A-Jay

I hear ya ~ I am still able to give myself a reality check by getting out in the Old Town Canoe a few times a year. It's where I learned 'to fish small'. IMO, an invaluable skill for any angler, especially when faced with a big motor & a big Lake. A-Jay

Started off the new month with Legs 1 this morning. There's a fine line for me between safe & effective training and letting my ego select the training weight. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Interestingly enough, these factors (along with a few others) are always part of safe & productive day on the water for me, regardless of which rig I'm fishing from or how large/small a body of water might be. To disregard them is a fundamental error IMO. A-Jay

I never liked that nasty little rodent no matter what he thinks he sees or doesn't see. Just saying. A-Jay

The Nav rules were established to address most every conceivable situation on the water. And they do a pretty good job, including addressing safe speed. Basic boat handling is fun, pretty easy when it's nice & calm and you're the only one on the water. The more any of that changes, the more knowing 'the rules' comes into play. Finally, and this is NOT covered in or any part of The Official Navigational Rules, and that is 'the rule of gross tonnage'. Basically means that even if a vessel has the right of way, if the other rig would crush it like a bug, it's better to be move and be alive than to sit there and die. Your choice. A-Jay

Out-Standing ! Love starting the morning off with a smile. Thank You . . . A-Jay

I'll be throwing the Megabass X-Nanahan +1 & Megabass X-Nanahan +2 Jerkbaits around Lake Menderchuck this season. Both are pretty small baits when compared to the standard Vision 110's. Be fishing them on ML spinning Gear and light braid. And while I did spend quite a bit of time fishing the Z-Man Chatterbait Mini Max last season, with less than expected results, I'll be giving this one another go. Although I am planning on changing how, where & when I fish it, compared to my initial attempts. I think I'm up for it. A-Jay

Nice fish... Get the Gaff ! A-Jay

Interesting comments above. I absolutely fish for the biggest bass in the system I am fishing on that day. "Blanking" or a Skunking as it were, is part of it. Dinks bite just about all day. I recieve zero satisfaction from catching 1 or 50. I actually feel like I am jacking up potential trophies in Training. Simply can not justify the time, money and effort I put into this and feel rewarded. YMMV A-Jay

And somehow, percentage wise, very few folks are actually killed. Either way, regardless of the level of visibility, proximity of other boating traffic and even amount of on the water experience, best plan may be to operate at the exact speed we want to be traveling, when we hit something. #nobrakes A-Jay

When it comes to Navigational rules on inland, in shore water ways & rivers and even the open ocean, So few recreational boat operators know the rules, few obeys the rules, few teach the right rules and rarely are the rules enforced, unless someone dies. Some do not even know that there ARE Actual "Rules". So it's a total free for all. Doesn't mean I don't encourage folks to know them, because we really should. But that's a really vicious cycle to try and break, regardless of lives lost. I Personally, I expect EVERY MOTOR VESSEL,I encounter on the water to run me down. Accordingly I never give them the chance. But that's my deal. For those who are actually interested - THIS is where the actual 'rules of the road', on the water come from. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1510764542/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 Navigation Rules and Regulations fulfills the legal requirement to have a copy of these guidelines on your vessel at all times. Updated to accommodate the most recent changes to marine law and standard operating procedure, this handbook provides the Coast Guard's official rules for operating your boat in international and domestic waters. It will serve as a complete reference for: Steering and sailing in all levels of visibility, including how to avoid collisions Conduct when another boat is in sight, including navigating in head-on and crossing situations Requirements for flags, shapes, and lights, and how to identify other vessels Sending and receiving sound and light signals from other ships, such as distress signals The Inland General Rules included in this handbook require that "the operator of each self-propelled vessel 12 meters or more in length shall carry, on board and maintain for ready reference, a copy of these Rules." Operate your vessel safely and legally with the latest Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook. My career my job description required this entire publication be MEMORIZED. Every 'boat captain' also must know this and it's part of any USCG certification exam. Problem is if NO One else knows, follows or enforces this stuff, it's almost useless. You can be certain that EVERY marine insurance company know the rules, especially when 'liability' is being assessed. https://youtu.be/S_Owp6ZVN0U?feature=shared&t=79 Stay Safe A-Jay

This will never stop happening. Ever. What might be even more shocking is that now folks are letting vehicles drive themselves. #handsfree I Just don't get it. A-Jay

Super sad deal. Always is. Wonder where these kids could learn such behavior ? Stay Safe A-Jay

62 days ~ Conditions will start mostly sunny this morning before cloud cover increases this afternoon. Big story (but not exactly a new one) for the next several days will be mild temperatures and no precipitation across northern Michigan continuing to melt our snowpack. Expect highs in the upper 30s and low 40s for most areas into next week. (used to be local weather pic here - but now, not so much) Unless the waters of local Lake Menderchuck are somehow able to defy the laws of physics, it's hard not to believe that an 'earlier than average' open water date here is imminent. Funny part of this may be, as exciting as that is, and it is exciting, a few years ago I believed that an early open water would prolong the routinely insane brown bass pre-spawn fishing. And while it might by a few days or so, what really ends up happening is that the early start has me out on big water in weather conditions that are closer to winter than anything spring like. So, it's cold, windy and last year we did a few fishing in the snow trips. All were productive, but I'd sure like to be using the net & scale repeatedly in shirt sleeves rather than a permaloft gumby suit. One things for certain, if it's semi-safe, I'll be there either way. A-Jay

I'll just leave this one right here ~ A-Jay

Brown Bass Green Bass Jerk Bait Swimbait Vibrating Jig Rattlebait Walking Bait Spinnerbait Spinnerbait Jig Blade Bait Popper Doing only 5 baits leaves out a Metric Ton of product baits A-Jay

Grew up fishing for bass all around New England. My career put me on the north Atlantic where I had a chance to fish the back bays, in shore and off shore waters from Maine to South Carolina. From bottom fish to blue water pelagic brutes, I was super lucky to be on adventures I'd never imagined as a boy. Now as a retired enlisted man, my focus is on bass. Mostly brown with a few southern green bass sprinkled in. The by-catch here isn't too bad either. Not sure I am best at anything but do put quite a bit of time & energy into preparation. Don't think it's hurt me any. Fish Hard A-Jay

When the pike are thick & persistent and I don't want to relocate, I use this and lose very little if any action on jerkbaits. I fish clear water mostly for brown bass. Both these fish came on a Vision 110 bait with this wire. Jerkbaits will run a little deeper and perhaps even slow sink on the pause if I use more than 12-14 inches. Still get bites. A-Jay

These threads always remind me of the Four stages of competence. (That boat handling failure clip in particular) 1. Unconscious incompetence The individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not necessarily recognize the deficit. They may deny the usefulness of the skill. The individual must recognize their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill, before moving on to the next stage. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on the strength of the stimulus to learn. 2. Conscious incompetence Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, they recognize the deficit, as well as the value of a new skill in addressing the deficit. The making of mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage. 3. Conscious competence The individual understands or knows how to do something. It may be broken down into steps, and there is heavy conscious involvement in executing the new skill. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires concentration, and if it is broken, they lapse into incompetence. 4. Unconscious competence The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature" and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned. Stay Safe A-Jay

Add the Cosmic Clock and you should pretty much catch 100 bass a day for the rest of your life ~ Good Luck A-Jay

Pull 2 Workout today. Felt pretty good. Of course eating right, staying hydrated and getting plenty of sleep is a big part of that. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Lighten up on the Sake ~ A-Jay

So glad to hear you're living your life under your own terms. Enjoying being on 'Brad Time' . . . Stay Well my friend. A-Jay

Right back at ya my friend. Pull Day for me tomorrow ~ Fan Favorite. A-Jay