A-Jay

First trip today and I'm already dropping one here. First fish of the year too. A 5.73 lb corker. 5.73 / 9.98 gets me at 57.4 I not unhappy with that, especially as my first submission. But I think I can improve. That feels much better. A-Jay

125 days on the nose. First time that's ever happened. And I was rewarded with a gorgeous Lake Menderchuck specimen. A-Jay

It took me a while to get open water, but I made the most of it when I could. Started the 2026 campaign with a 5.73 lb brute. Bigger than anything I caught last season. I may have peaked early. A-Jay

All is right in my world ~ A-Jay

Current member @Dwight Hottle took me to school more than a few times. However, it's unique jerkbait techniques that left a lasting impression. Even came into play today. Past member known here now as Big Fish Jeff, introduced me to the oversized underspin swimbait deal south of the border. That was crazy talk ! A-Jay

Perfect. I am on it right now. And it's extra Menderchuck today. A-Jay

Hold on to your hats ~ @Dwight Hottle is only a few days away from dropping some Brown Bass A-bombs on our collective heads. Might not be pretty, especially if the weather holds out. Good Luck Sir . . . A-Jay

I've had a few first week in May dates that started my season as well. Taking it one day at a time. A-Jay

8/0 A-Jay

I like it on an under spin. A-Jay

My boy Tank was determined to guard the last on our snow today. A-Jay

Still ice this morning, but very little. Will check again later today. Might wet a line midday tomorrow, which puts me right on my date. Who knew? A-Jay

What am I throwing ? A fit, still looking at hard water. A-Jay

Hello Jack and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Solve this and you will not need us. Knowledge is confidence. But not if you lack the knowledge to know what the heck you're buying and more importantly WHY ! Having a unit and having the right unit are two completely different deals. And only you can choose. Every angler uses their electronics differently. It's like medicine; you can't take mine, and I can't take yours. That might explain the type of responses you are getting here. We all went through it. Good Luck. A-Jay

This morning RECON was mostly obscured by fog, but I was able to get a couple of decent glimpses at the lake. We do have some open water. Along with some 'long strips' of ice flows. I'm two days from my prediction and I might even hit it. As usual, the windy, cold & dank weather will be returning for a while. Even if there is open water in a day or three, forecast is telling me next Tuesday is probably the first trip with the potential to actually get a few bites and not freeze my arse off in the process. Time to make the rest of my final preparations. Not exactly sure what they are, but there's a very decent chance it will include a little insomnia. btw- am I the only mope on this site who still doesn't have open water ? 😵 A-Jay

As you might guess, my unit has been getting abused up here. I think it is 15 years old; it might even be older than that. I take care of it but the hours are adding up. I've been going back & forth on either selling it and buying a new model. Or having this one rebuilt with all new parts (cables, auger, muffler). The new ones are different, some plastic and not built to last, IMO. My rig is an all-steel deal that has ZERO "electric" moving parts.. all cables. #oldschool You know I like that. I'll be doing an repair vs. new price comparison this summer. Hope I can even get the parts I need at this point. If so, we'll be making this old girl like new again, and it should outlive me. Time will tell A-Jay

Get with the program dude. A-Jay

Congrats ! That's quite an accomplishment. A-Jay

Workout Day 2 ~ Feeling pretty good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I am exactly where I want to be right before the ice goes out on Lake Menderchuck. And man, it is very close ! #borninfiftynine A-Jay

First off, my thoughts are with many living in the more northern part of Michigan, which is getting wild river overflows from big snowmelt plus epic rains several nights in a row. Hundreds of folks are being evacuated due to dams being blown out and run over. Hope everyone is ok the best they can be. Just returned from my morning RECON trip over to local Lake Menderchuck. It's certainly heading in the right direction. Hard to tell, but a very loose guess might put it at something like 35% open water. All on the west side. My preseason prognostication gives me 2 days and a wake-up. Don't think we're going to make that this time around. But it shouldn't be long after that. I've still got a few more things to button up tackle-wise, which should keep me busy. Either way, whether there's a dock at the ramp or if I'm going wader launch, the giddiness will be palpable. A-Jay

Still thinking that sidecar deal may be the way to go ~ A-Jay

Time flies when we're having fun, and the fun this week comes in the form of purchasing the new boat trailer tire replacements. That might have been the quickest 5 years in quite a while. Either way, after running two sets of the OE Carlisle Radial Trail HD Trailer Tires and being mostly happy with them, I was looking to upgrade the "guts" of the tire without having to change my wheels or fenders. Went with the same size but got the Taskmaster Provider ST205/75R15 . Stumbled across a stupid good deal at Walmart of all places and went for it. Seems like a significant step up from standard stock tires in a few key areas: Speed Rating (The "M" Factor): Most standard trailer tires are rated for 65 mph. The Providers carry an M speed rating, meaning they are rated for up to 81 mph. I don't plan on hitting those speeds; having that overhead means the tire runs cooler and handles highway heat much better than a tire pushed to its limit. Automotive-Grade Tread: Unlike traditional trailer tires with solid ribs, these have siping (small slits) and a tread pattern more like a truck tire. This helps significantly with water evacuation, which is a big plus when you're backing down a slick northern Michigan ramp or hauling in a downpour. Full Nylon Overlay: One of the main reasons trailer tires fail is tread separation. The Provider uses a nylon wrap over the steel belts to help keep everything together under the high heat and stress of long-distance towing. Roadside Assistance: A nice "old school" perk they include is 2 years of complimentary roadside assistance. If you're on the shoulder with a flat, someone will come out to swap your spare. Tire mounting and balancing happens next week. Trailer goes up on jackstands for a day in the garage. So just an FYI. A-Jay

Nice Job ~ "Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release, Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release. Set the hook—release." I think I get the picture now. Congrats A-jay

After another long, cold, wet & hard winter, I'm pretty sure my boy Tank is totally ready to get after that ball again. #MakeFetchHappen A-Jay