A-Jay

Sad way to come back my friend. The pack and I are sending our support. A-Jay

Hello and welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

The single best piece advice I can offer when it comes to drop shot fishing is . . . To present your plastic like it was LIVE BAIT - regardless of which drop-shot plastic you're fishing. Meaning, one does not generally do much with live bait other than throw it out there and . . wait. So I'm rarely shaking, wiggling or 'working' my drop shot presentations much if at all. Clearly, there are times where imparting a 'little action' to the bait is the deal and bass will gobble them up. And I'll do that if & when it works. However, I'm usually fishing a drop shot because I believe the fish are either in a neutral or negative mood - meaning they may not chase a moving bait. So a subtle, do-nothing approach can put a few in the net. Finally, if I have to turn the drop shot into a moving bait to get bit - I'm probably going to fish something else. My versions (especially for those 'tough bite days') . . . . . . . Cast it out, let the weight get to & settle on the bottom on a slack line - then softly take up ALMOST ALL the slack so that your bait will be suspended over the bottom cover if there is any. Places where there is little to no bottom weed, or I'm drop shotting a Rage craw - I let the bait sit on the bottom. And then just hold it there, on a semi-tight or slack (however you say it) line and commence 'bite detection mode'. After sitting for some time with no bite, drag it a bit and start the process again. How far I move it and how long I leave it, is almost always dictated by water clarity & temperature as well as the 'mood' of the fish; unfortunately, it's tough to know 'the mood' until I put a few in the net. Until I hook a few, I play with the drag length & wait time until the magic happens. But in general - the clearer & warmer the water, the farther I move it. Conversely the dirtier and or colder the water - I may not move it more than a foot or two at a time. How long I let it sit is pretty much guided by the same parameters mentioned above. I can cover some decent water doing this. More info here ~ A-Jay

Stout Bass & Pretty Morning. Nicely Done. A-Jay

Hello Jerry and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Here's to Hope to get there myself some day A-Jay

Not sure about the grass or gravel thing but if you go with a galvanized trailer, neither of us will be around to see it if it ever does rust. A-Jay

This video clips shows a rig we use a ton and have been for a while. It's super effective in shallow, very weedy & soft bottom areas. A big part of the magic is the light LEAD Weight. It's enough to present & fish the bait effectively, yet light enough to allow the rig to Sit on top of most of the dense weeds on the bottom, rather than plunging through and disappearing or worse, getting fouled up. Bass often slurp up this rig when it's paused & motionless. Most any craw / creature type bait seems to work A-Jay

A-Jay

The challenge of finding bass in open water along with effective boat position has added a couple of layers to your learning curve that often take a while to figure out; and we can be talking years here. So three trips into it, my friend you're still in the infancy stage. Give it some time. Remember that bass like edges, and the bass you slayed in the past were at or at least near one - the bank. Perhaps try to locate more 'edge' type stuff from the canoe. If you have access to a map of the water you're fishing that can help but is not necessary. Hard cover & soft cover all have some type of 'edge' - usually makes a decent ambush point. Bass like those, especially this time of year. As for baits, topwater can and often is very effective, but might not be the deal in deeper open water. Consider fishing lower and slower. Texas rigged worm / soft plastic can be super productive as is a jig & craw. Keep reading, keep learning and most importantly, keep fishing. btw - if you don't already have one - get an anchor & line - and Use It. You'll be glad you did. Good Luck A-Jay

Yea - She's my favorite too ~ A-Jay

Bummer you're working on the Holiday But Tanks on Topwater would keep me smiling most of the day. Congrats A-Jay

@Glaucus Seems you have three choices. You could choose to continue to allow this 'problem' to annoy you. You could can it and get a new one. You could have the reel cleaned/serviced by a professional. Simple diagnosis alone rarely resolves these deals. btw @Delaware Valley Tackle does top notch work. Good Luck A-Jay

I hear Ya ~ I own & wear both types - Wore Mustang gear exclusively as an on the water professional for 3 decades - I just trust it. The non-inflatables are no doubt fool proof and do offer piece of mind for sure. Seemed like we lived in them 24/7 underway while also wearing body Armour, tactical gear and a side arm. Can't say they were 'comfortable' but I got used to them. I think we can agree that nothing works unless we wear it. That's something I have total control over. A-Jay

@snake95 covered it. Not long. Only seconds - like 10 maybe. If you're not familiar with using these products. Practice a time or two with old baits & hooks until you get the 'feel'. Not a steep learning curve but over use can result in fingers and baits becoming one. Acetone comes in handy right there. Good Luck A-Jay

A drop or two of either one on these ~ A-Jay

I can understand and respect this mindset. However, something that is not mentioned in this case or any of the few I've seen, is in regards to how (or even IF) the equipment was maintained. Few products will perform properly if not checked routinely and kept in serviceable working order. The underlined text seems to imply that this may be the case. Adding the make & model of the faulty Life Jackets can be a valuable piece of information for an interested reader as well. A-Jay

@Ctjoe On the casting rigs, I simply slip the bottom guide through the weave. On the spinners I insert a 2 inch nail through the weave just below the guide closest to the reel. Both methods do the job. A-Jay No need. Most of it is that cheap Quantum stuff. A-Jay

Virtually every inflatable type III Life Jacket manufacturer includes that statement in the "Instruction manual". Perhaps a disclaimer ? Besides fit, finish & quality construction, I look for Buoyancy Rating. Minimum requirement is 22.5 lbs. Most meet that, some exceed that. The Mustang unit I wear comes in at 28 LBS / 125 N of buoyancy when inflated. Advantages of Inflatables: Provides high visibility when inflated Turns most wearers face-up faster than traditional life jackets Will usually keep unconscious users face-up Superior in-water performance Disadvantages of Inflatables: Not suitable for non-swimmers Requires more steps to deploy Not approved for children under 16 years of age Requires frequent inspection and maintenance Not appropriate for activities such as personal watercraft use, tubing, sailboarding, whitewater rafting Always read the owner's manual that comes with your inflatable life jacket before using. A-Jay

Stay Safe out there A-Jay

I use Stick Jackets ~ Work well for me both in and out of the boat. A-Jay

Sounds like a safe place at least. A-Jay

Gorgeous Bass and Great Photo ~ Huge Congrats to that young man A-Jay

Lake Baccarac Lodge is traditionally not operating during the rainy season; June(ish) thru at least mid - September. So the current Border status is less of a concern to us. The last Information from the Lodge we received indicates that the Mexican Government has not yet 'authorized' the re-opening of non-essential businesses; which includes hunting & fishing lodges. Hoping that changes sooner rather than later. Our trip/flights are totally booked & paid for well in advance of our travel days. If there's any hang-ups, we'll re-book and go when we can. Not much else we can do at this point but wait & see. A-Jay

Welcome to the club Rick. The big fly hatch is always tough sledding for me. Only consistent producer here involves a fly rod and something fuzzy tied around the hook. Fun tough. A-Jay

Sporadically A-Jay