A-Jay

Don't overlook sound. One Knock, Rattles And even Silent walking baits can all have their time & place on the effective scale. Also - not every bass is the same—each may have a different trigger. So when the topwater bite is looking favorable, I try them all. FYI - The Evergreen JT115 silent bait seems to have massive potential. Especially in skinny, clear water. Fish Hard A-Jay

I think we walking bait addicts each have our favorites. And there's a reason for that. These are some of mine. A-Jay

Before the social media boom when anglers offered versions of their fishing experiences solely in print, I enjoyed reading and learned a lot from Al Linder, Doug Stange, Larry Dahlberg and Mark Zona.. Since then, and on this forum, the same can be said for a number of members. Turning the clock back a bit, I was always a fan of @everythingthatswims and @Fish Chris Topics. Can not over look the contributions by @WRB-2.0 and @Team9nine . For in depth and entertaining derby reports @Bluebasser86 are must reads for me. And under the category of 'against all odds' @pdxfisher has inspired me in many ways. Thank you all A-Jay

Happy Birthday Tom @WRB-2.0 I'm thinking of you today, my friend. Thank you for the 18 years of memories we shared here. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays up above. A-Jay (still a little sad)

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource A-Jay

Look up Wisconsin-style swim jig. It will point you in the right direction. This is not a mainstream popular style of bait because most swim jigs are hauled through and around thick cover. These baits are not that. They are more of what it sounds like you're looking for. Thinner wire hook, streamlined (less bulky) skirt choice, and some come without weed guards. My favorite. Also, Tom Monsoor knows a little about swim jigs as well. Good luck. A-Jay

I use short-shank EWG's on most all treble hook applications. I have also had to come to terms with the idea that I can 'outcast' my hook-setting ability. Had to come up with a solution to 3 separate challenges as far as the treble hook selection. 1- Wire size, which can actually be two separate deals. First, if it's too thick, I can't sink it. Too Light—it can flex on the hookset, and that's no good either. 2- Hook point, barb size, and positioning. A sharp hook is obvious. But having an unnecessarily large barb, especially one that is way far away from the point, can be a problem. Took me a while to figure this one out. 3- Treble hook size & length. Short shanks reduce hook tangles, and a larger size offers a better bite. So in the perfect world of A-Jay treble hook production, I prefer a short-shank, thin but strong treble with a sharp point that has a beneficially sized barb, positioned pretty close to the hook point. These, I can work with. In the end, after making a few concessions, the Gamakatsu EWG Treble Short Shank Magic Eye is my choice, but I ALWAYS pump up the hook size one more than stock—at least on the front but often all of them. A-Jay

I was way wrong. Slash is getting bolder by the day. Made an early morning visit and dug up a mole. That makes us both happy. Camera placement is everything. 🦊 A-Jay

In the middle of last month I had some wrist issues. Intially I was calling it a sprain but later realized that I was more likely dealing with tendonitis. Experience mild pain and slight swelling, with minimal impact on my wrist's range of motion. Resistance training has its benefits but doesn't make a person immune from injury. If anything, it might increase the percentages as I'm active daily. Have had this injury a couple of times in the past, never really know how I end up doing it. Sort of just comes on. My go-to has been the R.I.C.E. route. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Wearing a wrist brace 24/7, especially sleeping. Huge benefits as we heal while we sleep So keeping the area immobilized then seems to promote faster healing—if there is even such a thing. Following this type of recovery protocol has worked. The older I get, the longer it takes. Just have to ride it out. #hateit Happy to say that I've healed sufficiently to where I'm able to be off the wrist brace and have even been back to training for a couple of weeks. Doing some soul searching, while I do not paddle a kayak, many hours of working a jerkbait a day, for several days in a row, might be the cause. Especially after a long winter layoff. Here's to healing and staying healthy. A-Jay

It's been a minute, but today I'm planning an afternoon / sunset trip out onto local Lake Menderchuck. Hoping the somewhat distracting wildfire smoke we've been seeing again the past week either rides high in the atmosphere or, if it does drop lower, the moderate NW winds thin it out enough to make it bearable. Either way, I'm really looking forward to floating around for a while. There will of course be some RECON and a bit of casting mixed in there somewhere as well. I used to catch bass. A-Jay

Workout Day 4. The vast majority of today's training revolved around grip strength. 4 of the 5 movements performed required a good bit of it. Ending with a hanging & weighted knee raise makes me feel like I earned the next two off days. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Lund 1875 Pro-V Bass 10-year Anniversary ~ Ten years ago, I started this journey. Although the exact date in May has come & gone, there is still cause to celebrate a full decade together. From day one I've been counting on the Lund legacy of commitment to quality, innovation, and superior craftsmanship. Ten years later, this rig continues to inspire the very same confidence and dependability. My Pro-V Bass has been a "vessel of freedom" that’s carried me through everything I asked it to. From quiet foggy mornings to big water winds & waves, all with the underlying goal of chasing trophy brown bass. I even managed to catch a few along the way. Each and every trip preparation, the sheer pleasure of simply operating the Lund itself, and the overabundant net, scale & camera use are memories that I will forever treasure. I’m grateful for every hour on the water and can’t wait to see what future adventures on Lake Menderchuck may bring. Cheers ! A-Jay

I am right-handed. Reel handles have been on the right side of all my casting setups for as long as I can remember. I cast with both hands most of the time. I can cast from both the left and the right side. But I'm still reeling in the bait & the fish are on the right side. Spinning reels: all handles are on the left, and the same deal applies as above. Tried the left-handed casting reels a little while after they were introduced. Just felt completely unnatural, and I saw zero advantage in forcing myself to learn it. I'm pretty sure the bass can't tell which way I'm doing it, so I should be OK moving forward. This is what it looks like. 😎 A-Jay

Looking good brother. Night ops are salt of the earth surreal. The good bass are on the prowl and the rest of the world just fades away. Nicely done. A-Jay

You're welcome, and thank you for the kind words. To be clear, where it's legal, catching bass off beds is fine with me; I just don't do it. The hardest part of any bass fishing is finding bass that want to eat. Nesting fish are often ridiculously easy to find and are striking baits to protect their nest. Seems less sporting to me. When it comes to finding & catching plus-sized smallmouth during the heat of the summer, It's tough sledding for me too. Any decent action at all happens super early in the morning at first light. Then again, at last light of the day and, of course, at night (no moon). I'll be trying a couple of last-light trips this week, so we'll see how that goes. I am looking forward to late summer; however, big bass will show up shallow again. And that runs right through September where I'm at. Early morning topwater can be epic. Good luck. A-Jay

Workout Day 3. Finished this one off with a single-arm DB preacher curl. Standing behind a high-incline bench and using it as a modified preacher setup is a solid way to lock my torso in place. It completely eliminates any temptation to use body momentum or swing the weight, forcing the bicep to do 100% of the work. Under the towel I add a thin pad under the working arm. This elevates my arm just enough to let the dumbbell clear the bench pad. This deal offers a clean, unrestricted stretch at the bottom without having to awkwardly angle my wrist or cut the range of motion short. I like it. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

What a train wreck. I'll take a 20 ft wave falling on my head twice over that stinky mess. Good grief. I will say I may have ended that day with 8 new GSD puppies. Naming them would have been fun. A-Jay

Good Luck A-Jay

Via a couple of game cameras, we are routinely visited nightly by many of the local wildlife inhabitants, except for the coyotes. So raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes, a few feral cats, and one full-grown bear. However, on Friday, right before sunset, this fox emerged from the woods. We have only ever seen Slash (our name for him) on the nocturnal game cams in black & white. So seeing his striking colors in the daylight was very cool. He's about as leery as they come, so we can't expect this to be repeated anytime soon. Still glad Lynn was able to snap a pic before he bolted away. 🦊 A-Jay

Phones, all clocks, the GMC, and the Humminbirds in Lund. A-Jay

Once we advance to E7 Our name changes to "Chief". (Lynn as well) When we call USAA, they always answer "Good Afternoon Chief" And proceed to use military time. I know it's weird, but we like it. A-Jay

I'll go out on a limb here and say First Responders, LEOs, firefighters, and many military members can comment here with some rather robust comments. Personally, my job description as a Boatswain's Mate had it moments of wildness. crazy and even funny (drill instructor). After a career of routine insanity, a single selection becomes challenging. I think it might even be fair to say that much of what was a routine day at work conjures up many of those thoughts above. Which makes the real crazy stuff seriously emotional memories. (the kind that wake me up at night) Photos leave out the things I remember most. The sounds. The smells. And the feelings of the emotions of the people I shared the experience with. Never really figured out why the worst deals always happened in the freezing cold and pitch blackness of night. Fortunately, we all made it out alive. A-Jay

Good Luck. A-Jay

Pretty sure that middle one does. 😎 A-Jay

Good Luck A-Jay