A-Jay

Yes ~ I did purchase that unit. Used it once and it did managed to support my rig while I changed a flat tire. For reference, it was positioned in soft road side gravel (sunk in quite a ways) and seemed to be fairly 'shakey'. Meaning my fully rigged out 1875 Pro-V Bass & galvanized Shor'Lander trailer was probably very close to or even perhaps past, the Safe Working Load of the unit. Like I said it worked but I'll not risk using it again - it went straight into the trash when I got home. YMMV Replaced it with this one . . . https://trestlejacksusa.com/products-tj220-adj A-Jay

Full size walking baits by a small margin over poppers ~ A-Jay

Hello Dan and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Yup - and it depends on the humans involved no doubt. Some places I fish, one side of the dock is load and the other side is launch. Really helps prevent all the 'launchers' from poaching all the 'loaders'. But there have been many times (when I stay too long) so I sat in the lake for an hour or more waiting for a chance to load. Dudes just double side launching one after another. Not their fault, I stayed to long and put myself right in the middle of it. A-Jay

The whole deal is first come first serve. If you need to leave - get yourself to the ramp EARLIER. Crowds in the middle of the summer are unavoidable if you are there when they are. It's like a circus many times, especially if you are in a part of the country where 'boating' is seasonal. Many folks use their rigs only a few times a year and each and every trip to the ramp is an adventure, especially if it's windy and or rough. Dealing with some of this calamity used to be part of my job description. Now, I simply avoid it. ? A-Jay

Maybe ~ LOL. A-Jay

I am also a 'solo' boater and have been for a few years now and I understand your concerns. If I may . . . First, I DO NOTHING QUICKLY when it comes to launching or recovering my rig - EVER. If folks are for some reason 'impatient' with how I go about it, they should have gotten to the ramp earlier. Slow, methodical & safe is the way to go IMO. When I launch, there's rarely anyone else at the ramp, but that doesn't change how or what I do. When I recover, I simply wait for a space to clear at the dock, pull up, and do my thing. Again, slow, methodical & safe. This clip shows some of that. Hope it helps. A-Jay

Favorite moving bait? This is a tough one ~ so many choices. A jerkbait has accounted for some very respectable Brown bass but my PB came on a Big Spinnerbait. 6 & 7 inch Swimbaits have been responsible for a large percent of the biggest Green bass I've taken, but my PB choked a Big Rattle bait. I'm so conflicted . . . . . Either way, I'm going to say it's something from one of these boxes: Fish Hard A-Jay

Woke up at zero dark thirty this morning and it was obvious that I wasn’t going back to sleep. Solution ~ Get in the Gym . . . . . #borninfiftynine #fitforlife A-Jay

In my world, hookets can only be 'as powerful' as the weakest aspect of my gear. As you have described them above, IMO, you have at least one concern and perhaps even two. First, an 8 lb mono leader might be a little light to over come the 'bite power' of most plus size bass, brown or green. The tell tale sign of this is when we have one 'on' for a few seconds, but once the fish realizes something is a miss, they just 'let go'. Used to happen to me with tubes All The Time ! #hateit Second, and this varies wildly depending on brand/manufacturer, a Medium spinner could be a little on the light side. Matching your gear to your terminal tackle is always a solid plan. Finally, if you have a desire to find out what your gear is capable of, perhaps 'test' it's limits in a controlled environment. Secure your leader to something solid at home (preferably outside), step off enough line to equal what would be an average cast for you, obviously don't snap your rod but lean on that tackle a little; see what it can do. You may be surprised one way of the other. Clearly this can never exactly simulate a live fishing scenario, bit it may offer a bit of an idea on what direction you may need to go, if any, as it relates to addressing your problem. Good Luck Fish Hard A-Jay

Figuring out when it will happen seems almost as tricky as where. But I have been known check & re-check a spot and even to 'camp' on a Good One waiting for the 'right time'. I'm a believer. Fish Hard A-Jay

Really sorry ~ Totally not my intent. Just trying to learn how to be better at something I feel pretty strongly about. Since I even jacked this question up, clearly I have some work to do. A-Jay

Glad you survived, many do not. So here's my question to you @Jonas Staggs You've been a member of the Forums here since Oct 2019. Seems you've been relatively active, authoring several post topics as well as responding to several threads. During those 20 months or so, there has been a number of threads where "Life Jackets" and Safety were The Main topic. What was it about these threads that was unable to motivate Or inspire you to consider the importance of wearing a life jacket and the inherent dangers of not doing so ? I ask because I've penned several of them myself and would be very interested in hearing what caused me to miss the mark. Thanks in advance and again, glad your OK. Stay Safe A-Jay

Day in & day out my preference for feeding a tube to the local brown bass population is The Performance Series" Bite Size 3.5" Tube by PROvider Tackle - in BBQ Melon http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=66_70&product_id=174 My jighead preference has chanced a few times the past few seasons. Most recently I've been smitten by a 5/16 oz Swagger Tackle Tungsten Compound Tube Jighead A-Jay

Virtually ALL of my hard bait topwater applications for brown bass up this way are done in open water and Super long casts rule the day. Accordingly, my walking baits & poppers are presented with spinning gear & a braid mainline. I use a couple of different sticks; My favorite is a old 7 ft Med fast Quantum 'Tour PT' blank that I've had to 'refurbish' at least once (re-do the guides) to keep it operational. Has just the right amount to tip, bend & handle length to make walking & popping topwater baits a pleasure. The other is a 7'4" Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth rod that I use for MAX distance. I'll use a little lighter mainline on this one. Fish Hard A-Jay

When it comes to motivation, seems like there's plenty there to work with. Also it sounds like you have done a nice job of tuning your exercise to your specific needs. A-Jay

This is a great question and perhaps the key many aspects of life. I know the feeling believe me – many times just getting into the gym feels like it uses half the energy I have for the day. Through the over 40 year that I’ve been training, I’ve blown off my share. Not something I’m proud of but it’s the truth. So self-motivation is different for each of us and what works for me may not work for others. Either way, this is my version of how to make it happen. To begin with, pretty much my entire day is spent ‘preparing’ to preform my workout; especially the days I do Not train. Eating right (and enough), staying hydrated, and getting sufficient sleep all have to happen in order for me to be at my best in the gym and hopefully to avoid injury. So there’s plenty of motivation needed constantly just to workout for those 90 minutes every other day. Placing that type of priority on this for 24 hours a day – everyday, helps me with get into the gym. To go along with that, my own mind set as to why I do it all plays a huge role. I always talk about being “fit for life’ and that’s really all this is. I want to be the best version of me I can, for many reasons including being here for my wife (who is 14 years younger than me, btw and my BIGGEST Supporter). Now at 62, it’s a battle but it’s important to me and I understand I will encounter both physical & mental resistance along the way. If it wasn’t important, it would be easy. The benefits of being, light on my feet, feeling balanced and strong cannot be overstated IMO. With my training being the single toughest deal I do, it makes the rest of my 'life' seem 'easy' and at this point, with very few 'limitations'. My ability and most importantly my willingness, to accept & cope with stress is always much better when I'm in full workout mode. And it’s a full load of self-motivation that is essential to keep this whole human engine running. For me, lack of self-discipline erodes self-esteem. Which has a snowball effect that can get me headed in the wrong direction, fast. Some of the things I do that help keep me on track; I keep detailed workout logs; when I can beat my own records from day to day I feel like a success. I talk about my efforts and results with friends & family as well as posting the training on my facebook page and on youtube. When you know the ENTIRE WORLD can watch you train, it makes you try just a little bit harder. Might seem a little strange I guess, but I do not concern myself with what others think or do (or don’t do). None of that effects my health. Finally, we can’t go back and change the beginning, but we can start where we are now and change the ending. I think about that one every day. Hope that helps A-Jay

Pothole's not a season here, it's a way of life ! However, we do have a fairly extensive Mud Season. My dogs are a Mess. A-Jay

Is it weird that I actually enjoy this ? A-Jay

I got on this train a while ago and simply refuse to get off ~ Right place. Right time. Right thing. And for those of us who have done some saltwater fishing, inshore, off shore & virtually anything in between, It's The Law. Fish Hard A-Jay

I will start off by saying that I do practice C & R and during the process do believe I'm making a concerted effort to not do extra harm to the fish I catch. On that note, the name of this sport 'fishing' sounds fairly benign when compared to what is actually happening - every time. Our 'fishing' is pretty much slamming at least one very sharp hook (but often several hooks), into a helpless & unsuspecting fish, never knowing exactly where it may actually end up being imbedded or what type of collateral damage it will cause. So while I would like to believe that my 'released' fish live to fight another day, it's also equally as hard for me to act surprised when they don't. Finally, I've caught several one-eyed fish (including my Smallie PB) and while it's not something I'm proud of, I've blinded a few. And on the rare occasion when I end up with a floater, I have no problem recovering it, knocking the sides off it, and floating it in hot fat for a sandwich later. Fish Hard A-Jay

Congratulations to you both ~ Seems like a fairly challenging time in history to get that done. Here's to making many happy memories in your new home. A-Jay

I hear ya ~ I've had some humans contact me to tell me that they had identified a few of the "Lake Menderchucks" I fish & post up on youtube. I don't get overly excited about it one way or the other. My feeling on it is that watching a Bruce Lee movie doesn't make one an expert in Karate. So feeling the need to fish my deals vs putting the work in required to locate their own, sort of reinforces that in my mind. Either way, I still seem to be quite alone when I'm on my best bass. Fish Hard A-Jay

Congrats ~ Every Basshead Loves a good Jig Bite. Fish Hard A-Jay