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Guests: Oliver Ngy (Big Bass Dreams) and Dejon Wells (CaliProduk)
Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)
Oliver Ngy runs Big Bass Dreams out of SoCal — big bait calico fishing, charter work, and a product line built around hard and soft baits that cross over from fresh to salt. Dejon Wells of CaliProduk fishes spotties and calico with a largemouth mindset and has been throwing bladed jigs in the salt. Ep. 127, recorded live on April 28, 2026, is a big bait conversation: exposed hooks vs. weedless as kelp disappears, counting down baits over structure, when scent actually matters, and what freshwater fishing has to do with all of it.
In This Episode
- Why Oliver and Dejon are fishing exposed hooks where they used to go weedless — and what changed
- How to count down a big bait to fish structure without getting snagged
- The scent conversation: when it actually moves the needle and when it doesn’t
- Hard bait vs. soft bait — same profile, different results, and how to read which one to use
- IGFA all-tackle length records for calico and sand bass — and why the SoCal community should be paying attention
- Daniel’s Costa Rica trip debrief: roosterfish, poppers, and what it felt like to apply everything he knows to new fish in new water
- Freshwater-to-saltwater crossover: how largemouth techniques, rods, and mindsets translate directly to calico fishing
Exposed Hooks and Disappearing Kelp
Oliver’s been noticing it for a while — a lot of the kelp that used to define SoCal structure fishing just isn’t there anymore. That changes the calculus on weedless setups. If there’s nothing to snag, the exposed hook is a straight upgrade: better hookup ratios on short bites, more fish to the boat, less frustration.
His approach now is to count the bait down, figure out the depth of the top of whatever structure he’s working, and present just above it. Not in it. The goal is to coax the fish out of cover far enough that when they eat, you actually have a shot at turning them. If you’re on the rocks when they bite, you’re not turning that fish — doesn’t matter what reel you’re fishing.
That’s where the bite-to-land conversion math changes significantly. Getting bit feels good. Getting them in the boat is the actual goal.
Scent: When It Matters
The crew’s general rule is simple: when the fish are eating, scent is irrelevant. The conversation gets interesting on the days when they’re short-biting — hitting the bait but not committing.
That’s when scent can flip it. They’ve watched it happen enough times to carry it in the boat, and there’s some science behind it: largemouth bass have taste receptors not just on their tongue but around their lips. When they bump a bait closed-mouth, they can already tell whether they like what they’re tasting. That applies to saltwater bass, too.
The practical adjustment: if you’re getting half-hearted bites and nothing’s converting, put a little scent on before you start second-guessing your presentation.
Hard Bait vs. Soft Bait: Same Profile, Different Conversation
Oliver has been fishing direct hard and soft versions of the same bait back to back, watching how fish respond under different conditions. A few things he’s learned:
Hard bait with two exposed trebles is more effective when they’re aggressively eating — better hookup percentage on the short biters and dinks. Soft bait earns its place when the fish are more selective: quieter, less mechanical, and when a big fish finally commits, they usually eat the whole thing.
Material type is a variable a lot of soft plastic anglers haven’t fully factored in. The action you get from a soft body vs. a hard body on the same profile isn’t the same action, and fish read that difference.
Costa Rica Debrief
Daniel got back from Costa Rica with a different mental state than previous trips. This time it wasn’t “hopefully we catch something.” It was systematic — where do we go, when do we go, how do we repeat this. They went head-hunting for roosterfish. Hooked into around ten, landed five. Fifty percent on a fish that fights like a yellowtail that never gives up.
The surprise catch was a 14-pound cubera snapper on a popper early in the trip. He threw the popper the rest of the day until he couldn’t squeeze his hand anymore. Not the most efficient decision — but it was the last charter of the trip and that kind of opportunity doesn’t come around often. Play it out, figure it out.
The takeaway he brought back: every bit of SoCal fishing sharpened those trips, and every trip sharpened something for SoCal. The crossover runs both ways.
Why This Episode Matters
Ep. 127 is a good listen for anyone who’s been defaulting to weedless out of habit rather than necessity. Oliver’s point about kelp loss is worth taking seriously — the structure is changing, and if your rig choice is based on a kelp environment that no longer exists, you’re probably leaving hookups on the water.
The broader conversation about size, profile, action, and material type is the kind of thing that doesn’t get talked about in most fishing content. It’s not a formula. It’s a framework for asking better questions when you’re out there and things aren’t going the way you expected.
Daniel mentions the dragon tail and slug in the context of baits that need angler input to perform — they don’t have built-in action on a straight retrieve. If you’re not getting bit, the question isn’t whether the bait works. It’s whether you’re working it.
Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.