A-Jay

So Much Yes ~ For example - The Yamamoto Team spent 5 day on Lake Baccarac last week. This included Roland Martin, Brent Ehrler, Brent Hite, Roy Hawk as well as a few other, let's just call them, 'experienced Bass Anglers'. Still waiting on the final numbers but haven't seen any DD pics yet; which often come out pretty quick. A-Jay

Can't say why it works just l know it does. A big jig with some type of stick bait trailer is usually the first bait we tie on down south. A-Jay

I was a striper addict on the East Coast for a Long Time. Had my share of success. Fished live and dead (rigged) eels a bunch, as well as artificial. When the tide changes, the bait needs to 'reposition' itself before the current gets to strong - this makes them vulnerable, easy to find & catch and the bass know it. We called changes in tide "the magic hour" - even though it doesn't usually last that long. For most every dead bait presentation scenario I had - THE HEAD was the Prime section - and nothing else compared. Try it. Continued Good Luck. A-Jay

Mark the spot and come back when the fish are more apt to 'feed'. Whatever presentations you've used with success in the past here in cooler to cold water can be could. But consider making them in a manner in which you can not see the fish and perhaps more importantly, they can not see you. IME, a little later in the day would be best. A-Jay

This strange "Flinter" season continues. Much of the early snow we got has melted leaving all the mostly oak tree leafs that fell after and on top of the snow, to make a nice mess. Took advantage of some sun the other day to get out & about with our malamutes. More snow in the forecast for this week. 149 Days to go . . . . A-Jay

Been a staple there for a LONG time - it's just been getting a bit more notoriety recently. Often fished right off the tip of fast dropping deep rock points that bottom out in 25 - 40 feet. You could fish that rig exclusively there and do very well. This DD choked it - A-Jay

You know I can certainly relate to that. A-Jay

How old's that elbow ? A-Jay

Hello Daniel and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ This topic of Catching Trophy Bass is both interesting & Massive in nature. This forum alone is loaded with many threads & posts covering multiple aspects of it. While your inquires regarding conditions and possible presentations both play a fairly important role in ones success, where an angler fishes is IMO - The Whole Deal. A Trophy Hunter may want to first start on bodies of water that one has observed DD fish in or have undeniable first hand knowledge that several are produced from the waters each year. In many of the previous threads covering this topic here, the terms "I know there in there" or "There's got to be a few DD bass in there" are often repeated. This is Not the type of thing I referring to. If you're going to put the time & effort into hunting trophy fish, (and there's a ton) be certain what you're looking for exists where you're looking. If & when it does, the rest is bass fishing. But the tricky part is - just by the shear numbers & percentages - there are so few DD fish as compared to the rest of the lake's population, in most waters, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack and certainly feel like that more often than not. But if there are a few needles in there, and you put the time & effort into learning what they eat, where they eat it and when they eat, you can seriously increase your odds of making it happen. Tiny bodies of water that are constantly pressured by thousands of anglers day in & day out, all year long, will no doubt have an effect on how big bass live their life - including how, when & where they feed. Big fish are hard enough to pattern & catch and that scenario usually makes it harder. Not impossible but harder. Bass in these places are feeding at some point, just have to be there when they do. No doubt easier said than done. Finally, I have caught a few DD fish. I do not have access to anything remotely that big locally, so I travel to do it. These bass all came from the same lake in Mexico. It has a very healthy population of bass & bait. I always say that if you put an average angler on above average water, you'd be surprised at the results. It's all about location. Good Luck to you Sir. A-Jay

That's The Best ~ ! Thanks for sharing it. A-Jay

My 'cold' open water opportunities are relatively brief ~ Cold water warms up rapidly in the spring and freezes up fairly fast in the fall. However, the times I can and chose a cold water jig presentation, These work well. 1/4 & 3/8 oz Punisher Hair Jig with a 4 inch Reins Punching Predator Creature Bait Trailer. (I pinch off about 1/2 an inch off the head) A-Jay

I hear ya - but we end up with hard water a full month early - the world is Jacked ! Jacked I tell ya . . . . A-Jay

Nope ~ He's been seen dawn & dusk two days in a row - they removed the feeders today. I take mine in after Labor Day - Turkeys hammer them hard after that. He's getting stupid wondering up on their back deck - despite their dogs losing their collective minds. Pretty bold - I think they're waiting a day before they call the DNR - hoping he goes night night. Estimated him at 400 lbs give or take. A-Jay

An interesting aspect of bass fishing is that success can and often does come utilizing so many different approaches & philosophies. I am a big proponent of fishing for 'feeding fish'. So it stands to reason, that knowing something about what the bass may be looking to feed on, could be most beneficial. What, where & when are three biggies right off the bat, as far as 'bass food', is concerned. Accordingly I've spent some time learning what I can about what the brown bass I'm most often fishing for eat. It's paid off a few times too. Finally, IMO the bold text above, might not need to be regarded with the highest priority. No artificial bait can or ever will be a perfect match to forage. I have no clue how a bass 'sees' a bait - might be completely different from the way I see it. While I totally agree with presenting baits that are similar in size, shape, color & profile - as well as at the same depth as what I think a bass might be looking to eat - It ends there. My lifeless hard or soft plastic presentation, wire & metal bladed bait or spinner bait for instance, lacks any of the 'real life forces' that every living creature possesses. Whether a bass can & does cue in on that I can not say for sure. But what experience has taught me is that coming close, is often good enough. For when I get it right - bass eat my bait. And that may be all that matters. That's my story and I'm stinking to it. A-Jay

Huk bibbs are on sale. https://www.hukgear.com/products/huk-hydra-bib-reflective Promo code available A-Jay

Boo Boo has been smashing my neighbors bird feeders and gobbling up the contents. Go hibernate knucklehead. A-Jay

A-Jay

@Scott F - The ABT Lure Trailer Jack is simply a replacement for the stock wheel that comes with most trailers. Super easy to change and can be used in the same manner as the stock wheel. It come with a cotter pin deal that allows for easy removal for travel, which I do. Pull the pin and just put it in the truck when I hook up the rig and replace it before I unhook it. Then the wheel-less jack post is swung up in it's normal position parallel to the trailer. I chose to remove it for travel for two basic reasons; 1) I prefer to keep honest people honest and 2) It reduces wear & tear on it as the unit would 'rattle' quit a bit going down the road. Admittedly, it's an extra step putting it on & off but it takes a whole 15 seconds to do and the return IMO, is well worth it. One could chose to leave it mounted all the time however I'd recommend replacing the pin with a suitable nut & bolt. Below is my original thread discussing the replacement. A-Jay

At some point in this I'm pretty sure I'd be looking to fill the 'gap'. A-Jay

There you go ~ We might be brothers from another mother . . . ? A-Jay

Sorry to hear you've had a tough stretch but good to know you're on the mend. If you're looking for Michigan based stuff, I have been adding video to my threads in the reports forum of my own fishing trips, for a little while now. Not a pro, sponsored or anything like that, but I bump into a few brown bass now & then. A-Jay

Throw a section of carpet remnant in the back of your rig. When needed, place it between your kayak and where ever it's positioned in the truck. or Get / make something like this . . . https://www.yakima.com/gatekeeper A-Jay

You don't find him - he finds you. And you'll probably know when he does . . . Your tackle storage area might start looking something like this . . . A-Jay

I'd guess we all may be a little different as far as what we consider 'obsessed'. Don't know for sure if I qualify for 'Fished for a long time' status or not but, after 50 years plus - I blew right past 'obsessed' sometime in July 1972. Since then, it's been a full on addiction. And as far as I can tell - It's Terminal. btw - have you met the bait monkey yet . . . ? A-Jay

Thank you for that ~ Raining here too - COMPLETE Mess ! At this point I hope we get a foot or so of snow every 4 or 5 days - Just to cover this mess up. I'll be cleaning up this leaf mess for 3 weeks once it melts. I need to go south again ! A-Jay