A-Jay

Interesting concept Roger ~ When it comes to looking for plus size brown bass in northern natural lakes, I could not possibly disagree more. Water void of life is just that - and there's a lot of it. Areas with a food chain that includes bait & food for it, get way points on my unit. And for good reason. A-Jay

There's more to it for me. While I do believe that bass are "opportunistic feeders" to an extent, when there's plenty of food in an area, I am often hard pressed to get a 'reaction strike'. I will almost always have better success fishing where & when the bass are actually feeding. Eliminates my need to try and force feed them. They are almost always far more willing to take a poke at a several different types of presentations for me when they are already in chase mode. The fall can be one of the times when the bass can & often will feed several times a day; but I still will benefit by being there when they do. Presentations made close to or at the depth they are using can be helpful. This is what drives my bait/presentation selection. If I'm fishing an area with bait and not getting bites, I leave and come back when I think I'll be casting to fish that are in an active or at least neutral and not negative mood. And if I can do it without detection, my chances will improve. A-Jay

I use 5 most of the time. Adding a new leader in this clip. A-Jay

That the fish may be simply picking up the bait by the tail and then dropping it. Routinely a common theme with very small (like 6 inch) bass or small panfish. A-Jay

Early and late season cool water temps are my friend. A-Jay

At least half my reels are not so equipped (and I like it that way honestly). Even so, back reeling is simply not something I could manage successfully. If it's possible to backlash spinning gear - I'm your man. A-Jay

Admittedly, on anything I believe might be a plus size bass, after the hookset on spinning gear, I am dropping off drag pressure routinely. A-Jay

Always been a visual learner myself. A-Jay

While the back to back uni knot might not be a fan favorite recently, it's the only leader connection knot I use and has been my go to for many, many years. At this point, I'm only using leaders on spinning gear. I rely on it to connect 10lb braid mainline (usually Suffix 832) and 8-10 lb Big Game mono or Seguar Tatsu FC 8lb leader. It's easy & fast for me to tie & re-tie correctly, even in colder air temps & or low light. Despite the back to back uni knot, perhaps not "Winning" in the current wave of knot wars that seem to be a hot topic several times a year, in the real world, it's a solid performer IMO. If the objective of our gear is to put BIG fish in the net, the uni-knot has done that for me consistently. There's simply no reason for me to even consider another knot. The results speak for themselves. YMMV A-Jay

Yes - on a swinghead too. A-Jay

Happy Birthday Kent ~ Hope you have a Great Day A-Jay

In water of sufficient depth, your Garmin unit can help. Can't offer specifics but may display the evidence. Also when & where it's legal & practical, retaining your catch in a livewell for a brief time, may allow them to leave behind some clues; all be it a bit smelly at times. If it's crayfish, good chance you'll know it in short order. Finally, in shallower areas (and on new water) I will often fan cast a light rig with a small drop shot bait specifically designed to target small bait. 4-5 inch perch & most anything in the sunfish/pumpkinseed family is what I'm looking for most often. No desire to catch them, just looking for that subtle & tell tale - tap, tap tap that says, this could be the place. Good Luck. A-Jay

Thank You very Much Sir. While none of us would ever turn our nose up at an opportunity for a DD bass, with the way this past year has gone (for everyone), I am just looking for The Escape at this point. btw - I have never enjoyed air travel and honestly believe carry-on luggage should be outlawed. #thatsnotgonnafitintheoverhead A-Jay

18 Days and a Wake Up ~ So close yet still seems so far away. Got some 'flight changes' on all of my commercial air rides this week. My layover times both tripled. Good Times. A-Jay

Wow. That is one heck of a day ! Sorry out your front glsss. But Super Nice Pike. So Condolence & Congrats I suppose. A-Jay

My best big brown bass lakes are sizable. A-Jay

While targeting the bigger local brown bass population during late summer and into the fall, I look for bait. When there's an abundance of especially 4 to 5 inch yellow perch wondering around a flat of half dying weeds, I lose sleep. Past two seasons it was on like donkey kong by mid August. This year, Just not happening. I am so stubborn and just refuse to good deep, choosing instead to beat the areas I expect the bait to show up in to a froth; despite the lack of bait. Yesterday it was sunsise to sunset. Brutal. Because I am the very definition of insane, I struggle. A-Jay

Below are some lessons learned from a career on the water. It seems like boaters are always willing to lend a hand, and occasionally that might mean towing a disabled vessel back to the ramp. We have some choices to make. Of course, we want to help, but if we’ve got an 18-foot bass boat with a 150 HP outboard and the boat that needs a tow is a 38-foot cruiser, the physics should indicate we’re not in a position to tow this boat anywhere. If there is a risk to human life, like if a boat is on fire, we are obligated to mount a rescue effort, but we are not required to preserve property. There are legal implications to consider, but if we act as any prudent person would, we are somewhat protected from liability. As long as we don’t do anything reckless, odds are good we won’t get sued for trying to help someone. If we can’t tow someone, or are uncomfortable with our abilities, there’s no shame in anchoring or beaching the disabled vessel, noting its position/location, leaving it there and taking the people to safety; especially if dangerous weather is occurring or forecasted. This can allow a more experienced and properly equipped rig to come out and recover the boat safely later. Right off the bat, it is always safer to tow any small open boat WITHOUT people on board. Any tow boat that cannot safely accommodate the extra passengers, probably shouldn’t be towing anything either. If on scene weather conditions indicate personal transfer may be unsafe, the danger level of this tow job just increased dramatically. Additionally ALL persons from BOTH vessels should be wearing Life Jackets - the entire time. If the disabled vessel has an outboard motor, trim it all the way up. If there’s no juice to the motor and it can be done safely, tilt it to the highest position. If neither is possible, perhaps secure / tie the wheel/tiller in a straight ahead position to allow it to maintain a heading behind the tow boat. Lastly if & when communication is possible, inform the local authorities responsible for responding to incidents on the water of your position, situation, intentions, ETA and description of both vessels. Additionally, providing the names & ages of the folks from the disabled craft will be very helpful if & when they are ‘reported late’ or missing on shore. The following are some Do’s & Don’ts from the article linked below. https://www.bassproboatingcenters.com/blog/towing-on-water.html Towlines Don’t: Use three-strand nylon ski tow rope. It stretches under extreme pressure and can break, putting passengers in both boats in peril. Also avoid using dock lines. Those weaken over time and don’t have exact breaking strengths. Do: Use a towline of at least eight to 10 boat lengths. Anchor line will suffice, due to its length and strength. Pulling points Don’t: Attach the tow line to a single deck cleat. This setup degrades your ability to steer and puts a lot of strain on the cleat, which could become an airborne projectile should it break off. Do: Make a towing bridle from anchor line that can be attached between the two stern cleats of your boat. The length should be twice the length of the beam, and positioned low to the water. Not that knot Don’t: Use knots that cinch so tight you cannot untie them. Avoid being in a direct line with a taut tow line, just in case it breaks and goes airborne. Do: Use cleat hitches and bowlines that can be easily untied should you need to quickly do so while underway. Communication is a must Don’t: Hitch up to the tow and proceed without a means of communicating between the boats. Do: Use your mobile phone or VHF radio, if both boats are equipped. You need basic communication should you need to make a change in the plans, or should something go wrong. Take it slow, watch out Don’t: Take off and go full steam ahead. Do: Advance slowly to remove the slack from the tow line, then you can throttle up to reach the desired towing speed. Just as important as communicating is observing. Keep watch throughout the tow. If there are any issues, you can catch them before larger problems occur. Shorten or lengthen the towline Don’t: Tie the towline and leave it as is during the tow. Do: Be prepared to adjust the length of the towline. A long towline is best in open water, as it acts as a shock absorber, while keeping a safe distance between the boats. You can shorten the towline in calm waters or for more accurate maneuvering at a harbor. Adjust length so your boat and the tow are in sync with the waves, so both vessels simultaneously are on the crest or in the troughs. This setup also allows the towed boat to glide back and forth on the bridle without resistance. Watch the weather Don’t: Try and be a seafaring Samaritan when encountering questionable weather. Your first instinct might be to pitch a line and rescue the stranded boat, when there might be a safer and better option. Do: In choppy water, or if the boat is larger than your vessel, the wiser alternative is to summon the law enforcement agency charged with patrolling the waterway. Professional towing services like those offered with a BoatUS membership have experts capable of handling such conditions. State marine police, municipal police and county sheriff departments are other considerations. On larger bodies of water, contact the U.S. Coast Guard. Don’t feel guilty Boats float effortlessly across the water, but they are still very heavy. Waves and wind can produce a lot of force on deck cleats and dock lines. Snapped lines and damaged hardware is one thing. So is the strain the forces of towing put on the engine and prop. A prop meant for planing speeds won’t cut it for the low-speed torque needed to tow a boat. What might work for a smaller boat in calm water will not when towing a boat of the same size or larger. Above all else, high waves, strong currents and inclement weather can make towing dangerous—for you and the other boater—and you could both end up stranded. When to say no If you aren’t 100 percent comfortable with towing, don’t do it. Stand by while awaiting additional help, and leave the big jobs for professional towing services with the proper equipment, insurance and knowledge. Stay Safe A-Jay

Very good chance it will, especially while the bunks are still new. Not a problem when it is accounted for. A-Jay

There's a change in the air... I say that whenever all the dogs are in my truck ! A-Jay

I contend that the baits found may quite often have been lost by an angler with a different level of experience. When was the last time you lost a bait in a tree @Bluebasser86?? Been a while for me. But I don't fish the bank so I that takes the trees right out of play A-Jay

I can understand this. However, I will openly admit that I am on the complete other end of the spectrum. If it's within my ability to improve, I am very willing to make that happen. In fact I sort of have to. Understanding the trade offs. The prep is as much a part of the experience as the hookset for me. Just how I'm wired. A-Jay

My approach maybe a little different. I use the term "Funting". That's when I go fishing while everyone else is hunting. Good times. A-Jay

My vibrating jig set up preference leans to the slower side. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Hawgtech makes a very nice custom handle. I own several and really like them quite a bit. https://www.hawgtech.com/select A-Jay