John and his partner Mike Phua have been tearing ‘em up pretty good over there of late, but JW still wanted some more preparation time for future events. Otherwise, I would have liked to see him perform on the natural lake on my side of the tracks.

But what the hey? I still get to see him first hand in action.

You really never know how a fishing career might develop, but over the years I have collected the “rookie cards” for Don Iovino, Randy Best, Dean Rojas and Brent Ehrler–pretty much before anybody knew. But even I couldn’t have imagined an IGFA Hall of Famer, two Bassmaster Classic qualifiers and an FLW Tour Champion on my beat.

Anyway, I don’t want to put too much pressure on the young San Diegan, but I get the feeling John might have some of what those guys have shown.

But that’s just Monday. On Tuesday, Gary Bradford of the FLW tournament staff will bring his boat to Lake Elsinore and the forecast warming trend tells me “my” lake is finally ready to break loose. I confess, it’s been slower than normal. I metered staging fish last week in 13 feet of water, but could not get anything to go.

I think the 16,000 plus acre feet of new water might have something to do with it. I’m hoping this is the week it’s going to happen…and of course, I’ll post the latest.

AS FOR THE DELTA: Did anybody else think it a little extreme–the results of the Bassmaster Elite? The difference between the “Elite 12 anglers” was 31 pounds, 6 ounces! But the difference between first and second was only one ounce. I’m thinking, there’s good. And then there’s really good.

Their purchase of Kalin was one sign, and there were other additions. But the fish-to-contact, Bump-N-Run lure series is an obvious huge leap forward for the small company.

Collectively there are three baits: A buzzer, a spinnerbait and a swimming jig, that have a “billed head” that the angler can rotate to make the bait go left or right.

Now the concept is not new, but you know how it goes. You bend the wireform on your buzz bait and it runs right to hug docks or seawalls on the right side of the boat. But when you come to an edge going the other way, you either have to re-bend the wireform, or you have to pick up a rod that has another bait that’s already been tweaked.

The net result? We don’t do it–and we probably don’t catch all the fish that were available on that pattern. This new directional bait clicks into place between casts.

No doubt, the Bump-N-Runs are specialty baits. But seeing what they can do brings up all kinds of neat ideas. While not all the California lakes have docks, many have bluffs or vertical banks and making your bait bang that edge on virtually the entire retrieve could be such a good thing. And now, you don’t have to be a trick caster to pinpoint the presentation in that sliver of a shadow: this thing (these things) will cover for you.

Not everybody in SoCal, especially, has considered a spinnerbait that angles one way or the other (or straight, of course) nor the “swimming jig,” which may be a whole new methodology for you. But if you look at the Uncle Josh video (click here) you will immediately recognize that something like the Bump-N-Run baits could be a perfect fit for that crucial, special situation on your local water.

I think it’s worth a look.

But while the pros have continued to rely on these pricey terminal tools (Hey, the Professional Anglers Association, PAA has added Lazer TroKar as a sponsor to their Tournament Series) there have been a few naysayers. The most common complaint: when driven into rock, seawalls or other hard bottom material, the points were said to roll.

I talked to long-time fishing partner Jim Emmett, a former clubmate who has been making lures for 40 years or so, and the first thing he said when he heard the comments was: “All sharp hooks roll over.”

With the exception of the Owner Cutting Point, and perhaps the X-Point, most sharp hooks have a long taper to the tip that is not reinforced. In TroKar, this issue has been addressed to a degree, according to Chris Russell at Wright & McGill. “We know the very first batch that went out August and September (‘09) had extra long points on some of the hooks. The Flippin’ hooks TK130 for sure. We immediately corrected that and all tests internal and from the pros show the hooks shipping today and still as sharp and much stronger on the point stopping the roll issue.”

Certainly, some complaints may have been motivated more by price point than any real concern about penetration or strength. As Russell noted, “We have been selling TroKar very well across the US and it has so far seen very few issues. Bass Pro could not be happier with the product or the sales based on their Spring Classic store events.”

He even confirmed the assessment of my friend the longtime lure-maker, saying, “At the end of the day your buddy (Jim) is current, every hook will dull or roll if struck on a rock or other hard surface. Trokar’s are crazy sharp but not invincible.”

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.