A-Jay

There was a time when I would simply change the spool. Even on casting gear. Now I just switch rigs. A-Jay

So does that mean lots of yellow ice ? 🤓 A-Jay

Been a cold & snowy week. Far more typical for this neck of the woods than the past few years. These are the ones that make winter seem more like an occupation than a season. And for the large part of the population here, it certainly is that. I'm more of a part timer . . . . https://youtu.be/bU0t6-lb6U0?feature=shared&t=170 A-Jay

Been a cold & snowy week. Far more typical for this neck of the woods than the past few years. These are the ones that make winter seem more like an occupation than a season. With both the holidays and the winter solstice in the rear view mirror, I'm feeling a bit better about looking forward. Sort of like getting over the hump. While January can still be a long cold month, I'm hoping it's all downhill from here . . . . 89 Days and a wake up ~ A-Jay

Good Luck Don't forget about the 5 months of snow and lakes being iced over. A-Jay

What is Your Favorite Species and What Got You Set on It? Growing up and fishing in New England, it was mostly panfish and small LMB. Eventually I started catching some SMB and thought they were pretty cool. Didn't know then where that would lead. Throughout my life time I've been very fortunate to have had an opportunity to do a fairly wide variety of both fresh and salt water game fishing including Lakes, rivers, reservoirs, streams, inshore and off shore adventures. Blue water pelagic fish are a completely different deal. However what ever species(s) I would be targeting, I have always been a fan of "the Big Ones". And my 'favorite' is directly related to what's available where I'm at. I had a Serious Striped Bass addiction for about 15 years and chased them up & down the east coast from Maine to North Carolina. Usually from the beach or rocks and always at night. Lost a lot of sleep. Caught the Big Largemouth bass bug pretty bad once I started making trips south of the border. Gave me a chance to scratch an itch I'll never be able to do in the north woods. Since retiring to northern Michigan, the past 17 plus years, I've had access to several cool water game fish. Besides LM and SM Bass, these include pike, muskie, walleye and a few different trout & salmon species. And have caught a few of most all of them, but they were almost always by catch; except for the walleye (sandwiches). However I am mostly (OK Wildly) addicted to Smallmouth. I'm all about the preparation, the hunt and the execution. Trophy Brown bass are usually a very worthy opponent on the right gear and just look awesome all colored up ! Also they can be reasonably scarce, making them hard to find. This may be one reason why I'm often pretty lonely on the water. Which suits me just fine. A-Jay

Workout Day 5 today. Completed 3 working sets of the 4 movements scheduled. I'll be taking two off days. My next trip into the home gym will be 14 Jan 2025. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

I think the 1980 is the model number not the year. https://vexusboats.com/model/avx1980/overview/ A-Jay

Here an inside look at the Lund Boats building process ~ A-Jay

This clip comes as advertised ~ A-Jay

That's a BIG compliment in my town ! Get over it. 🤪 A-Jay

Thanks - No it hasn't been working for me either. Not sure what's up. I'll find out though . . . . A-Jay

Here we go again ~ While there's still some details to workout regarding exact travel days & air travel, the first week of Nov 2025, I hope to be chasing crazy huge green bass in Mexico. Didn't really know if I'd ever even be able to plan another one of these. So it feels pretty good just typing that. Mean while, the Lake Baccarac top water selection is good to go ! Looking at 297 days and a wake up. A-Jay

I live in a place where it's pretty cold much of the year. And while I don't totally hate the cold, I don't like to feel the cold on me; especially a cold wind. I can agree that as I get older, I am less tolerant of that feeling, however I think I finally figured out my biggest problem. I wasn't wearing enough clothes. In particular the right clothes. The hitch in my giddy up was that I don't like bulky bulky clothing and layers and four coats and six pants and eight shirts and twenty two socks. So as soon as I figured out how to get the layers right and get over the fact that I'm going to need to be at least a little bulky in order to be warm, I did much better. Merino wool, polar fleece and over sized boots are all now my best friends, Oct -May. Finally, I refuse to wear white shoes. A-Jay

Fishing in the present ~ Moving forward, I plan on working towards fishing more in the present. I believe each moment in my fishing has meaning, some more significant than others, whether I notice its importance immediately or sometime later. Making the most of my fishing as it happens, rather than wishing for the past or worrying about the future. I think this can & will improve the quality of my fishing and help me feel more optimistic and prepared to face any challenge. Feel like I already do some of the above but I'm betting there's room for improvement. I can admit that being too much up in my own head may distract from my success on the water. It may be all about balance, seems it usually is. Fish Hard A-Jay

I've already had some time to think about this one. When the conditions aren't 'right' for a jerkbait bait early season. instead of trying to force feed the Lake Menderchuck brown bass one, I'm going to slow the whole show down a bit and fish a light hair jig and a tube. Both have produced for me in the past but the last few years a jerkbait has dominated. So it's been hard to put it down. Additionally, there a decent chance the flat sided square bill will come into play as well. My late summer/Fall approach will not change - it's been too good. Topwater early morning, then an assortment of wiggle wagons, spinnerbaits, shallow running crankbaits and old Faithful - The A-Rig. Especially in any & all windy and or obscured sky conditions. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Workout Day 4 on this one. Added this home gym 16 years ago. Investing and taking ownership of my health & fitness, has been so good and in so many ways. #borninfiftynine A-Jay

Since we're dreaming up deals ~ I'd like Megabass to make a Vision 110 + 1 with a silent weight transfer system Like the LBO line. Just Do It ! A-Jay

That's 14 degrees colder than it is in my freezer and 52 degrees colder than it is in my refrigerator ~ Pollen count is nice and low though 🤪 A-Jay

MINUS 14 up in the north woods this morning. Cold paw was running ramped. KYA went down like she'd been taken out by a Shnypah ! That was for my Bay State peeps. You know what it's like. A-Jay

It's been a full 2 months and Lynn's been holding altitude & flying level. The area where she had surgery to remove the device in her leg where she was getting her dialysis treatment through is just about healed. We had the 'final' post surgical eye appointment last week and while there's still nearly zero vision recovered, the eye has healed without further complications from the procedure. Lynn got some eye glasses (one actual lens) from the VA to help correct the vision in her one good eye. She seems pretty satisfied with how that went. The rest of this week we continue in a holding pattern. Next week it's blood work, Hematologist app, and the bi-monthly infusion. We're hoping for decent weather, perhaps something a little warmer than the single digit stuff we're getting this week. So as we always say here, no news is good news. Stay Healthy & Safe. A-Jay

IMO, it is completely dependent on where & when I'm fishing. Lakes, rivers & reservoirs all present different challenges. Lake Menderchuck is no different. While they do seem to change a bit from year to year, my most 'productive baits' from last season appear below. A-Jay https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/263885-productive-baits-2024-edition/

While that dietary modification may take a few months to adapt to, in the mean time I'm hoping you're OK with all the Gas . . . . A-Jay

Would you two nice people be interested in adopting a 65 yr old man ? I'm really just a big kid at heart. No really . . . I have my own dog and everything. 👦 A-Jay