A-Jay

Our pre spawn here happens during what we call 'sprinter'. Should be spring but feels like winter. Surface water temps 42 -50 ish is the magic big bite zone for me. Seems air temps only matter to me. Big wind is no good but I like some. Helps 'position' the bait, the fish and me. A-Jay

It be some kind of cold at the tip of the mitt. 🥶 A-Jay

Took my first ride over to local Lake Menderchuck this morning to assess the conditions. Not exactly sure when I'll be fishing, just feel pretty strongly that it will not be today. 15 days and a wake up. I guess anything is possible. 🤓 A-Jay

Probably have to be the way @Zcoker fishes the everglades at night. From a kayak no less. Just the polar opposite of what I'm usually doing at the top of the country. Plenty of giants to his credit too ~ Impressive. I'd get lost for several days & nights or be eaten by something bigger than me, I'm pretty sure. A-Jay

Slimmer in all respects. Like me... Seems like a good fit for both mini max baits, but too small for a regular JH 😎 A-Jay

3/8 oz and 4 inch Zako on the left. 3/8 oz EVO Mini Max and Slim Zako on the right. Btw EVO is good but still size 2/0 I like the head on this one. A-Jay

Nice Fish ~ But we're are going to need proper and official spotted bass verification. @GreenPig you're up. 🤓 A-Jay

Trailers arrived before the baits. I hate it when that happens. #slim A-Jay

I'm still wondering if & when I get to post a decent brown bass here, how badly am I going to insult myself ? 😎 A-Jay

Nice Bass ~ Congrats on the new Personal Best. A-Jay

Not really - fished the mini max but it's still not doing much for me. I have had a ton of success with a JH mostly. So much so that while that new bait looks pretty killer, In my mind, there is very little chance another v-bait it could be better. Might be as good, but not better. With a boat full of Z-Man baits already, I'm going to stick with what I have. Still, I'll be following your deal and whatever success you will have with that one. Fish Hard A-Jay IMO, the secret is where, when & how I fish them, not the bait itself. https://youtu.be/zIqCmH_52IQ?feature=shared&t=387 https://youtu.be/o9xew3tWuuU?feature=shared&t=1013

A sweet basshead sampler selection of Slim Zakos is er route my position at this time. A-Jay

Giant Set Workout Day 4 for this one. I was able to add a little weight to each movement while still performing the same sets & reps as the previous training. Had to earn it though. I'll be taking two off days following this one. Hopefully that can help me recover & ramp it up for the next cycle. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay and don't forget to say "Hi" to Swampy

Good Luck this weekend. Take it all in. A-Jay

Despite the 8 inches of snow we got yesterday and over night, I went ahead and reviewed / printed out the applicable annual regs for 2025. That felt good. 17 Days and a wake up. #optimistic A-Jay

I tried that deal for smb here. No joy. Sold them. Was probably me but either way..... Bye - Bye A-Jay

Elite Evo Mini Max is $5-6 cheaper. A-Jay

Besides the cost difference, I'm hoping the Elite Evo Mini Max has a bigger hook. Getting conflicting info though. A BKK 3 is what I'm expecting to see once I get them in hand. If not, back they go. A-Jay

Inflatable life jackets do not count unless then are being WORN. Otherwise it's like they are not on board. Servicable USCG Approved Non- Inflatable Life jackets count - requirements are one for each human on board. Worn or not. This applies to Federal Waters. State Regulations may vary. Stay Safe. A-Jay

Yup - Z-Man just introduced the Chatterbox Elite Evo Mini Max Seems it's a TW exclusive. Upgrades include the clip (using the regular JH Decoy Clip) and the Hook has been plus sized from 2 to 3. Perhaps my favorite move as I've always felt the original Mini Max hook was too small. https://youtu.be/XtRCnxaIo9E?feature=shared&t=371 As for a suitable trailer - How about the Yamamoto SLIM Zako ? https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yamamoto_Slim_Zako_35_Swimbait/descpage-YZS.html I am liking this deal. Bait monkey just ate a slice of cold pizza and 2 smokes in a row after getting through with me on this one. A-Jay

I purchase bulks spools of main Line & backing. FC, Mono & Braid. I use the 1/3 - 2/3 method. 1/3 backing and 2/3's mainline on every reel spool. Spinning & casting. I hate, I mean, I do not use shallow spools. When the top section of the mainline begins to show wear, I end for end the mainline back down to the backing and put the fresh line on top. If the line on the spool is a little short, I add a little backing before spinning the mainline back on. If it's toast, I replace it. Arsenal includes an average of 30 reels or so. I been doing it this way for at least twice as long as the recent Bassmaster Classic winner has been alive. Seems to work. A-Jay

Nicely Done @Bluebasser86 Plain to see that you make all these posts LOADED with Great Bass in this thread like you're just a regular guy. But that is simply not the case. Because all things considered, IMO You are THE GUY. CONGRATS A-Jay

Just got some news about our trip to Lake Baccarac. It's off for this fall 2025. There's a bit to it but most of it sadly revolves around one of the anglers from the group we were going with has been diagnosed with multiple Myeloma. Can't blame the rest of his group from pulling out either. Suddenly Bass fishing doesn't mean much. Hope he can get on the other side of this. Meantime, since the lodge is mostly booked for the remainder of this season, Big Fish Jeff are planning our own deal and looking to get on the docket for fall 2026. A-Jay

Giant Set Workout Day 3 today. Went well and I'm hoping to keep this roll I'm on for as long as I can. #borninfiftynine A-Jay