A-Jay

I'm bare foot in both. Besides, I'm not old enough yet to wear sock with sandals. A-Jay

Hey tough guy - you're right there with me . . . . A-Jay

OK - you could also call them "job security" - for you specifically . . . A-Jay

And I don't remember most of them. A-Jay

I wear Keens and are happy with them, except when the biting flies are chewing my feet (through the spaces in them). I would say try Croc's before you count them out. I used to think they were THE most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen until I tried them. They are quite comfortable and very functional in a wet environment. A-Jay

Congratulations ! Sharing an evening like that together is fantastic. Don't look now but I think, fishing as you know it, might never be the same for either of you. A-Jay

Who are these clowns you speak of ? A-Jay

Can't sleep ~ so I'm pinning the boat to the truck, strapping a headlamp to my squash, packing the black spinnerbaits, jigs and Big worms and getting out on the water. A-Jay

Northern Lower Michigan ~ You can find members who have located themselves on the members map. A-Jay http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/membermap/

I've been on a self-imposed hiatus of sorts as I was getting a little burned out (mostly from having little success right after the spawn). Day started out slowly with small fish coming on a SK series 5 from a secondary weed line. Once I decided to move a bit deeper (15-25ft) I started to get into a much better quality fish (at least for this neck of the woods). A jig and rage tail craw in the middle of the deep wood close to a drop outside of a spawning bay was it. I found four separate places that fit the bill. The fish were chowing the bait. I love the "no-doubter" strikes that bounce the rod right out of your hand. Best part of the trip was, no bite off from Pike, didn't even see one which for June is rare indeed. A-Jay

Fantastic ! Way to give back Big-O ! A-Jay

I fish allot of gin clear water. I think about trying to "hide" my bait but in clear water there's little chance of that. By choosing bait colors that match the color of the bottom or the cover I'm fishing in (weed, rocks or wood) often bring success. That goes for hard and soft baits. With the advent of "silent / no-rattle" lures, I've taken way more fish on these quieter baits. Lighter line, longer casts and as already mentioned, Stealth, plays a big role. You might want to turn off your electronics when you don't need them and be conscious of the shadow your boat casts as it could turn fish off. After arriving on a spot, I often anchor rather than holding position by cranking the trolling motor on and off a hundred times. Sometimes putting the boat in skinny water and casting to deeper fish helps, rather than sitting on top of them which is what a good majority do. When the fish are in suicide mode, very little of this is necessary, but when the bite is tough, these things might help. Good Luck A-Jay

Yea - I hear ya - I'm just jealous & busting'em a little. A-Jay

Although you had no reason to think of it ahead of time, a video of you guys taking that first walk down to the lake upon arrival would have been an Instant Classic ! That was nice of the owner to hook you guys up with all the arrangement and so forth. Glad it worked out. A-Jay

You sir, are indeed a Lucky Man. Having access to water that is chuck full of gorgeous brown bass (that apparently go unmolested) is a beautiful thing. Nice photo's as well. I do however hope that you lathered up generously with SPF 80, as you appear to have quite the alabaster thing going on. A-Jay

This is from the ESPN Bassmaster's live blog - day 3 Dixie Duel on Lake Wheeler - I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said about this man ~ A-Jay http://www.bassmaster.com/news/dixie-duel-live-blog 8:22 a.m. Going into this morning we were thinking that there was a slight chance that KVD could slip up and by the narrowest of margins ever let someone else win the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Not anymore. VanDam has not only shut that door, he's slammed it shut, nailed it down and no matter how many miracles you can dream of he will be the next AOY. While we were working up photo galleries and watching Walker, Hackney and DeFoe, VanDam quietly and very quickly has caught more than 17 pounds to not only assure an AOY victory but take the lead in this event. Once again, KVD captures the magic and once again we can say there is no one better. --Steve Bowman 8:26 a.m. There was never really any doubt that VanDam would get the work done today to nail down the AOY, but even for those of us who knew it was coming, that early flurry that created 17 pounds sends a little shock wave through us. It really does make us wonder if the guy is super natural in some way. Yesterday, he had to wait to weigh in late with Evers and Kennedy. We set in the weigh-in line as angler after angler passed and all KVD could say about the AOY race was "I'm ready to get this over." He said it enough that he obviously took it to heart. He's left absolutely no chance or no doubt. --Steve Bowman

Yup ! It's hard to believe that the Hockey Gods are going to forgive and forget this really bad display of senseless violence. It's just foolish - and mimics the way their team played in the finals - self-destructive. A-Jay

I would go with a jig. And the old Pork Trailer will take some quality fish and has a good chance of making through the day. A-Jay

That's what I'm talking about - Heck of a Playoff run for the Bruins ! After losing the first 2 games to Montreal at home in the first round, winning the cup wasn't looking too promising. And them winning Three game 7's, including the Finals on the road - Unreal. But what's up with the runner-ups ? The fans turned their frustration over losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals into a riot-filled evening on the city's streets, complete with overturning and burning police vehicles and engaging in widespread looting. A-Jay

The B's desperately Need to Transport the "Bean town MO JO" that has been so effective for them playing in the TD Garden up north and unleash it when they drop the puck for GAME 7 ! ! ! A-Jay

Nice Job ! Good write up too. I can relate to the cold June as the "summer" over night and early morning temps here are often in the low 40's. Mix in a cold rain/North wind and it makes the lake feel like Hot Bath Water. And aren't jigs the way to go ! When the conditions are right they're tough to beat. Keep Get'um. A-Jay

That's my thought as well A-Jay

As mentioned, you don't really gain much using a Flouro leader frog fishing in heavy cover. If, by chance, you are faced with a more open water situation, where the visibility of a heavy braided line is a concern you could down size the braid a bit or use a short Mono leader. The mono will float (unlike the flouro) but know that it will stretch which might effect the hook set. A-Jay

My bottle dried up this winter as well. But the few times that I did use it, it was effective. I'd be willing to give it another try after hearing that the bottle and the applicator have been improved. Nothing else I've used compares, especially on repairing swimbaits. Has anyone used it on the Rage Tail baits with success ? A-Jay

He better dump that ride soon, otherwise "the love of his life" may end up with it in the settlement ! A-Jay