A-Jay

Thanks - as for more pictures - not happening :'( Unfortunately what's posted is the best shot of this fish. I was solo on this trip. Between the ridiculous wind gusts and wind blown waves, after landing her, I was working a bit to keep the canoe up right. So at the time, I was satisfied to get this shot of her and a successful release. Of course looking back, I think you're right. Perhaps this will prompt me to get off my duff and finally fabricate an effective camera mount. My fishing partner (wife), who wanted to but could not be there that day, has in her own very kind way, expressed this same sentiment. Which REALLY makes me feel like a mook. :-[ A-Jay

Instead of looking at the advice provided to you here as "a beating", perhaps a better perspective would be to try to understand that those who have already been down the road you are about to head down now are attempting to convince you not to make a mistake that perhaps you may later regret. Good Luck A-Jay

Nice post & pic's. Thank you for sharing that simple and special time. Love your puppies, they look fantastic ~ even when asleep. A-Jay

My favorite fishing partner was a little under the weather yesterday so I flew solo out on a "trout" lake. The wind was really blowing - again. After trying everything I could think of with no action, I resorted to pitching a jig and craw to the few docks this deep clear lake has to offer. Pitching docks from a canoe in 20 knot winds is well let's just say sometimes it's ugly. The first two stops yielded a couple of decent lmb. The third dock is right on the edge of a steep drop and the bottom right in front of this dock is a maze of big timber. On the first pitch I had an immediate pick up - I set the hook and the fight was on. I definitely had my hands full. I'm fighting this obviously big and rather uncooperative mutant bass trying to keep her out of the timber and simultaneously attempting to maneuver the canoe to keep from blowing back through the timber and back onto the dock ! For a few panicky moments there I wasn't doing either one very well. Thankfully the Yozuri hung tough and I managed to get the boat to a better position for a net job. She was 23 inches and flawless. A healthy diet of northern Michigan rainbow trout has served her well. The Rapala scale was bouncing back and forth between 6.9 and 7.1 - so I'm calling her a 7. I released her and called it a day - a very memorable day. A-Jay

Good Luck ~ hope this wind lets up a bit for you guys. A-Jay

This fat girl inhaled one just before sunset yesterday. Slow steady retrieve with an occasional very brief pause was the way they seemed to want it. A-Jay

Hi, This is Lynn, A-Jay's wife. Thank you for the kind messages. Kodi humbled us in many ways and gave us much more than we could ever give him in return, although we tried. We shared our life with him for 11.5 years. He saw many people and other pets come and go. He moved with us several times, saw us get married and brought more smiles to peoples faces than one could imagine. He had one mission in life. To make us happy. He tried his best up until he took his last breathe, when he was still giving us his biggest Malamute smile, even though he was having such a hard time. He is running free now. Like Glenn posted, we will meet again one day at the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts are broken, but Kodi will be a part of our spirits forever. I have to go hug A-Jay, Diesel & Cinnabar now... :'( Lynn

Thank you, - no, Diesel has a red headed step brother - Cinnabar is a red and white Siberian Husky we rescued 6 years ago. It's going to take all of us some time to get used to the now smaller pack. A-Jay

My wife and I said good bye to our first dog this morning. It was time. It was hard. As happy as we were when we got him as a puppy, is as sad as we are today. Kodi was as gentle and friendly as a Malamute could be. We will miss him. Rest in peace old friend. A-Jay

Good Idea - I wish I had thought of that. A-Jay

Thanks. I don't carry a cloth tape for girth measurements but I guess I'll start. I have a scale but like you said I didn't want to hang her to get a weight. Just lifting her in the net, 12 lbs. seems about right. The next mark will have to be 40" long which in MI is a C & R Citation/Master Angler award fish, but I will Definitely need a bigger net. A-Jay

x2 ! I had the same deal - broke off way too many times right at the knot and it didn't seem to matter which knot I used. So I switched to Yozuri Hyrid as my leader and haven't had it happen yet this year. Additionally, I have adopted the following rule ~ Unless the line is straight braid (meaning no leader AT ALL) I CAN NOT THUMB THE SPOOL ON THE HOOK SET. This has really helped in reducing break off as well. A-Jay

Thanks guys. I don't know what's up with this wind ~ this whole week I've felt like Lt. Dan from the movie Forest Gump when he was up on the mast yelling "Is that all you've got?" But when I could get out, the Sub-walk bite has been hot ! On a side note, a spring pike took me for a ride. Turned out to be a PB. (pic posted in Other Species Forum) A-Jay This is how you know you picked the right bait.

Went out in the wind a few days ago looking for smb. I had made three casts at my first spot and was just settling in for the days fishing when this U-boat of a pike hammered a Rapala Sub-walk and proceeded to tow me and the Old Town around for quite a while. It got very interesting as I tried to will this 35" log into a 19" net ! After a lot of splashing and several out loud prayers, she was in the net. Some quick photos and a measurement, she was released. Now my favorite Sub-walk sports two really bent up trebles and some gnarly teeth marks. A-Jay

Try the Rapala Sub-walk. A-Jay

Got a bit of a late start this morning but still very glad I got out. Sunny but very windy conditions made for a challenging day. Despite wanting to get out of the wind, it seemed all the biters were in the windy areas. So I went with the flow. A decent mixed bag of LMB and SMB were eager to suck up a swim jig and grub combo. The best fish of the afternoon (pictured) hit at the end of a long cast to the deep edge of a spawning flat. She felt solid right away and once I got a glimpse of her in the clear water, I was repeating over and over "please stay on, please stay on". She was pretty energetic for 53 degree water. Of course it would have helped if I had remembered the net. A-Jay

There are some interesting sales going on here ! A-Jay

x2 But it's not for everyone. A-Jay

I know why they are expensive....I would just go to bass pro and not pay that $$$ shipping fee instead of them... I bought 2 brand new Citica 201e's for $170 shipped from a top rated Ebay seller, also got a New Stradic 2500fi for $125 shipped. That's good for you- I'm several HOURS from BPS so I'm all about shipping. But the buffer zone is a good thing, like . . having all the lakes to myself. A-Jay

Hang on, we only have to wait six more days! I'm trying my best - but it's no walk in the park. The snow the past two nights has been a little disheartening. A-Jay

X2 ~ Simmons Sporting Goods ~ After more purchases than I'm willing to admit to here (my wife might be lurking I'll tell you that I have been very pleased every time with the service and quality of the gear. The prices are very good and the shipping from AL to MI averages 3-4 days. Check them out . . . . . . A-Jay http://stores.ebay.com/SIMMONS-SPORTING-GOODS

Glad you liked the post. We used to have to wait until the 3rd Saturday in June. Man, that sucked. We are now allowed catch and release with artificials in the off season. You know I hate BS when it comes to weights of fish, but I do like to make the fish look big and beautiful in the pictures. You certainly did that. A-Jay

That's right ~ because Quantums are the only reels that ever have any mechanical problems. A-Jay

Thank you for sharing J. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole post. I really appreciate you posting an accurate, honest and realistic weight of your fish. I'm glad that I'm not the only one living in a state where every bass that size isn't 9 pounds. Our opener is not until the 24th (thank you very much !) My wife just gave me the 'look' - I think I might have drooled on the key board a little . . . . . . A-Jay

I'm in ~ A-Jay