4. Trait Zaldain recovering after nerve surgery.

> “Had some severe nerve damage…some nerves and an artery get constricted. Because of that, had a couple muscles start to atrophy, lost feeling/grip in my right hand, had most of the major muscles in my right shoulder and arm in bad shape…. My shoulder blade wasn’t functioning at all.

> “For the last few years I thought the back pain and shoulder pain was just from a weak core and old shoulder injuries, but this season it just took a turn and got out of control.

> “A vascular surgeon had to take out a rib and two neck muscles to get to the nerves and artery. Then they were able to clean them up and repair everything. So now it’s just baby steps getting my right arm and shoulder moving again. They said I’ll be able to fish this season if we stay after it….”

> …vastly improves safety, stability and sea-worthiness…also significantly improves energy efficiency.

> …it’s important to use as light jigheads as possible…seems like a slower presentation — where the baits waggle slowly through the strike zone — is vital. When your jigheads are too heavy, you have to speed up the retrieve and that can work against you.

> …also found that using a different-colored swimbait in the grouping can be more effective than using all of the same colors. When one swimbait is oddly different, that tends to be the one that gets bit.

> …mixing styles, whether it’s one with a smaller or bigger boot-tail, can matter. A couple of my favorites are the Strike King Rage Swimmer and Swimming Shiner…. For whatever reason, adding 1 or 2 different styles in the grouping piques the bass’ interest.

> …I’ve seen bass follow a steadily reeled rig and not eat it, but if I change speeds or motion they will clobber it. It’s very similar to what I will do when fishing a crankbait or spinnerbait. A sudden burst of speed followed by the slower speed can trigger a reaction.

> I like [the bladed rig] when the water has some color to it. When it’s ultra-clear, I prefer the rig without blades.