A-Jay

Change that to Snow & Cold and that's northern Michigan too. A-Jay

Really Sorry Ken ~ A-Jay

Thanks Mike ~ I don't have any ownership experience with the "Apollo of Dogs". However we have nice neighbor who has had a pair for as long as we've lived here. He's on one of our "walk routes". So we've had several up close & personal opportunities with them. Big Dogs for sure and they would make our 100 lb malamutes look pretty small. Tall and imposing but seem easy going and super friendly. Must make wonderful companions and serious guardians for your home & property. He feeds them outside (on his front porch), they look like ponies from a distance ! Happy Holidays from our pack to yours. A-Jay

Running E-Free in everything except the truck. It's all 89 octane here. (rec gas) GMC 6.2L calls for Super and the only 93 I can get is not ethanol free. A-Jay

A-Jay

In another thread I was asked to pass on some info regarding dog adoption/rescue. I linked this response in that thread https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/258477-i-took-my-dog-back-to-the-rescue…/?do=findComment&comment=3031619 but believe this could be helpful standing on its own. The initial discussion revolved around some of the challenges associated with finding the right dog from an animal shelter. Right off the bat, I am not promoting the below information as anything more than my own personal experience. All of which is from simple dog ownership, as well as working with, fostering & placing/re-homes dogs for a local animal shelter and various dog rescue entities over the course of the past 25 years. I totally understand that everyone has their own dog ownership experiences & beliefs many of which may totally differ from mine. And I have zero problem with that. So that said, here’s what I got . . . . . . Over the years, my wife & I have gotten Great dogs from pure bred AKC reputable dog breeders, animal shelters and dog rescues. And with some effective research in advance, we believe most anyone else can too. It all boils down to finding the Right Dog For You & your specific situation. This is where it really pays off to first be completely honest with yourself while having realistic expectations about what you can offer the dog. As well as what you expect from him/her. Being knowledgeable about a specific breed of dog and knowing what to expect is key. Animals have free will, a mind of their own and specific Breed characteristics/reputations are a real thing. As for breeders, shelters and dog rescues, they may all have pro’s & cons and some have a better track record than others. AKC Breeders usually deal in puppies. While Dog Rescues have all ages and often depend heavily on foster homes to keep the dogs while waiting on adoption. Both are routinely very selective when it comes to the application process; which is a good thing. Animal shelters may have any age/breed/mix and are often less selective. Meaning an application to a reputable breeder and or dog rescue might be denied. Where that’s a rare event at most animal shelters. Speaking of the application, the best places have a thorough one, because they care about you & the dogs. Many are several pages long and ask a ton of personal info. You might even need to have your home ‘visited’. Meaning a human designated by the entity will actually come to and check your home, property and situation to ensure that they are safe/appropriate for the dog. We’ve actually participated in a few of these. Both as an owner and a representative of the local animal shelter. Seen some stuff. Either way, don’t be put off. Instead be open & thankful for the process which can help get a new best friend. Searching Long distance and even out of state Dog Rescues digitally, can seriously widen the selection opportunities. And something that many folks don’t know about, is that most all of these places participate in dog ‘transports’. So the way it works is some wonderful, generous dog loving volunteers will safely transport your new dog state to state and right to you, often from anywhere in the country. My current two dogs started out in Texas, were transported to a Rescue in Wisconsin and then shuttled to us in Michigan. Ask about it if the need is there. Little doubt that there’s a lot to this however I am going to end with what we call “the animal shelter experience” and “The Rescue Story”. Looking at pictures of a dog, reading about it on line and even talking to those who know about a dog might not prepare one sufficiently for an actual visit to the animal shelter. Especially those facilities that are entirely indoors. If one has never been in a building with 20, 50 or even several hundred stressed out, over excited, barking dogs, it can be incredibly intimidating. (and smell bad) It’s important for prospective owners to understand that most of what we see behavior wise at the shelter, is a direct result of being there in the first place and often does not reflect what any particular dog is actually like after just a few days with the right people in a new home. Simply taking a dog out of that environment for just a brief period can often provide a glimpse of what to expect. That’s why we really believe in the power of “A Walk”. Do it, take your new friend for a couple of laps outside around the shelter if you can. Will probably pay huge dividends. We’ve learned quite a bit about these processes from multiple fosters, especially when we screened applicants and rehomed dogs ourselves. The rescue story is always the deal. Every rescue dog has one and perspective owners, including me, are very interested in knowing what the situation was before the dog got to where it is now. Sometimes it’s known, sometimes not and sometimes it’s totally made. Yup, made up to attract people to the dog. Does it matter ? I say yes and no. I want to know what I can about a new dog but it rarely changes much of what I do when I get the dog home. Both the dog and I are in a new situation and we’re both starting from scratch. Rarely does the dog dwell on it’s past, regardless of how ‘bad’ it was. Not sure I could tell for sure anyway. Most are all about where they are now, living and loving in the present. Hope this helps. A-Jay

Total Body Day 1 this morning. Past month or so I have 'cleaned up' my diet a bit more. I Always feel a little better when I do, both physically & mentally. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

OK ~ Thanks. Give me a bit to put something useful together. A-Jay

I have 'some' experience with that. Both positive and a little negative stuff. Don't want to high jack this thread but would be happy to respond specific thread or to serious, non-casual questions via PM regarding the topic. There's quite a bit to it, IMO. A-Jay

Yup ~ Ethanol & I parted ways a few years ago. Never looked back and that's a good thing IMO. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/221442-ethanol-fuel-treatment-~-no-longer-a-believer/ A-Jay

Happy Holidays to all the people ~ 🎅 A-Jay

My gear is a few years old now but still No problems with anything and I'll put it to you this way. Lake Baccarac in Mexico, where I use these reels, requires a notable commitment in Time, Travel & $$. There's no Tackle Warehouse attached to the lodge which is on top of a mountain. Gear failure can be a Trip killer. I want to take that concern right off the table. These reels do that for me. A-Jay

OK good. I will tell you that I started this deal fishing a Calcutta 300D round reel (Pic bottom right) Great reel and the TranX is essentially a low profile version of that reel. Tranx is Much easier to palm, if that's important to you. It's one reason I initially purchased the Tranx. As for reel gear ratio or IPT of line. I had a few real heart breaking fish losses with the 5.8:1 speed reels. Contrary to what seems to be a popular belief about really big bass is that they are slow. IME (in warm water) this is not the case and while I love fishing swim baits on the slower reel, fish that swam at me or came right to the top, were throwing my single top hook swimbaits right back in my face. Not a fan. Once I switched to the HG reels, I was better at keeping up with the fish, maintaining a tight line, and putting a few more in the net. I still use the non HG reels for swimbaits, but I know ahead of time I may need to reel like a madman to get on the bass. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. A-Jay

I have four of the TranX 300 reels. Two each of the 300 & the 300HG. (Top row right) They are used exclusively during trips to Mexico where they really get put to the test. I am routinely throwing 1-3 oz swimbaits, using 20-25 lb FC. These reels are IME perfect for that job and have accounted for 'several' very respectable LMB up to & including fish over 10 lbs. As for 'anything to know ahead of time', I'll say that these are very study reels, that cast the bait weights mentioned above with ease. They hold plenty of the right line and are equip with a very dependable cast control as well as drags system. Most importantly, I guess, is to know that the 300A, 301A, 400A & 401A models include Double Paddle Handle 300AHG, 301AHG, 400AHG & 401AHG models include Power Handle. I do not like the power handle for bass fishing, so on the reels that come with it, I switch it out for the double paddle version. Shimano part number BNT5527 https://www.ebay.com/p/864997855 Hope that helps and good luck with your future purchase. A-Jay

Me Too ! It's just a little bit further to the corner. Happy Holidays my friend. A-Jay

Big Fan ! A-Jay

It's like a Scooby Snack for Brown Bass. #shaggyapproved A-Jay

Interesting opinion right there. These may be rhetorical questions however I'd like to ask, how does the reel know the difference between a bass pulling drag vs an old guy ? And how is one more correct than the other ? A-Jay

Big Congrats To Mr & Mrs @Mobasser Made it (somehow) 13 years the first time. Super fortunate to get it right the 2nd time. Hitched again in 99 and we're at 24. A-Jay (the very definition of marrying up ~ Waaay up)

To answer your question, I pull line out against the drag, but I don't ever reel baits to my rod tip either. Seems to jack up the tip top insert eventually. In the past every spinning came with it, but I rarely actually needed it. Currently, I have a mix of reels (older & newer) with it and without. I NEVER back reel or really don't have any other need for the anti-reverse deal. So I don't miss it at all. A high quality bearing in the line roller is more important to me. YMMV A-Jay

Do enjoy seeing everyone's canine companions; Past & Present. We do dogs ~ Big dogs, little dogs and some in between dogs. From reputable breeders, animal rescue & animal shelters. Even do a bit of 'fostering' from time to time. I don't feel like dogs dwell on where they're from, but are all about where they are. Currently it's Tank & Kya keeping us on our toes. A while back, we did quite a bit of this deal. Extra fun for all involved too. https://youtu.be/YjH3hczMp5M?feature=shared https://youtu.be/GzhqKzc6uVk?feature=shared A-Jay

Sweet ~ Congrats ! A-Jay

106 Days ~ This winter's bizarre weather continues . . . A-Jay

Yea - Not buying it ! #kansashammer A-Jay

My Brown Bass fishing efforts & adventures are routinely concentrated early and later in the open water season here. Mid-summer I'll make some sporadic trips, many of which I find myself in the Old Town Canoe on smaller water. 2023 will easily be remembered as "intense"; both on & off the water. I might have floated somewhere around 50 times. Which often averages out as 2 to 3 workouts per fishing trip. Probably will again this year too. Hard water season already feels too long. That's a bad sign - it really is. A-Jay