A-Jay

I like to say "Good day" and "Good talking to you" Sometimes I even mean it. 😎 A-Jay

Cool story. A-Jay

Workout Day 3. Some of my favorite things about the iron in the gym:It Never Lies to Me: The iron deals strictly in reality. If I am strong enough to lift it, it moves; if I am not, it stays put. It cuts through all my daily excuses and flatters no one, giving me an honest baseline every time I grab the barbell. It Doesn't Care About Drama: Outside the gym, people will judge me, doubt me, or build me up based on moods and opinions. The iron offers a quiet, unbothered sanctuary. It won't talk back, gossip, or freak out, making it the most consistent "friend" I have. It's the Ultimate Antidepressant: There is a deep, psychological therapy in physical exertion. It burns off nervous energy and grounds my mind, acting as a natural mood booster. When my body works hard, my mind follows suit with a clearer, stronger perspective. It Gives Me Tough Love: The iron teaches me that failure isn't the end of the world—it is just feedback. It pushes me right up to my limits, forcing me to discover what I am truly capable of when things get heavy. It Makes Me Earn Your Keep: I cannot bribe, cheat, or talk my way into building muscle. The iron makes me respect the process, enforcing a core life lesson that I have to put in the time to see results. It Demands My Complete Focus: Underneath the iron, I cannot worry about work or bills. It forces me to be hyper-present, anchoring my mind entirely on my breathing, my form, and the task at hand. It Doesn't Pick Favorites: It challenges the experienced trainer just as heavily as the absolute beginner. It doesn't care about my background, social status, or bank account—it only respects the effort I put into lifting it. It Builds My Character: Every time I push through a grueling set, the iron builds my mental grit. That same resilience I learn when grinding out a heavy final rep quietly bleeds into how I handle stressful situations in real life. It is Always Waiting For Me: No matter what time of day, how busy life gets, or how long I take a break, the iron is patiently waiting. It holds no grudges and greets me with the exact same weight and challenge whenever I return. It Speaks a Universal Language: The bond forged with the iron is universally understood. It unites everyone in the gym in a shared pursuit of self-improvement, completely bypassing the need for words. #bornnfiftynine A-Jay

Mismatched tackle. A-Jay

Boy oh boy. We are all getting old fast. And now the real fun begins for you. Stand by for the one word answers. At 16 we all knew everything.....about nothing. Hope you all have a fun and safe weekend my friend. A-Jay

I hear that. I skipped it as it's Africa Hot here too. Plus we are getting blasted every night with thunder storms. Just about the time it starts to dry out, we'll you know. #welcometothejungle A-Jay

In modern times, the bald eagle has also become a profound symbol of American resilience. After being driven to the brink of extinction by human activity and the pesticide DDT, strict federal protections allowed the population to boom exponentially. Its triumphant removal from the Endangered Species List in 2007 serves as a powerful reminder of what the country can accomplish when it collectively values and protects its resources. A-Jay

Hello Chuck and Welcome to Bass Resource. A-Jay

Wish I could remember. But I sure had fun and that's what really matters. A-Jay

I've documented some of the landscaping challenges we've been working on the past 2 years. We totally closed off the entire dog yard for all of last summer to let the new grass get a head start. Tank was not happy, but worked out OK. Last summer: This summer: A-Jay

Workout Day 2. Focusing on keeping the positive mojo flowing. Eating a little more. Sleeping a little more. And lifting a little more. All in an effort to be the best version of me I can get to. The journey is challenging and rewarding. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Yup, but not on the hottest days of the year. Grinding through the tough trip for a few decades, one is bound to have a few of those special days. I say stick with it but have reasonable expectations. Especially when it comes to current weather and seasonal patterns. No fish days are part of the sport for me. But so are days like this one . . . A-Jay

About the only bait I still use a feathered treble on is a popper. Megabass Pop Max mostly. I'll use the stock feathered treble if I'm feeling frisky because that hook although plenty sharp, just not the heaviest wire around. Plus-size brown bass can make short work of them if I apply too much pressure. I'll change them out in short order when the toads come out to play. I will usually tie my own using Gamakatsu Magic Eye EWG. However, Mustad recently came out with a new line of EWG's. The KVD Inline Triple Grip Short Treble Hooks use AlphaPoint and TitanSteel. Available straight up or dressed - both solid quality. It's about the only aftermarket feathered treble I'll use besides the ones I tie. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_Inline_Triple_Grip_Tinsel_Treble_Hooks/descpage-MTBTT.html A-Jay

I rarely drink coffee any more. However, I make my wife a fresh cup every morning, without fail. Been through many methods. She has settled on the ceramic pour-over deal. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

These swimsuits are very effective on the tilapia eating bass south of the border. Before I work my magic on them, they begin life as pearl white color. A-Jay

Me too ~ Not sure if they are the best but if you can put a decent edge on a knife, Disassembly on these is 1 screw. A few strokes of both sides down a medium (1000-ish grit) stone, and these are ready for another season. I only use them on braid. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fiskars-5-Stainless-Steel-Micro-Tip-Easy-Action-Scissors-White/5170438262?classType=VARIANT&from=/search A-Jay

Really nice write-up once again. Plenty of fantastic great bass and views that should be pasted on a postcard. Talk about being suitable for framing . . . Congrats A-Jay

I have been throwing jerkbaits on spinning gear since Bozo was pooping out clown school food. Never dealth with the kind of line twist you are describing. Check the roller guide on your bail for proper operation. Meaning, is it spinning as designed all the time. A-Jay

I am willing to bet that the problem is whatever bait or presentation is tied to the end of that mono. It's spinning. It's either spinning on the retrieve, or it's spinning on the fall. As in the case of a drop shot. But whatever it is, it's spinning and that can be what is causing the line twist. Another cause can be if you are reeling against your drag while fighting fish. If the reel handle is turning and you're not gaining line the line twist can be epic. Especially after 5 hours. Solution 1. Rig all baits straight so they don't spin at all. If re-rigging doesn't stop the spinning, change baits. Solution 2. Stop reeling against the drag. Fight the fish with the rod, pick up the slack gained with the feel. No more twists. Good luck. A-Jay

As a wide searing heat dome settles over the U.S this week, this vintage post poses the questions we'll all be trying to answer. 🥵 A-Jay

This one's interesting; it has changed a bit over the years and currently comes in from at least a couple of different directions. Categorizing a bait, technique, or saying it's the most enjoyable to fish can be a taunting task IMO. My version of 'enjoyable to fish' starts with the cast, the retrieve, decent fish-catching potential, which sort of has to be in there somewhere for me, and then, strangely enough, the hook-removal efforts required. Deals that possess virtually none of the fun factor marks for me and ones I will rarely even consider employing include, but may not be limited to, drop shot, Ned rig, until recently, dead sticking a Senko, a free rig, whatever that ultra-shirted poop bait thing is, and a banjo minnow. Right off the bat, it's been well documented here that I am fairly addicted to catching fish on a jerkbait. The past several years, it's been an early & late season hammer for me. Oddly enough, despite checking almost all the boxes mentioned above, the hook removal efforts (from the fish & the Frabil) can be enough to knock it down like half a peg. So what could possibly replace such a potent mutant slayer? The answer is a few, I guess. Topwater waking baits, Poppers, A-Rigs, and the list of soft plastics & rigs is endless. When we're talking about 'the fun factor,' however, of the many deals mentioned above, some I fish, some I do not; either way, I can easily see the attraction in them all. An aspect of the "I Love It' presentation for me involves the 'chunk & wind.' Huge fan of just leaning back, using a pretty high level of human torque to smoothly launch my bait off the front deck and cranking it back. Many baits fit the bill here, but decent-sized single-hook deals have it over the triple-treble-hook aspects of a stick bait while still retaining plenty of plus-sized bass potential. Vibrating jigs and spinner baits come to mind right away. Because these deals are often fished best with casting gear, I get to put the boots to the bigger bass, which is mucho fun and not advisable with small treble hooks. And since timing is everything, if the world doesn't deal us another dose of insanity, starting somewhere around the 2nd week of August, Prime Chunk & Wind season starts again. Since I missed 95% of the spring jerkbait bite, I'll be primed for this one. A-Jay

You missed the point. A-Jay

Workout Day 1. I'm leaving the past several weeks of calamity behind me. Completed three working sets of the 5 movements scheduled, and I actually felt like I was training again. Let's hope that continues for as long as possible. Expect to be a little sore tomorrow, but it's going to be the right kind of sore. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I agree with @casts_by_fly . Your number 1 mission at this point is not to catch fish—that will come. But you must learn how to fish and present your baits effectively in all of the conditions and situations you routinely come into. You can skip this step, but you'll be making the learning curve quite a bit longer. This doesn't usually happen by accident, although many anglers will no doubt go that route. In my world, preparation equals performance. So my advice is to plan on making several trips—and I mean more than two—where your job is to learn what you can fish in and what you can't. How to set yourself up to present baits so that they run right and fish in a manner that will elicit a strike. Fishing moving baits as well as slow-moving bottom-contact baits from a moving or drifting platform is just asking to miss strikes or perhaps not even get any—sound familiar? You've entered into a whole new world where you are at the mercy of the environment. It's not the easiest deal, but it's totally doable once you master the mission. There are so many super successful kayak fishing bassheads on this forum, there's no way to list them all. The first two that come to mind for me are @Bluebasser86 and @pdxfisher Both seem highly skilled and able to be successful in a variety of sporty conditions from a kayak. It's very impressive IMO. #madrespect Good Luck A-Jay