A-Jay

x2 on the Cliff bars ~ they don't melt and they don't freeze. A-Jay

I use a net. I just think it's safer. I fish alone often (at night also). Fish taken on single hook baits (soft plastics and jigs etc) I'll occasionally thumb. Pike, walleye and anything with a face full of trebles goes in the net. I replaced the original net bag with a rubber one which helps keep any trebles from making a mess of a tangle in the net. Last week my wife and I were on pike every other cast for a while and I got lazy and reached for a freaked out 2 footer and ended up having to yank the rear treble of Rapala out of my thumb. Good times. A-Jay

Stud Smallie. Nice job as usual J. I've never heard of anyone holding a Rocky Tournament. I think it's cool and bet it's probably fun too. Those wacky rock bass, what they may lack size but they really try to make up for it with attitude. And a 16" red eye surely would have taken "Big Fish". I'm in the same situation up here as well, plenty of keeper smb but the "Photo Fish" have pull the old Houdini Act. I'm heading out tonight for some night ops. This week has been very hot, I hoping the night shift will produce. A-Jay

WTG ! Success does breed confidence and that only breeds more success ~ and of course "Good Times" A-Jay

Congrats on the new PB ! A-Jay

Is this it ? The video link is half way down the page. This is valid reason to make sure you invite Smith & Wesson fishing with you. A-Jay http://gawker.com/5545253/armed-mexican-drug-cartel-pirates-operating-on-texan-lake

Nice Bass ! That HAD to be fun ~ our top water action is just about here. A-Jay

Thanks ~ She was release. If she had been close to or better than the state record, I would consider a replica. As it turned out a few photos and some video will take care of it. A-Jay

Nice fish. Man you guys have been tearing them up. WTG. A-Jay btw - your friend has a great fishing hat ~

We were stationed in NJ for 12 years - WAWA Rules ! A-Jay

Great Smallie ! A-Jay

Yes sir, I think those were the ones I was using. I had the yellow one and I'd color it Black with a Sharpie. By using a separate Uni knot, you do not need to tie the line around a little tube in advance. Just lay the braid on your main line and tie the knot. I bet others are already doing this, I just haven't seen anything on it before. Besides, those little tubes are a PIA. A-Jay

FYI - I have been using bobber stops to peg my Texas rig sinker. The other day I ran out. I tried using a short length of used braid from a couple of years ago 50 lb I think. I just tied a uni knot in front of the weight. Once in position I snugged it up, cut off the ends and it worked fine. I now have another use for old braided line. A-Jay

Thanks Catt ~ I had a feeling you'd say that. What's that, the bait monkey's calling? Tell him I'll be Right there. A-Jay

It's ALWAYS windy here. I have two choices, either fish in the wind or don't fish. So I've tried to learn to deal with it. One thing I have learned is that I have done much better on the windy side of the lake than the calm/protected side. I would always run right out of the wind and find a calm cove somewhere and not have much success but hey, I was out of the wind. I still do that occasionally but more often I'm on a wind blown point or weed line catching fish. I do anchor quite a bit and that's a skill all it's own. Boat position is always critical especially in the wind. As a matter of fact I just came home from a day on a lake I've never been on. The wind was blowing as usual like 15 knots and the calm side was dead. All the life we saw and all the fish we caught came from areas on the lake that were exposed to the breeze. A-Jay

"This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces ... to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty." -New York Times, May 14, 1952 Let us all take a moment to reflect and say a "Thank You" to our Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard & Veterans for their commitment and dedication to our country. A-Jay

Another vote for 12lb ~ and it's Yozuri Hybrid A-Jay

Wasn't a honey hole before this trip. I had only fished this place 3 times so I'm still learning it. But I'm happy with the results so far. As for a location, ya - OK ~ it's way up yonder past the caution light - there's a little country store with an old Coke sign - be sure to stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea - then a left will take you to right to the ramp. hehe A-Jay

This is my 1 and only right here ~ A-Jay

God is great, Dogs are good and PEOPLE ARE CRAZY ! A-Jay

Excellent. Timing is everything. This is a something that I hope to employ a bit more of this season as the water warms up here. I don't have much experience doing it as only a few bodies of water contain this type of cover. However, there are some and I'm hoping to capitalize on this rather untapped resource. I've been reading up best I can and have searched through many posts here which have been very informative. Can you recommend a favorite brand and or model jig for grass/vegetation ? Are you still fan of Oldham's Jig 3/8 oz. black/blue with a 6" Gene Larew Hawg Craw with the tail cut completely off making for a stubby jig. 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