A-Jay

They do not affect the presentation at all - at least not that I've noticed. The first time I used them was on a Senko and I thought that they looked a little gaudy. I had been accustomed to just a plain ewg hook and the silver clip looked out of place. After fishing it - makes no difference to the fish. Although very light, it does have some weight so I guess it speeds fall rate but it is hardly noticeable. I use them on just about every soft plastic I fish. It does take an extra second to rig it but after brief time it becomes habit and it's all good. I have the weights also and they work as advertised but I have since switched to tungsten so they don't see much action any more. Good Luck A-Jay

Very Cools story and Photos ~ and I Really like the Shirt and I Really like the Hat ! Yes, I am also a Q fan. A-Jay

As I remember it - I like that reef ~ and your water temps are close to mine here - However, Erie's a just a bit more vast that the puddles I fish. A-Jay

I'm up in northern Michigan - Tip of the mit. A-Jay

To keep your plastic from sliding down the hook and/or bunching up on the point of the hook preventing a solid hook set, consider using these ~ Parasite weights or Parasite clips - they really work well. Check out the link A-Jay http://parasiteweigh...bb2309d7ddab3cf

This summer has been a bit warmer and the local water temps are up. I have been able to find fish this summer in their usual haunts during the day. Night fishing has been better than usual and most of the better than average fish this summer have come at night. Day trips have included way more drop-shotting than I like but a deep/finesse approach has been successful and some days it’s the only way to get bit. Early / late top water has been spotty, docks give up some fish, deep cranking has been hit or miss and when the winds up a bit a spinnerbait has done some damage. A deep jig bite is a viable option in the lakes that have deep water cover. The last couple of trips, I chose to really grind it out by committing to a jig and eventually got bit. I even went old school by switching out the usually reliable Rage Craw for an Uncle Josh Pork Finesse Craw Trailer. (A couple pictured below) As autumn approaches, I usually have a 2-3 week period where I really struggle to stay on fish consistently. As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler I do get excited knowing that good fishing is coming. But, man, the fishing during the transition for me is Tough. It starts about Mid-August here. Shallow water weeds start to die off and the water cools quickly at first. Then everything just seems to go into a holding pattern. It’s like the entire eco-system is stuck – just waiting for something to trigger the environment to take the next step in the seasonal transition; which usually spawns excellent fishing. This is where my area seems to be now, and I have tried all kinds of different approaches the past few years looking for something to put a few more / bigger fish in the boat. Hasn’t happened. During the fishing season, I keep a log documenting conditions, including the days I don’t get out. Weather, moon phases (helps during night ops) and water temps are all noted. Every year is different in some ways and the same in others. It makes deciphering the info quite challenging. If I could take one constant from it all, it would be that there is no constant. I’m betting that the bass would disagree and I sure wish they’d let me in on it. I try to remain patient and keep watching for some sign that the Magic Trigger that sets off the fall bite is near. My struggles to catch quality bass makes me even more determine to keep at it. Because when it does happen and the fish do turn on, it’s a very good time to be on the water. Shallow hungry bass are always a good time. How do you see it in your area ? A-Jay

WTG ~ ! It's a "Two-Hander" - you know it's a Good One. A-Jay

Very Cool - I bet that will be three days that goes by Way Too Fast ! A-Jay

NO ! ~ My open water season is not nearly long enough up here in the North Woods - So I'd Like to postpone / refrain from any and all thoughts, casual mentions and even hints regarding the other thing. A-Jay

Very informative and like Jeff said - That IS a lot of info ~ Thank you for taking the time - I saved it to file - btw - for fear of being called gloopy and a domeless wonderboy ~ Clockwork Orange. A-Jay

The Boy's a natural ! A-Jay

You can get both the 705 & the 765 on Amazon.com I just picked up another 705 myself. Also, if you haven't thrown an all Glass rod in a while, you might want to find one to test drive first. They are not for everyone. A-Jay

I haven't seen every pre-season game and I will grant you that these replacement Refs are not as "Polished" as the Seasoned Vets that we are used to seeing, but I think these guys are Actually Calling a Much Larger Percentage of the infractions that occur on each Play. Penalties that often do not get called because they occur all the time, these guys are tossing a flag. Like it or not I say, if it's done - call it. A-Jay

Sweet Truck - Love the sound of the "after Installation" exhaust. Chips are cool - and I think every dealership will tell you that they void the warranty. Just take the tune off prior to your visit (takes 2 minutes) and then put it back afterwords. I've chipped 2 new trucks and a GTO and I'm a fan. Your speed shop buddy might try to talk you into a few more "Upgrades" which would also be nice. Congrats ~ A-Jay

Good Choice ! A-Jay http://www.myspace.com/sondrarankin/videos

~ Lamiglas Certified Pro Fiberglass Rod 7'6", 5-Power, Fast, 1-Piece - SR765R ~ Love the Striking Honey Colored Blank. A-Jay

Treat myself to some Exercise ! Run ~ Bike ~ Resistance Training. A-Jay

I haven't tried them all but Power Pro & Sufix 832 braid handle just fine. A-Jay

- Two Head lamps & extra batteries - Spot light - Insect Repellent - Mess Head Net - Camera w/ extra battery - Small First Aid Kit - Extra Pair of Glasses (knot tying in the dark) A-Jay

It's the nature of the beast. I use 30 braid w/ leader for several set ups and only go up to 50 + for the heavy cover environments. 30lb handles well, is plenty strong enough and does not blow around as bad. A-Jay

Look who's Back in Town ! How the fishing ? Is this a pop-in or are you back for a bit ? A-Jay

Nice Ride Buddy ~ And welcome to BR ! A-Jay

Congrats ~ ! NIce trip and sweet smallie. A-Jay

Clearly, the current record holder was subjected to / followed all the standing regulations in order to certify his/her catch as the New Record (at the time). If you were that person, you certainly would be proud of your accomplishment. More importantly, you have every right to expect that any & all catches entered to challenge your catch are held to the same standards that you upheld in order to process your catch as The Record. That didn't happen here. A-Jay

An Inspiring memory right there ~ Post Card Worthy. A-Jay