A-Jay

The US Coast Guard switched to these a few years ago - Great Product. A-Jay

Yup ~ This is my personal mantra for lmb as well. For Brownies, I subtract an inch - thought they almost always Fight a whole lot better. A-Jay A-Jay

For those not familiar with it - this is what Planning To Stay Alive looks like. A-Jay

I've been doing this long enough now to realize that fishing is neither hard or easy. As a purely recreational angler (don't fish tournaments) any "pressure" is self induced and a sign that I'm not doing it right. For me, this is a hobby and supposed to be fun. Clearly, there are times when the bite is "Challenging" and an angler must "work" to get bit. But this is part of the sport and if I looked at this as "Hard" then it would be pretty tough for me to enjoy it. Then again, I have no problem with a wide open suicide bass bite either. A-Jay

That's a very good question Mike especially for those anglers who fish from "paddle" type water craft. As per the chart previously added, a Drysuit with polypro layers or wetsuit plus drytop, neoprene booties, hat & gloves is a standard outfit in order to be properly protected once the water temps dip into the 50's. For many weekend / recreational anglers this seems like over kill. Unfortunately, like many of life's hard lessons, it's hard to understand just how quick & deadly cold water immersion is. While fishing, 50 degree water may not "feel too cold" on our hands. Once one has the unfortunate experience of floating around in it for a while, the whole thing become very real. Whether in a professional or recreational activity, being in a small boat in cold water is Always a life threating event. The question is if one choses to take the steps necessary to protect themselves. A PFD is a must. But it's not enough for these circumstances. I fish from a canoe. After 01 Oct here the water cools fast, I wear a one piece neoprene dry suit. If I go in, I'm at least giving myself a solid opportunity to survive. The cost of the correct gear is about the same a one quality rod & reel. Clearly one can fish for a long time without cold water protection, but unlike a warm water dunking, you may not get a second opportunity to get it right. The OP here was EXTREMELY LUCKY, if there had been no one else on the lake that day, it very well could have been his last. Think about that. A-Jay

Glad you're OK ~ As the warm water season ends and the waters we fish get colder hyperthermia becomes more of a factor. Many boaters / anglers do not know or realize how fast an immersed human becomes incapacitated. 50 degree water equals 15 minutes before incapacity and/or unconsciousness with life jacket on. 50 degree water equals 9 minutes before incapacity and/or unconsciousness without a life jacket. Please go to and read the info in the link below. A-Jay http://www.useakayak.org/references/hypothermia_table.html

Cool ~ A-Jay

Very Nice ~ Me Too. A-Jay

A-Jay

Hello Lars and Welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

Be very nice if this product eradicated the Asian carp at the same time . . . . . A-Jay

Nice SKI ~ A-Jay

Nice Bass ~ PB's are Always a Blast Congrats A-Jay

Apparently. A-Jay

Come on shimmy ~ you know you want to . . . . A-Jay

Old School meets New School ~ A-Jay

^^^^^^^^^^^ EXCELLENT ~ ! A-Jay

We are navigating a similar course. Many hard lessons have been learned here as well. We Live for Today, As Tomorrow might only be a Dream. Best of Luck & Continued Good Heath to you Both. A-Jay

When you can walk on the water . . . . . . A-Jay

Me too ~ Oh wait . . . . . . Never mind. A-Jay

Good Luck to you & your grandson Stitch A-Jay

Establishing a pattern is often challenging, but not always. There are several factors that come into play and each and every fishing situation is different. Clearly not all the bass in a system are all doing the same thing at the same time but often times, there's a decent percentage of the bass population that are. Knowing the bass's Traditional Seasonal movements can help narrow it down a bit as well as having a decent idea what the fishes predominate food source might be in that body of water at any given time. For me, the first step is to find fish that are willing to bite. Sometimes that in itself is enough of a challenge; and it sounds like you ran into that a bit today. Then once you've taken a few fish, perhaps you're able to determine what type of structure they are relating to, what kind of cover they are in (if any) and why are they there. Except for the spawn, it's almost always a prey driven decision. So if you've managed to get a few, based on what they ate, along with where & how you caught them; you might be able to duplicate that success in other area's of that system. Sometimes you may not have to move very far to find similar conditions; other times a boat ride is in order. Patterns are a funny thing. Sometimes they last for days & even weeks and other times they change several times in one day. It will definitely keep you on your toes. But when you find a good one, especially one that will last a bit and allow you to really zero in on the right kind of fish - it's a beautiful thing. Good Luck A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

As a semi-retired human, I can almost fish whenever I want to. I fish from a canoe, and while I am fairly waterproof, fishing in the rain really floods the boat and soaks my gear. I do it a few times a year and ALWAYS regret it. The bite is never that good and it takes two days to dry everything out. I prefer to wait for less moist conditions. A-Jay

Nice Job ~ Besides the nice fight & the scenic grass carp sleigh ride, each time that evolution ends with a successful catch, it's a great test of your tackle & knots. When they hold up, it provides confidence so that when Mama Moose does show up - you are ready. A-Jay