A-Jay

Wow - that's a pretty steep asking price. And I'm staying well up wind . . . A-Jay

Right on - Well, how about the Weird Soda 6 Pack Sampler then ? A-Jay

Sweet ~ I've got my reservation and I'm very happy about that. A-Jay

LOL ~ Good Luck with That ! A-Jay

So @12poundbass what's your go to ? Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, Red Bull, Rock Star, Monster, 5-Hour Energy or is it the eternally popular Dirt Soda ? A-Jay

? A-Jay

Seems more like they might need to be kind to you . . . ? A-Jay

That's a ton of info ~ Which has been covered rather extensively right here ~ Specifically Chapters IV & VI A-Jay

Seems more like March than January ~ Not complaining . . . ~ 102 Days ~ A-Jay

Just wish I could stay asleep right up until my pre-dawn alarm clock goes off ! I forget what the heck the stupid thing even sounds like . . . #bugeyesallnight Maybe this could help . . . . A-Jay

Yes. Columbia Omni-heat base layer in my preference. Comfortable & temperature tolerant, meaning keeps me warm and dry in the cold but when the day warms a bit, they are not too hot Huge benefit. A-Jay

With the vast majority of my plus size smallmouth success coming from offshore structure, I need to force myself to fish shallower or at least somewhat closer to the bank during post spawn for brown bass. Also I really should fish some new lakes. That is a tough one though as what I've been on, has been pretty good. Tons of options still. #possibilities A-Jay

Exceptional Work Sir ~ Especially considering where & how you hunt for these Brown Ghosts. Best of luck to you this coming season in your quest for that 'better' brown bass. Perhaps consider plus sizing your offerings ever so slightly, and I do mean ever so. 2020 will be the year. A-Jay

Being comfortable in the cold is all about Layers. Especially if wind is a factor. Base layer needs to be breathable & moisture wicking so if/when your active, your sweat doesn't sit on your skin. Second layer need to be insulating but still keep you warm as it absorbs what comes through the base layer. I'll often wear a third layer if the conditions dictate. All of this is under the top layer - your pants or Bibs and Jacket. It can be very helpful when that outer layer is a wind stopper product; including your hat. Because if the wind is blasting through your layers, may not matter what they are, you'll feel cold. And don't forget quality head, face coverings & at least two pairs of gloves; and if you can swing it Mittens are warmer. I use both Under Armour & Columbia base layers, Fleece & Wool mid-layers and my outer jackets & bibbs are also Columbia Omni-Heat and / Cabelas Guidewear. Good Luck. A-Jay

A-Jay

Interesting ~ Can't relate to the in boat competition, as I do not fish derbies. Prefer to instead, to put the people I am fortunate enough to share my boat with for an entire day, in the best possible position for success. Could not consider any trip where anyone I invited Zeroed, a success; regardless of how many I managed. YMMV A-Jay

I can not say with any accuracy if fizzing a fish makes a difference in what ends up in my live well or not. Never really noticed. I'll admit that I may only fish that deep a handful of times a season ( Hot summer - drop shot city). My standard modus operandi is to fish for feeding bass. When I'm doing it right, there's some kind of bait getting puked up boat side & in the live well. And while we're talking about crankbaits for smallies I'll offer this as food for thought . . "***Old School Crankbait Tip for deeper, colored or even cold water; OVER Weight your bait so IT SINKS. Suspending baits are good and floating cranks catch fish, but there are times when smallies will love & choke, a mid-sized crank that will sit on the bottom at rest - you can even work it like a jig over a clean(er) bottom. Not even close to a new deal - Rapala made the Countdown (sinking) minnow like 50 years ago - but somehow - they seemed to really lose favor with bass anglers - don't know why - they catch the heck out of the bass. I even do it with jerkbaits - Just don't talk about - Imagine paying all this money for a super suspending Megabass 110 only to really want it to sink like a rock ! Yup- Guilty as charged. A couple of different ways to do it - Suspend strips (the little lead strips made by Storm) - or sometimes even just bigger trebles will do it - I've even used both on one bait - try it you might like it. " The above excerpt came from here ~ A-Jay

Guilty as charged ~ Brown bass visiting my live well will often gift me 'perch carcasses'. More often than not, at the end of the day, it's crayfish (parts & pieces or even whole) that plug up the drain hole. And man, that stuff is pretty Stanky ! A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Nice brown bass. We throw what works, hard not to. Seems the more we catch on a bait, the more we throw it. The Spro 55 Rock Crawler in Phantom Craw is that bait for me. A-Jay

It's all about Layers @Bluebasser86 Especially if wind is a factor. Base layer needs to be breathable & moisture wicking so if/when you're active, your sweat doesn't sit on your skin. Second layer need to be insulating but still keep you warm as it absorbs what comes through the base layer. I'll often wear a third layer if the conditions dictate. All of this is under the top layer - your pants or Bibs and Jacket. It can be very helpful when that outerlayer is a wind stopper product; including your hat. Because if the wind is blasting through your layers, may not matter what they are, you'll feel cold. And don't forget quality head, face coverings & at least two pairs of gloves; and if you can swing it Mittens are warmer. I use both Under Armour & Columbia base layers, Fleece & Wool mid-layers and my outer jackets & bibbs are also Columbia Omni-Heat and / Cabelas Guidewear. Good Luck. A-Jay

@shimmy ~ Good to see you're still kicking and Happy New Year. I do not have either reel so I can't offer any first hand experience based opinion. However, perhaps you could utilize TW's Demo program - seems they have both reels. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/demosbyvendor.html?ccode=SHIMANO Could help you answer you're own questions. I've used it while doing 'research' on the Calcutta D's. Ended up buying 4. Finally, when presenting jigs like you do (I've seen your video's) I fish Power Pro Maxcuatro Spectra Braided Line in Moss Green and Sufix 832 Braided Line in Lo-Vis Green. Both are thin for their tests & I use them in 50 or 65 lb - Seaguar Flippin Braided Line (haven't tried it yet) gets good reviews as well. Good Luck my friend. A-Jay

Tucker "Pawz" is never shy when it comes to helping my wife give him his treat. A-Jay

First - You have to know I'm all about these kind of threads - especially in January . . . . Second, I'm fresh out of "Likes", but suffice it to say, I like every post here Lastly, my submission to this fine thread can be found Below. While in the moment, there were several times during the 2019 season where I felt like I was 'struggling' to get on plus size Brown Bass. Big time nasty weather & what seemed like relentless big wind may have contributed to at least some of that. However looking back at the season as a whole - I'm very pleased. A-Jay

I'm full out of likes, so I'm doing it manually ~ I LIKE IT ~ ! A-Jay