A-Jay

Ya ~ I haven't watched a Pro-Bowl in several years. To say I was surprised by what I saw today would be a massive understatement. Not really sure what that was, but certainly wasn't a brand of 'football' I'd travel & pay to see. I get it, but wow. That was some weak salad. A-Jay

Well I'm at the 45th parallel ~ So on a line that's North of Toronto but south of Ottawa; Sort of in the middle but in northern Michigan. The brown bass here eat red/orange for me on occasion. A-Jay

A 7 lb brown bass convinced me . . . https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/197581-new-personal-best-smallmouth-bass-~-videos-added/ A-Jay

I'll say - Yes. However when compared to casting, structure/flipping jigs, and Vibrating Jigs, ALL my swim jig fishing sort of feels like a finesse type deal. Regardless of the water temp. Like a spinnerbait or vibrating jig with any blade involvement. I use the bait's weight, line type & size as well as the trailer selection, to assist / enable me to fish the bait at the necessary pace. Whether that be high up, in the middle or at the bottom of the water column, it's still almost always 'around' some type of cover. IMO, a grub is the 'subtlest' trailer and my choice for the coolest/coldest conditions. (that's a relative term) A small paddle tail comes in next followed by higher action trailers like craws. Which are often reserved for when the bass seem more willing to chase; usually somewhat warmer water, but not always. Matching hook size/gauge to the condition and my tackle can help and I'll even use spinning gear when I need to. Routinely for long casts with a 1/4 bait when I'm not target casting, but instead looking to cover water. While there's a fairly wide array of bait's and presentations that will get bites early season, a swim jig is one of those and an often over looked one at that. The bite's usually pretty fun too. Good Luck A-Jay

Most of my spinnerbait presentations are done with quite a bit of 'speed' and high in the water column. The style trailer tracks well while also adding a bit of a bigger profile to the bait. A-Jay

TW knows what's up ~ https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/bass-fishing/gear-guides/red-baits-spring-bass-fishing.html A-Jay

I'm leaning 3/0 right there. A 1/0 seems a little small for that much plastic. A-Jay

Nice collection ~ Seems the price of FC might not be your biggest concern. A-Jay

I read reviews. I'm still learning how to 'interpret' them. Seems that may be a constantly evolving type of deal. I can confidently say that I have benefitted from some reviews, even some found on this very forum. Hope that continues. Paying it forward, I've even done a few; in thread form here as well as in videos. Can be a little tricky offering the details on any product. While I'm hoping to present information that is 'objective', Often seems heavily opinionated and loaded with personal preference. Regardless of which side of the review one may be on. A-Jay

Thanks ~ Besides slicing & dicing anything in it's path, comes in very handing if & when I need to "Repel all Boarders !" A-Jay

This is me as well. Happens to spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs and most anything I throw that has a silicone or rubber skirt. One clean cut. Almost always made to simply shorten the skirt. Desire resulting length to be at or just slightly beyond the hook bend. A-Jay

Nicely Done ~ The correct size & type of fuses and shear pins are a Total Trip Saver when we have them. And pretty much a trip killer when we don't. You Da man ! A-Jay

B.A.S.S. is not streaming the Southern Open at Kissimmee Chain LIVE. They are showing the weigh-ins and there's a link to a Basstrakk https://www.bassmaster.com/basstrakk/tournaments/2022-bassmaster-southern-open-kissimmee-chain A-Jay

Survival gear. I don't go on the water without it. In particular, bigger water. A-Jay

Not sure. Also while Black Friday was the time frame for my purchase, like you noted, it seems Simms gear is rarely 'on sale'. I initially thought my purchase was on sale, ended up being the MSRP. I was happy however to find a vendor up north here that was actually able to get me a set in a 'medium'. I had been 'looking' hard for a few months up to that point, and it wasn't look good. Not sure what the current supply lines look like. https://thousandlakessports.com/ A-Jay

My Insulated guidewear has seen better days as well. Most relegated as 'take the dogs out' gear now. Over Black Friday I scored a Simms Challenger Insulated Fishing Jacket & Bib Set. Really nice, a little pricey but I'm pretty sure it will be most awesome. Can't wait to try it on the water. If you're shopping for one, I'd consider it A-Jay

Looks like a separate purchase ~ https://www.froggtoggs.com/co-pilot-insulated-puff-jacket A-Jay

22 degrees below zero this morning. Seat heated in the GMC is working some OT. A-Jay

It takes a decent chunk of time for females to grow the eggs. Accordingly, I've kept & eaten a few different species of fish (don't eat bass) that were not actively spawning but still loaded with eggs. Some folks chow hard on the egg sack. I'm not one of them, but as I understand, it's quite a delicacy depending on the fish. A-Jay

Fish Catch Friday ~ (OK it's really still only Thursday night but I'm on the road most of tomorrow) Cast to Catch ~ This fatty ended up being my best Brown Bass of 2020 8 weeks 4 days & a wake up. A-Jay

Not sure ~ I use one of these for most of my needs A-Jay

Lipless baits have flat sides And they work great at that water temp & depth A-Jay

I had that deal going on last week (I'm on a PC) but it has mysteriously 'fixed' itself. When does that ever happen. A-Jay

Hello Rick and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

LOL ~ I hear ya about load distribution. My vote goes for Mid ships and along the centerline. Configure everything else around that. Good Luck A-Jay