A-Jay

Nice Job Guys ~ Can't believe you didn't throw the Scrounga around a bit . . . A-Jay

I am fishing a few different brands, models and sizes. I've chosen these particular worms because I caught decent bass on them in the past and I have confidence in them. I believe that if I get them near a fish that is willing to eat, I should get bit. So far the smaller fish like them OK. I encourage you to select / use baits that you feel this way about. The baits listed below work for me, you should use what works for you in / on your home waters. Mann's Jelly worm 9 inch and after the spawn I'll use 12 inch also. Zoom Magnum Trick worm only come in 7 inch Berkley Power worms 7 & 10 inch Assorted stick baits 6 & 7 inch mostly Senkos Colors are few - Black, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Red Shad, And Black Grape. As for hooks, Mr Murphy used a Gold Eagle Claw Bait holder hook #181 in smaller sizes to match / hide the hook. He also "Skin Hooked" the baits. I am not using that hook though it's still widely available. I am using smaller hooks than I used to, brands are all EWG Gamakatsu, Owner & Trokar. Hook gage must be sufficient to hold the fish but not too much that it will hinder the hook set on the spinning gear. Try to keep it simple. Good Luck A-Jay

LOL ~ ! I do have some dreams and aspirations, and that's not one of them . . . . A-Jay

**** Trip Log **** Fished 2pm – 7pm - Air temp low 60’s – Water Temp 55 - Over Cast - Winds SE 10 - Water is very clear. I hadn’t planned on fishing today but the overcast sky was just too much to handle. So off I went. Got to the ramp just after some people launched three jet ski’s – That’s a new one on this lake. I kind of doubt it will improve the fishing. Really a bummer – it’s always been a very quiet place where you can hear loons, elk, eagles and turkeys calling; Not any more . I’ll simply not fish the weekends. To avoid the insanity, I head to the southernmost (third) lake. Stitched a worm for the first half of the afternoon without as much as a bump. Moved off that spot and tried hitting the deep side of a big beaver made brush pile in 25 ft of water. This spot has produced some very respectable bass in the past. After drowning a couple of different worms with no takers, I went to work with my favorite jig and craw. I even tried probing right down in the middle of that big gaggle of branches; Nothing. The saddest part was before leaving I drifted right over the top of it. There were plenty of bass all over, inside and under that darn mess. Didn’t see any monsters but that didn’t make me feel any better. So I got skunked. I dislike both getting skunked and the term itself. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this might be a semi-common occurrence during this quest. I don’t want to keep making posts reporting no fish and using that term. So I will be using the word Jambalaya to describe the trips where I effectively eliminated water. It sounds so much better and it’s fun say. So today I had a full serving of Jambalaya. A-Jay

I know you've heard of an "Impulse Purchase" - well how about an "Impulse Fishing trip" ? I can't take it - I'm Out ~ A-Jay

I have taken some photos. The pics don't really match the thread's title. So I've chosen not to post them just for the sake of showing what Manual would clearly call "Lunchies". Additionally, I did a "Stitching Demo" but I'm having some computer video card issues. My in house tech support (aka Lynn) is working feverishly to rectify the problem. Once we're up and running I'll post it. Please know that the management certain appreciates your patience and again we do apologize for the delay . . . . A-Jay

Cool - Thanks. A-Jay

Crazy ~ ! I hope there is / will be a few more photos of that Trophy Bass somewhere. A-Jay

The amount of info I have gained is simply hard to access but it's massive. What can be measured is the number of wonderful friends I've made and met as a result of this great site. And I have to mention that these friendships have enabled me to fish places I would have NEVER fished. This might seem a touch melodramatic but there is no doubt in my mind that BR changed my life. There's just no denying it. Thank you Glenn. A-Jay

There ya go SPEEDBEAD Feeding the Fatties . . . . . . . Congrats - Nice Bass. A-Jay

On this journey, along with worm rig and slow presentation, I am planning on using Jigs, Spinnerbaits, and Crankbaits but in the areas and in the fashion mentioned in the book. As I'm just learning the slow deep worm deal, I've been trying to fish it where ever and when ever I can. I do really enjoy fishing the other three baits quite a bit, especially deep. So that time will come soon enough. As for the Stitching technique itself. I tried the loop through / around the fingers method that is described in the book and I had problems managing the 10lb. braid. I have modified the retrieve to something very similar to a slow strip type retrieve used when fly fishing. I am able to manage the line better but just as importantly, I move the bait only inches at a time AND I can stay in contact with the bait. I hold the rod up in front of the handle so the blank is in my hand. The combination of the braid in one hand and the blank in the other makes for maximum sensitivity. A-Jay

Hey Wayne, I have the easy part in all this, all I have to do is go fishing You guys are the ones that have chosen to follow this thread. How long can you endure my zany posts ? A-Jay

Berkley Powerbait Beast. A-Jay

Hey Thanks Jeff - Looks Like I've been upgraded to "Human" status. It's a Good Day. A-Jay

Thanks for the support shimmy. And I hear you about burning out, I'll keep it in mind. Sometimes I am a victim of my own enthusiasm. So I'll try to go for quality and perhaps not so much quantity. Even though is early in the game, one of my many initial impressions is that there will have to be a decent amount of "putting in the time" with this venture. Sort of the nature of the beast. A-Jay

Have you ever spent a few days on the water in less than idea conditions lets say. Then you take a day off to take care of business and the day turns out to be perfect weather wise. So you're looking up at the sky, bumming out and kicking yourself all day for not going. Yea, well that's me today . . . . . . . . A-Jay

Rain fore casted here for the weekend. My property is in need of some TLC, so I'm on it. Might get out again on Sunday. A-Jay

Oh The Humanity . . . . A-Jay

< < < < < < < < < < < 10-11 She Clobbered a 1 oz spinnerbait - Custom job. A-Jay

**** Trip Log **** Fished 7am – 6pm - Air temp low 60’s – Water Temp 53-57 - Winds NW 10 -15 Water is very clear. It was a nice quiet, calm morning and I like it that way. I was able to anchor up on one of the spots I planned on fishing yesterday. I got on it first thing. It’s a drop in front of a creek which connects two of the lakes. With the wind blowing from the north for 3 days, there’s a nice current dumping into the second lake and down the drop. I parked my butt there in 38 ft till noon. There was a bit of a flurry right off the bat; a small green one and then a mid-sized brown one. Both ate a Black Jelly worm. That was it. Even though I’m fishing painfully slow, the morning went by surprisingly quick. And right on cue, the wind came on around 11:30. I hauled up the mushrooms and went on a little recon mission looking for what might be a good place to start in the morning. I marked a few spots off main lake points that might be worth investigating as the summer comes on. But until the post spawn, I’m sticking with the areas associated with the reproduction process. I could really use a new electronic unit. The old Hummingbird Sonar/GPS combo is not really suited for this venture. What was that ? . . . I think I hear a Dragonfly . . . . . . . . . I’m back on the water in the morning. A-Jay

Thank you very much for the input gentlemen. I do appreciate it. Looks like the hurricane has subsided a bit. I'm out the door A-Jay

**** Trip Log **** Fished 7am – 7pm - Air temp low 60’s – Water Temp 52-55 Winds NNW 15 -20 and Gusty :c( Water Carity - Very Clear, Could see the bottom in 18 - 20ft. Well my first trip was a bit Brutal. The wind was really not cooperating at all. Normally I’m a big fan of a good stiff breeze but this was a little much. I learned a few things right away. Stitching with 10lb braid in the wind is a *****. Precision anchoring (with 2 anchors) in 20 knot winds in a canoe is also a *****. Pike will eat a Stitched worm, and a Stitched stick bait, and just about anything else. OK I guess I already knew that one. So I had a basic plan which included a few spots where I wanted to set up. I knew the wind was going to make it tough and once on the water I had to modify my plan. Essentially I had to fish areas that were sheltered from the wind at least a little. In the book, Mr. Bill talks about fishing only one or two spots a day. I think I know why he did that besides wanting to wait for the fish to turn on; setting up and then hauling in the 2 anchors gets old rather quickly. I fished 3 “spots” today. They were all similar; a drop just outside a spawning area/cove where the depth goes quickly from 25 ft. down to 35-40ft. I anchored 3 ways on each spot. I sat shallow and worked up the drop. I sat deep and worked down the drop. And I sat parallel to the drop and worked along the drop. This turned out to be the one that got me bit. In the somewhat calmer water, it was much easier to first, perform the stitching action without the line blowing all over the place and two, actually maintain some contact with the bait. A single split shot was just too light today. I ended up re-rigging a few times and settled on a pegged 1/16 oz. lead bullet weight. 6 inch Jelly worms and 5 inch Stick baits got bit. No Giants but a few bantam weight bass both brown and green variety made an appearance along with half a dozen 2-4lb pike. Surprisingly I did not get bit off today. All the bites came near the top end of the drop closer to 25 ft. than 30 ft. According to the author, catching this size bass in an area means it’s time to look elsewhere. I was just trying to stay out of the gusty winds. Also, I haven’t been that happy to catch 2 lb. bass in a long time. Over all, this first trip was better than I expected in that I actually caught a few fish. I will admit however, that it was all I could do to keep from pitching a jig and craw at the deep water docks all day. With the high sun and blue skys, there are almost always a few decent fish to be had. I’m back on the water in the morning. With a forecast for less wind, I’m hoping to get on the spots I could not fish today. A-Jay

And you should be Proud ~ But when you first set the hook, you we thinking . . . . Replica ~ Go Ahead, Admit it . . . . A-Jay

Hey Elwood, we're putting the band back together . . . . . . . Down on Lake Baccarac. The Scrounga Club ~ They are just not right. A-Jay

A Word About Tackle ~ As his Stiching Rig of choice, Mr. Murphy preferred a 7 ½ foot, two piece Fiberglass rod (which was custom made to his specs) and a light duty salt water spinning reel. He describes how the glass rod helps fight the fish much in the same way a modern day angler would a crankbait rod. The slightly larger reel is desirable for its spool width which aids in casting distance and helps manage the monofilament line he used. The act of stitching the worm in itself can cause loops and tangles in the line and the author noted that this reel size did not contribute to that. Though I would tend to agree with this philosophy, my tackle choices will be different, for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t own any glass spinners so I’m going to try to make my graphite sticks work. Second, I’m a fan of braid and a mono leader so I’ll be going that route. His choices and preferences for fishing other techniques (jigs, cranks and spinnerbaits) are more along the lines of conventional/current thinking. My choices here are what I normally use for these baits, however where, when and how I fish them will be different from what I’ve done in the past (or ever). My stitching rigs start with a Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth spinning rod; a 7’4” medium and a 6’9” medium both rated for 6-12 line. The reel for both rods is a Pfleuger Supreme 9235XT Spinning reel. Both reels are loaded with 10lb Sufix 832 Braid in Moss Green. I’m using 2 different brand leader lines; Berkley Big Game in both clear and green & Maxima Ultragreen in 10lb test. I’m planning on using a longer leader length than I usually do (around 15 ft. or so). The thinking here is that this might provide a little stretch and hopefully compensate for the stiffer / faster action rods during a spirited brawl with my intended target. The plan is to sit off my spots a good distance and make a long cast. So I could see myself building these rigs with an even longer leader which may turn out to be better. I’ve been using these rigs for 2 seasons now for various techniques and am comfortable and confident that they will be more than adequate for this application. Time will tell. I’m putting the finishing touches on the boat, trailer and tackle today and plan on seeing the sunrise from the lake tomorrow morning. So the Journey begins . . . . . . . A-Jay