A-Jay

Great Bass ~ Huge Head ! (The bass I mean) Congrats A-Jay

I could not disagree more. Where 'luck' does play a role, I'm very willing to credit experience, skill, instinct & intuition with 95% of their success and consider luck to contribute about 5%. Seems much of life works the same way. A-Jay

Oh Man - I'd be fishing ! Had a most memorable day on the water during an early spring outing where 1/2 the lake still had ice. Smallies were suicidal and I felt like a Rock Star. (regardless of how short lived that ended up being) A-Jay

Won't be long . . . A-Jay

LOL ~ No Doubt We are experiencing one of my all time favorite late winter / early spring meteorological events . . . . . Rain. A-Jay

There you go ~ That's a Loooong one ! Just don't see too many that size. Interesting how when the C-Pickerel get over say 24 inches or so, they almost look like a different fish. Really clean & colorful pattern on that one. Congrats btw-I've been meaning to ask, if I mail you a self addressed envelope with a small patch of cloth in it, could you do me a huge favor and just lightly wipe the cloth on your brow and mail it back to me - Please ? ? ? I say lightly because I don't think I could handle too much of That @everythingthatswims MOJO all at once . . A-Jay

It's a mysterious & magical occurrence that helps smallmouth bass grow to Monstrous proportions . . . . A-Jay

It's OK ~ I make my own skirts and have plenty on hand. So if there's a need, it's a quick switch. A-Jay

I picked up a few myself last week. Still frozen up here but I think I'm going to like these for the resident smallies. A-Jay

My northern MI inland waters still have a hard hat. Past few days have been above freezing but the overnights are still dipping below the Mendoza line. Par for the course and history indicates that somewhere in or around the 1st week of April - I should be getting pretty giddy . . . A-Jay btw - this may very well be my favorite annual thread . . . .

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ "Backlash proof" might be expecting too much. While better quality equipment is routinely more consistent, your casting success will be far more depended on your ability to both tune & effectively cast your reels. Revolving spool gear can be a little tricky at first but like most everything - it's all about learning how to do it right & then putting the time in to practice. Spending $$ is not a short cut to that. Good Luck A-Jay

No doubt - however the scale may be somewhat skewed because I'm such a Hack ! A-Jay

Yes ~ and while there are quite a few reason why I made this choice, these are some Primary ones. Durability & Design (no wood build), Very Low Maintenance, Taller Free board and has an actual Transom, Stable & Capable in sloppy weather conditions and effective use of space with ample storage. Note that I did not list cost, as that was not a primary factor for me. This is specifically in regards to the IPS2 Hull I'm running and I can not (and am not) speaking to or for any other design. A-Jay

Hello Brandon and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ I'd choose an 19ft Aluminum Boat with a 200 hp. Every Time. A-Jay

Great story and that's one Beautiful Bass ~ And btw, Mojo can generally be defined as a magic spell, hex, or charm; perhaps more broadly - a magical power. Call it what you want, but you my good man, have it oozing out of you - in fact I'd be surprised if there isn't a Mojo trail left in your wake. Either way, when you look it up - guess who's picture's there . . . . . . A screen name change may be in order from @everythingthatswims to everythingbigthatswims Congrats A-Jay

Too Late for me - They've been Here & Gone . . . Twice. Virtually No Effect. A-Jay

Mono. A-Jay

Just got a chance to get caught up with this last show. It's really interesting watching the anglers fish that area. I've introduced myself to a few from there. As I was watching, knowing when they were there, until they go off the bank / docks, I didn't expect them to do much. As is often the case up here for smallmouth, once the sun burst through, the lake gave up what it's know for - Big Brown Bass. Seemed important for the anglers to look deep(er). Once a few guys caught a couple and gained confidence, they started keying in on "the better spots" (which are routinely not very big, relatively speaking). Hard to beat a drop shot in that situation, and one can go a while 'looking', especially if one doesn't really know what to look for. Wheeler was impressive and on the right ones. He manage to locate a deal in one morning that took me pretty much half a season to find. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to the interactive aspect of Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Great Bass ~ And PB's are Always a Blast Congrats A-Jay

Some super good trailers already mentioned above. An option not often discussed is to install a non-boot-tail type trailer in a 'vertical' manner rather than in the typical 'horizontal' fashion. Presents a different profile as the trailer appears to add to the bait's overall length when viewed from the side. I especially like this when looking to get a swim jig to run a little deeper without using a heavier head while still being able to maintain a slower retrieve. (often apply trailers to vibrating jigs in this manner as well.) A-Jay

Nice Brown Bass Congrats A-Jay

Nice Fatty ~ Congrats btw - Cold Gear is Good Stuff - wore it for years and still do on occasion. But if you not tried it, Columbia Omniheat is a bit better. It's thinner, does not possess the 'compression' factor, Reflects body heat, Highly breathable, Reduces your need for bulky layers, Wicks moisture to keep you dry and comfortable and is just as warm if not warmer. A-Jay

Hello from Otsego County and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Teddy, his Shadow and a Major League Photobomber ! A-Jay