A-Jay

Slow Down. A-Jay

Sounds like you're on it - knew you would be. But some where during that blitz of lost fish, if it were me, I'd be checking that bait for a hook ~ or at least a decent bard - probably several times . . . . . A-Jay

Though not familiar with your exact vehicle's towing capacity (hope you are) - at 1500 pounds, you're probably not exceeding it. However if that weight does not include your trailer and weight of gear in the boat - you're probably close. Maybe you should get a new truck before a new wife . . Just kidding ~ Congrats A-Jay

I use that bait off & on and have had decent success with it - almost all of which was on the 4 inch model. I have used it both on casting & spinning tackle (depending on the cover). I've also used both braid and a leader and straight mono (believe it or not). I will tell you that I have not Lost many fish at the boat on that bait. You stated that you're fishing from a Kayak (I fish from a canoe) Something that anglers who aren't fishing from a smaller craft don't have to deal with (or might not even realize) is that during a hook set and often times during a fight with a decent fish, (bass or anything else) unless you're anchored some how, the boat moves toward the fish. I know you know this, but I think it's something that has to be considered when you are taking about losing fish; especially if you think the hook set may be the cause. This forward vessel movement is something I had to learn to deal with especially fishing baits like frogs, and pitching in slop or pads. It can be counter acted by having the boat at a 90 degree angle to the fish but then you risk the possibility of a roll over. Braided line helps but when combined with a fast action rod could cause some fish loss when slack gets in the line. After it's all said & done - I believe a braided line, a medium or medium heavy action rod, and a reel with sufficient gear ratio to allow you to get a good hook set, keep up with the boat movement and the fish so you can keep a bend in the rod. That underlined part is the key. Think about it - how many times have we put a fish in the net and the bait falls right out ? There was no hook set there but the bent rod kept the fish on. Any how - just some thing to think about. Hope it helps. Good Luck A-Jay

Some great stories already in this thread. "The Best Fishing of my life" has been improved upon seems like every few years or so. Here recently I've had an opportunity to fish on some incredible bodies of water with some really good people. But for me the "best" has to be The First. The one that started it all. The seemingly Huge (back them) 2 lb bass that attacked a rebel jointed minnow right in front of me as I waded a small pond near my home as a 8 year old boy. That one fish started me on this life long journey of angling that means more to me than any words I can come up with could ever do justice to. A-Jay

A little girl asked her Mom, "Mom, may I take the dog for a walk around the block?" Mom replies, "No, because she is in heat." "What's that mean?" asked the child. "Go ask your father. I think he's in the garage." The little girl goes to the garage and says, "Dad, may I take Belle for a walk around the block? I asked Mom, but she said the dog was in heat, and to come to you. Dad said, "Bring Belle over here." Being old school he took a rag, soaked it with a little gasoline, and dabbed the dog's backside with it to disguise the scent, and said, "OK, you can go now, but keep Belle on the leash and only go one time round the block." The little girl left and returned a few minutes later with no dog on the leash. Surprised, Dad asked, "Where's Belle?" The little girl said, "She ran out of gas about halfway down the block, so another dog is pushing her home." A-Jay

Congrats ~ ! PB's are always a Good Time. btw ~ if you're going to start documenting and posting PB's - you're really going to want a scale; or at least a tape measure. A-Jay

Fishing a night may provide better results - I actually do it quite a bit and prefer the night bite too. Perhaps your problem is access - meaning it's too easy. It may be worth your while to search out a few bodies of water that might not get that kind of pressure. Usually places with less access fall into this category. And then go fish them at night. Good Luck A-Jay

^^^^^ X2 ~ Exactly. A Double willow blade or a Willow / Colorado blade combo - keep it moving and Hold On. A-Jay

That's a very nice bass ~ Congrats. A-Jay

Hello Brad and welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

And now for something completely different . . . . . . A-Jay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2P86C-1x3o

Buff & Columbia are the two brands I wear. My experience with them has been very good. There are many more brands but these work for me. A-Jay http://www.buffusa.com/sports/collections/filter/men http://www.columbia.com/Omni-Shade/Technology_Omni-Shade,default,pg.html

I routinely use both. You can guess what it's like to wear a Buff & Sun gloves, but until you've spent a day wearing them, it will be exactly that ~ a guess. Like many things - after getting used to them, you'll forget you're wearing them and wonder how you got by without them. Skin Cancer is no joke, and quite a bit more "uncomfortable" than the protection one needs to reduce the risk. A-Jay

One of the many really great things about this sport that we love so much is this ~ It's always there ~ Always. No matter how long it is between trips. So if you're not able to go for a week or a year - it will still be there waiting for you. So do what you have to do, and find comfort in knowing that your sport will be there patiently waiting - for whenever you can get back to it. A-Jay

Hello and welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

Hello and welcome to BR ~ Good Luck on your Opener and the coming season A-Jay

Hello and welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to BR ~ Nice Review. A-Jay

This is a real good place to start . . . . A-Jay http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12401-senko-faq- look-here-first/

Hello Jeffrey and Welcome to BR ~ Again A-Jay

Hello Michael and Welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to BR ~ A-Jay

There was a little delay in getting this up but here it is. I had the pleasure of spending last week on Lake Erie fishing with Dwight H. The weather was quite cooperative and what you’d expect for the most part in May; dealing out an even mix of sun, rain, wind & waves. What was not expected (or desirable) was the lack of pre-spawn bass. By not getting discouraged and fishing hard, trying various baits & depths, we met with limited success. The smallies caught were healthy and Lake Erie typical beauties but the numbers when compared to recent years were down quite a bit. If they were there, they had a good dose of lock jaw. On the second & third day, after taking a couple of big fat Walleye as “by-catch” it didn’t take long for us to switch gears and make Old Marble Eyes the prime target of our efforts. As expected, my host was putting a hurting on them right away while it took me a while to get it going ~ I was getting a little tired of being net man. Soon I started pulling my weight and was very lucky to land a new PB ~ always a good time. The fish went 8 ½ and bested my previous PB by over 2 pounds but it looked quite a bit bigger – really healthy, long & Fat. I’d like to thank Dwight (and his wife Sue) for their hospitality. I always really enjoy my trips to Pa and this one was no different – Good Times. And returning home with a cooler full of fresh walleye fillets is an unexpected and very tasty bonus. A-Jay

Simpler Times. Neighborhoods where people knew each other. A Country that wasn't Obese. A-Jay