A-Jay

Fritsides FLYING OFF THE SELF ! A-Jay

Bobby Lane - on the third weighing, with virtually no time left on the clock - gets a scorable bass and WINs IT ! Edge of the seat finish today. That was really fun. 1stBobby Lane29 - 14 (10)6 - 032 - 00 2ndLuke Clausen28 - 11 (8)5 - 154 - 02 3rdJacob Wheeler28 - 04 (8)5 - 023 - 07 4thDustin Connell25 - 14 (10)3 - 082 - 00 5thZack Birge21 - 09 (8)3 - 102 - 03 6thAndy Montgomery20 - 02 (5)4 - 144 - 03 7thEdwin Evers16 - 13 (4)5 - 123 - 04 8thJordan Lee16 - 12 (6)3 - 093 - 04 9thBryan Thrift15 - 05 (6)3 - 073 - 05 10thMichael Neal10 - 02 (4)2 - 142 - 12 Sweet Congrats Sir A-Jay

TWO minute warning ~ This thing is tight ! A-Jay

T-Minus 15 minutes left. Bobby Lane & Zack Birge making some noise late A-Jay 1st Jacob Wheeler 28 - 04 (8) 5 - 02 3 - 07 2nd Dustin Connell 25 - 14 (10) 3 - 08 2 - 00 3rd Bobby Lane 25 - 13 (8) 6 - 03 2 - 03 4th Luke Clausen 24 - 09 (7) 5 - 15 3 - 04 5th Zack Birge 21 - 09 (8) 3 - 10 2 - 03 6th Edwin Evers 16 - 13 (4) 5 - 12 3 - 04 7th Andy Montgomery 15 - 15 (4) 4 - 14 3 - 11 8th Bryan Thrift 15 - 05 (6) 3 - 07 3 - 05 9th Jordan Lee 13 - 08 (5) 3 - 09 2 - 01 10th Michael Neal 7 - 06 (3) 2 - 14 2 - 01

I just want to catch bass, hard to do when I can't get the bait to them. And I don't have near the casting skills these guys have so I need all the help I can get. #hackmaster A-Jay

Well, it's been the J Wheeler show again this period. With just over an hour left this is the way it looks. Place Angler Total Weight (Fish) Largest Fish Last Fish 1st Jacob Wheeler 28 - 04 (8) 5 - 02 3 - 07 2nd Dustin Connell 25 - 14 (10) 3 - 08 2 - 00 3rd Luke Clausen 24 - 09 (7) 5 - 15 3 - 04 4th Bobby Lane 20 - 01 (6) 6 - 03 6 - 03 5th Edwin Evers 16 - 13 (4) 5 - 12 3 - 04 6th Andy Montgomery 15 - 15 (4) 4 - 14 3 - 11 7th Bryan Thrift 15 - 05 (6) 3 - 07 3 - 05 8th Zack Birge 12 - 12 (5) 3 - 10 2 - 02 9th Jordan Lee 11 - 07 (4) 3 - 09 3 - 09 10th Michael Neal 7 - 06 (3) 2 - 14 2 - 01 Next few bass caught could decide it. A-Jay

Sometimes that's what the conditions call for - slow & steady. Perhaps you shouldn't have gone out, left earlier or launched from a different location, if available. Thinking you are going to rocketing through the waves at break neck speed every trip out, because you have a fiberglass hull, is a sure sign of inexperience. In the video I posted, if the weather had been on my stern on the way out and on my bow on the way back, instead of the reverse, I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE OUT. Wind & waves build all day and the bigger the fetch the worse it can get. Vessel limitations ALWAYS trumps operator abilities or experience. I have driven over an hour to a lake, only to turn around and go home, never launching, because the conditions were beyond what was safe. Don't end up in a dirty black bag. A-Jay

@ATA I have no problem completely disagreeing with just about all of that. Operating any rig safely will ALWAYS come down to the decisions, abilities & experience of the operator. Regardless of the boats hull material. A-Jay

Mr Clausen just cranked his way from last at the start of the 2nd period, right to the top with over 18 lbs including a 5 - 15. He's got another hooked up ! Make that 21 pounds this period. A-Jay

Yup ~ I want to say that I'm 'trying' to be realistic about this year, But I'm probably not really trying hard enough. So there's a lot of crying going on . . . A-Jay

Watching a few of these guys struggle mightily trying to cast a jerkbait into a stiff & steady wind. All using casting gear. I know this feeling well but have completely caved and in my own jerkbait fishing have gone to spinning gear when the wind is not helping. Can't for the life of me understand why they would not just make the switch. It's almost like there's some type of rule or something. With so much on the line today, just seems foolish to me. A-Jay

Admittedly, depending on how the day is going catch wise, it can be quite the mental challenge and exercise in self discipline to focus 100% for the entire length of every single cast - all day. Seems I'm much better at it when my nets already been wet a few times and or I'm in a prime area at what I consider prime time. Either way, we all know that when our baits are wet, anything can happen. A-Jay

And here it is ~ Championship Day The field of 10 anglers on the Grand Lake today are no doubt all Hammers. Looking forward to any and all drama that may unfold during this one. Who will be this years REDCREST Title winner and take home the 300K. Hope it's a big bass shoot out with everyone weighing tanks right up to lines out. A-Jay

Agreed ~ And my mood is mostly built on impatience rather than frustration. So close and yet so far. A-Jay

This whole deal is heading in the WRONG Direction ~ This morning we have temperatures in the single digits and wind chills just into negative temperatures. A steady & most unwelcome lake effect snow over night is expected to diminish through the day. Serenity Now A-Jay

As long as my boat trailer tires were shiny, I'd be good. A-Jay

Using scent gives me confidence in what I'm doing and to get bites. I'm that confident in that line of thinking and it's ALL based on using it successfully. Just like certain baits, presentations & techniques, the ones that produce the most & the biggest bass, are fished hard and with plenty of high expectations. I believe it gives me a 'edge' every time out, regardless of the bait I'm throwing or the conditions. I use one @Bobby Uhrig Megastrike I never bass fish without it YMMV A-Jay

It's over ~ Place Angler Total Weight (Fish) Largest Fish Last Fish 1st Jordan Lee 33 - 02 (11) 3 - 15 2 - 05 2nd Michael Neal 31 - 09 (12) 3 - 14 2 - 13 3rd Dustin Connell 31 - 05 (10) 3 - 12 3 - 08 4th Bobby Lane 27 - 13 (9) 4 - 01 3 - 07 5th Jacob Wheeler 26 - 11 (7) 5 - 11 5 - 11 That was fun to watch. Looking forward to tomorrow. A-Jay

Oh My ~ With 22 minutes left - a 5-11 to get into 5th . . J Wheeler is unbelievable ! "Un Real man - Epic Chit" A-Jay

J Wheeler is 2 ounces back now - #getoffthetracks A-Jay

Yup ~ Still Winter here . . . All this cold is like a relentless hangover, without the red eyes and bad breath I mean. A-Jay

With 90 minutes left in the final period, J Wheeler is 8 pounds and change back behind Mark Davis for that 5th place spot. Scott Suggs is in 6th with one bass so far today. Which is much better than he did yesterday . . . . A-Jay

The Talon replacement Spike came in the mail Yesterday. Looking to effect repairs sometime next week. Minn Kota was nice enough to attach a complete replacement 'kit'. More importantly they included 'directions'. I need those; especially the nice little pictures. A-Jay

Not a fan of the all the Chatting with the panel . . . I want to watch fishing, not jaw jacking - 'How about it ? A-Jay

1st period's done - they caught a few And Mr. Ashley just got bagged dropping a dip in face. I think he was very hurt by that. A-Jay