Ep. 116: Daniel Dahlin of [FISH]rx on Bladed Jigs, Spotty Bowl Recap & What’s Coming to PCS

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Episode 116, recorded live on January 27, 2026, was a deep dive on bladed jig presentation for SoCal harbor bass — how to fish it slow, how to fish it fast, and why bottom contact is the thing most people skip. Daniel also broke down his Spotty Bowl setup, including the micro A-rig combination that put five of his ten spotties in the boat.

In This Episode

• Bladed jig retrieves for SoCal inshore — slow-roll vs. kill-and-drop, and when each one makes sense
• Why trailer selection matters on the drop: what kick looks like on the way down and how to test for it
• Crankbait bottom contact as the non-negotiable — Daniel’s approach from the seawall at MDR
• Spotty Bowl tournament recap: five fish by 9:30 AM, then three upgrades back-to-back from 12 to 1 — targeting spotted bay bass throughout the back bays
• The micro A-rig combination that landed half his tournament bag — fished alongside the RX Paddle Tail
• Chovy 2.0 color preview — a new pearl-heavy twist on the original, likely to become the standard Chovy going forward (see the soft plastic colors guide for how Chovy fits into the full rotation)
• Luke on the Bait Slingers mug drop and sharing a booth with [FISH]rx at PCS
• 8″ RX Slug coming soon, plus a first look at three new Southern California colorways for the bladed jig lineup

Beyond the Rod & Reel on Bladed Jigs

One of the more useful stretches of the episode was Daniel working through how he actually fishes the bladed jig slow — which isn’t what most people expect from a moving bait. His version: get the blade activated, then kill it and let it fall. The trailer does the work on the way down. “You have this rapid up, almost like a fling, and then this slow come down,” he explained. “That shimmy on the drop — that’s part of the action now.” The implication is that your trailer choice matters as much for the fall as for the swim, which is a point most bladed jig guides skip entirely.

The Spotty Bowl breakdown had a similar thread running through it. Daniel wasn’t in love with any one bait going in — so he fished everything. Drop shot with the 6″ RX Slug. Swim jig head with the 4″ RX Slug. Crankbait. Mini A-rig. The willingness to rotate until something confirmed itself was what got him a bag by 9:30. Then from 12 to 1, the same patience paid out three upgrades. “I wasn’t about to retie,” he said at one point, which is honest in the way only someone who actually fishes tournaments would say it.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.