A-Jay

I find this very interesting. I too have voices in my head, especially when I'm on the water. But there are so many it's hard to know which ones are giving up the straight skinny. Sometimes I feel like Sybil Dorsett. (That was for the older bassheads.) All kidding aside, I have been both burned & rewarded by my 'gut' instincts. Which is what I attribute most of that to. In the long run, I think it helps more than it hurts. A-Jay

@the reel ess Sending good thoughts. Hope your treatments and procedures go as planned with positive outcomes. A-Jay

Nice. The blade bait bite is one of my favorites. Congrats. A-Jay

It may be important to remember that when fishing from a small, very light manually propeller craft, if an effective anchoring system is not employed, most every attempt to "Pull" a big bass buried deep in soft cover to the boat, will instead "Pull" the boat to the bass and said cover. It's almost always a losing battle regardless of the gear used. So I say, drop the hook and give yourself a fighting chance. A-Jay

Workout Day 2. This one was a little rugged. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I know some stuff about Striped bass - we called them linesides. But these where the original and not the sweet water model. A-Jay

This entire fishing season was a little zany. But the best aspect without a doubt was that my wife Lynn was able to be on the water quite a bit more this year. It just doesn't get any better than that. Until next time . . . Fish Hard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wG4qJB7pxc A-Jay

Thank you, and perhaps not really a conspiracy. This time around it was more of a spur-of-the-moment deal. However, I have no problem starting it up again once the calendar flips to 2026 and then running it through the entire year. Keep an eye out for it so you can be ready to start casting as soon as it pops up. A-Jay

That's funny ~ Not sure folks will be wanting to weigh them. I actually caught a few real bulbous units this summer. We could add it as comic relief. At least I might have a chance at winning it. Oh wait, are there Rock Bass in NC ? 😜 A-Jay

Just like that the 2025 edition of State vs State is over. Right off the bat I’d like to personally thank all the hammers for participating and insulting me. Nicely Done. And now for the Top Sticks in each category. Starting out with the LMB ~ In early May, @Pat Brown landed a Full Grown NC Bass that actually tied his PB of 11-5 lbs. Great Timing ! 11 lb 5 oz (11.3) ÷ 15 lb 14 oz (15.8) x 100 = 71.5 Congrats Now the Spotted Bass winner. @Logan S caught a 3-5 spotted bass during practice for a weekend tournament. Fish was caught on April 10th. NC spotted bass state record = 6-5 3.3125/6.3125(*100) = 52.48 Congrats And for the Top Smallmouth Bass entry and Overall Winner Fishing in New York waters Lake Ontario @Dwight Hottle dropped a 7 lb 6 oz Beast on the board in late October. The NY smallmouth record is 9-0. That’s 7.375 divided by 9.0 times 100 equals 81.94 percent ! Congrats and Way to take us to school sir. That was fun and if I remember, I may put this up again next year. But before I cut out, I'd appreciate some feedback/improvements or perhaps modifications you fine bassheads might have. Certainly open to any and all comments. Thanks again. Until next year . . . . A-Jay (btw, I tried to add links to this posts and pictures of the fish but the thread kept crashing so I gave up)

@Nitro 882 Everything I have ever read says that recommended tire pressures for my vehicle are based on cold inflation pressure. Gas expands when heated and contracts when temperatures decline. This means that I should check my pressures in the morning before the tire has been run, before the ambient temperature rises, and before exposure to direct sunlight. Hence, cold inflation pressure. Daily temperatures rise and fall between day and night and as I move through the seasons. Tire pressures can fluctuate 1 psi for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit. So if the outside temperature increases by 10 degrees, the tire pressure will increase by 1 psi. Conversely, if the ambient temperature drops 10 degrees, the tire pressure will decrease by 1 psi. The pressure inside warm tires will be higher due to the fact that driving causes heat buildup. So I should never reduce the pressure inside warm tires because when they have cooled down, the pressure could fall to below the minimum tire pressure. As temperatures drop in the fall and winter, it’s especially important to check tire pressures. In the winter, my tires could experience a drop of nearly 5 psi which affects traction, handling and durability. This fluctuation throughout the year leads to the recommendation of checking the tire pressures at the beginning of each month and before long road trips, where the additional load may require the tire pressures to be increased according to the specification. And don’t forget to check your spare tire! Stay Safe A-Jay

So you're the guy ~ Awesome ! A-Jay

Just after clearing away the last event, it started snowing again. Another 8 inches fell over the weekend. At some point tomorrow, I will be posted behind the Beast for at least 90 minutes or so. A-Jay

Not a trailer tire expert by any means, but I do have some experience. Been down this rabbit hole a few times. So many variables. After finally getting my head back above ground, I've come up with one hard and fast rule that is just about foolproof, even for a knucklehead like me. I replace them before I need to. Hoping to eke out the last drop of use from questionable rubber, might be a good way to get some alone time on the side of the road. As for when, I start thinking about it at 4 years old A-Jay

Here ya go my friend ~ I've got your back. https://youtu.be/mSe6iZF_UfE?si=3LMXspykQYgGGpTc ❄️ A-Jay

Drayton Farley - Touch and Go https://youtu.be/JrRthb8gnfk?si=zWBKDTZipJGqdXgD A-Jay

He just 'showed up' in the home gym a while back. My wife refuses to assume any responsibility. Say hello to my little friend ~ A-Jay

Workout Day 1 on this snowy Sunday. Discipline frees me from the cycle of regret. From the exhaustion of starting over. From the shame of knowing I'm capable of more. It offers me access to the highest form of self-respect. That quiet, grounded confidence that reminds me that I can trust myself to do hard things. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Nice review, but this is a Deal breaker for me. The backlashes will start adding up. It gets old fast. 🙁 A-Jay

Not a reports thread - Let's stay on topic in this one please. Time to take this somewhere else. Thanks in Advance A-Jay

Workout Day 4 on this Black Friday. Progressive overload has been the foundation of my training for as long as I can remember. This mostly basic principle involves gradually adding stress on my muscles over time. It is often achieved by systematically increasing the intensity, volume, or duration of my workouts, which encourages my body to adapt and get stronger. Common methods include lifting more weight, performing more repetitions or sets, or reducing rest periods between sets. When done right, it's a beautiful thing. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Not sure about it being the best, but I've had some success with brighter colored baits in dirty water. And that does include some that include red. The first fish in this clip liked it. https://youtu.be/eGeAS26LB3w?si=z0tp6aQ_8ZBeXRpz A-Jay

The UP got, like 3 or 4 feet, so we both have some work to do . . . . I'll try and get some snowblower use video tomorrow. It's just the right type of snow to totally blast it ! If this wind keeps up, I'm pretty sure I'll get a face full a few times too. Good Times. 😜 A-Jay

We got hammered pretty good. It came down hard yesterday, just about all last night, and is continuing today. Forecasts call for "lake effect snow bands" until 7 pm tonight. Looks like about 18-20 inches on the ground, but it's hard to tell with all the drifts. Dogs like it. https://www.facebook.com/100000092564585/videos/pcb.25716634241256309/824383633772725 https://www.facebook.com/100000092564585/videos/pcb.25716634241256309/837388505602915 My snow removal operations will start tomorrow morning. Should be extensive. Not bad for the first one of the winter. A-Jay

@txchaser While I may have a bit more experience with Life Jackets than the average bear, I would not promote myself as an expert. Best advice may be to contact Mustang Survival directly. Either way, my version of it is that both are great options but seem to be designed for slightly different uses. The 120 is more of what I'd use as a recreational fisherman on inland or near-shore oceanic adventures. Has plenty of flotation. The 190 may be more appropriate for offshore/open ocean-type area uses. It has a bit more of a beefed-up build and features not likely needed on Lake Menderchuck. Both could save a life. Stay Safe A-Jay