A-Jay

Nice review - Thanks. A-Jay

Most definitely ! We do wait until the end of the year to submit them - just in case she upgrades. A-Jay

Nice Fish - way to make it happen up North ! A-Jay

At 21" long, it Lynn's first LMB that qualifies for a Master Angler Award in Michigan (Catch & Release category). Boga had her at a little over 5lbs. A-Jay

Will do ~ Thanks Dwight. btw - Lynn says it your turn to post up a Fatty. A-Jay

There ya go ~ you'll be tearing them up in no time. I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me know how you do - A-Jay

Nylon line - mesh bag with a draw string top - Feed the bitter end of the line into the bag first and the rest on top. Open the bag a bit and the line comes out as you need it. When done simply feed the line back into the bag. Line will dry just fine in the mesh bag. A-Jay

We got a bit of a late start on this trip, didn't get out on the water until 10 am. Air temps were a little on the cool side despite the brilliant sunshine. This particular lake has a healthy bass population but getting to them most days is a challenge. First off, every trip starts and ends with a mile or so of canoe portage and the dense weed growth requires short accurate casts. Hook-ups are real hand to hand battles. After probing in and around some of the thinner vegetation, we had connected with a few dinks. Shifting gears and committing the rest of the afternoon to fishing the thickest, nastiest weeds we could find. A Texas rigged jig / craw was the bait of choice. The quality of fish improved right away. A little after high noon my wife set up on a solid strike in a big patch of mil foil under 8 ft of water. Right away she declared that "this is a good fish". The bass never showed itself and didn't give an inch and after a very short battle had her buried down in the very bowels of a nasty mess this fish called home. It was a stalemate for a minute or two, neither one could gain an advantage over the other. I was ready with the net but honestly didn't think we'd be getting that fish out of there. With nothing to lose, she heaved on the bass for all she was worth and slowly but surely she started gaining line. It was hard to tell if there was anything more than weeds coming our way but at least it was moving. Well, the 30lb braid w/ 15lb big game leader was more than up to the task, and her spinning rod was definitely put to the test. As the massive clump neared the canoe, I anxiously watched for signs of life - a fin, a tail perhaps. It seemed to take forever for the last few feet of line to be retrieved but the swamp-like mass was finally along side. As the designated - "Clean the mess off the line guy" - I carefully began peeling back the multiple layers of grass, weeds, slop and slime. And what do you know - there was a bass under all that - and a very decent one at that ! I got the "I knew it" response I expected and there were smiles all around. It was a good day. A-Jay

Nice - and the anchor doubles as a pick axe. A-Jay

Yes a stopper knot will work perfectly - I just tie the uni-knot "around" the main line. Once it's snug, it essentially performs the same. The hubs are fairly inexpensive and are available on line, I get them from Tackle warehouse. I mount the skirts on the hubs at home and carry a "days supply" with me. It's a little bit tricky mounting the skirt on the hub. A-Jay

Ditto ~ I'd bet there is a good chance that might have been a beaver. I'm fishing from a canoe and at least 1/2 my trips in the summer are at night - the beaver tail slap gets me every time, especially if you don't already know there's one in the area. There are a few places I like to probe at night that are good spots but many times Old Buck-Tooth is standing guard. He'll let me know under no uncertain terms that he would prefer that I fish else where. I hate that ! A-Jay

I can't say that there is an advantage really. The skirt is an an attractor. A standard jig uses a skirt to add / reduce bulk to the bait which also aids to control drop speed. This rig does the same but instead of a fiber weed guard, a Tex-posed plastic allows this rig to penetrate into (and out of) most anything. A-Jay

^^^^^^^^^ ~ This ~ The Jig Alternative. Basically it's just a Texas Rigged plastic bait with a skirt between the weight and the hook. What I do like about this rig over a Standard Fixed hook jig: First and fore most, the fish eat it. The hook-up ratio is the same as a standard jig or maybe even a bit better. It comes through cover better. I can modify / customize the rig any way I want. By switching the weight, the skirt color or type, the hook size or type and the plastic trailer of my choosing - the options are endless. With very little chance of hanging up, I Fish it through lily pad fields, milfoil patches, cabbage patches, stump/log jams, and open water ~ All on One Cast ! So, instead of carrying a ton of different color and size jigs, I can be ready for anything (including punching through the slop) with a hand full of weights, skirts, hooks and a small assortment of plastics. Beavers, Beasts, Grubs, Craws and creature baits have all taken fish. I have 3 Plano (3700) boxes of jigs that hardly ever get wet. Here's the rig, from the main line to the hook: -A weight / bobber stop - A small bead to keep the stop from slipping through the weight. (if needed) - A 1/2 oz tungsten weight - a Boss Punch Hub - this is placed inside the skirt collar - The skirt of your choice - A parasite clip (optional, but does help prevent the plastic from sliding down the hook) - A 5/0 Owner wide gap plus EWG hook (#5139 - very stout, I love this hook) - Your favorite soft plastic - pictured is a Power Bait Beast Hope this helps A-Jay

That - is particularly Outrageous ! I couldn't tell, but I hope Mr. Pin Cushion was going Barb-Less. A-Jay

I finally got a pack of 5/0 today. A-Jay

Man - Now that's a Big Head ! A-Jay

What about ~ Tough Actin' Tinactin. I just like saying that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg1H9PBwLp4 A-Jay

Yea - did the survey but I never got anything from them. And it's been A WHILE now. I e-mailed them and asked them if they forgot about me - guess they did. I'm sticken with Owner thank you very much . . . . .

Nice Bass ! btw - you're fooling anybody, we all know you're wearing Camo shorts under that rain gear . . . A-Jay

Bank the money you would spend on the extended warrenty instead. Then if the vehicle is in need of repair later - you'll have the money to pay for the work. If you never need it, then you have a nice lump sum available for a down payment on your next ride. A-Jay

My wife's thought on this Father's Day . . . . . A-Jay Every year, in mid June, I find myself unknowingly navigating away from the card isle at the store. After these many years have passed, my heart breaks knowing... I will not be making my Dad one of my crazy Father's Day cards again this year. Until a few years ago, I did not know that he & my Mom kept every card I ever made. My Mom gave them to me... my hands tremble to even hold them much less read through them. I have yet to do it. They still sit, untouched. I am not 100% certain why I save them. In honor of Dad's world wide ~ I pause, reflect & remember my Dad this Father's Day. May peace be in your heart & soul Dad ~ Love, Your little girl

Growing up in MA, my parents vacationed each summer on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH ( Upper Moltonboro Bay / Lee's Mills area). I fished from an inflatable rafted that I rowed (and got blown around in ) all over the little bay we were on. Early morning topwater action for smb was insane. I think I used a Fred Arbogast Sputterbuzz. Back then I lived for that topwater smallmouth bass strike - still do. A-Jay

When it's hot - fish at night. A-Jay

Michigan does this as well. SMB entries must be 21" and Lmb entries are required to be a minimum of 22". I've been fortunate enough to make at least one entry in the smb category for the last few season in a row. LMB entries are more of a challenge, at least for me. I have manage 4 in the last five years. SMB waters up here out number Lmb waters 2 : 1. Some seasons I have at least 1 (sometimes both) by now, but this season I'm still looking for my first. At least in Michigan anyway. A-Jay

Dude - that's is a Really good Deal ! A-Jay