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

Welcome to BR ! A-Jay

Nice Fish DH, btw your net man takes great photo's ~ A-Jay

Cool - What happens if you eat after midnight ? A-Jay

+3 here in the north woods and I'm getting ready to hit the rack. . . . A-Jay

It's a late night serenade ~ A-Jay

A mix of both some old and some new - several have already been listed here. A year or so ago I came across the music of William Elliot Whitmore ~ A unique voice and genuine music. The more I listen to it the more I like it. A-Jay