A-Jay

I heard they get decent free health care too. A-Jay

Workout Day 4 this morning. First time using the dip belt for Sissy Squats. I like it. #borninfiftynine https://youtu.be/8XsebKBwSBM A-Jay

For air temps in the 30's I'm basically dressing for ice fishing (without the gloves) Base layer is Columbia mid weight Omni heat top & bottom Simms M's Thermal Mid Layer tops & bottoms Under Armour CGI Balaclava Wind blocker hoodie Simms Challenger Insulated Jacket & Bibbs Sock liners and Merino wool socks Columbia Omni heat thermal insulated full size boots. A-Jay

IMO, you are making the classic inexperienced basshead mistake. You're putting the cart way ahead of the horse. Buying gear is a blast but if you don't know why you're buying it or where & when to use it, it can be a problem. Your profile notes that you are up north, probably targeting Smallmouth, (I like them too) I've read through several of your posts. There's quite a bit about the gear & baits YOU like to fish, but very little (insert nothing) about the seasonal habits of the fish you're looking to catch. Knowing as much as you can about the seasonal habits of the bait that the bass eat in your waters can be very helpful as well. So my advice is to take a step back from the tackle selection topics and read up on where & when the bass in your waters will be at. The answer to that will almost always dictate tackle & lure selection. Finally, 'improving' at bass fishing is like anything else, it takes time. It's not a race and having an attitude where one is trying to speed up the process almost always leads to frustration. Perhaps slow your roll a little, enjoy the process and your time on the water. I added a thread here a while ago that covers quite a bit about what I referencing here. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/ Clearly not the end all answer to everything but I do believe it can help get you on the right track. Good Luck. A-Jay

I will list the whole aunsomble here later today. A-Jay

Probably be a write in candidate. A-Jay

The "magic" water temp for me starts right around 41 degrees. My first few trips so far it's been in the high 30's so there's some work to be done. 42-48 - ish can be supreme for big fish. Access is the biggest hurdle. Getting out on big water when it's safe is all I can control. So I go when I can and fish what's there. But when it lines up right, I get giddy. And it will again this season. May only be two or three trips but it only takes one cast to make a season. And I have no problem 'peaking early'. So we'll see how long the winter weather here lasts. I'll need at least a few days of 'warm' sun and South to South west wind to get the fish in shallow. If I get lucky, I can be there waiting for them. A-Jay

Lake effect snow showers will continue this afternoon and through tonight. Lake Menderchuck will see the heaviest snow with highest accumulations (an additional 2-4 inches). This heavier snow is expected to fall later this afternoon and into this evening. Impacts will be slick roads and patchy blowing snow which could lead to visibility reductions. Snow will linger overnight and gradually diminish Monday morning. https://fb.watch/qS-zm3oF9I/ I am physically ill right now. Hope I don't have to re-winterize my rig . . . . 🤮 A-Jay

Some supplemental info ~ Compatibility At its heart, grease is a heavy oil mixed with enough soap (the product of an acid+base; we're not talking about Ivory soap or Dawn here) to make it stringy and clingy enough to stay in place when it's put into places like bearings or high-speed moving parts. But not all soaps and compatible with each other. This matters when you're introducing grease into an area that has previously been "greased" before and may have remnants of the old grease still in place. If an incompatible grease is introduced, there will be an interaction that results in the soap and oil separating, and the oil leaking out. Bad things typically result. This is a big issue in, for example, bearing packs. If an incompatible grease is introduced, you'll see oil leaking out of the bearing pack after a week or so, depending on use. A big clean-up job then awaits. Lithium complex and calcium sulfonate greases both have the advantage of being compatible with each other and many types of other common greases. That's a big plus. The only greases that are incompatible with lithium complex and calcium sulfonate greases are conventional polyurea grease and bentonite clay grease (calcium sulfonate is also incompatible with calcium complex grease, but you wouldn't typically put those two together). https://www.bellperformance.com/bell-performs-blog/lithium-complex-vs.-calcium-sulfonate-grease-the-workhorses-of-the-industry A-Jay

@volzfan59 I'd recommend a grease specific for marine applications. Over-based calcium sultanate is usually quite compatible with whatever is already in there. Lucas makes one https://www.lucasoil.com/product/marine-grease/ I use Corrosion X https://www.corrosionx.com/products/corrosionx-grease?variant=31163666563168 Also available on Amazon. A-Jay

Wow ~ Another Very Chunky Monkey Heck of a big fish season so far. Congrats A-Jay

If your cranking battery also runs your accessories (nav lights, live wells, vibrating seat massager) & any electronics, a dual purpose battery is not a bad idea. I use a 31M Blue top Optima. They make a 27 too. https://www.optimabatteries.com/products/bluetop-d27m Auto Zone & Advanced Auto Parts usually have them. A-Jay

Nice Bass ~ Congrats ! A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ I fish the inland lakes of northern Michigan every chance I get. At least 90% of the time, I'm fishing for Smallmouth bass. Been using a 112 lb Fortrex with a foot pedal going on 8 years now. I'm always casting & never trolling so this works for me. A-Jay

After my scheduled off day plus a day on the water, I was back in the home gym for workout Day 3. Felt pretty good but didn't want to over do it. Weather's total crap for at least a week and maybe even 10 days. So I'll be in the gym as scheduled until that mess improves. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Hello Kisu and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

I hate it when that happens. Rub some dirt on it. A-Jay

Not unless you're fishing right next to it. Perhaps consider a longer cast. A-Jay https://youtu.be/02fPoZHOri8?feature=shared&t=1151

OK, while I choose to ignore it, that's a fair statement. But he does avail himself as a fairly easy target. 40 million views. That's gotta be worth a ned rig or two. A-Jay Didnt mean to high jack the live bait thread. A-Jay

Old Thread ~ Do you consider "live" bait cheating? I'll need to check with Randy Blaukat first. He usually tells me 'what I should think'. A-Jay

If I were fishing for numbers, I'd throw whatever they would bite. But there a chance there could be a couple or three plus sized ladies roaming this place. So I would gear up accordingly, tie on my favorite jig/trailer combo and go to work. Lock that deal in my hand - All Day. It only takes One Cast. Good Luck and have fun A-Jay

Workout Day 2 this morning. As I approach 65 years old and the official title of Senior Citizen, I don't always bust my azz to stay in shape . . . Oh wait, yes I do. #borninfiftynine https://youtu.be/hJ8PzxM4NJw A-Jay

When March feels Like May on Lake Menderchuck ~ A-Jay

@GReb verdict is Yes, better. But not by much. Good thing I guess is that it's not worse. Either way, how bad can they be really. These are top of line rigs and they run like it. Towed the Pro-V bass a couple of times the past few days. The 2024 GMC Sierra AT4 (6.2L) pulls my rig with authority. It is however badly in need of an A-Jay full on exterior field day. Soon, very soon. A-Jay

22 replies so far and no 2 are a like. May not answer your questions directly but it does indicate that these anglers feel successful with a wide variety of line, leader combinations. And so can you. Also seems many bassheads here have let experience be their guide to whatever they settled on. IMO, the best way to go. So for reply 23. I will tell you that I use 10 - 17 lb FC on casting gear and 8 - 20 lb braid mainline on spinning gear with 8 - 12 lb mono or fc leaders. I prefer long leaders, at least 3 rod lengths if not more. Good luck A-Jay