an excuse. My sense of the top tour anglers (and those in development) is that they all can find fish–some fish. In this particular case, the pro was among the top finishers, but did not get all of his fish in the boat.

Yes, there were apparently mitigating circumstances, in that his fish were in heavy cover. But how is a fish lost in cover much different than one lost on a lipless crankbait? It’s one thing to say you know where the fish are and it’s quite another to identify where fish are that you can actually land.

Not the best example, but how about this: I know there is a new world record largemouth at Lake Poway–but it lives much of its life in the off-limits area behind the buoy line. That’s not good enough…

3. “It’s … a shot in the arm for the rest of the season. I can fish with confidence now.”

Maybe my assessment here is harsh, but if you need to win an Elite tournament in order to fish with confidence, then thousands and thousands of bass fishermen around the country are doomed. Nonetheless, that’s what one pro said after catching more than 95 pounds to win at Amistad. Many tournament fishermen have bright moments, but it is consistency of performance that is crucial to a successful career.

This angler took a win and then dropped to 43rd place, 600 points behind the regular season leader and missed the Classic. So much for that confidence booster.

Please understand, as I do, that brief, published statements do not reflect the all of any fisherman, let alone any individual. But as pertains to the tournament game, in the context those statements were given, I think there are things worth considering.

Here’s the source of those quotes:

1. Chris Zaldain (FLW Series)

2. Greg Pugh (FLW Tour)

3. Jason Williamson (Bassmaster Elites)

BTW: Who was the pro angler who compared the U.S. Open bass tournament to the Iditarod (which starts Sunday)?

However, whether we’re conscious about the issue or not, the fact is, our most successful anglers do think like a fish–and like a predator. What catches our attention most certainly catches theirs. We’re on the lookout for “breaks” in the available cover or topography, and so are the bass.

We know, from experience, that when bass are moving through and feeding in an area, the “zone” is not particularly well-defined. That means we may have to resort to anything from crankbaits to Carolina rigs (and everything inbetween) to make sure our bait can be seen in the broadest area.

But when there is no apparent feeding going on, what draws our eye with regard to cover or breaks in the existing cover is the same thing that a fish sees as it moves in its territory.

Holes, boulders, material changes or transitions: seawall to natural bank, wood to grass, broken rock to sand, plus isolated cover, “distinctive” cover (as in unique in thickness, height, color, composition or angle to the water) are known to stop fish in transit.

In the primarily visual world of the bass, surely these structural variations or cover anomalies help fish track their way. But, certainly, they also may mark places where certain forage dwells, whether its bluegill in the shade of cliff or tree, crawfish emergent from burrows in the mud, and probably other things even more subtle.

Of course, the mere presence of distinctive cover does not guarantee a bite, but such “markers” can certainly help in tracking fish down. For example, checking long banks with homogeneous cover can be time-consuming. But checking a few irregularities on a plain bank helps you eliminate water more quickly.

Tree lines also tend to hold fish because they are both linear and often span or connect shallower and deeper water. Willows, because such variety of insect life is found with them, are always worth checking. Depth around them in spring can be quite shallow, but don’t discount these trees’ ability to hold fish. Pre-spawners huddle here, and the ever present insect life draws assorted bait and sunfish to the area, and that’s all good for the bass as well.

Just don’t get bogged down with the traditional thinking of what “looks good.” What looks different is a much better gauge to their desirability for the angler. And I’m pretty sure, that’s how the fish think as well.

Those who know California bass fishing history remember the significance of March 4–and not because it’s my birthday. It was exactly 30 years ago this Thursday, that Ray Easley set the California record for largemouth bass at 21-3 at Lake Casitas. It came on a live crawdad, a bait that was feared to one day be responsible for catching a new world record in the decade that followed. Of course, it never happened.

And what about tomorrow? The Fred Hall Show at the Long Beach Convention Center March 3-7) marks a kind of seasonal right of passage. Figure the place will be hopping, even at $15 a ticket, plus parking and if you have planned your finances, you should do very well on some show bargains.

Doors open at 2 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.  on the weekend and stays open until 9:30, except on the last day. This is a great time for renewal among fishermen–plus a time to see the latest and greatest.

Similarly, at the end of the month, the Hall Show resumes at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, March 24-28. The San Diego version has a slightly different flavor, but well worth the time. When the opportunity as arisen in the past, I try and hit them both.

FINALLY… on a more personal note (with a public invitation) friends, colleagues or acquaintances of the late Pat Marley, long-time counsel for the Southern California Bass Council, are gathering on March 17 in La Mirada for a casual time of remembrance.

According to Pat’s life partner Maureen Mann, the activity will take place at Northwoods Restauarant at 14305 Firestone Blvd. It’s located just off the I-5, north of the 91 on the Valley View exit. Maureen says, “It’s on the right if you are heading north on the 5.”

It’s no accident that St. Patrick’s Day was date chosen, and guests should arrive beginning at 3 p.m.  Says an upbeat Maureen, “There will be a microphone set up in case anyone has stories they want to share.”

I know she would be pleased to see you.

But when the bass are shallow, I see the fish far less discriminating, as long as that “cigar” tumbles in their front window. Whether fished with a longer shank, Texas-style Sproat or wacky rigged with a short shank hook, the biggest difference between the original, heavy salt offering and most of the others (even homemade) is rate of fall.

And while many regard the fall as crucial to the bite (the ends or end quivering on descent) I’m really not sure that matters most of the time.

Of course, the Yamasenko is one of the most effective baits of all time, but bass are not nearly as selective in their last minute spring shopping, as say later in the year when they become summer chasers picking one 2-inch shad out of a translucent sea of millions. Going back to the original Dee Thomas doctrine: a shallow fish is a biting fish. I find them way less choosy now for that very reason.

But that doesn’t mean you can fish slow sinkers and fast sinkers the same way. You’re going to have to deal with physics, meaning a less dense plastic will fall slower and that requires you have to wait for it to get down–or at least flutter down.

If you want to fish at the same pace as you would with a 5-inch Senko, for example, then you may have to add as much as a sixteenth or perhaps 3/32s of an ounce of weight. That can come in the form of nail weights, an eye or gap-weighted hook, or even a 1/16th-ounce Mojo slip sinker. But you’ll need something.

I don’t think you can argue that the fish see the weight. I also think they see that 4/0 or 5/0 hook, and even the camo green wacky from Owner. But at this time of year, the fish really focus on the “meat” part of your offering. Whether it wiggles, leans, or drifts down the 36 inches or less of water you’re fishing, I think they’ll be okay with it. You find a good color and you’ll wear them out.

Now does that mean you can stop buying the real thing? No. But a lot of bites available on a given spring day have no strings attached: no entry fees, prize money or reputations involved. And if the fish should throw the copy (which means they bit it: hello!) you might even get your worm back.

And I’m afraid you can’t say the same thing about the bait from Page, Arizona.

There is a new book just out that would seem to come at the perfect time. Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated, is a “comprehensive guide to making repairs to a fiberglass boat and how to finish and paint those repairs.”

And heck, if it were impossible, nobody could do it.

The news release says, “Written by Roger Marshall, winner of numerous awards for marine technical and magazine writing and author of 14 nautical books, the nine chapters of Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated cover: how a fiberglass boat is built, identifying hull damage; materials, tools and basic techniques; gelcoat restoration; making minor repairs; making major repairs; hull, keel and rudder fairing; identifying and making osmosis repairs; and finishing and painting a repair job.”

The book has more than 200 pictures and drawings, shows specific repair projects accomplished by the author and others  from simply polishing the gelcoat or repairing a ding in the paint work, to much larger projects such as making a transom well guard. (I don’t think you’ll need that, unless you’re building a junker into something.

Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated (ISBN 978-0-07-154992-9, MHID 0-07-154992-7, ebook ISBN 978-0-07-154993-5) is published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. Paperback, 192 pages. US $24.95.

Phua and Wick get 46 pounds

Bill Siemantel, this time with partner Troy Lindner in the boat, caught 26.32 pounds today, surpassing yesterday and finishing with 51.35 pounds. That gave the L.A. County pair the win in the Anglers Marine Team Open.

With sunny skies prevailing, the pair relied on the broken light penetration provided by sporadic wind all over the lake, fishing both the 6-inch BBZ and the smaller shad-sized model in shallow water.

Tournament MC Rick Grover predicted 50 pounds would win and Diamond Valley proved him right and maintained its reputation as the best bass lake in Southern California.

BBZ-man Bill Siemantel

“Hats off to those guys,” said Mike Phua, who with John Wick captured second with 46.03 pounds, (mostly on “big worms.”) He followed up his tribute with a friendly dis: “Now stay off our water.”

Third place, slipping slightly from yesterday, Pat Keniry and Rocky Ashbury, broke 40 pounds as well, finishing with 43.65 pounds.

Reports from various competitors noted there were fish actually in the spawning (“bumping”) mode in some parts of the lake on this full moon, and there were quality fish taken shallow but also deep.

Manas Malikian

James Smiley

Manas Malikian of Huntington Beach took a 7.23 pounder on a Senko “right on the bank,” while James Smiley got his 6.64 pounder on a jig in 20 feet of water.

A better forecast is in store for tomorrow. Overnight lows could reach the mid 30’s but sunny skies, mild winds and temperatures in the high 50’s will be the new setting for the field.

Bill Siemantel (left, teamed with Troy Lindner) had a narrow lead today, managing five fish for 25.03 pounds. Since his best fish did not hit the 6-pound mark, it was a solid catch.

“It was tough,” said Bill. “It was tough to fish. We had 40 mile per hour gusts and 3-footers. It was hard to get your bait where you wanted it, tough to net a fish or cull.”

Rocky Ashbury

Netting was dangerous, to say the least. Local favorite Art Berry reportedly netted a fish, stepped back onto a reel handle, lost his balance and went into the drink sometime mid morning. But he toughed it out.

Second place after the first day was Pat Keniry (of recent Lake Perris fame) with Rocky Ashbury who weighed 24.30 pounds, while John Wick and Mike Phua were hot on their heels with a nice sack weighing 23.73 pounds.

MC Rick Grover, plus two suspicious figures which appear to be John Barron and Ray Leyerly at the scales.

The "Grand Canyon" of Hemet.