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

Workout Day 2. When we understand that each day is not one more but one less - good things can happen #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Good Luck A-Jay

I'm The Other Guy. Meaning, you and I are on opposite ends of the property management spectrum. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EYwreH9qH/ But it's all good. The Golden Rule might help. Either way, do you think she's familiar with this tune? https://www.facebook.com/reel/1769212777402437/ Good Luck. A-Jay

My baits bounce on the surface here in winter, so that is out. But come true fall, when the leaves have turned and the water temps are cool, perhaps close to cold. Clarity is crystal clear—both before & especially after the lake I fish turn over. Once the bass have moved or are close to moving and at the very least are scoping out the deep flats that have a little hard cover. (soft cover dies and falls to the bottom—no good) It is blade bait time. Never fish them any other time. I will replace the blade bait with a thin heavy rattle bait quite often as well. The single common denominator is all of my best blade bait locations: A fairly weed-free, clean bottom of sand or gravel is key. Soft cover (even just a little) will foul the bait and make me crazy. I can fish around hard cover (most deep wood) and I really prefer this deal the most. Pinpoint casting accuracy & angles are paramount, or I am donating baits all day. And I have and will no doubt lose more baits, it's the cost of this presentation. Calm mornings and especially late-to-last-light afternoons make for the most fisherman-friendly conditions. Unless the stiff Wind & waves are at my back when fishing the cover, my casting accuracy suffers and well, you can guess the rest. The closer I can get the bait to the cover, the more and bigger bites I get. btw- a small paddletail swimbait on a light jig head and more recently a vibrating jig, both work well here too and hang up less which is a plus. Having a proper plug knocker on a long line and knowing how to use it has a 75% or so bait return rate for me. But that spot is burned for a while. But there's something magical about those little twitch-type vibrations followed by a drop and pause that makes the smallies just eat it. Sometimes they will pin it to the bottom, and I end up hooking them under the chin. That's my story. A-Jay

Back around to Workout Day 1. My mind was clear going into this one, which is almost always a positive sign. By the time I completed the last set of rope curls, I almost felt like myself again. Almost. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Hello Matt and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Nice ~That's really Funny ! Not too many are getting that one. A-Jay

Me too. Except I am so far back, they're right behind me. So it feels like I'm winning ! 😁 A-Jay

I think I tried those in Mexico but they were way too small. So you were mostly right. 😎 A-Jay

The vaulted Perch pattern Pop Max Just might have some serious competition. There's a new kid in town. Very exciting. A-Jay

I fished on one from the top 10 list. 10 from the top 25 northeastern division. And how the heck do they not include Lake Menderchuck ? Gotta be on there somewhere. A-Jay

Glad you're OK. IME, when it comes to Inflatable Life Jackets, we get what we pay for. When people call bobbin systems less reliable, they usually mean the vest is prone to going off when you don't want it to. Here is how they actually stack up against each other: 1. The Humidity & Rain Factor (Unintentional Inflation) Dissolvable Bobbin (Standard Auto): Because it triggers the moment a small paper/sugar bobbin gets wet, heavy downpours, thick fog, heavy breaking waves, or even storing the PFD in a damp boat locker can cause it to fire off unexpectedly. Hydrostatic (HIT): Since it requires actual water pressure (being submerged under about 4 inches of water), you can stand in a torrential rainstorm or get hit dead-on by spray while running down the lake, and it absolutely will not deploy. 2. In-Water Reliability (When You Actually Need It) When properly maintained, both systems are highly reliable when it comes to saving your life. If you go overboard, both the bobbin style and the HIT system will inflate within seconds to keep your head above water. 3. Cost & Maintenance Upfront & Re-arming Costs: Bobbin-style PFDs are much cheaper up front, and their re-arm kits are usually around $30 to $40. HIT PFDs carry a premium price tag, and a Re-Arm Kit A runs closer to $90. Expiration Dates: Bobbin systems generally require replacing the bobbin every 1–3 years because the material degrades over time. HIT systems are completely sealed and typically maintenance-free for a full 5 years, which helps close the cost gap over the lifespan of the vest. If you fish or boat in heavy rain, rough water, or high humidity, paying the premium for a HIT-fitted life jacket is IMO worth every penny just to avoid the headache of a false deployment. Stay Safe. A-Jay

For braid or Mono to hook or bait ~ Uni Knot. For Flourocarbon - to hook or bait it's the Pitzen and if I'm feeling frisky, I whip out the San Diego Jam. For leader— to connect braid to FC / mono - Uni to Uni knot Blood knot for nylon to nylon. When all else fails, I go with the world-famous 104 turn Mite Knot. Might hold - Might not. A-Jay

I haven't been on the water in the Lund for, well, let's call it too long. My gear was still all set up with the pre-spawn flavors, which generally don't play well moving into these warmer and then eventually late summer conditions. So the past two days I finally got around to pulling out the entire arsenal and going through the re-rig. It was fun, but I can't lie—somewhat arduous. Either way, I have just a few final touches to get through, and the Lake Menderchuck Machine will be properly rigged and ready to go. Expect to make a few late afternoon local runs just to get back in the groove. And then the real fun begins as I revisit the Reach Out America plan by getting out on some bigger water. Reacquainting myself with the lakes, the areas I'm expecting to fish, my electronics, and a few new rods, reels & presentations all need to happen well in advance of what has been fairly epic late August / early September big brown bass opportunities. Crack of dawn topwater often starts the show. Need to bust out my workout first, and then I'll be sweating to the oldies in my garage. A-Jay

I run Optima Blue tops. 5 years is about average when I'm on the water my normal amount. I think the charging system is important as well as how far they get drawn down each time. Recharge quickly and maintain properly is about all we can do. I have 36 v plus the starter all maintained by a 10 yr old Dual Pro Quad. Sadly I'll be due for battery replacement next year. A-Jay

Nice Bass ! Way to start July off strong. Congrats! A-Jayt

I run this same road. Finally went with bait size. Small baits—perhaps nose-hooked deals. I go with ML and traditional drop shot hooks sized to match the bait. And for a slightly larger bait, perhaps a fat wacky-rigged stick bait. I go M with the appropriate Neko hook. btw I really like the Mustad TitanX Wacky / Neko Hook. A-Jay

The latest TW holiday sale prompted a refresh of the wiggle wagon and associated trailers boxes. 😎 A-Jay

Big Fish Jeff in one of my favorite all-time Lake Baccarac pictures. The smile, the scenery and of course that gorgeous bass, All really speaks to me and captures the true essence of what makes these trips so special. 90 Days and a wake up. A-Jay

When "learning a lake," there's no time limit. So using the 'one day' deal as part of the process would be limiting my success. Success doesn't mean catching fish at this point. I cannot do either one of these effectively when I try to do both at the same time. I'm either learning or fishing—sometimes it happens accidentally at the same time, but it's rarely the initial plan. It's more about eliminating water seasonally. Once I have a decent idea of where to go, (which always takes me more than one day unless I am fishing a puddle) I will set up a 'milk run' of spots. Hit them and move, hit & move. A concept that is as old as bass fishing. Good Luck A-Jay

That is so fantastic to hear @gim Here's to good health and fortune for them both moving forward. Thank you for the update. A-Jay