A-Jay

Dude ! Great Bass. And that's all we get ? Bet it wasn't a Ned Rig. Out with the details man . . . Congrats New PB's are The Best. A-Jay

I do not get burned out partially because I am fortunate to have access to some really killer fisheries, and very few are "small". Unfortunately, I don't get out nearly enough any more to even think about getting burned out. Just being out there is often the best part of the whole deal. Sometimes I catch a few. Life is short. Fish Hard A-Jay

First time out on Local Lake Menderchuck this year, which is sort of insulting. However I was rewarded with a brief early morning topwater bite. All trophies in training, but they had the right attitude. Pop Max & a Sexy Dawg was all I needed. Felt especially nice to be in the Pro-V Bass again. A-Jay

I am not a fan of using the word failure when it come to my fishing; especially as it relates to the earliest stages of my development in the sport. Perhaps failure means stripping away of the inessential. Clearly a relative term in my particular case. At some point, I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into fishing in a manner that felt natural to me. The hunt for big bass drives me. Success other folks had inspired me but once I figured out what worked for me, I stuck with it and tried to expand it. The satisfaction of knowing that I will do whatever it takes makes any & all small victories worth it. I have many fishless days, but those are not failures unless I perceive them that way. And if I did, I'd have curled up in an old rocking chair knitting a sweaters a long time ago. Fish Hard and have fun. A-Jay

Just hitched up the Lund to the truck. Taking my time this morning as I have more of it. The goby-less Local Lake Menderchuck produces decent and somewhat smaller brown bass. But man, a 10 minute total round trip time is certainly a welcome change. Still, need to be on and just as important off the water before the circus wakes up. Seems flat calm, the Pop MAax might make it's first appearance of the year. Sha-weet ! A-Jay

7 This one. A-Jay

This ones been putting a great point on hooks for me for a while now. Can touch up a blade as well. https://www.amazon.com/DMT-FFHWF-Diafold-Diamond-Whetstone/dp/B00004WFTQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1 A-Jay

Workout Day 1. Felt like I really needed to grind pretty hard to keep the intensity where it needed to be during this one. Either way, Old Guy workouts are rarely easy. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Fixed that one for you Buddy A-Jay

Each basshead's situation is different. In my fishing, I'll sharpen single hooks bait hooks until I'm not super confident that it's going to get the job done. When that's no longer the case, I replace the bait. I will also admit that I am a HUGE FAN of redundancy. So I always have several of my top producing baits on hand. That usually includes at least two rigs with the same bait ready to go. Bite windows for plus size brown bass can and often are pretty small. Spending a few minutes sharpening a hook, could mean the difference between a new PB and not. I can put a solid point on almost any quality hook but if it takes more than two or three strokes of the file on the water to get that done, I'm simply picking up the next ready rig and making that next cast. YMMV Fish Hard A-Jay

Plan on hitting local Lake Menderchuck at first light tomorrow morning. Been a minute since the Pro-V Bass was under my feet and on the water. Big moon will be setting soon after I make my first cast. Hope the local brown bass population cooperates a little. Fish Hard A-Jay

I know what that's like, and I'm a ways north of that mess. Either way, the pile of rigs on the port quarter tells your story well. Hope the next ones better for you guys. A-Jay

I see them too just have never caught one and the ones we see seem smaller than most of the freaks often picture here. A-Jay

We have a few bowfin as well as plenty of musky and walleye. Not bummed about no gar though. Either way, I am no stranger to American Fishing Wire. Interesting to note that when not using Wire, it's usually the smaller specimens that don't make it into the net. A-Jay

May depend on what we fish, where we fish and how we fish it. Perhaps making a definitive determination a little tricky. On my quest for brown bass, the majority of soft plastic usage is as trailer(s). When I’m doing it right, I'll go through a few bags. The initial price of many of my most productive non soft plastic baits is routinely a bit more than pack of tubes. Another point to consider is changing and replacing hardware on hard baits when needed. That can add up pretty fast. And finally we come to the essox. If you have not had the pleasure of being bit off several times a day by nuisance pike, you're really missing out. Best part is you can lose both soft plastic trailers and the bait it's riding on, at the same time. It's just the best. So to answer the question, for me, it's hard baits. There's way too much storage in my rig and the bait monkey knows it. A-Jay

Well that's a downer. Whenever any basshead includes the word Brutal in a report, everyone has a pretty good idea of it was like. A-Jay

I think doing it right before putting the boat on the trailer will have the boat going on cleaner bunks. Cleaning them off and then going fishing for 6-8 hours could see the boat going onto a less clean version of what I'm looking to do. Good Luck. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

It's about time ! Bring on the fat pre spawn Brown Bass Congrats. A-Jay

There been a bit of Pure Michigan action up in here this season ~ A-Jay

Amazing ~ https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/148880-the-official-i-dont-have-a-scale-calculator/ A-Jay

Thanks @10,000 lakes Bassin @Calvin123 There are so many great smallmouth anglers on this site it's sort of staggering. Each with their own style, plenty of experience & tons of success. I am fishing for smallies the majority of my time on the water. Sometimes I get a few. Targeting smallies from the bank can be a little tricky. Totally possible but IME, Smallmouth do not relate super close to the shoreline nearly as much as largemouth bass do. As for some tips you asked for, fishing topwater early & late in the day can be good from the bank. There's quite a bit more info in the link provided below. Coming up on 7 years worth. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/ Good Luck. A-Jay

After a couple of days off and a day on the water, I hammered out Workout Day 5. In my mind, this life style might not be totally about adding years to my life but more like adding life to my years. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Really Nice And both are Killer Photo's ! Congrats A-Jay

I have an 18 ft aluminum Lund that I launch & recover Solo 99% of the time. Replaced carpeted bunks with the composite units, think it's been 5 years now. I have no complaints. I will say that EVERYTIME before I load my rig on the trailer, I wipe the bunks completely clean with copious amounts of 303 Products Aerospace Protectant Spray. I buy the gallon size and use it in other applications as well. (I keep Micro Fiber Rags & the Spray bottle in my truck) Bunks sit in the sun all day while I'm on the water. They also collect all kinds of debris (grit, grime. sand, you name it.) So does carpet but we just don't see it. Dunking the trailer bunks does make them wet, but has little to no cleaning effect. Wiping off the composite bunks EVERYTIME before I put the boat on the trailer, cleans & protects them. Boat slides on & off very nicely. Good Luck A-Jay https://youtu.be/h3kMaYvtQOE?feature=shared