A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ In advance of answering questions & / or offering useful tackle advice, some additional info could help . . . Where are you fishing (fresh or salt water) ? Are you fishing from a boat or the bank ? What species of fish are you targeting ? A-Jay

Nice ~ Me Too and I'd be happy if he just sent one of Santa's helpers down from the North Pole to Otsego County to rig it all up correctly. A-Jay

Excellent video Glenn. I have that Same Spinnerbait box ~ Best one I found. I agree that it seems it went out of production a while ago. Too bad though, as I could use another one. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ If you have the resources, then by all means follow @Wayne P. advice to the letter . . . . You'll be glad you did. A-Jay

I do not but many a human do consider them very favorable table fare. btw - if you get a pike that does strike after you eat it - be worried. A-Jay

I've have had my fair share of run ins with the teeth patrol ~ here's a couple of examples from this past fall. I did manage to get some video footage of these as well. Like I said I use a trace of wire when needed. It is my experience that although a heavy Mono or Flouro leader may delay or even prevent some bites offs, a thin knottable wire works better for me. A-Jay

This ones been posted up a few times already - Started out as a Gold Sexy Shad. It's supposed to be a "silent" model but the internal weight is a little loose so instead of being totally silent - it clicks a little. Don't think the color play that much of a role any more but this one gets hammered. This 6th Sense X75 Flat Square bill has seen better days as well. A-Jay

~x2~ Never go leader either on the jerkbaits. Which is really rolling the dice in my own waters as there is a Very Healthy population of toothy face Mutants free roaming around. But despite that - I don't get many in the fall. A few in the spring, but less in the late fall, which is when the majority of my own Jerkbaiting (is that a term?) takes place. However, Spinnerbaits, Lippless Baits, Chatterbaits & even some jigs get a wire trace, especially if & when presented on the deep weed edge. A-Jay

Hello and Thank You for your service. Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Look at that Catt ~ You have a fan . . . Besides me I mean . . . Happy Birthday Man . . . A-Jay

Nice Read. And one of my favorite sticks. A-Jay

Have you be running it like this ? Have you noticed a problem ? In my experience - when it comes to your out board Prop, I have always preferred it Snug with little to no movement. Excess Play and / or especially side to side Wobble is undesirable. That can translates to VIBTRATION ~ which at 5 or 6 Thousand RPMs is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters. Could be as simple as some type of mis-matched or wore hardware associated with the prop / shaft assembly. If you're familiar with it check it for fitment - Generally it's important to refer to your Engine’s Owner Manual for important safety precautions when installing the propeller. Use the original propeller hardware- thrust washer, spacer, locking tab, nut, and cotter pin depending on engine/drive manufacturer. This is a universal installation instruction. Place the original thrust washer on propeller shaft just as it came off. The taper on the thrust washer should mate properly with the taper on the propeller shaft. Grease the propeller shaft. Slide the propeller assembly onto the propeller shaft. Install spacer or washer if required. Consult your engine/drive manual. Install the tab washer if required. Consult your engine/drive manual. Install the shaft nut. Consult your engine/drive manual for proper torque. Install the cotter pin or bend locking tabs so the propeller shaft nut will not loosen. Consult your engine/drive manual. Picture may not be exact to your application. Please consult your owner’s manual Otherwise, I'd have that addressed by a qualified Mercury Technician - preferably at the dealer you got it from. A-Jay

I can relate ~ btw - Gunner makes it look easy - me, not so much A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Fair enough and it's not for everyone. Here's something to think about ~ Big Picture Stuff. A Man's worth & character is not defined entirely by his chosen occupation. How he conducts himself, before, during & after "work" completes his story. Honor, Respect & Devotion can & should be a part of any & every job description. When they do, it's special. "Working" with, for & alongside 'good people' doesn't always come with the biggest income but just may the single most valuable aspect of any & every short and especially long term employment. Believe in what You choose. Good Luck A-Jay

First off - Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Your question in one that has been posed here a number of times. I'm using baits that can effectively cover the portion of the water column I expect the fish to be in. (top. middle, bottom). I may change a bait / technique / presentation to modify speed with these areas. After that without any feedback I relocating and this may mean a new lake. A-Jay

Join the Service ~ Serve your Country. http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-service-branches-compared.html A-Jay

Cool ~ After reading your stuff I was hoping I could send out some bait's you'd like. The RES is a somewhat rare "Sensitive Shad" and it excels in off colored water. (change out the hooks) The BS is a custom and I'm betting your local Hawgs may be all over it. Time for a new PB ! Happy Holidays Jordan. A-Jay

The NJ striper season has come & gone. So unfortunately it is for the most part over by now. There may be a few sporadic straggler fish is the wash but the bait has long since made it's way south. Thanksgiving weekend there was a pretty epic blitz that saw tons of bait literally washing up on the beaches with big bass & blues right at the anglers feet. I'm no longer in NJ but do follow Chris and enjoy his adventures - this was crazy. A-Jay

"High Caliber Angling" Good Luck A-Jay

This came from Strike King's FB page. A-Jay Meyer’s Monster What began as a fun fishing day with a buddy got serious really quick……………. When Cody Meyer and close friend JR Wright set out for Bullards Bar, a deep, clear reservoir in northern California, on Friday the 16th of December. The trip was somewhat on a whim with the goal of having a good time and catching a few of the magnum spotted bass for which the fishery is known. It was a trip much like many others Cody has made in the past. Until, he got one bite. “JR and I had caught three really big spots that day (6.66, 8.35 and 7.74 lbs.). Then I marked one single big fish on my electronics. It was suspended about 20’ down over 100 feet of water. I cast my Ocho to it, let it sink, and then my line jumped” Cody said recollecting the “the bite”. “It was immediately obvious that it was another big one, but it wasn’t until that I saw her that I actually realized how big she was” Meyer recounts. That “big one” turned out to be a behemoth spot that weighed 10.80 pounds. It is potentially the world record and is most certainly the world record for 6 lb. line class. They followed that up, if that’s possible, with another 8.27 pounder that pushed their total for their best five to over 40 pounds (41.83 to be exact). While that total is a monumental feat, the crown jewel of the day is the 10.80 giant that is contending as the world record spotted bass. “We caught four of the five on a wacky-rigged Strike King 5” Ocho in the KVD Magic color. The fifth fish came on a 3.75” Strike King Rage Swimmer rigged on a ½ oz. Squadron Head Jig. For the Ocho, I was using Daiwa spinning gear, with a main line of 15 lb. Seaguar Smackdown braid and a 6 lb. Seaguar Tatsu leader. I rigged the Ocho on a size 1 Owner Mosquito Hook. That setup is my go-to when fishing for those big spots” says Meyer. “I fish that setup painstakingly slow. It’s so slow that it’s hard for most people to do. I cast the Ocho out and let it sink on slack line, that’s really important. I’ll let it fall for about 10 seconds then I’ll shake it. Then I let fall for another 10 and repeat. All in all, each cast takes up to a minute to a minute and a half. It’s brutal, but it’s effective!” Cody explains. “The thing about the Ocho that makes it special is its shape. Those flat sides and corners really make the action different than the hundreds of similar styled baits on the market. It makes a huge difference on fish like these, and everywhere else, that live in clear water and get a lot of pressure. I’m certain that they bite an Ocho better than anything else” Cody concludes. The Strike King Ocho is available in 4 sizes (4”, 5”, 6” and 7”) and many specialized colors. The rage Swimmer comes in 2 sizes (3.75” and 4.75”) and 10 specific colors. Both are available at better sporting goods retailers everywhere.

Congratulations to you both. Finn's a lucky boy. A-Jay

~ X2 ~ Could agree more. Once the water temps fell to the low 50's and below, virtually Every Brown Bass I caught this past season came on one of these. The only exception being a thin rattlebait that I fish like a blade bait. A-Jay

I forgot to mention - during the "unwrapping process" please be advised (and wary) that there are treble hooks under at least two of those "wrappings" - I know, shouldn't really be that much of a surprise . . . A-Jay

I remember that Great fish as well. Paul Bailey of Kelseyville is a well-known bass tournament fisherman and fishing guide who has caught some monster bass down through the years. But even Bailey was in for a shock Sunday while filming a video at Bullards Bar Reservoir in Dobbins where he landed what could be a new world record for spotted bass. The bass weighed 11.4 pounds and easily topped the current record of 10.4 pounds. The fished was weighed on several different scales and Bailey attempted to contact a biologist from the Department of Fish and Wildlife to certify the species and weight although he was unsuccessful in getting an official to respond. Bailey even offered to transport the bass in a livewell filled with water but was told it was illegal to transport any fish alive. In the end, Bailey released the bass. To be confirmed as a world record a certified biologist must examine the fish and it has to be weighed on a certified scale. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. That entire affair did not shine a very good light on the governing officials. A-Jay