A-Jay

@JohnFromLisbon Out-Freaking-Standing ! You look fantastic and I'm certain you feel even Better ! Way to take control of your life instead of letting it control you ! So awesome to see stuff like this. Thank you for sharing your story. #fitforlife A-Jay

Total Body Day 1 this morning. 3 working sets of 5 movements got it done. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I prefer one unit at the console & one at the bow. A-Jay

Nicely Done @Mr. Aquarium ! Bet that was just No Fun At All ! Congrats A-Jay

Are you sure ? Maybe the other 3 are just swelling right up ? A-Jay

I've tried it 'both ways'. And both ways have productive days and perhaps an equal number of unproductive days (and nights) I am not sure having an unlimited or even a very limited number of options available is the 'key' to routine success on the water. However, being able to have some presentations that I am confident in during any number of bass fishing situations & conditions, has seemed to work out OK for me. And while there are a Bajillion baits & techniques available, over the course of a fishing season, there are many times where the 'conditions' repeat themselves, many times over even. Some of these conditions seem to routinely produce more & better fish for me. So this is where I like to focus my efforts. By having baits /presentations that I am confident in will get bites, and I mean the right bites, prevents be from fishing the wrong thing at the right time. Bottom line question may be, how many bait's & rigs does it take to cover that deal ? Might be just one or it could be quite a bit more than that. I'm still working on it. Fish Hard A-Jay

So where on the 1 -10 Crazy scale 🤓 does a guy fall when he cleans & conditions a set of brand new tires designated for a rig he won't have for at least a couple more weeks ? A-Jay

Tell me about it ! First my lease isn't up until Feb 24. "We better Order you one early, just in case" Did it last time, worked out OK. So we did. Then there's a strike, no clue what the deal is there. Next the darn thing shows up 5 months early (when does that ever happen?) OK, Cool. Maybe I can get this all done before the air temps bottom out into the minus numbers for a change. Ordered accessories & tires, everything's good. Even completed all the paper work in advance, just need to sign on the dotted line. Except . . . . . I need The Man to make it all go. Hope he get's a giant buck and comes back early ! Either way, should be a pretty sweet rig. A-Jay

That just makes me so sad - for you I mean. A-Jay https://youtu.be/Vsl5A_YmHzs?feature=shared&t=42

In clear water, these work well for me. Long casts and Burned just under the surface, and I mean 'just under the surface'. Presented over hard & soft cover as well as across expansive 'flats'. Speed is your friend but the bait must run straight & true. A-Jay

A-Jay, great news! Your 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 is with your dealer for its final inspection. Don't head to the dealership just yet – the moment your GMC is ready for pickup, your dealer will contact you directly, so you can get going on life's adventures. Vehicle Model: 2024 GMC Sierra LD AT4 Interior Trim: Jet Black with Kalahari Perforated Leather Front Seating Exterior Color: Onyx Black to match the Pro-V Bass Order Number: 876-5309 Sort of figures as my salesman bud just took off yesterday off two weeks of deer hunting. Still looking at the last week of this month to be cruising around in this new unit ! Very exciting. A-Jay

I hope he does. In fact, we should send it to him. Be the best thing that ever happened to him. #wakeupcall A-Jay

Gillette Fusion 5 & Creamo Shave Cream. (and a Wahl Beard trimmer) A-Jay

@kingmotorboat Trust your Adult Man meter. Walk away and don't look back. A-Jay

Feel like this morning's age regression therapy went well . . . . #borninfiftynine A-Jay

"If I don't come back, Don't come looking". A-Jay

LOL ~ Well, first off, 'interested' rarely involves any type of physical gratuity but instead could be more about 'the view'. Every once in a while, it's pretty good. #ohmy 😉 As for boat ownership. Doesn't have to be for everyone. Bass fishing is such an individual deal, we do it how ever we like. And you're right about how much it can add to the experience, in both effort & rewards. Either way, you certainly seem to do quite well. Personally, floating around is in my DNA. So there's more to it than 'just fishing' for me. May be what makes me a little grumpy for Nov thru Apr now. Fish Hard A-Jay

And this too ~ https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2562970 https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2701982 https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2722900 https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2849174 Might be a long winter. A-Jay

Talking about boat position – IMO it is SUPER critical to learn why & how to use it to your advantage. Every cast I make, every bait I throw, they’re level of effectiveness is predicated on where & how my rig is positioned on the structure I am fishing. There’s no way around it – that’s just how it is. These are the things I take into account when determining how & where to position my boat to fish anything. The depth of water I’m planning to fish and the depth of water I need to be positioned in, water clarity, wind speed & direction, the position of the sun (where it is the sky as it relates to the structure and how high or low in the sky it is), The type of lure(s) I’m planning on using, as well as any boating traffic in the area including other anglers. OK so let’s break all that down – one at a time. First, if I have the choice, I prefer to fish from shallow to deep – every spot - all year round – just how I like to do it – because it works. Also because going deep to shallow, although easier I guess, often positions the boat on or directly over the bass and I may end up casting into dead water. Instead, I’ve had much more success sneaking over to the shallow side so as not to burn the spot and casting off to the front/sides of the point. I commonly will use one of three ways or methods to hold/ position my boat – first is the common anchor & rope – total PIA but once you know how to do it – it works. Did it for years – still do in the canoe and will continue to do so. Then there’s ‘holding’ on a spot with the trolling motor – I do not like to do that but will when I have to. The new Ultrex with the spot-lock is sweeping the bass fishing world – I’m not ready to cash in the Fortrex just yet. So my left foot will continue to get a workout until I am. Then there are the shallow water anchors – for me, it’s the Talons – might be the best investment I ever made after the Lund itself – Love the Talons. Super effective. Here a few more things to think about when fishing a point and even a drop off for that matter. The first one is something I call “The Angle of the Dangle” ( I know – sounds silly) And it has to do with the type of bait I’m presenting, the depth & angle of the structure I’m fishing, My boat position, and finally, rod angle & line. Wow, that’s a lot of stuff. OK so here it is; Imagine you are casting your ¾ oz football jig & craw off the end of the point from your rig that is positioned back on top in the shallow area. You expect the bass to be positioned right at the bottom of the drop in front of you in 20 feet. You plan on casting past them and then working the bait back to them and eventually up the ‘slope’ of the point or drop off. Here’s where ‘the Angle of the Dangle’ comes into play. If you’re too far back from the ‘strike zone’ – as you work your bait along and to the bottom of the drop, at some point your line is going to come into contact with the bottom at the top of the drop in front of you. Might not help detect strikes, might fray the heck out of your line on a big hookset if its rock or zebra mussels, might jack up the way your bait is presented if there’s a thick weedline on top as well. So none of that is very good at all. And if you’re positioned too close to the bottom of the drop and you’re not watching your rod angle, you could end up having your bait start to ‘come up’ well before it even reached the fish. This can be especially prevalent with moving baits. That’s not the best case scenario either. So what’s a Basshead to do ? You fix the angle of the dangle that’s what – reposition the boat so that whatever bait you’re presenting is running where & how you want & need it to. This gives you the best opportunity to first elicit a strike, then hopefully be able to detect it and then hook & land that trophy. SO yea – the “Angle of the Dangle” - it’s actually a thing after all. So along with boat position is lure presentation. I cannot effectively fish ANY BAIT with a strong crosswind – cannot do it – tried as I may – just hate it. So I’m either casting straight downwind or into the wind – either way, I can feel my bait, there’s no big sag or bend in my line and most importantly, I catch fish. So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern. Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter. When considering my position, I do not want to throw my rigs/ boats shadow down onto the fish if I can help it. I want to be a FAR away as I can, provided I can still present my baits effectively (meaning reach the fish with the cast). That said, I rarely like my baits landing & crashing right on the prime area or the spot on the spot. Rather I prefer them to land some distance beyond that which will enable me to ‘work’ the bait to the fish, hopefully. Steady wind makes wind current; which can be a factor depending on speed, direction, duration, and water depth. There are times when the bass will only bite when a bait is come down current, meaning cast into the wind. I’ve had times whereby simply re-positioning the boat so as to present baits for the opposite direction, I turned a “There’s no fish here spot” into a repeated camera & scale use day. I like those. I do something I call “Poach Prevention”. Many lakes I fish have a fairly decent recreational boat population – pontoons, ski boats, and the dreaded jet ski. And it’s all good, they have every right. Most times I’m on & off the water well before they roll out of the rack but on the days when the bite may be extended, boat position can be key. This also works to an extent regarding other anglers, although you might not make many new friends doing it. Clearly it’s Always Safety first, so I would never place my rig in any spot or position that would place me or anyone else in harm’s way, and I’m always in complete compliance with all local, state & federal rules & regulations – However, using my rig as a buffer between me & the spot / fish I’m on, can be pretty important. And nowhere is this quite as obvious as when the pontoon parade gets on the lake in the summer right before sunset. They all travel about the same distance from shore and go around and around and around the lake well into the night. Unfortunately several of my best spots are right on their route. And unless steps are taken, they will cruise ride up alongside my rig and want to have a nice talk and offer drinks and all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested. And I love it when they go between me and the bank – especially when there’s like only 1 cast distance in there – OK I don’t love that. So Poach Prevention is really a thing. So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern. Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter. Fish Hard A-Jay

Nice ~ Pretty sure Tank would try to sleep in that thing ! A-Jay

My garage is currently filled with the sweet smell of new rubber . . . A-Jay

First time I've ever received a new set of tires before I got the truck they go on . . . . #semperparatus A-Jay

My last several trucks "monitored" just about everything. Motor oil, air & oil filters, brake pads, coolant & transmission fluid, and tire air pressure. Engine and Transmission System, Antilock Braking System, StabiliTrak Stability Control System, Air Bag System, Emissions System & OnStar System. And not with a light but with a % of use available. I also get a monthly email from my truck informing me of the 'status' of everything; including any open manufacture recalls. All of that's an OnStar deal I think. Either way, while I appreciate the info, it doesn't dictate my mainainance routine schedule. The price of most all lubricants seems to have risen quite sharply. A-Jay btw - there used to be a not so nice name for those dashboard warning lights.

If the biting flies aren't swarming the Old Town, I'll go barefoot in the canoe. Clearly a summer deal and never at night. However in the Pro-V Bass - I am Always some kind of shoe guy. And like @T-Billy mentioned, it's ambient air temp dependent. On this day I was rocking the Camo High Tops . . . A-Jay

In sincere gratitude to my fellow Coast Guardsman, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airman for your service; Past, Present & Future. 1979 - 2007 A-Jay