A-Jay

I was one of the Biggest FC Haters around - and for a long time. Initial runs of the stuff I used were KILLING ME with knot failures. Gave up on it for 3 or 4 years. After reading that some brands had improved and was being used successfully by a few experienced bassheads here, I gave it another shot. Started & ended with Seaguar - mainly InvisX & Tatsu - and the occasional AbrasX. (leader only) It's not the end all but it hasn't burned me yet. If fact after landing an absolute beast of a musky on 10 lb InvisX this spring - I have all the confidence in the line I need. YMMV A-Jay

I'll say yes - See if you can spot the swimbait in this picture . . btw - is a 3/4" swimbait hard to cast ? A-Jay

I love that head and fish the heck out of them. For Rage Craws & Rage Bugs in lighter cover situations, I use a standard 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG. For heavier cover deals, I really like the 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus EWG. Both of the above recommendations are for NO SKIRT rigs. For a Skirted rig I use the 4/0 VMC X Long Wide Gap Hook - extra throat length accommodates the space for the skirt between the head and the hook bend. Hope that helps. A-Jay

Nice Bass Congrats on the new Personal Best A-Jay

That's a fair question. Like much of what goes on in all aspects of fishing - we may all do it a little different. I have 2 primary reasons for preferring to use the lightest weight I can and they both revolve around 'detection'. First, the lighter the weight, the better my own bite detection is, that's an experience deal with me specifically. Second, when a fish picks up my bait, if I do not detect it right away, (which happens when they pick it up and swim up from the bottom or at me) and this is a assumption on my part, the lighter the weight the fish is dragging around, the more a wary bass may be inclined to hold on to the bait, waiting for me to wake up at the wheel and set the hook. Finally, when fishing deep and in wind & waves, I'll go to whatever I need to to stay on the bottom - 1/2 to even 3/4 many times So there's that. A-Jay

Yes - VMC spin shot hooks are good. Regardless of hook choice, rig your baits straight so they do not spin - on the fall or the retrieve. Line twist is the arch enemy of the drop shot. I prefer to use the lightest weight that I can but must still maintain bottom contact. 8-10 ft for me might be 1/8 to say 1/4. SMB feeding times can differ wildly from place to place; and they change. The standard early & later in the day is almost always a good bet, especially during the dog days of summer. Also, while not familiar with the area you're fishing, if the water is clear and you can see the bottom - the fish can see you - I'd recommend fishing deeper. Deep water structure (where you can't see the bottom) is where I'd start, especially if I was getting a late start. Finally, I'll be on the water myself tomorrow. Be looking for smb and I expect to fishing 25 - 40 ft with a drop shot ALL DAY. Just say'in. Good Luck A-Jay

No doubt ~ A-Jay

Yesterday I was complaining to my wife, that I was a little bummed out that I hadn't been able to fish as much as I'd like the past couple of weeks. Few minutes later, I got am email . . . . . #wellplayed A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

2018 GMC Pick Up ~ 8100 miles A-Jay

When a vessel does not return when expected it's called 'overdue' by many Search & Rescue Authorities. There are a number of reasons a vessel could be overdue from being aground, broke down, decided to stay out, some type of injury or worse. There are even occasions where boaters mislead the humans at home and are not actually even on the water at all. Those cases were often very interesting. So when taking the phone call, it was really helpful when the reporting party had some basic info and very helpful when they knew most everything (as noted on the form in the OP). So I'm hoping for the names, ages and description of the people on board, as well as if anyone had health problems or was taking any medications & why. Be good to have the Description & tags of tow vehicle & trailer (if towed) or marina name and slip (if docked) as well as the size, color, make & model of the boat & motor (if O/B). The local PD will be contacted to check for the towing rig & trailer at the ramp or to see if the boat is in the slip at the marina and just forgot / neglected to call home. Knowing when the vessel left, their intend route and if fishing, what they are fishing for, is helpful. The less of this I had, the longer it was going to take to locate the vessel. When a distressed loved one would call with little to no info, I'd often have them start giving me phone numbers of everyone and anyone they knew who had any info about the boat or the people - regardless of time of day or night - someone knows something, so I'm calling them all until I get some useful info. I'd get some interesting responses. Daylight good weather searches are best case scenario; ton's of boating traffic complicate things. A radio call out in areas where people use them, can help as a good Samaritan can often locate the boat / people. Night time, and or bad weather or some other type of poor visibility, and tough search conditions (rain, winds, waves, fog or snow, super low ceiling) make locating a boat, or a capsized boat or people in the water - really challenging. Vessels that break down and do not or can not anchor, can drift a long way over time; especially in big water & bad weather. They can & often do drift into more trouble; shipping lanes, rock jetties, & low bridges are a few examples. Being able to signal someone when in need of assistance can be the difference between spending a cold miserable night (or worse) out on the water, and sleeping in your own bed that night. Signal lights, signal flares and day smoke are all effective options. May not be required but does not distract from their effectiveness. A super effective but more $$ option for inland / near shore operators is the Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). This GPS-enabled rescue beacon is suited for outdoor adventures of all sizes (think: everything from hiking and cycling to hunting and fishing). When one runs into an unexpected situation, the PLB will relay your location to a network of search and rescue satellites. PLBs have helped save thousands of people's lives. I will never not have one. Lastly there's the Cell Phone. While area coverage's have improved a ton in recent years, and most all have some type of gps location ability, big water, not being water proof and dead batteries can make them less effective as a communication / rescue device than we'd hope; and hope is a shaky strategy at best. Boating in an urban or well covered area is less problematic than a many rural, back woods, or swamp scenarios. So do yourself & your loved ones a solid - file a float plan with a responsible adult and if you change plans, tell them. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Stay Safe. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resources ~ A-Jay

Balanced gear in the hands of an experienced user can offer solid & repeatable results when it comes to casting accuracy. However, there is some level of 'skill' involved and that can be specific to each caster as well. So if you miss the nail and smash your thumb, often times, it's not the hammer's fault. A-Jay

Off day but still busted out some core action. #nodaysoff #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ You can find most all of what you'll need to know, right here. A-Jay

Yes - and sometimes the bigger brown bass will just crunch down on the tube and it's like a tug of war for a while until they get tired of playing with me and then simply let the tube go as they were never actually hooked in the first place. I hate that. Over the years I've really plus sized my gear (line & rod) to facilitate more HP on the hookset. So far so good. Looking forward to feeding them these new Goby baits next week. A-Jay

1/2, 5/8 or 3/4. A-Jay

Never, and I mean never, smell another mans knot. What is going on ? ? A-Jay

Love Cracking a tube - I also use braid but I go with 10lb Mono leader - Big Game Green in fact. The mono knot strength is great, and it helps absorb some of the shock of both the 'snap' and the surprise hook sets that follow (hopefully). A-Jay

I like them both ~ Especially the Fat ones ! btw - 14 years, 7 months, and 5 days or 5330 days since the OP. It's like a piece of Bass Resource History I tell ya . . . I had so much more hair back then . . . . . A-Jay

Someone had to do it ~ A-Jay

A Texas Rigged Plastic with a 'shirt' incorporated into it - pretty much fishes (and catches fish) like a jig and is a great choice in & around most any cover but especially from shore. Easy to put together and extremely customize-able to most any situation. The weight size, shirt color, type & color trailer, as well as the matching hook can ALL be whatever you want. With a small selection of the above Items, one can make up an assortment of "jigs" right on the spot. A-Jay

I'm half a continent away but I stop feeling stuff quite a while ago. Sounds like most everyone's OK ~ I'm Glad. ? A-Jay

So Mr Long was really just attempting to help us all out. What a guy. A-Jay

Great Bass ~ Congrats A-Jay