A-Jay

Starve Your Distractions and Feed Your Focus ~ A-Jay

Currently Out Of Stock ~ Serious Downer. A-Jay

Nicely Done @txchaser So Breaking off ~ I Hate It ! I'm not talking about snapping my line because I got hung deep and can't free it - Topic here specifically address line failure during a hook set or while fighting a fish. Over the years I've done the best I can to eliminate this from ALL of my fishing. Bites are hard enough to come by, especially from bigger bass, I have no desire to jack up the few I get, because I am unable to mange my tackle or my technique. First off, experience is a get teacher - which is another way of saying, jacking this up along the way is part of the process. And I've had a decent amount of that - especially when FC first came out. Although I'll not cover it here - having one's gear (rod, reel, & line) match the presentation & conditions can not be over stated. This is what works for me. For starters, the Most Pressure I ever want to apply to a bass, is the hookset. After the barb(s) are sunk, I 'play' the fish; give line when I need to, take it when I can. It's not a race. Reducing drag mid-fight or when a very big fish gets closer to the boat is something I do often on plus size fish. That sudden burst, surge or leap boat side, has burned me a few times in the past, line may not part but the hooks can certainly pull out. When I fish braid & a leader, I will use Mono if at all possible. I will use FC if I 'need to' (insert to get bites) but never under 8 lb test. Leaders in the 4-6 lb range are ALWAYS mono - I do Not Trust Super light FC - been burned too many times. My leader connection knot is always a Uni-to Uni regardless of the leader type or size. The number of 'turns' may change but not the knot. I'll also use a uni knot to secure mono leader to the hook or bait. When using FC main line (casting gear) I use a San Diego Jam to secure my baits - that's it; works great. I do lose some fish, they jump off, spit me without me ever seeing them but I almost Never break one off. If line fails, I either; was using gear insufficient for the task, Tied a bad knot, did not re-tie in a timely manner, did not check for frays or nicks, applied too much pressure / or had drag set incorrectly, did not present the bait & set up my rig in a position to fight the fish away from anything that could part my line or perhaps the biggest mistake of - Purchased Bad Line to start with. All of that is well within my control. Learning to calm one's emotions during an epic big fish battle can be key. It's helped me land a few plus sized by-catch fish, on some way undersized tackle. Most recently was a tank of a Musky on 10lb FC. Many bassheads have done this, and it's a great way to learn/realize what you & your tackle are really capable of. YMMV A-Jay

I am a fan of the Quantum KVD composite sticks, which are still often available on ebay. While I have no first hand knowledge about them, A-Jay

Mine too ~ ! Mr Ferguson makes a killer bait. The Bite Size BBQ Melon has put a load of fatties in my net over the years And the jigheads are Top Notch as well. A-Jay

Yes ~ All the time This will give you something to compare it to ~ A-Jay

If I were - it'd already be mine . . . A-Jay

Here ya go ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Speaking of enablers . . . . A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello Mason and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Me too. Following. A-Jay

When it comes to brown bass, I love fishing for numbers ~ And the ones that start with a 5, or 6 or even a 7 - Those are my favorite numbers. And this is a good bait for some of those numbers A-Jay

Fishing 1 to 4 oz swimbaits on 12 lb line might not be the best plan. Go with a 300 size reel and at least 20 perhaps 25lb line. Tranx 300 is nice. A-Jay

Just booked the commercial flights ~ Always a great feeling. A-Jay

A-Jay

I can train long or I can train hard, but I can't do both. A-Jay

Oh, how times have changed ~ Here's my 18 ft aluminum hull enjoying all the benefits of a 4.6L V-8 200 HP unit. There's No replacement for displacement. A-Jay

Not me - Snowy dogs eventually dry - but are Very Clean . . . . . Cleaning muddy Malamute feet is like shoeing a horse ! A-Jay

High 30's with Rain up here today - Sort of a mess but we still have a foot of snow on the ground and on the ice. So it may be a while before we get to Mud Season; which 'should' be early and perhaps last a little longer this year. Be wiping a lot of dog feet off soon. A-Jay

Watch this and then do it ~ A-Jay

Wind ~ I have a love / hate relationship right there. Can be a bear to fish in at times, even cancel the whole day. But I do see it as a necessary evil. When fishing from the Old Town Canoe, anything over 12-15 kts is very challenging. Angling from the Lund offers quite a bit more leeway, but still has it's limitations. These are usually measured in feet - of waves that is, and after 3 or so, I'm usually done. Doesn't always happen, but if there's some wind at least, I'm usually using the Frabil a few times. A-Jay

I didn't know it when I signed on the dotted line but it certainly worked out that way. Had the distinct privilege to serve this great country, and to work with, for and alongside, some very dedicated and honorable men & women. Having the opportunity to reach out, grab a hand and look another person straight in the eye as you save them from imminent death, is a powerful thing. The images & emotions stay with a man: every time & forever. Admittedly it wasn't an easy career that's not for everyone, but I certainly have no regrets. I do however, wish it didn't go by so fast. Met my wife doing it - and that may be the best aspect of the whole deal. A-Jay

Agreed ~ And of course February had to be doing the leap year. A-Jay

255 Days ~ A-Jay

73 Days ~ A-Jay