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

Pretty sure the word "compulsive" could be attached to my deal. Are we a bunch of non-supporting enablers or what ? 🤪 A-Jay

A-Jays Custom Bait & Tackle is offering a Megabass Nanahan lot at a deep discount Just saying.. #BFS A-Jay

Our world here is white once again. I routinely forget how nice it looks. Hiding the ugly decaying landscape left behind by the end of summer & fall. I know it's still under there, but out of sight, out of mind. Funny thing is my grass was a brilliant vibrant green before Old Man Winter dropped his call card. It might even be time to burn some wood. Stay warm folks. A-Jay

We are having a white Thanksgiving. Got 5 or so inches overnight with more on the way. Be going straight through Monday if we're lucky. Had some big wind overnight as well. Dogs were up half the night alerting to some of the more robust gusts. No plans for any snow removal until it stops or we get more than 20 inches. Whichever comes first. Good Times. A-Jay

Stay Safe and Eat Too Much ~ ! A-Jay

Replied to your message. A-Jay

Workout Day 3 on this Thanksgiving Eve ~ Who I become in the pursuit of my goal, is the actual goal. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

It certainly is. And don't think for one minute that I wasn't sweating it. At least a little. A-Jay

If you only knew . . . . #dismas A-Jay

Perhaps it's time for a new puppy. Then Cosmo can help train the youngster. A-Jay

Without passing judgement one way or the other, I'll simply post the results of the November 6th NRC meeting in Lansing, MI. Final Verdict ~ Inland Waterway Bass fishing Closure Defeated. https://www.greatlakesbass.com/news/conservation/closures/inland-waterway-bass-fishing-closure-defeated/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOT_PJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF4RWg5MHZxM3hLdDlWZnBRc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHn82_hzq_bYlfLIUIrqR4SsBpNZBsM5V23p90Pc_cRRDYiQGWv9qC4NeaR06_aem_AWDaMDtsqm_86vCPocouTw A-Jay

That's tough ~ Pretty sure there've been other signs, and you sort of knew where this was headed. Cosmo's 98 in dog years. That's a lot of miles on those legs, hips, knees, and elbows. Not sure a weather change will be the answer. She's been a rockstar for a long time. And you guys have made so many great memories together. Give her a treat for us . . . A-Jay

In the ways they are presented here, I'll say I'm currently doing it all. As my experience, knowledge, confidence and abilities improved, my rig, gear, and the battles I choose to wage, and where I do it, have grown proportionally. At the same time I've modified my effort focus to be directed at plus-size fish only. So "complicated" and "simplified" might not be the best terms to describe what's going down up here, but I get the idea. A-Jay

I'm a firm believer in the right tool for the job. Over the years folks have come up with 'several' ways to approach this deal, myself included. And most all of them will get the job done. Currently I'm using a combination of wire ties and electric tape for down-the-shaft cable management. Both need to be replaced annually, as they tend to need it. Recently I came across these two options from DD26. https://dd26fishing.com/search?query_length=3&predictive-search-types=collection-true&predictive-search-types=article-true&predictive-search-types=page-true&filter.p.product_type=&q=cable+ties&options[prefix]=last&tabs-template--predictive-search=on I use DD26 steering stops and transom motor mount, and both are quality products IMO. Over the winter I'll be changing my current deal to one of the above in the link. Both seem on point; I just haven't decided which one is right for my configuration. Good Luck A-Jay

AAA projects 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1. This year’s domestic travel forecast includes an additional 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record. Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel compared to others like Memorial Day and July 4. “Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.” Transportation data and insights, expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon to be the most congested periods before Thanksgiving Day. Travelers returning home on Sunday should expect heavy traffic most of the day. Drivers should hit the road in the morning to avoid the worst backups, but keep in mind construction, crashes, or severe weather could impact travel times. Slow Down, Move Over for emergency responders and other stopped vehicles on the side of the road to ensure everyone’s safety. Stay Safe A-Jay

A-Jay

I don't do anything special really. My shades are either on my face or in the case they came in. That's about it. 😎 A-Jay

If the older hooks are toast, decent chance the rest of the bait’s hardware is as well. Hook hanger split rings and line ties if used are often overlooked. After market hooks on weak hardware seems less than ideal. I use Owner Hyper wire split rings and oval line ties on Every bait I throw. A-Jay

I am not a fan of cold rain. Unless, of course, it's melting early-season ice ice baby. A-Jay

Nice - I'm happy when I can do anything more than body weight at this point myself. Helps me feel somewhat confident that if I need to pull myself back up onto something, like my boat, I should be able to do it. A-Jay

@gim ~ Looks like we're getting our first look at some significant snow at the end of the week as well. WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... Heavy snow and blowing snow likely. Total snow accumulation amounts of 10 inches or more possible. Lesser amounts expected along the immediate lakeshore. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. We're ready. A-Jay

Workout Day 2. Discipline is the bridge between who I was and who I am becoming. Every time I choose alignment over comfort, I cast a vote for my future. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I get it. Fishing should be fun. Perhaps leave your casting gear home for a while and see how it goes. As for advantages . . . . While we can all fish very differently and have equal success most of the time. I'll tell you that spinning gear excels for me when I am casting into a stiff wind AND moving the bait with the rod, and picking up the slack with the reel. So jerkbaits, topwater baits, and some bottom contact baits (in lighter cover). Most anytime I'm moving the bait with the reel only, IME casting gear has a distinct advantage. So any bait with blades, crankbaits, swim jigs and any bottom contact bait in moderate to heavy cover. If a basshead can pull ALL of that off with spinning gear - well there you go. Finally, I surf fished off the east coast for years, I used both types of tackle. The casts were longer, the baits and the fish were bigger than what happens fishing for SMB today. I even caught a few. A-Jay

Perhaps think of it like this. What if your tackle usage & proficiency were REVERSED? And all you've ever used & known was casting gear. I'm not sure I could convince you that once you get better at using the spinning gear, and eliminate the casting problems, that the spinning gear can be a fun and very effective method of fishing. Especially for bass. You might be better with the casting gear than when you started a year or so ago, but it sounds like you still need work. I can say that with some confidence because you seem satisfied with the performance of your spinning gear. Which, in my mind, indicates that you have a useful level of experience with it. How long did it take you to attain your current level of effectiveness with your spinning gear ? Whatever time that was - please know in most cases, casting gear proficiency comes on a lot slower. Good Luck A-Jay