A-Jay

That circular scaring is from your hooks . A-Jay

If you're addressing the puncture type damage (by the front hook hanger) on that bait - can't say for sure. However, that is very indicative of the type of calling card a pike or muskie could leave for you. A-Jay

Bass teeth are more for holding prey not gashing it like pike & muskie. Still enough bass can beat up a bait pretty good. The more ripped up it gets - the better it seems to work. Got to Love it.. A-Jay

Your tackle is not the problem. You may "know the proper technique" but for whatever reason you're not able to do it. If you were, you'd be getting better distance. Keep practicing. Oh and try wearing one of those new Storm Swimsuits you bought. A-Jay

Congrats on your Swimsuit purchase ~ Where did you attach the hook ? I wouldn't worry about the baits smell. A-Jay

Congrats on a great trip Jeff ~ Those Wahoo Missile strikes are In-Sane ~ ! A-Jay

Jeff I turn the "Brightness" Off - and there is still plenty of back light to see the screen but not enough to light up the lake. A-Jay

WOW ~ How Great was THAT ~ ! So glad you went and super happy for you & your Dad. Great decision to go. It's a bit of a logistical challenge getting there & back but it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it. btw - the Private Air option is quite a bit better but of course a little more $$$. I will totally agree that despite ones best efforts to explain & describe that place - it's just very hard to do. So few places offer a truly legitimate opportunity to take serious huge Double Digit Bass on each & every cast - one has to experience it to know what that's like. Once you get a "Grande" there - Everything changes. Everything. You'll go back. Like Jeff said Shimmy - YOU ARE RUINED ! Your bass fishing will never be the same. Lake Baccarac will be how you measure all your Bass Fishing and nothing else will ever compare. I really love the huge amounts of just crazy Laughter that always accompanies Lake Baccarac big bass video's - you just can't help it. And do those fish PULL OR WHAT ! Congrats Shimmy - so happy you had a super time and you were able to share that with your Dad. A-Jay

I almost always respond to questions directed my way, however yours doesn't actually rate one. btw- Welcome to the Ignore List. A-Jay

Though I may have done a poor job of explaining it but that's the period I'm referring to. And a few hours after that - you might get your arm broke. A-Jay

Great question Goose. Yes, my night ops have all recently been in the Old Town. Accordingly they are all on smaller bodies of water where I was The ONLY guy on the lake at night - and my Navigation light - is a white flashlight. On larger bodies of water now in the Pro-V, I'll run a 225 degree red/green combo light up front and the mandatory 135 degree white stern light while U/W. While on the trolling motor and fishing off the bow, that white stern light is well behind and point aft - so that's good. State Regulations here require an all around (360 degree) white light when anchored or not under command (drifting). Not good. So while fishing (and on the trolling motor) I'm calling that underway and will show the red/green running lights and the stern light. So no blinding white light on a stick in my face. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Thanks - my head lamp use is for bait selection, knots, fish landing & hook removal and most importantly, to help me find & eat a midnight snack A-Jay

The topic of Night Time Bass Fishing came up in another thread – this builds on that. The BR articles section has solid info regarding the subject and interested members can & should definitely check that out. I’m offering & directing this information to those bass fisherman who may have never tried it or even considered it. I say you may want to. Though the majority of this will revolve around angling from some type of vessel, some can be applied to fishing from the bank as well. Safety ~ Right off the bat. It's very important to understand that fishing at night - especially by yourself & in a remote area, is no joke. Safety is the primary mission every trip: Day or Night. Night time Bassing isn’t in my estimation, dangerous per se, but small problems have a way of compounding & becoming magnified at night. So it’s important to follow a few “rules”. Wear your Life Jacket all night. Only Fish bodies of water that you are Very Familiar with. Always operate at a slower speed than you normally would during the day. It’s Very Easy to lose situational awareness at night and speed in that situation is your arch enemy. Just like any trip on the water, make certain someone responsible (insert adult) knows where you’re going, what you’re driving, where you’re launching from and when to expect you home. And if you change plans – Let Them Know. Additionally, I’d encourage you to also leave them with the number & info of who you want them to call if you don’t return on time. (Police, US Coast Guard, Fire Rescue etc). Lastly, I do not recommend fishing at night on rivers, tidal water or any place with a moderate to heavy current. It certainly can be done, but Is No Place for a beginner. An organized / neat boat is a must. It will help keep you from tripping & going over the side and stray trebles will inevitably find some skin at night. Both are highly undesirable. I carry and use only 3 or 4 rods & reels at night. Without going into detail, this is much less than I’d normally use during the day. When I find the right night bass, they are usually very cooperative and experience has shown that a ton of gear on deck is rarely needed. (Probably could say that for daytime operations as well, but I will not because the bait monkey would blow up my house). A couple of flashlights & two head lamps are a must (I like red lenses to help maintain night vision integrity). Let’s discuss “Night Vision” - what the heck is it ? Basically, once you’re eyes have not been in the presence of white light, they are able to see surprisingly well. It takes upwards of 20-30 minutes to fully develop and each human’s adaptive time & final ability is different. But what one must remember is that once the eyes have full adjusted, ANY white light – even for 1 second, erases this ability and you’ll have to start the acclimation process again. So using a red (some use blue or green) light is helpful. Additionally, I’m always under the assumption that I’m alarming the bass to my presence using a white light even for a second. The Why ~ My night time operations were born more out of requirement than desire. As a younger human with family obligations & a career, the little & only “free” time I had available to fish was at night. And so there began a journey into an aspect of angling I personally feel is so awesome and so beneficial to day time fishing, I can easily state that I would not be even half the angler I am, so many years later, had I never tried it. More about that a little later on. Besides the above, the reasons one may choose to night fish can be many. To escape the heat, to escape the crowds, to catch more or bigger bass, all of these can apply. For me, I do it mainly because bass fishing at night is Intense. It’s a chance to experience the sport at a whole different level. If you do it enough you really come to trust & depend on your electronics, your intuition & your instincts. Because in the black of night, that’s about all you’ve got. The reduction of vision will allow one to tap into the senses that remain. Hone these at night and your day time ops can only get better. So there's no line watching - but all of this makes one so much better during the day - it's unmeasurable. When you can get them good in the dark of night – a bright sunny day might feel like cheating. When ~ A good way to start out fishing at night is to get out on the water before sunset and just stay out there. This offers an angler the chance to acclimate to the Night as it falls. Sort of like the opposite of getting to the lake before sunrise & waking up with the lake. I did the sunset to night deal several times in the beginning but as my abilities & confidence grew I shifted gears. I now prefer to arrive after dark. There seems to be 90 minutes or so after actual sunset where the bite is pretty slow. So I’ll arrive after that. If the fishing’s good & I have the gas, I’ll stay for the grey light & sunrise bite too. If not, I bail. I don’t think there is a “Best” night fishing season. If I can catch them during the day – I can catch them at night. It just depends on if I want to be out there. Very early & very late in the season are clearly less comfortable but I’ve had some very successful nights in both April & October. These results will vary depending on one’s local & legal fishing season. Once the dog days of summer hit - and the lakes are getting a fair share of recreational boating, jet ski & fishing pressure, mid-week night ops are often present the best opportunity for any decent action. Then there’s the Moon. Is it good or bad? Does it help or hurt ? And what about artificial lights like dock lights and street light etc. May be No definitive answer. The water's here in northern MI are for the most part Very Clear - often 15 feet plus of daytime visibility. As much as this plays a role during the day, it matters at night as well. Fish can still see me on nights with a big moon or in areas where there is sufficient ambient light. And the Shadow the boat makes on a brightly lit night sticks out like a sore thumb. If I disregard this, it definitely negates the effectiveness of being there after dark. Moonless nights are by far The Best for Fishing but were hardest to learn to fish in. Even nights where I can be out there before the moon comes up or after it goes down are always much better for both numbers & size. However, some my best nights have been Full Moon events BUT there was sufficient cloud cover to obscure it. Even a partially cloudy condition is often enough to do the trick. Clearly, some full moon nights are almost like day time. You may not even need a light of any kind, it’s so bright. These times are definitely easier to get around in, cast and fish in. I say cast because there may have been an occasion or two where a lure was launched across two or three docks or even 50 feet or so straight into the woods. If the waters you fish have color & / or limited visibility, you could be golden & be able to hammer fish while having the benefits of the moons brilliant glow. The Where & How ~ This may actually be the easiest (and that’s a relative term) aspects of night bassing. I use the same rods & reels at night as I use during the day. I can & do bump up my line size / mono leader a little at night – just because I can. When I first started my night ops, I fished the tried & true night time baits. The Black Baits ~ (Jitterbugs, Buzz baits, Spinnerbaits etc.) and they worked well and I still fish them today. But what I have found is that any bait (and any color) that will catch them during the day, will catch them at night. The caveat to that is, whatever bait you choose, still needs to be presented effectively. The reason many choose the baits I just mentioned is they are for the most part “Easy” to fish. The topwaters stay off the bottom. Out of weeds & snags and only need 2 inches of water to run. I can’t tell you the number of times in the early days I fished topwater and wasn’t getting bit. Come to find out I was fishing in 6 inches of water for 30 minutes. Laugh if you’d like, but it’s very easy to do on a pitch black night. Same thing with a spinnerbait - - strike detection is easier. Blade stops vibrating – set the hook. Crankbaits offer the same benefit. But learn to present the right jig, at the right place & time at night – you may never fish another bait at night again. I will admit that the spinnerbait is still one of my favorite / effective night baits. Although night time does hide some of the boat’s & the lures negative cues, please know that night time is not some magic witching hour for bass where all the trophies become suicidal and will attack any & every lure with reckless abandon. This is simply not the case. Lures still need to be presented with the same Stealth & Care at night as they do during the day to be effective. I’ve noticed a couple of things here. Bass seem to relate more loosely to cover at night (except in the presence of bright moonlight or artificial light, then it’s just like day time). They can & do still tuck into places but often times they’ll be “around it" rather than in the middle of it. This is a good thing because it’s not easy to make pin-point presentations when your depth perception is all but non-existent. Shadows are just as important at night as they are during the day, fish like them. Tips – in no particular order and this is especially important on the blackest of nights. Fishing down, along or over any weedline, surface (lily pads) or sub-surface (coontail, milfoil, cabbage) is best done without treble hooks. Handling a hooked fish is tricky at night. The bare handed reach is not recommended – use a net & a light to remove hooks. Windy nights are very tough to fish in effectively. Super long casts are generally not necessary and in the beginning should be avoided. A swimbait, paddle/boot tail type trailer on spinnerbaits, swimjigs & chatterbaits seems especially effective at night and the slower I can roll it - the better. Keep “Tools” accessible ~ pliers, scale, camera. If you take pictures of your catch, your “Flash” will Toast your night vision. If fishing conditions permit, set your trolling motor speed to “slow”. If you avoid that sudden burst in the wrong direction, you may also avoid wetness. That’s my story & I’m sticking to it. A-Jay

I was fishing - imagine that . I'm putting the finishing touches on that Night Fishing starter thread we talked about a while back. Be looking for your input. Be done in a bit. done ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello Terry and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

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

Thank you ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Age has nothing to do with it ~ You need a Hootie Decoder ring ~ A-Jay

Not a Fan. A-Jay

While I'd definitely agree that a well tied knot is important, fishing several trips in a row without re-tying the leader connection is never something I'd advocate; regardless of the type of knot used. I have been using a Uni to Uni connection knot quite successfully for a while. I am a firm believer of regularly & routinely re-tying main line to leader connection knots. Not because it fails but simply to keep it fresh. A leader knot that is repeatedly being launched through multiple tiny little guides, at warp speed and then wound back through them again, sometimes under the load of a spirited bass, is going to incur some type of damage, however minute. That process, cast, after cast, after cast, can't help but degrade & weaken the integrity of any knot. Before a trip I'm re-tying, on multiple rigs, and depending on the fishing, it may be a few times per trip. Uni-knot fits the bill here for me. FG does not, especially at night. I'll take a new / fresh connection over an older / beaten & battered one every time. Prefer to eliminate as many possible weak link variables as I can. Disclaimer ~ If one's leader length is such that it never passes through any guides, much of the above text may not applicable. A-Jay

Hard to tell by that photo but it looks like a largemouth to me. A-Jay

A-Jay