A-Jay

Peary Rader IS OLD SCHOOL. Still totally applicable though. Stay on it ! As for my training, it' seems decent. Only been through it one time. Working on getting the right mix of volume, Reps, sets & intensity. Need to leave a little more in the tank for recovery than I have been. End up 'surviving' rather that 'thriving'. I'm back at it in the morning. A-Jay

So this one's been going for a couple of days now. #2 ~ "Which presentation should I fish to catch the single biggest bass for today " has garnered of 75 % of the votes so far. Just for some context, 'the biggest bass for today' doesn't necessarily mean a trophy or even a plus sized fish. Might just be the only 12 incher of a day full of even smaller bass. I'm not say'in, just saying. Fish Hard A-Jay

Local By-Catch on the bigger inland waters here includes Musky, Pike, Walleye & Trout. Early season, the brown and rainbow trout are a total blast on light spinning gear, putting on quite a show. My strike to land ratio on big Musky is pretty low but I've managed to hold a few. Pike are almost always a huge PIA, even when they are bigger. They trash everything. But when I hook a big one, I'll still work hard to land it; just to get my bait back if nothing else. When the toothy critters are thick, I'll either move or add a trace of wire. Then there's the walleye, I like them. Because they taste very good, I'll knock the sides of a limit of cutters just about every chance I get. I will often make them my target species after initially heading out for Brown Bass. Depends if the season's open on them yet or not. Panfish taste awesome too, just not a fan of cleaning so many at a time. A-Jay

I do more of a "Controlled Bleed". The bottoms of these sweet Goby swimbaits showed up Bright White. Not desirable. Nothing a Spike-It pen can't fix. #greenpumpkin A-Jay

Nice ~ Hope they add the 4.3 to this deal. Thanks for sharing this. I was unaware. A-Jay

And so it looks like tomorrow, Tuesday 12 March, will be my first open water yachting of 2024. Always an exciting time for me. The weather is a little iffy, but if it does happen, it will mark my Earliest Pro-V Bass experience since relocating to Michigan in 2007. This very first evolution is routinely just a shake down cruise as I run through all the rigs systems to ensure full operation and to identify any thing that may need some TLC. I'll be launching at local lake Menderchuck which is 10 minutes from home and as been verified as open water. Once all that's done, which quite frankly, barring any challenges, only takes a few minutes, (Might actually take longer to launch the rig with no docks in yet.) the quest for pre-spawn brown bass will begins in earnest. Expect a mid morning start just to give any over night frost, that will no doubt cover the boat ramp, a little time to dissipate. So the rest of the today will be devoted to what 'little' prep I have left to do. Might even run a little video, we'll have to see how it goes. I'm pretty pumped. Fish Hard A-Jay

I typed it as slow as a could just for you @Catt 🤓 A-Jay

Should find something useful here. https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/366200 https://www.livingrubber.com/collections/rubber-skirting-material https://www.spankerjigs.com/store/round-rubber https://www.spinnerbaitskirtsonline.com/living-rubber-skirts/bulk-round-rubber-skirt-material A-Jay

Thought I'd be on the water early this week, but it Snowed a couple of inches overnight here. So that's not looking good. Mean while, there's this. I went with number 3. A-Jay

Hammered on the Day 1 workout this morning. The freaking time change always jacks me up. Got couple of inches of snow over night as well. Glad I got to train. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Daytime ~ Nighttime A-Jay

Hope you never do - Add in a stiff north wind and it's no fun. The term "dressing in layers" takes on a whole new meaning. Takes us at least 30 minutes to dress & undress 3 or 4 times a day to 'do the dogs'. That's 2 hours of your day just putting clothes on & off. Good Times. A-Jay

I've been both quite a bit actually. And despite where I currently live, I would rather be hot. Being out in Extreme cold is Brutal (insert painful), dangerous and just makes me mad. And I'm talking anything lower than like 20 below zero. A-Jay

Really Nice ~ And only 5 minutes from your home, 6 with 'traffic'. We know where you'll most likely be; Morning, Noon & Night. Congrats. A-Jay

Precipitation has changed over to snow for most areas this morning. Snow showers will linger through mid day today, taking a brief break before lake effect snow moves in this afternoon and lasts through tonight. Most snow showers will remain light, leading to accumulations of around 1-2 inches through tonight. Typical snow belt areas in the immediate vicinity of A-Jay's house and all the lakes he fished could see accumulations up to 2-4 inches. Gusty NW winds will likely lead to spots of blowing snow, which can reduce visibilities. Not exactly fisherman friendly at all. 🥴 A-Jay

Without quantifying my own skill level, or lack there of, I've read a fair amount of the bass fishing articles on this site. What follows comes from one of them. I believe it to be a decent start to answering your question. @KSanford33 https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/improve-bass-fishing.html Listen more You’ll have many questions as you progress as a bass angler. And it’s essential to ask them. But it’s more important to listen, not only to the answers but in general. Good anglers work hard, spending long hours developing and refining their patterns and approaches. So, with that amount of investment, most aren’t willing to give away everything. They’ll give you just enough to point you in the correct direction. Listen carefully for those details, then string them together. Before long, you’ll be fishing better and gaining confidence. Concentrate on the details When you first start fishing, you’ll focus on seasonal patterns, such as bass go shallow in spring to spawn, which are the most significant pieces of the fishing puzzle. Eventually, you’ll drill down to a day-to-day understanding of bass activity. Bass don’t contemplate where they are headed or what they are doing. They react to current conditions. Spawning, for example, takes place with more daylight, warming temperatures, and a full moon. But there are spots where they spawn first, such as the northwest corner of a lake, which receives the most warming sunshine in spring and protection from cold north winds. Knowing and acting on these tiny details is the difference between an average and a great angler. Set reasonable expectations It’s not every day that you’ll load the boat with bass. More often than not, you’ll define success with fewer bites. That’s the way it is for every angler. That understanding also is an excellent way to approach becoming a better bass angler. If each tip and trick you master results in an extra bite, you’ll start catching more bass each trip and more throughout a fishing season. And with each step forward, you’ll gain more confidence in your abilities. Don’t downplay confidence's importance in your progression as a bass angler. It’ll keep you going through slow bites and learning new techniques. Eventually, it will allow you to trust your “gut” on the water. And plenty of fishing success will come when you start trusting that little voice inside. Define your fishing fun Maybe it’s catching the most. Maybe it’s catching the biggest. Maybe it’s exploring new waters. Fishing is great because there are so many ways to enjoy it. Decide how you like to fish. Define that passion, and your love for and knowledge of the sport will grow. If you enjoy hunting the biggest bass, for example, build your fishing around that, from the lures you collect, rods and reels you select, and the trips you orchestrate. And don’t be afraid of letting what you find fun change. Those new directions may take you to exciting places. Fish for different species … sometimes According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. anglers spend the most days chasing bass for good reasons: They’re almost everywhere and a blast to catch. But that doesn’t mean other fish aren’t worth your time. On the contrary, they can be fun to catch, too, and make you a better bass angler. Trout, for example, live and die by current. Chase them, and you’ll become better at reading water and develop a deeper understanding of how all fish use it to their advantage. If you need to work on your patience, try musky fishing. They always appear when you’re ready to give up on them. And if the bass in your local water suspend in summer, practice on walleye. Step from behind the screen The internet is home to an endless source of quality bass-fishing information, but you already know that. Why else would you have visited Bassresource.com? But while reading and researching is a significant first step, there’s no substitute for practicing that knowledge on the water, such as developing the feel for a smallmouth subtly slurping your drop-shot bait or perfecting the rod angle skips a jig far under a dock or pontoon boat. So, schedule regular trips. They don’t all have to be a day- or weekend-long adventure. Even a few hours walking around a nearby pond will pay dividends. Stay organized Success is where opportunity and preparation meet. So, take time to put your gear in order before every fishing trip. This starts with ensuring the line on your reels is in good shape and includes going through your tackle, whether stored in a box, bag, or boat. Check the hooks on your frequently used lures, swapping out rusted or bent ones. Put all your lures back in their correct tackle box, so you can quickly find them when you need them. Sort through your bags of soft-plastic lures, combing half-used bags of the same color and shape. Take note of lures that are missing or getting low, so you can pull more from your excess stock or make a shopping list. And give your boat, outboard, and trailer a once over, making sure wires are connected, screws and bolts are tight, and everything is fueled, charged, and lubricated. Take care of this now, and you’ll be ready when the bass are. A-Jay

There's a few more on standby by as well. Box only holds so many and each bait has a 'lifespan'. (the shorter for better). These baits are basically replacements for my SK Burner collection that are a few years old. They served me well but between the brown bass & the pike, I can only re-tune them so many times before I lose confidence in their structural integrity. So we went for a re-boot. I really like that they offer compact & a full frame size baits with 4/0 & 5/0 hook respectively. These baits give me 'the feeling', which is almost always worth at least one over 6. A-Jay

Freedom Tackle Speed Freak Spinnerbaits in the house ~ A-Jay

Day 5 workout this morning. Felt pretty good. We've finally got open water up here so starting next week I'll be fishing. That also means that although I'll still be hitting the home gym between fishing trips, the training videos might not be coming as regular as they have been the past 4 months or so. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Looks like you're right. But at least I never need a hair cut. 🤪 A-Jay

****************************************** Local Lake Menderchuck is officially 100 % OPEN WATER. Expect to be floating at the earliest oppurtunity. Still having fairly cool days with air temps in the 40's. Anything other than a South wind makes it a little nippy. Either way, my work is done here. As always, Thank you for playing along. A-Jay

While I would never do it and certainly don't condone such an action, have to imagine buzzing the tower close aboard at 60 + kts while laying hard on an air horn, could have some entertainment value right here. #don'tdoit 🤓 A-Jay

Followed in the foot steps of my grandfather and Enlisted in the US Coast Guard a year or so out of high school. Still just a clue-less kid. Had to grow up fast and I did. Spent my 28 year career as a BOATSWAIN’S MATE, and retired as an enlisted man at 47. During which I served at several Search & Rescue stations, on Patrol Boats, Ships, Cutters & multiple small boats. All located up and down the East Coast of the USA from Maine to SC. Moving every two or three years is hard and I basically lived out of a bag for most all of it. Spending weeks/month ways from your family is harder and not for everyone. Depending on your assignment, you will be putting yourself in harms way for total strangers. Did quite a bit of that. Bad things happen to good people all the time. We were always getting there after the bad had already happened. Sometimes we helped, sometimes we just cleaned up what was left; if we could find it. The Atlantic Ocean's a pretty big place. Job descriptions were many, including but not limited to Driving/Navigation the vessels mentioned above, (in some very treacherous conditions) Maritime Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue Mission Coordination, and tons of Training. Served 2 tours a Company Commander (the Coast Guard's name for a Drill Instructor). Super rewarding job. Throughout my career I was so fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated, hard working and self-less folks who taught me so much about Honor, Respect & Devotion to Duty. The time went by in a flash. I miss them and that job every day. Perhaps the best part about the whole deal is that while I was serving our great country, I met & some how tricked my wife into marring me. Semper Paratus A-Jay

Hit the home gym early this morning for the Day 4 workout. Went as well as I can expect. Body seems to rebel a little more before, during & after every one of these. This is workout video number 601. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

That's a giant smallie. I really need to go fishing. Congrats to that guy. A-Jay