A-Jay

I get that ~ If they are not shallow, look deep. Not deep, look shallower. Not on rocks, perhaps check some soft cover. But the question remains - Do you generally catch bass fishing new water, when there seems to be no bite in areas that bass routinely use to feed ? We always talk about location, location & location. So it stands to 'reason', (not sure if the bass use this or not) that if I'm not getting bites the bass are not there. And if they are, they are not feeding, despite my best efforts to 'trigger a strike, or 'fire up the school'. Also there's the idea that not every bass in the habitat is doing the same thing at the same time. So relocating has got to be better than staying put and waiting out the bass, which may or may not even be there or coming there that day. Something else I've had to add to all of this started playing out during the MLF derbies a few years ago and seems to be repeating itself over and over. Shown in Real time, Pro anglers who are spread out all over a really large fishery, literally tens of miles apart, name any lake you please, LIVE footage shows the bite seems to start and end at the same time for them ALL. It's Scary at times. So perhaps the previously noted premise is not as accurate as we first thought. In the end, I suppose it's all about being committed to whatever decision we make. https://youtu.be/BN1WwnEDWAM?t=58 Fish Hard A-Jay

@Team9nine covered it nicely above, as always. Been a blade bait fan for a while. And while I can & do fish a lipless bait "like a blade bait', (Duo Realis G-Fix) and have had some killer days doing it, IME they are not the same deal. When it comes to the bite, it's often one or the other; rarely both. Before the 'how to fish a blade bait effectively' light went on for me, I was guilty of WAY Over fishing the lure. The video by Scott Dobson in this thread linked below, discusses that very thing, and it's the best way I know how to get bites with it now. Check it out. Fish Hard A-Jay

Feels like I'm starting to build some momentum now. Hope to ride that wave all the way to April ! A-Jay

A-Jay

Not to be a downer, but I am not at liberty to say at this time. Soon though . . . . A-Jay

Welcome to your new position @TnRiver46 ~ A-Jay

https://kaesu.jp/en/products/tranquil/ It's a 'Soft' PVC Blade. Nothing like the hard plastic offering on the Z-Man Stealth bait. If the blade vibrates they should feel it but the soft blade is probably not making much 'sound' as it strikes the head of the bait. Something different - might actually be 'stealth. Looking forward to finding out. A-Jay

I'm Glad Still super blustery here too. And while the North, south & entire western parts of at least this town (might be more not sure) are without power, somehow we are still getting the juice. Several trees down out back and widow makers everywhere, nothing that's a major problem though. But I'll need to do some high leverage clean up at some point. Not a fan of running the Stihl 290 in the winter, so I may wait a while. A-Jay

There's a new player entering the game . . . . A-Jay

Really roaring here too this morning. We are hanging tough on the power so far. Stay Safe out there my friend. A-Jay

I had decent energy today. Always a plus, especially at 62. A-Jay

Man - Stay Safe. Head to the root cellar ! A-Jay

Yup ~ And I never said that I didn't have my fair share (or maybe more than my share) of total crash & burns playing waiting game. In 2020 - I wait from Aug -Oct on the same flat. I think I got two plus size fish. That was pretty rugged. I'm still trying to get over that one. A-Jay

LOL ~ Ya guts ta trainz'em . . . . A-Jay

Optional methods of transportation are available up this way . . . A-Jay

I am totally staked out in the polar opposite camp. IME, when the bites over or off where I'm at, many times it's off most everywhere. At least for the plus size fish I'm targeting. I have had little to no success running all over the place 'looking for bites'. Burned plenty of petrol trying. But positioning myself somewhat near or slightly away from, where I believe she'll eventually be, has paid off handsomely. Might not fish the whole time, might even have a sandwich. And then move in & out as needed, quietly of course. If a couple of good spots are close to each other, I will often go back & forth. Works especially well for me early/late season. Takes patience, but . . . . . . A-Jay

No Doubt @Catt Sort of defines how & why we use "Way Points" effectively. A-Jay

You can. I had to look that one up. A-Jay

That keeps it interesting. We average 140-150 inches a year, most coming before Jan but we've been behind that a bit for the last few years. Not complaining but if it's going to be cold, we might as well have some snow. Just don't need it all at once. A-Jay

As long as it melts the snow off the roof of the house & kennel once or twice a winter, I'm usually pretty happy. Anything under two feet is good for me. We're less than a foot now. Keeps the ladder in the garage which is right where I like it to stay. A-Jay

Feels like late March here this morning. Realistically we still have a decent chunk of the winter to endure, which will most likely be vastly different. Meanwhile the deep low pressure passing by to our northwest tonight will result in well above normal temperatures, periods of showers, and increasingly very gusty winds. Expect the warmest temperatures to occur late tonight, when most of the area will surge into the 50s. Wind gusts will steadily increase, become very strong later tonight into Thursday, with wind gusts of 45-50+ mph expected. Power outages are expected across northern Michigan and especially at A-Jay's house. A-Jay

And it does seem that many Hawgs mysteriously lose quite a bit of weight right before being placed on an accurate scale. The bent rod pattern. Jet skis Most pontoon boats Wildly inaccurate weather forecasts A-Jay

I did make a post about that. BUT, ended up there was NOTHING wrong with the line. I got it right after Seaguar stopped smooth winding the bulk spools as it looked very different. Sadly they didn't tell anyone in advance of the change, so I had ever reason to believe I got duped. I returned it but after contacting Seaguar, I found out I didn't need to. I still buy Tatsu & InvisX quite confidently, usually From TW or Amazon, who routinely has TW sale prices ALL Year. A-Jay

Not sure if it matters, but I've only ever used the camo model. A-Jay

OK Maybe go this route . . . Routine for us when we have one or two foster dogs that are very 'vocal'. Gets pretty loud in the kennel. A-Jay