A-Jay

There is NOTHING for a non-fisher person to do while the anglers are all out on the lake. I repeat nothing. Do you & your wife a solid and either leave her home or find a different place to go where she can actually enjoy herself on YOUR trip? Maybe even find a different place to fish and go with another couple. Guys go fishing—ladies go? Whatever they do—shop, spa, whatever. Lake Baccarac Lodge is set up as a serious big bass fishing lodge—and nothing else. Spend some time apart—it makes the heart grow fonder. A-Jay

We live in a mostly rural area—surrounded by woods, and insects are part of the package. For a while we had a decent population of wasps—paper wasps, I think, judging by the type and size of the nests they build in nearby trees. A couple of years ago we started hanging suet for the birds, mostly pileated woodpeckers. Before we started feeding them, we would see a couple a year. Now there are 'several,' including new families in and around our property. Since the woodpecker population increase, the wasps population is almost zero. Woodpeckers (including Pileateds and their smaller cousins like Downy Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers) view a paper wasp nest as a high-protein buffet. During the spring and summer, the nests are packed with fat, nutritious wasp larvae and pupae. A woodpecker will confidently land on or near a nest, hammer it apart with its chisel-like beak, and use its long, sticky, barbed tongue to extract the larvae from the comb cells. Even if the woodpeckers don't eat every single larva, the sheer physical trauma they inflict on the nests is devastating. If a nest is repeatedly targeted and torn open, the surviving adult wasps will often realize the location is unsafe, give up on the site, and abandon it entirely to try and rebuild elsewhere. By hanging suet, we successfully established a reliable, high-energy food source that encouraged these birds to establish territories and raise new families right around our property. Because they are spending so much more time actively patrolling our trees and foraging locally, the local paper wasps simply don't stand a chance. It's a fantastic win-win: the suet brought the wood-boring specialists to our yard, and as a bonus, they completely cleared out our wasp problem. Something to consider. Good Luck A-Jay

I've seen glimpses of that emotion. #unmistakable btw- we have something for you. Put that in your pocket for 72 more days. Can't Wait ! A-Jay

I hear that, and for a while I was right there with you. I cannot debate that, all things being equal, a longer stick can offer better casting distance. Conversely, a short wand can improve casting accuracy percentages. So I had that in my mostly wacky little brain when thinking about picking up a couple of 6'8" MF Avid rods. Just looking at the advertised performance stats for both rods (and we all know that these are simply a guide and not the gospel), they are close, if not the same. Two biggest and super obvious differences are the lengths and the actions: XF on the 6'8" and F on the 7'. To answer your question, I can and do fish the same baits and presentations on both rods. The caveat being when it's time for a must-have long casts, especially into the wind, the longer stick gets the nod, and there is never even a second thought. But the casting distance with 10 lb braid on both sticks, the loss of distance with the 6'8", is almost negligible, especially in calmer or wind-at-my-back conditions. Where the difference in length comes into play is "working" baits. Jerkbaits, poppers, and walking baits, specifically the Megabass Vision 110, all the "Jr's", Megabass Pop Max, and Megabass Giant Dog X (I really like it for this one). Even though my Pro-V Bass offers a slightly higher than average casting platform with the 25" transom, and even the average 7' sticks rarely strike the water or the gunwale of the rig, something about that 6'8" length allows for a fantastic strike-drawing rhythm. Not to mention, over the course of time, hours, days, and a couple of weeks in the spring & fall, It seems less fatiguing. And everybody knows how meek & fragile I am. So there ya go, hope that helps. A-Jay

The 7' M Shimano Clarus spinning rod is my oldest stick in use and easily a true fan favorite in the Pro-V Bass. Both performance-wise & sentimentally speaking. They were at the end of their run when I purchased it and I think I gave the salesman $1.52, a box of Tic Tacs, and some pocket lint for it. A pretty good deal, really. Never really bought into the idea that certain sticks are lucky and/or have the ability to send out some type of special big fish-attracting magic, until this one came into my life. Needless to say, I have no choice but to handle it with kid gloves. Besides the mysterious ability to put plus-sized brown bass in the net, The old-school blank materials used combine to impart a next-level style action into a jerkbait. (especially in cold water). Perhaps it's the fact that the old Clarus and I have spent so much time on the water together. Either way, it sure shows up in the background of a plethora of big fish photos. A-Jay

Hello James and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Plenty of information here. A-Jay

For once - Me too ! A-Jay

You're Welcome ~ and instead of hoping - just @A-Jay tag me If you're using single hook anything and FC - I'd go MHF. If you using Braid for the same deals - the MF can do the job most times but I'd still go MHF and just back off on the drag a little. I use the MF for small crankbaits (size#4 trebles) with 12 FC if that helps. Good Luck A-Jay

I use both FC & mono leaders, all on spinning gear. Casting gear is straight FC, no leader. There's some sporty Brown Bass in Lake Mendrchuck as well. I will not use a FC leader regardless of brand that is less than 8 lb test. I will use mono down to 8 lb but only in the cooler months (early & late season when the waters cool and the fish are a bit sluggish). In the warmer months 8 lb FC/mono leaders become 10 lb, and 10 lb becomes 12 lb. The very few times I might want to say Drop Shot with less than 8 lb FC, I use 6 lb Maxima Ultra Green, which in all honesty, probably has a diameter closer to 10 lb FC. But it makes me fell better. btw- I hate DS. Good Luck. A-Jay

This big, smiling sunflower perfectly captures the radiant, untamed energy of a stunning summer day. Its face—artfully shaped into a brilliant grin—mirrors the carefree, uplifting spirit that a perfect summer afternoon brings, reminding us to bask in the light, stand tall, and openly embrace the simple happiness of a bright, sun-drenched day. 😎 A-Jay

I'll need to exercise some strict self-discipline on this reply, as it could get out of hand fast. First off, I am a St. Croix Rods fanboy and proud of it. Have been for a very long time in both the freshwater and saltwater arenas. And while I do like and fish a few other brands, when it comes to compressing my arsenal a little, It's easy for me to do it with St. Croix sticks. IMO, from the Avid line up (which is where most all of my experience comes from) The fit & finish is very clean and reliable and seems to match the price point well. I think the LTB and Victory rods are all very sweet. I've fished them both quite a bit with plenty of success and very few complaints. I still fish with one LTB, a Power Glass Cranker, which I won in a Bass Resource drawing a while back. However, I am not, nor have I ever really loved, split-grip handles. I tolerated them because the blanks were what I needed, but given a choice, I am a full cork guy all the way. A couple or three years ago, I guess I checked out one of the new Avid spinning rods locally. Not something I usually do, as the quality blank selection locally is mostly geared toward walleye and salmon. But this 7 ft ML felt so good in my hand; I was close to pulling the trigger right then and there. Add in the mental bait-monkey pressure; next thing I know, I'm at the reel counter picking out a new 3000 Vanford to go on my new Avid. Fished it a few times, throwing a small 110 + 1 Jr. jerkbait (my first fish on it was a 5.88 fat brown bass), and I was done. Over the course of the next few months I sold off all but one of the LTB and Victory spinning & casting rods and replaced them with the new Avids. If you're looking for a comparison—IMO, The LTB's are a very well built but overall a little too beefy for what routinely happens in my Pro-V Bass. The Victory rod is light & strong, but across the entire line, the actions are even a little bit faster than the LTB rods. Which is awesome if & when a basshead needs / wants that. I rarely do. Some would call my decision a downgrade—I call it rehoming good tools for a version that suits my style of fishing. Super happy with the move. So I have at least 2 each (some 3) of the 7' MF spinnings, 6'8" MXF spinners, and 7' ML spinners. For casting I go with 7' MHF and 7' MF rods. They ALL possess one important characteristic that I adore, truly. These blanks have more of what modern-day bassheads now seem to term a somewhat moderate action. What that means to this OG is that they actually LOAD. On the cast, on the hookset, during the fight, and perhaps most importantly, while I'm sliding a plus-sized brown bass into the Frabill. Now I'm not ready to say these are even close to a glass wand or even matching the action on a composite rod. Might explain why St. Croix presents the Avid line as "Multispecies," which I have no doubt that they would excel at. But I will readily admit that what I get from the new Avid is a light, powerful, balanced & sensitive blank. That possesses many of the desirable qualities of sticks considered soft—with very little of anything else. So it's a basic, useful, properly priced, sweet-looking rod with a solid warranty. (A warranty is not really something I shop for, but if it matters to you, it is there). Told you I was a fan boy. Good luck. 😎 A-Jay

Strong work. Looks nice. That is no joke. At some point I am paying a professional and going fishing. A-Jay

In Arizona - The 49th driest state in the country Come on man. A-Jay

Congrats on your possible new to you rig. Your just fine expectations can come with some concerns to consider. A decent cover will offer some relief from the elements. Semi extreme temperature changes can trap humidity / moisture if proper ventilation is not accounted for. Mold can even be a concern. Covering the tires can protect them from some sunlight degradation. However, depending on your local, outside storage also comes with the possible animal / rodent exposure. Most concerning, is sometimes boat/trailer wiring in hard to reach for humans locations, can be comprised #chewed. Doesn't happen all the time, but it happens. Food for thought. A-Jay

I got 1000 yd spools of Tatsu on Amazon for $115 American a while back. Made the investment and got everything I use. 8, 10 12 and 15 lb test. That was a while ago and I haven't needed line since. Use it as Leader and even respooled main line on way too many casting reels. I enjoy playing the long game, especially when I can come out ahead. A-Jay

Workout Day 2 ~ For whatever reason, this particular combination of movements inspires me to make it happen. Especially the core work at the end. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

As hard as this may be to believe, Amazon, the multi-billion dollar world wide on line retail outlet, always forgets to give me a personal heads up on those Tatsu sales. I don't get it ? But if we watch closely, whenever TW has a sale, somehow Amazon is as well. And it's always a better deal. 🤓 A-Jay

Yes, Thank you. A-Jay

I don't think my wife would let me. As for chow, we've seen him with squirrels, moles, mice, & flying squirrels, if you can believe that one. But never a rabbit. We've seen the remains of successful kills but can't confirm who got it. My guess is an Owl because the carnage is always discovered at first light and there are never any "tracks" in the snow where it was carried out - so an airlift is suspected. There are some rumors around that the local rabbit population is sort of allergic to a .177 Gamo 10 gram Whisper Pellet traveling @ 1200 FPS. A-Jay

Tatsu ~ We do prefer buying bulk spools during deep deep sales. (btw - yes I do have a mouse in my pocket). And day in & day out, Amazon will have the absolute best price on 1000 yd spools. And when I watch it, I can get them for just really just stupid cheap . Like $50 American cheaper than TW on a sale day. Don't sleep on the Zon. Good Luck A-Jay

Agreed ~ And for the first time in almost 20 years of living here, I hope we get HAMMERED with snow. Like 9 feet ! All except for the roof of the house. Which, through some type of miracle of a weather phenomenon, collects ZERO snow or perhaps even melts amazingly away. Hey, a man can dream . . . . . A-Jay

Generally speaking, foxes lead mostly secluded lives here at the 45th parallel. Little does he know that every other day or so, Slash's image is being splashed all over the interwebz. btw- we've learned that there are 2 more somewhat younger foxes who have started to visit us. Just a little less frequently than Slash. btw- we do not have a rodent problem. 🦊 A-Jay

Big Bass are the Coolest ! Congrats on the New PB. Looking forward to the 'report'. btw- Nice mat . . . . . A-Jay

You folks are real life super heros who walk amongst the mortals. Here's to hoping the scars you carry settle down with time. Thank you. A-Jay

After my two off days, I was back in the home gym for Workout Day 1. Leg Press: I strive for form that is controlled and safe by maintaining deliberate rep pacing and tension. This helps me maintain my lower body strength while protecting my lower back and knees. Standing Cable Curls: I finished this training day off using my favorite fat rope attachment. Eliminating momentum on this biceps movement requires intense focus and forces the arm muscles to isolate through the entire movement. #borninfiftynine A-Jay