A-Jay

Training day number 71 so far this year was Workout Day 3. I did what I could and it felt pretty good. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I always pre-rig prior to a trip. Might not always require much change. Sometimes it does, especially when I am fishing a different body of water. Once I get there, I will often tweak a few deals based on the conditions; wind, turbidity, water level etc. Much of my fishing is done right at first light. So timing is a big deal. Don't want to miss what might be a fairly small bite window if I can help it. Pre-rigging baits supports that goal. Will admit to re-rigging at the ramp with a headlamp a few times. Besides, how long do you think takes . . . ? 😎 A-Jay

My Dad Buck Perry Bill Murphy Jerry Mckinnis Al Linder Mr Kevin Van Dam Mark Zona and Honorable mention goes to Big Fish Jeff. A-Jay (I may need a bigger mountain)

I started like this ~ (circa 1965) Graduated to this ~ (circa 1975) More recently it's been mostly this. (Circa present day) Can't say the fishing was better or worse at any one time along the way. Certainly was different. #timeschange Presently, I still avoid crowds best I can and the fish catches seem to feel the same as they did way back when. Almost like magic. Fish Hard A-Jay

Cool - I think the longer leader deal is a trade off of sorts. But I'm hanging on to and Babying my Old Claurus just for the Big Guide alone A-Jay

LOL - we keep latex gloves handy for just that occasion. We call it "a hanger" Don't ya just love dogs ! 🤓 A-Jay

Every dog we've ever owned, fostered or cared for - even for a day, think they are part sheep and will eat grass until their face is green. Makes be crazy. I asked our vet about it years ago and he said, welcome to the club and get used to it. They ALL to it. I just dis-like the midnight vomit that comes with it. The dogs, not me. 🤮 A-Jay

There's some pretty hairy accounts up in this one. Personally, I stopped counting them quite a while ago and a few I've deliberately miss-remembered. I'll just borrowing a term from the medical field. TNTC Fortunately, there hasn't been any in a while and I hope that trend continues. Stay Safe A-Jay

I always have help ~ A-Jay

My leaders (and I'm only using them on spinning gear) are all 25 ft plus. I do this so when a big girl gets close to the boat, the connection knot stays on the reel. Otherwise if she makes a couple of hard runs while boat side, which is almost inevitable, a shorter leader will be ripping back & forth through the entire guide train. Not to mention that it's usually under a decent strain from the reels drag at that time as well. (No - I Don't back reel @Team9nine ) If the leader is only 3 or 4 feet, this probably doesn't apply, but I'd be retying far more often as well. As for restricting casting, hasn't been an issue for me but none of my rigs sport super tiny guides either. A-Jay

So glad to hear this. While his medication is "helping" him, he still needs to do the rest on his own hard work, commitment and confidence. And don't think for 1 minte that your love and concern for his well being went unnoticed. Including the tough love. Thank you for the update and it sounds like this young man is well on his way. A-Jay

Thanks, I have 5 yards to deal with as well But they're all mine ! A-Jay

Keep the boat and the truck clean is a labor of love. A-Jay

There are no 'lake fees' here - at least on the northern MI lakes I frequent. I am not familiar with Moss lake, had to look it up on the interwebs. Interesting that a lake used for local water supply, that doesn't seem to want boaters on it, sports an eight-lane, concrete boat launch ramp that features multiple docks and paved parking. Doesn't sound like my kind of place really. Either way, while I don't pay a lake fee, the best places are a hike, so my 'fee' goes directly into the GMC gas tank. Hope it works out for you. A-Jay https://news.yahoo.com/news/kings-mountain-official-defends-moss-022240590.html

When the fishing type weather cooperates, my trips into the home gym get a little sporadic because I'm on the water. When the fishing weather's sporadic, my workout consistency improves quite a bit. That's where we are now. Hate not fishing but do love smashing out workouts on the regular. Workout Day 2 today. Completed 3 pretty intense working sets of the 4 movements scheduled. Showing all of that in this one. And for those members who also patriciate in some form of regular exercise, I hope you're making it happen as well. #borninfiftynine https://youtu.be/eje8la9J78E?feature=shared A-Jay

@ol'crickety ~ you didn't strike out. That's how this game is played. Don't see me posting giants or numbers of giants 2 or 3 times a week. Because I rarely get them. There's not that many to go around and they are Vwery Twicky. But when I do - you'll see them - many times. Nice trip either way. Congrats. A-Jay

I am semi-obsessed with casting distance - especially with spinning gear. My style of fishing & the fishery itself demands it. Coming from a surf casting back round, there are 3 main and often critical mistakes bassheads overlook when this subject comes around. As mentioned above line diameter plays a role, but here's the big three for me. 1. Not using a long rod 2. Not Allowing the blank to load properly. It's almost like your 'throwing' the lure through the cast. 3. (and this is a biggie) Not leaving sufficient length of line between the rod tip and the bait being casted. Let that deal hang - almost half the rod length. May take some practice to get the timing down as you'll need to 'slow down' through at the beginning of the cast and then accelerate through it. But when done right it's pure, effortless and super effective. btw- totally works on casting gear as well although the mechanics are a little different, the results are the same. Good Luck. A-Jay https://youtu.be/Vsl5A_YmHzs?feature=shared&t=44 btw - if you go to settings on the YT video, you can change the playback speed to .5 or better yet .25. Makes it Real Easy to identify what I mentioned above. https://youtu.be/8x9A8IP3j7w?feature=shared&t=10

I'm a fan of the Columbia's PFG Blood & Guts Pants. Light, comfy, quick drying and seem fairly durable. They are 'convertible' but I rarely use it. Not sure if the model I have is still available. Some on the newest deals have 'no fly'. So if you're not an 'over the top' kind of guy, you might not be a fan. Be sure to check. Good Luck A-Jay

Thanks for the kind words @ol'crickety But fishing for a big bite doesn't necessarily mean I'm not 'busy'. Admittedly, it's a different type of busy. The hardest part is keeping confidence high and staying focused & ready. Because when it does happen, there's little room for error. Preparation in all manner of things is Key. My 'numbers days' usually happen in the Oct time frame. Apr/May, and Aug/Sept I'm relegated to hunting mutants. One or if I'm Lucky, two tanker bites a day. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Fish Hard A-Jay

Kept one in the 'remains recover kit'. Bottle always seemed old and no one liked having to use it. A good dab right up both nostrils helped - at least a little. I will admit that coming in contact with that smell now sends shivers down my spine. 😑 A-Jay

Not sure the bass I target have read the same books as me. But I seem to do OK if I fish around the bass's food. Wherever that might be. If the foods there, the bass will be too, eventually. #timing A-Jay

Congrats on the new place. I'll play. If there's already a way for you to access the lake without too much trouble and without altering your land, I'd do that. Remember that those 'paths' to the water work both ways. Good Luck. A-Jay

As a man who's job description included searching for, locating and eventually placing drowning victims and or their remains in large black bags, it's not something I wanted to do very often, if at all. Especially in warm conditions when there's been an extend time between the accident and the recovery. Being out there recreationally afterwards is a personal choice. The chances of ever 'catching' such a deal while fishing are fairly remote. However, if one was to recover a victim, besides the nightmares and the PTSD, you'd be doing the family a service by providing closure. Never located victims leaves a painful void in an already horrible deal. Stay Safe. A-Jay

Started off June with Workout Day 1. Felt pretty good. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

The OP has been using a Moderate action spinner - A-Jay