A-Jay

I can deal with some cold - But it really slows my roll when my casts bounce instead of splashing. A-Jay

It's a toss up, it really is. Ice out could be Mid April - Could be Mid May. I'm a fan of the earlier time frame. Last season it was 5th of May - Hated that. Pre-Spawn lasted like 20 minutes - tops. A-Jay

Hello Jay and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

The Green Bass came from Lake Baccarac in Mexico year before last. Clearly every 10 lb largemouth is a fantastic fish - however my PB is an 11-11 so . . . . . . But that smallie was a Freak fish of a life time for me . . . A-Jay

I know Right ~ I Love That ! A-Jay

I'm still doing some catch-up (no live yet) but Randy Howell is closing in on FIFTY POUNDS ! Oh My ~ #hammer A-Jay

Thanks ~ That Green Bass weighted 10-15. She ate a 1 oz football jig with a 10 inch Junebug Bullworm trailer off the bottom on a hump in 30 ft. The Brown Bass is my PB at 7-5. She ate a spinnerbait and until I saw her, I thought she was a Big Pike. You can watch the last portion of the fight, the net job and my reaction here . . . A-Jay

Tree Man took a hit ~ A-Jay

Been checking in on it off & on. First Impressions - I like it. Seems MLF took what was learned for the other Live broadcasts. They took what people enjoyed, improved it and is offering more of it. I'd imagine it will only get better A-Jay

Perhaps - However other than being blind in one eye - both these Fat Old Ladies seemed pretty healthy to me. A-Jay

I am a big fan of that head. I use it 3/4 & 1 oz. heads south of the border when fishing deep with 5.8 & 6.8 Keitech Swing Impact Fat paddletails. And that 9 inch Big Hammer is a huge bait. A-Jay

I've read through this thread a couple of times now, and I plan to revisit it often as it continues to grow, (and I suspect it will - because its January). I certainly appreciate & respect the different opinions & views shared here. Like so many threads & post on the BR forums, it is really interesting to learn how wildly different the ideas & options are on this subject. And what may be just as noteworthy, is how these conclusions may have been reached. To the several anglers on this forum, who have decades of big bass fishing experience and who have recorded some amazing catches over the years, the fact that you are willing to share any of what you have worked so hard to learn & use effectively, is extremely generous. So Thank You. My experience fishing in waters that hold trophy bass is limited relatively speaking. The most effective approach for me has been to specifically target bigger bass. Almost Always means long hours on the water & Way Less Bites, insert ' because they are rare'. The other factor I've come to believe is Big Bass are Not "Smarter than little bass" - Nor are they 'conditioned to avoid being caught'. They simply lead a life that exists away from anglers (not near the bank - except to spawn). Only when I am able to put the right bait, in the right place & at the right time - am I able to catch one. It really is like a needle in a hay stack. But figuring out which hay stacks they prefer really improves the odds. And at least once a year, I get on a body of water that has way more big needles than most places. I do much better there. A-Jay

Nicely Done ~ And we're still on the first page. A-Jay

Not every flat holds fish. If you're set on 'fishing' on your way to your next 'spot", perhaps, simply troll a crank or jerkbait on the way. If you find an area within the flat that is holding a few, mark it and 'fish' it with another maybe more effective presentation. A-Jay

Are big bass smarter or just rare? Interesting topic and one that's been discussed & debated here in the past. The past responses and the recent ones here, do seem similar & perhaps split 50/50. My version may not be much different. First, I'm not exactly sure what we're calling 'a big bass', but for the sake of this discussion, I'll use whatever the 'Master Angler' size bass is in a particular state as a guide. So in my own fishing, there are way more opportunities / locations locally, that are home to that caliber of Smallmouth than Largemouth. And I have been fortunate enough to catch a few of both. The Bigger brown bass I can catch here in MI and the bigger Green bass I travel south of the border to catch. So in my earlier years of angling, when I had considerably less experience than I do now, I thought Big Bass Were Super Rare and just had to be Very Smart, mostly because I never caught any, ever. Now granted I fish quite a bit from shore or from a small row boat or canoe but either way, a 3 pound fish was a monster back them. As my bass fishing horizons began to broaden, I started to look at this deal a little differently. Once I was able to put more time on the water, in places that had bigger fish in them, I started catching bigger bass. While I wasn't doing a whole lot different, I was just in more fertile lakes & I was able to cover more water. So this seemed to indicate to me that Big Bass might not necessarily be smarter per se, but do seem to make up a much smaller percentage of the total population. More time on the water has also taught me the importance of timing, when it comes to catching the bigger bass. Other than the actual spawn, consistently finding, feeding big bass, is about as hard as it gets when it comes to bass fishing IMO. However, the more big bass there are in an environment, the better chances I had. Seems simple but when looking to put the odds in ones favor, it's something that really can not be ignored. So if we do the right thing, at the right place and at the right time, as much as we can - it stands to reason that we'll catch some big bass. But it's So Random. Sometimes it happens right away and over & over again. Other times, not so much. In fact, it takes so long that we think it might never happen - but you can't give up. So all that said, are big bass smarter or just super rare. My response is, it depends. I think it can be both and neither. In some places they can be rare, other places not so much. Some bass can be warier than others as well. But wary, is a relative term. In my mind, any & every bass, regardless of size, can be caught, giving the right circumstances (and I'm excluding the spawn). I've said this before and do believe it to be true. Put an average angler, willing fish hard & put time in, on an above average body of water, and you'll be surprised at what can happen. A-Jay

Not knowing the circumstance, I hope saying Congrats on the new rig, isn't out of line. Interesting situation . . . So there's zero hours ~ Not even a break-in ? Where just the simple passage of time, depending on how & where it's been stored, may result in some concerns, I'd probably take it to a Merc dealer. Let them give it a once over, as well as offer it any TLC it may need. They can get it running right and you can start with a clean slate & perhaps more importantly, peace of mind. Or, I guess you could, check the oil & lower unit, add fresh gas, fire it up and hope for the best. Good Luck A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ While not familiar with the waters you fish, I am somewhat familiar with the boats you've listed. I think you know you're going to have to give up some fishability to ensure you families' safety. IMO to disregard that might be a mistake. A typical 'flats skiff' while a nice choice in the calm shallow waters it's designed for, may not offer you & your family what you're looking for & need. The larger rigs you've mentioned will offer much more room, comfort & most importantly, safety for 5 people: especially younger children. However, launching, fishing & recovering them solo, may be more than you're looking for. Lastly, whatever rig you choose, ensure your tow vehicle can safely handle it. Boat motor & trailer weights, including boat gear & fuel, for 23-24 ft rigs (especially glass) start adding up fast. Good Luck with your decision A-Jay X2 ~ Mako Boats as well. A-Jay

As long as you're not sleeping with it I think you're OK. The tackle I mean . . . A-Jay

Cover's cover & a bass is a bass. What it is may not be as important as when it is & when & how we fish it. I just don't see any pipes where I fish, that's all. A-Jay

Nicely done ~ "The Culvert Pattern" . . Something I'll probably never be looking for here . . . Congrats A-Jay

Some are old, some are new, some are borrow and some are blue. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Tried the power handle that came on the 300HG - didn't care for it. Bought a double paddle. Better. A-Jay

Now we're talking . . . AND - we're getting another foot of snow tonight to boot ! A-Jay