A-Jay

Totally The Term of the Day ! Nicely Done and they were some insane fish as well ! A-Jay

Insulated, wind proof with a Zipper front. And if I'm using it for a top layer fishing, it MUST have zippered pockets. Hate Hate HATE, when the rod handle gets caught in the hoodie pocket. Took what seemed like forever to find one that covered all of that. My wife actually hooked me up. Sure she was tired of listening to me complain . . . . A-Jay

Not too bad. Dogs are playing the yard, the snow's melting so they are soaked and I hammered out work out #180 for this year. Have fun at Speedy Lube . . . . . A-Jay

Those of us who chase these elusive smallmouth bass know what a challenge looking for the plus sized fish can be. Despite being 2 days left in this year, my personal smallmouth bass campaign was over a several weeks ago. Looking back at my best 5 fish bag this year gives me something to shoot for during the next one. Managed 30.26 lbs in 2022 and that will be my target for 2023. Would love to be able to get that one done in one day . . . Either way, some pretty fish. Fish Hard A-Jay

Getting a couple of days of air temps well above freezing and perhaps even some rain. That will make a bit of a mess but it's the inevitable re-freeze after the rain, that's a downer. Whole place is like walking on the surface of the moon. Either way, December seemed to sort of zip right by so I'm almost OK with that. A-Jay

You know I get it. You have not cornered the market on that deal. I was going to say that sticker is straight and all the rest are Jacked ! A-Jay

Thanks, It's only crooked when the hatch is open. ? A-Jay

Better be a freaking pearl in everyone of these ~ WTH ! ? A-Jay

So many awesome 'pictures' being described in this one. While many of the bodies of water and surrounding scenery here often make me take a step back, most all of my truly awe inspiring moments happened on the Atantic Ocean. As mentioned above, it's something one needs to experience. I'm not talking about rolling around in the sand at the beach. It's more about being several hundred miles offshore. A part of the planet few experience. A different world if you will. The beauty, the vastness, the smells and the untamed & unforgiving rage, gets a man right to the core. I often experienced it at it's worst and it will make you rethink your choice of being there in short order. Never have I ever felt more insignificant. My personal pinnacle of awe inspiring moments came a few times and they all revolved around Life itself. Saving it. Performing CPR in the middle of a wicked storm on a rolling deck with the wind & waves blasting you from every direction, and bringing a man, woman or child back to this earth, that stays with a man. As does the ones that don't make it. Extending a life rescuing hand in conditions that seemed totally hopeless and looking a person straight in the eye while doing it, knowing that you are about to do something that borders on a miracle, puts a lot of this life immediately into perspective for me. Those singular moments almost freeze time. Stay Safe A-Jay

I do fish a Magnum Rage bug Texas rigged for green bass. Haven't put one on a swinghead but if I did I'd bump the hook size up at least 1 to a 5/0 ewg. It's a thick bait. A-Jay

My terminal tackle deal is a bit on the extensive side. But I like it that way. Made this video explaining how & why 3 years ago. Still using this exact deal. A-Jay

Nicely Done ~ We Like Pictures. Congrats Incidentally, my second largest Smallies (6.94) slurped a ned rig (just not this season). Still one of my favorite fish catches ever. It was like a dream . . . . . https://youtu.be/3OXnPQs0bqQ?t=61 btw - we like video too. A-Jay

Don't ask why ! Just hope & pray that at some point you are able to tap into The Magic that is the omni powerful Jerkbait. #brownbasscrack btw- IMO, the Megabass ITO Vision 110 is a great place to start. Good Luck A-Jay

You're not holding your mouth right. A-Jay

I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm quite proud to say that I had the privilege to serve our country. I was floating around the North Atlantic in the US Coast Guard for most of my adult life. Was stationed & lived all on the east coast in 19 places in 28 years from Maine to South Carolina. But none of that had anything to do with where I am now. I grew up just outside of Boston, MA and there was NO Way I was going back to that deal. My wife is from Michigan and so there ya go. Finally, we each may have our own 'needs' when it comes to choosing a retirement area & home. For us we needed decent health care reasonably close by, a low cost of living is a plus, super low population of humans per acre and room for our dogs. The fishing just ended up being a bonus that truthfully, I fell back asswards into. Doesn't hurt my feeling any though. Fish Hard A-Jay

First off, I am always super happy when my wife does sleep, as it doesn't come easily at times. Second, three decades in the service taught me that I can sleep anywhere & with pretty much anything going on around me. It's a mind set. Might not always be The deepest sleep, but sleep none the less. Without going into detail why, at home, I wear ear plugs. Wouldn't do it without the house dogs, as they will 'let me know' if there something I need to address. Whether I 'hear' it or not. Perhaps give it a try. btw, I sleep with my eyes half open (I know weird right) so a blacked out sleeping location is my preference. ? A-Jay

Good Stuff guys ~ Keep it coming. It's a long winntah ! A-Jay

I retired in 2007 at 47 and Relocated to Northern Michigan. A lot went into that decision. Even though Quite a bit has changed, still liking our decision. There may be places that can match the brown bass fishing here, but not too many that much better. I am right where I want to be. Annual trips to Lake Baccarac Lodge are always part of the deal, and will be again in 2023. Having world class angling, mostly to myself, pretty much right up the road, what else am I looking for ? Grass isn't always greener. I'm good. A-Jay

Nice ~ Congrats. Small price to pay for total peace of mind. It'll start anything you have. Mine is either in the boat or the truck so I always have it with me. Hope you never need it but you'll be glad you have it if & when you do. Sent my brother one he uses it to charge his cellphones. You may end up 'helping' someone else out of a jam as well. #johnnyonthespot A-Jay

Once I put up the Pro-V Bass boat for the hard water season, it’s fairly routine to remove all the tackle & gear. Most everything is stored in the ‘tackle room’ in my basement, which allows me easy (and warm) access to work on it as needed. Soon after getting situated is usually when reality sets in. With my head clouded by a mix of depression & denial, I always require ‘some time’ to let the idea of not going fishing for a while marinate and then eventually flush away. This year I was able to foster a few dogs which was a most excellent distraction, as is working out every other day. Anyway, I’m over it again, and so now I can at least look at my gear without sobbing. Need to be in that state of mind to do this latest installment. So here we go . . . . . This year’s edition is being presented in a slightly ‘different’ manner. Previous versions focused on baits that caught the most Brown Bass for me. And this one will as well, with one caveat; these baits need to have accounted for a least one brown bass over 4 lbs. Putting this one together was a little bit of an eye opener for me. As I was going back through my 2022 notes, reports, pictures and video, didn’t take long to realize that ‘the list’ of baits that qualify, is dramatically shorter than in previous years. I was also reminded that I ‘missed’ 3 Prime Time weeks on the water in May with The Covid. Boo . . . . . A few more points of interest before I get to the meat & potatoes. I really only ‘target’ plus sized brown bass and actually expect each bait I throw to get that job done. However, every Basshead on the planet knows that’s fantasyland. In the end, bait selection can be dictated by so many factors to make the magic happen including but perhaps not limited to seasonal patterns, different lakes, time of day/night . . . . the list is long & distinguished. Finally and there’s been a few threads on this one recently, is specific timing. A huge one for me and something I work super hard to get right. Rarely do. But the few times I manage it, the reward is always worth the wait IMO. I mention this because it may be this ‘timing’ that perhaps drives much of what is listed below. Let’s get on with it. In no particular order other than being grouped by type/category: Topwater ~Strike King Sexy Dawg Hard Knock in Sexy Ghost Minnow. Scored multiple plus sized fish in June, Sept & October. ~Megabass Pop Max in the Perch pattern. In the calmest/Flattest deals it’s a big fish catcher for me. Best bass on this one was a 6 lb. Lake Menderchuck beauty. Swimjig This is a bait I used to fish a ton with decent results but sort of got away from for some reason. Well this time around I threw a few different makes & models as well as trailers; all paddletails. ~The Evergreen Grass Ripper Green Pumpkin in ¼ & 3/8 oz came out on top. Whole deal is slightly downsized but still stout enough to handle powerful brown bass. Has a killer head shape & weed guard design, quality 4/0 Gamakatsu hook, and sweet trailer keeper; Think Jackhammer in a swim jig. Narrowed my trailer preference down to one, and I was surprised actually. Yamamoto Kickin Zako Swimbait. Originally purchased to ride on the Jackhammer but they never really panned out for me. However they match up very nicely on this swim jig. Spinnerbaits ~ Biovex Stangun Double Willow Spinnerbait ¾ oz in Funa Orange Belly continues to impress. This one will forever have a special place in my heart as a few years back, it took my PB. A little hard to find, the Stangun has something fat brown bass like or perhaps hate, judging by how hard they smash these things. ~ Megabass V9 Double Willow Spinnerbaits 5/8 oz in Ayu. Sort of the new kid on the block for me, but it out produced the Strike King Burner spinnerbait so it makes the list. I prefer a trailer on both these baits mostly for profile. The Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow in KVD Magic does most all the heavy lifting for me. I usually snip off the head right at the first ‘gill’. Rattle Bait ~ Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lipless Crankbait in Ghost Minnow & Tule Perch ND. It is very important to note that I ALWAYS present these baits like a blade bait; right on the bottom. Squarebill Crankbait ~Strike King KVD HC Squarebill 1.5 Silent Crankbait in Yellow Perch and KVD Cataouatche Special. While both these baits showed up in a couple of videos this season, there were no plus sized smallies taken on them. However I did make a couple of early summer (June) trips to a new version of Lake Menderchuck (where no video was released). Both these cranks were lights out. Still debating on whether or not to give this one up. We’ll have to wait & see I guess. These last two categories of baits caught more plus sized fish for me than all the baits listed above combined. Jerkbaits (and this could be a separate thread all by itself) ~ Strike King KVD 300 Deep Jerkbait in Yellow Perch, Clown & Clear Ayu. ~ Megabass Ito Vision 110 Jerkbait in GG Perch OB, GP Pro Perch, M Western Clown. ~ Megabass Ito Vision 110 Silent Jerkbait in GG Mossback Golden Shad, GP Moss Back Golden Shad & GP Pro Perch. ~ Megabass Ito Vision 110+1 Jerkbait in GP Pro Perch & M Western Clown. Jerkbait of the year goes to (for Most Big Fish) ~ Megabass Ito Vision 110+1 Jr. Jerkbait in GG Perch OB, MG Western Clown & Ito Clear Laker. Vibrating Jig ~ Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer 3/8 & ½ oz Green Pumpkin and Bhite Delight. A Yamamoto Zako Swimbait was THE BEST Trailer in Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin White Laminate & Zako colors. Produced my largest smallie of the year 6.54 lbs. I have developed so much confidence in these baits. I expect to get bit on every cast. Baits that didn’t meet expectations Even if they’d produced in the past the following baits got wet a lot in 2022, but didn’t get the bites I expected. ~ Megabass Ito Vision 110+2: Really wish I could figure this one out but after at least 2 full seasons it remains a mystery – no fish at all on this thing. ~ Berkley Stunna Jerkbait 112: Clearly Hank Cherry loves this one but it hasn’t done much for me. ~ Luck-E-Strike Trickster Spinnerbait: Can’t buy a bite with one of these. Apparently I’m no Zen Master . . . . . ~ Megabass Sonicside Crankbait: This one has been especially frustration. Mostly because it looks so good in & out of the water. Casts good, nice profile, decent swimmer and I had such high expectations going into it. But this season it was a total dud. ~ The A-Rig: G Funk Baits Bama Rig with Strike King Rage Tail Swimmer, Keitech Swing Impact FAT and / or Strike King KVD Swim N Shiner Mounted on Dobyns Light Hook Swimbait Head or Dirty Jigs Tactical Bassin' Finesse Swimbait Jig Heads or VMC Boxer Jig Head – usually all 1/8 oz. Baits are usually AYU and less than 4.75 inches. Despite @T-Billy just wrecking them on one, and having been one of my better big fish producers in the past, this year it seemed the brown bass just weren’t into it. Gave up on it early to save my rotator cuffs. ~Swinghead with a Strike King Rage Bug: Where some seasons this rig has absolutely hammered quality smallies for me, despite my best efforts in what I believed to be just about perfect places & conditions, the bait was just Not a Player this season. Still be throwing it though. New deals for 2023 ~ Nothing actually ‘new’, more like different version of a reoccurring theme. ~ Megabass Pop Max GG Mid Night Bone Love at first sight with this one. The yellow belly got me. ~ Megabass Vision 110 R Hi-Float: in GG Perch OB. There are a few deals where having a jerkbait that I can fish Slowly in skinny water could be advantageous. We’ll see. ~Megabass SV-3 Double Willow Spinnerbait 3/8 & ½ oz. Ayu and Whit Chart. Complete Bait Monkey deal right here. ~ Z-Man Chatterbait Mini Max: Had to see what all the hype was about. Just got Green Pumpkin a few each in 3/8 & ½ oz along with some 3 inch Yamamoto Zako Swimbait trailers also in Green Pumpkin. Haven’t decided what tackle to fish this one on yet. Some trial & error is in my future. And there it is, another one on the books. What baits have you relied on the most this season for your bigger bass ? A-Jay https://youtu.be/7DcB2IdYhtg

I've not been able to fish this place yet, but it seems to be putting out some decent fish lately. Bit of a hike though A-Jay

Thanks ~ Stick Jacket colors are dictated by blank type/power/action. Presentation for each often change with season. Example: Red are MH Composite cranking rods. Yellow are jerkbait / topwater sticks. Makes rig selection in & out of the rod locker a little better. A-Jay

Could be the Horse Shoe though . . . . A-Jay

I fish rigs that I like to use and work for me. Nothing is top end, in fact the vast majority (seen below) hovers some where around the low to middle price point. Affordability plays a role for me as does the feeling of a diminishing return. Nothing against folks who fish The Best out there, I just haven't gotten that itch; yet anyway. Either way, they all do the job and I get a few fish now & then. Finally, a few of my favorite rigs are most likely in the 'vintage' category and they were probably considered 'cheap' at the time of purchase. Been babying them along for a while and really hope to be able to continue that. Besides having so many memories in every one, they are just flat out sweet sticks. Fishing them blindfolded, I'd pick these deals out every time. btw, I do drop a bit of $$$ on baits, line & aftermarket hardware. Seen that make a difference on more than one occasion. YMMV Fish Hard A-Jay

Oh sure, give up my baits why don't cha. Some of them are almost paid off too. Just my luck. ? A-Jay