A-Jay

Congrats Jeff, That's a Beauty for sure. As for weight - Since you did land it while in DH's boat - I'd have to guess it's something just less than his PB ~ A-Jay

So instead of The Old Man and the Sea - This is The Young Man and the River ~ Give the that angler a ton of credit - his determination was stronger than his quarry. A-Jay

It’s been 12 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Many who were children then are adults now. Those who lost loved ones have grieved and, hopefully, healed at least a little. Things have been rebuilt. None of us have forgotten. A-Jay

Jeff you now have the Avatar of the Year ! But Buddy, you have a serious Pin-head. A-Jay

A man passed out on the beach in Miami for four hours, and got a horrible sunburn, specifically to the front of his legs above his knees. He went to the hospital, and was promptly admitted after being diagnosed with second-degree burns. With his skin already starting to blister, and the severe pain he was in, the doctor prescribed continuous intravenous feeding with saline, electrolytes, a sedative, and a little Blue pill every four hours. The nurse, who was rather astounded, asked, 'What good will the Little Blue pill do for him, Doctor? The doctor replied, 'It won't do anything for his condition, but it'll keep the sheet off his legs. A-Jay

Try using a smaller (perhaps Slimmer) version of whatever soft plastic you have confidence in. Again use a color you're had success with in the recent past. The best tip I can give you for drop-shot fishing is this: Where and when ever you're using this technique - Think of the Plastic as Live Bait. You really don't have to do a lot with it as far as action is concerned. Just get it in the right place and the small bait combined with the lighter line will do the rest for you. Good Luck A-Jay

Way to Go Stitch ~ Glad to hear you got out there and even better that you sore-lipped a bunch. A-Jay

The Resurrection ~ I don't have any shots of the entire arsenal, but this is the gear (minus rods & reels) that made the trip to Lake Baccarac last March. The Private Air has a 40lb weight limit - that's everything tackle and clothes. I actually lost 10 ponds so I could bring more gear Most of this is going back in 12 Days; with a few minor additions and deletions. A-Jay

You have to give that bass credit, it definitely has the Right Attitude. A-Jay

Catt, I like your style. Of course there is a price to pay for the Primal Hook set and it come where you're setting up on a non-fish induced "strike". When the presentation is made in close quarters, one must learn the Strike - Duck & Cover move - purely as a means of self defense from the tungsten weight's approach at the speed of light usually at ones face Additionally, fishing from a canoe (and standing) I had to learn to do that without launching myself over the side, especially on the swing and miss maneuver. A-Jay

"Mobile by choice" QB's (meaning other than scrambling to avoid a sack), Always seem to have a shorter life span than the old slow guys who camp out in the pocket. A-Jay

For Bronco Fans that was a Heck of a start ~ I think the Bronco's are very good but the Defending Super Bowl Champs made them look even better. What a surprise - you gut your team and you get blown out. A-Jay

Wear a Jimmy Houston wig . . . . A-Jay

Send a pm to 00 mod - he'll hook you up. A-Jay

This week I paid off the trip back to the Promise Land - Lake Baccarac in Mexico. Good Times with Good Friends. A-Jay

With the price of gas these days - Vehicle &/or boat travel to and from your water is often the same as "an Expensive Lure" and we do that many times over. I my mind this point is moot. A-Jay

Ignore it and focus you efforts in a positive constructive Fashion - Karma is a ***** ! A-Jay

I fish clear water as well. A spinner bait does produce for me but since the fish can get such a good look at it there are 3 times when it will seems do better. As for color and size, I try to match whatever the local forage at that time is. 1). Target fishing in tight quarters. By fishing ambush points around structure (pads, docks, wood etc.) there is much less of an opportunity for the fish to get a very good look at the bait and forces the bass to make a very quick choice to eat it or let it go. An accurate quite entry helps, it's almost like pitching but the distances are usually a bit farther but not always. 2). Burning the bait. In clear water speed can be your friend. A heavier bait and slightly under-sized willow blades will help keep a correctly tuned bait speeding just under the surface. White Blades on a White bait (no trailer but use a trailer hook) is a favorite here and smallies especially love to chance these baits down and Hammer them. Wind blown banks, long gradually sloping points adjacent to a fish holding drops are good places to start. Sometimes bass will come up quite a ways to get this bait. The SK "Burner" model bait works well as do others with this design. 3). And finally Night Ops. Very clear water lakes , especially places that get a fair amount of fishing /recreational boating use, are often good night time producers. I prefer a single Oklahoma or Mag willow bladed 1/2 oz bait. A swim bait body trailer has been a solid producing upgrade for me as well. Don't be afraid to use a healthy sized offering either, especially late summer and early fall when the weeds start to die off and the bait size is bigger. Target places you've taked fish before but they may not be very tight to the cover and fairly willing to chase down & gobble up your slow-rolled blade bait. Good Luck A-Jay

Couldn't tell you but I bet it's not less than the number of people who catch 8lb plus smallies and don't take a picture of it . . . . . A-Jay

A five fish bag of 5lb smallies is a heck of a good day but not that unusual on the right body water especially pre-spawn. But smallmouth bass over 8lbs are a whole different story - how can you not take a picture of such a rare catch ? A-Jay

Nice fish. A-Jay

OK Man - time to start posting up some big bass photos . . . . A-Jay

Thanks Tom - sounds like that official measurement will be pretty close. A-Jay

If it was deployed during rough weather- there's no way it helped. A-Jay

What's the current record ? A-Jay