A-Jay

Been a while so I'm just checking in. After my trip to Lake Baccarac last month, while I fished hard, I didn’t train at all. So it took me a few workouts to get back into the swing of things. But I’m back at it and that is a very good thing. This is a quick look at some of it. A-Jay

The OP hasn't been active on these forums since Jan 2012. A response may not be coming unfortunately. This may be your best bet for recent info Good Luck A-Jay

I do not. While I can cope with the cold - it's the drilling through the 5 feet of ice AND the 11 plus FEET of SNOW that's a little tricky. A-Jay Climate in Lake View, Iowa Lake View, Iowa gets 34 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Lake View averages 31 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. On average, there are 209 sunny days per year in Lake View. The US average is 205 sunny days. Lake View gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 98 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure. Weather Highlights Summer High: the July high is around 84 degrees Winter Low: the January low is 8 Rain: averages 34 inches of rain a year Snow: averages 31 inches of snow a year Climate in Gaylord, Michigan Gaylord, Michigan gets 35 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Gaylord averages 136 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. On average, there are 167 sunny days per year in Gaylord. The US average is 205 sunny days. Gaylord gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 158 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure. Weather Highlights Summer High: the July high is around 77 degrees Winter Low: the January low is 10 Rain: averages 35 inches of rain a year Snow: averages 136 inches of snow a year

Sending positive thoughts from the north woods ~ Sometimes we don't know how strong we are, until being strong is the only choice we have. You can do this. A-Jay

@Delaware Valley Tackle Great to hear Mike ~ I'll be waiting patiently for you to stand up the new shop. The 'Mexico arsenal' is due for is annual service - certainly no hurry though. Have a Safe Holiday A-Jay

Nice Musky ~ By catch can really be a Blast A-Jay

Agreed ~ Guess the only question is - is Mike @Delaware Valley Tacklecurrently accepting new work ? Doesn't appear like he is. The below passage came off his FB page dated 20 October "I’m temporarily suspending receipt of reels for service from November 1 to December 31. I’m expanding shop hours effective January 1 2020 which will significantly improve turnaround. Thank you for your patronage, patience and support. We’re looking forward to an exciting New Year. Mike" A-Jay

Nicely Done @Hillbilly Bennett ~ Any pics of those toothy fish ? A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Plenty of great submissions so far. I'll add this . . . . As the air & water temps start to cool and head towards turnover and eventually go through it, my blade bait action begins to pick up. There’s a lot to choose from here but I try to keep it simple (relative term). A ½, 5/8 & ¾ oz Silver Buddy has been good for me – gold on cloudy days; but I like fishing in the sun better. Something I’ve mentioned (perhaps ad nauseam, sorry) is fishing a rattle bait in cool to colder water deals like a blade bait, can be very effective. While many bait makes & models will and do work, I really like the ¾ oz Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lipless Crankbait. The Ghost Gill and the newer Tule Perch ND are two fan favorite patterns. Think about it. A-Jay

It's close - very close. And this might just be because I no longer have it, but that Repoman just had a way of calling in the fatties. A-Jay btw - SK just released the Sexy Dawg Hard Knock - snagged a couple last week. Be a while before they get a chance to prove themselves but we'll see how it stacks up . . . https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_HC_KVD_Sexy_Dawg_Hard_Knock/descpage-SKSDHK.html

So does this really work or what ? A-Jay

This may be the long way around, but please bear with me . . . . I've been using a few different gas treatments since Ethanol fuel came out. Most recently Sta-bil 360 marine. It's been going into every tank of boat gas, riding & walk-behind mower gas, snow blower gas as well as an assortment of several small 2-cycle engine powered gear. I even use it in my truck over the winter as that weather reduces my driving habits quite a bit for a couple of months at a time. I was content to believe company claims that these 'fuel treatments & stabilizers' could & would PREVENT at least the majority of whatever damage the fuel itself would cause. I am happy to say, that while I do what I can to maintain this gear, I haven't had any of the problems often associated with 'the badness' that ethanol fuel is generally know for. However this may have simply been a matter of luck. Fast forward to today and the video linked below - It's important to note that I do not maintain that all of what is shown in it is 100 % true or totally accurate. Additionally the length of times that the 'test fuels' were stored is longer than what I'd generally ever do. Either way - this does not paint a pretty picture at all. What I get from it is, that given a choice (which I do have), I will no longer put ethanol base fuel in anything except my truck (which I turn in every three years anyway). And while I have read many an article regarding how the materials companies use in many of today's ethanol burning engines (large & small) are better equip to with stand much of the harm, I'd feel a whole lot better simply taking it completely out of play. Just seems that the risk out weighs whatever gain I thought I was getting - mainly saving a few bucks vs the price of REC Gas. Non-Ethanol fuel here is about $1 more a gal. I'll get over it. Still plan to continue to use fuel 'treatment' but whatever I decide on (yet TBD) it will not need to be something that is designed to 'treat and or stabilize' ethanol based fuel. So there you go - there's a nice little howdy do for ya. A-Jay

This is pretty much the deal everyday for . . . . . . . Well, let's just say the foresee able future. Dog sled's waxed & ready A-Jay

And I 'burn' spinnerbaits - with a cranking reel. It's a wonder we catch any bass at all ! A-Jay

Oh Yes ~ The cold snow squeak However this time round it's mix with the distinct scrunching sound of a BILLION Oak Tree Leaves ! #freakinmess A-Jay

Awesome Photo ~ ! Send that to BPS FB Page Nicely Done. A-Jay

I have taken a reel to help match it to a rod, especially lighter spinning gear. Also I have used the TW Demo program a few times to get a feel for a few casting reels. IMO it's a cheap I easy way to 'try before you buy'. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/demoprogram.html A-Jay

Single digit temps across the north woods this morning. That's cold even by our standards for Early November. And the first few cases of Cold Paw besieged the Pack this morning. Fenway when down like she'd be hit my a sniper . . . . A-Jay

Mostly for rods. A certain year blanks can be identified by model number or often a letter at the end. Can help a would be shopper know what they are about to purchase; especially where some companies change them from year to year and use the same model number but just change a letter or two at the end. Blanks may look similar in a stock photo. A-Jay

They are 300HG's and I love them. I switch out the power handle for the double paddle, prefer it. It's a BIG Reel and one I only use south of the border. But I certainly need them there. Finally I do not have any 200's but I would certainly entertain the idea when the time came. A-Jay

All of this is opinion & personal preference - While it's right for me - it may not be right for you. In advance of my own R & D, I like to have info & input from others who have more experience than me in a certain area. It gives me a place to start and allows for some level of base line experienced based knowledge in advance of my own findings, which is what will always drive my purchases. The way I determined what was right for me in this case, was to purchase & fish an assortment of different sticks to present an assortment of different bait in various situations, until I came up with what I liked & worked the best for me & my fishing. It took some time (insert a couple of seasons) and some effort and there were some wins & some losses. But as time went on, it became obvious to me that there were usually 'several' ways to reach the same objective. Some were clearly better than others in my mind and some were close to the same. This is almost always how I 'learn' what any deal may or may not be. As I mentioned previously, I can only tell you what I prefer and not what is right or wrong. In the end, the composite rods I like are for the most part, bigger & heavier than what many seem to like. They are fairly moderate, in that they 'bend' more than most all graphite blanks; both on the cast & when fighting a fish. I like that - a lot. YMMV A-Jay

Hard to say what & where's 'safe' just about anywhere. I live in Michigan for instance - Much of Detroit is, IMO - 'not safe'. But it's 4 hours south of me - has virtually no bearing on my 'safety' at home. Mexico is a Big Country . . . . . The Lodge we stay & fish from is 2 minutes from the lake and sits on the top of a mountain, 4 hours from "Detroit". A-Jay

Yes. I've passed what I can. Please do not buy an of theses rods. You"ll surely hate them and then blame me. A-Jay

I prefer the 7 ft for RES because the shorter rod seems to rip the bait out of the grass / weeds a little easier. I do prefer the 7'4" for most every other crank including 1.5 , 2.5, 3xd up to 5xd. Also fish spinner baits and vibrating jig with this one. The 6xd gets the 7'11" rod. As for being different than graphite Yes Yes yes. Much different. I can not tell you if you will like them, but I do and have landed a Ton of trophy brown bass with them. Good Luck A-Jay

I like the 7 ft MH for RES. Check this link https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F233314426604 A-Jay