A-Jay

I'd say 6 inches does matter when it comes to rod length. But and this is the good part, it depends. On the rod material, the taper and who's casting it and/or fishing with it. I prefer parabolic rods for just about every moving bait. My wiggle wagons and spinnerbaits are fished on a 7'3" or 7'4" stick. When the rod loads properly on the cast, I'd say it can help with distance and allow less effort. Casting a long pool cue is far more work. I'm throwing a 3/4 oz spinnerbait on a 7'4" stick right here. A-Jay

Being underestimated is a silent superpower that allows you to operate in the shadows, free from the pressure of high expectations and the burden of scrutiny. This mentality transforms external doubt into internal fuel, turning skepticism into the ignition for relentless, focused effort. It encourages a "quiet grind," where you sharpen your skills without needing validation, building resilience that makes the eventual success even more impactful. Rather than wasting energy on critics, the underestimated mind remains secure, using the element of surprise to deliver results that surpass the initial, narrow judgment. Ultimately, it is a strategic advantage that allows you to prove yourself right, rather than just proving others wrong. A-Jay

Didn't realize I started this so long ago, but here's the thread. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/217157-hard-bait-treble-hook-banding-~/ A-Jay

My top 2 silent 110's right here ~ https://megabassusa.com/product/vision-oneten-silent/ https://jpnfishingtackle.com/products/1847_bnew?srsltid=AfmBOoqrg09H8bOHFX3PKPBn2jDZQZt6ZxuNopemUbZULURiYUlITg2G A-Jay

I'll take questions with no answer for $400, Alex. 😉 A-Jay

Sometimes I get Lucky. @Dwight Hottle actually has some giant brown bass DNA pumping through his veins. A-Jay

6's are fun . But 7's are really where it's at though. Fish Hard A-Jay

Did you bump your head again ? A-Jay

No doubt. Those two pounders love that. A-Jay

We need a hip boots emoji. Because sometimes it gets pretty deep up in here. A-Jay

Good - Glad it worked out . Now please don't forget to place a pin or a lock in the coupler lever to keep it secure every time you tow. Stay Safe A-Jay

Finished shoveling off the roof today. https://www.facebook.com/ThePAWZ/posts/pfbid0D9gNa6ECNPhJRaaDpZUQiCC75vwiScHQmWgQb2JxYk9oarLFh11jfywcgrntQGpnl A-Jay

After two days on the roof clearing snow, besides being mostly gassed, I am very glad to be that much closer to open water. Clearly it doesn't look or feel like we are, but the calendar does say February, so I'm going with it. Tanker Tuesday isn't officially until tomorrow. But this is my thread, and I make the rules up in here. So it's happening today. Late August a few seasons back, after struggling to get on early morning topwater bite, I found a wad of bait holding at the bottom on an inside weed edge on a big flat. The right bass were there as well, and I fed them an A-rig. Man they hit that rig hard. When the smoke cleared, these were the best two. Both were at the far end of the 5 lb scale. 73 Days and a wake up. A-Jay

Looks like it's operating properly. Looking forward to the 'fix'. Keep us posted. A-Jay

Superstars ! I like it. 🌟 A-Jay

New to me Bottom Presentations When it comes to presenting soft plastic bait on or near the bottom for brown bass, I have used only a few different offerings. I like to cover water and do prefer something that I can fish effectively through light cover (think early season emergent weed growth or sparse eelgrass). These are all used on MF St. Croix Avid casting gear & 15 lb FC line. First and foremost, a Rage Bug on a swing head has been stupid good for me for a while now. For some reason it’s always been more of a numbers presentation for me. Just don’t get the bigger bites on it. But I am not complaining. Then there are tubes, and if a 4-inch swimbait on a jig head fits into this deal, then that’s a pretty decent producer for me as well. Most all of what’s been mentioned so far has its own dedicated write-up somewhere in this thread, and with good reason. So I’ve been taking a long hard look at my bottom bait game and began asking myself, “What’s next?” I didn’t feel like I needed a totally new deal, perhaps more a modification of what I’ve already got going on. Additionally, and if I’m being honest, I need to have something else to get excited about. Something that will get that jerkbait out of my hand. Which is a pretty tall order. After some poking around in the tackle room and tweaking a few things here and there. This is what I came up with. A Paul Crews Hand Poured Goby swimbait on a swing head and An HD Tackle Hi-Def Craw on a (slightly modified) Greenfish Tackle Creeper jighead. My first exposure to this goby bait was as a trailer on a wiggle wagon. Dubbed it “The Thunder Goby,” and it was stupid good for a while in the early going, and it's still a huge confidence bait. For my swinghead needs, I went with the same two heads I’ve been using. One’s a streamlined lead deal, and the other is a football-shaped tungsten head. The all-important hook of choice is the straight shank Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Hook 4/0 – seems really close to JH hook, which I love. Needed to be a top hook open/exposed rig with a little attitude. Expecting good things right here. The goby bait comes with realistic pectoral fins, which I remove when using it as a trailer. Not sure which way this one’s going to go. But for starters, we’ll be fishing the whole enchilada and modifying as needed. Now for that craw bait, and I’m a little extra pumped about this one. I’ve actually been sitting on a few packs of these Hi-Def Craws for a couple of years now. I just never really took the time to figure out how I wanted to fish them. Might not be the most durable deals, but they look very fishy. After rooting around in my jighead collection, I came across that Greenfish Tackle Creeper head. Had these for way longer than I’d care to admit. Just as a reference, I was turned on to them by Gene Jensen. If you know who he is, then you know. GJ is a total Rock star when it comes to all things bass and has been for at least a minute or two. Anyway, the head shape makes it a bit of a glider through whatever I want to fish, and the line tie location supports that. The hook is stout, real close to too stout for my needs, but it’s too late to turn back now. Besides, these baits almost seem custom-made for this jighead hook lengthwise, so Boom, we’re going with it. And there they are. If nothing else, I’ll have to slow down quite a bit and pick apart targets I might not have. Something I’ve been guilty of to some degree. Fish Hard A-Jay

Experience-driven and all by feel. I was taught to play plus-sized fish with the rod. I prefer a 'lighter' drag in most instances. Especially by today's standards, where most every bass gets skied & boat flipped. Need a locked drag for that most times. Finally, pet peeve of the day, "Reeling against the drag", meaning the handle is being turned and zero line is being gained. What's the point? Must be a great time with FC on a spinning reel. That is all. 🙃 A-Jay

Yes, a shirt's a skirt. Variables include but may not be limited to color, obviously. The skirt length, bulk, and material used. But whatever you do, do not forget to change out the winter air to summer air in your tires. #blinkerfluid 😁 A-Jay

Squeeze and neutralize A-Jay

OK - just don't ask me how I know. #3hourslater A-Jay

@Backroad Angler After thinking a bit more on this deal, I came up with this. Up inside of the coupler there is a spring-loaded 'latch' that is designed to keep the coupler locked onto the trailer hitch ball. It moves out of the way to effect loading & removal but locks on when you latch down the coupler lever. Sometimes that latch gets 'stuck' in the locked position, which will prevent the ball from sliding up and into the coupler properly. Routine cleaning & light lube of choice can prevent it from happening. It's often hard to tell what position it's in. Perhaps consider toggling that couple lever while looking up underneath and into the coupler. See if it's moving correctly or somehow jammed. If so, a little WD40 and a screwdriver might solve this entire calamity. Or I might be crazy, either way. Good Luck. A-Jay

Preach on and fish hard my brother. But be careful; you don't wanna get your arm broke off . . . . . A-Jay

Only 74 days and a wake up if my guess for an open water date is anywhere close. A-Jay's Annual Ice Out / Open Water Countdown Thread 2025...But who's counting? A-Jay

Today (Sunday) was better weather-wise, so I started the process. Still single-digit cold but the wind was down mostly. 3.5 hrs in—and I was toast. Got about halfway through it. Expecting to finish tomorrow. A-Jay

15 lb Tatsu is my wiggle wagon jam ! A-Jay