Jar11591

If I could pick one condition to never have to fish in again, it would be muddy water. I think muddy water is a lot of bassers most challenging condition. Fish tight to cover, use large baits that displace more water, and flashy and noisy doesn’t hurt either. Muddy water is the only time I’ll use a rattle on a jig.

The best way to improve is spending time on the water. The more time on the water you spend, the steeper the exponential curve of learning will be. If you’re having success with a particular technique or bait, you’ll naturally want to start catching them on other things too, especially when you’re main bait isn’t working. Let’s the conditions you’re fishing dictate which technique or presentation you use.

Brutal. Next week here is supposed to drop back to the high 30s, and 20s at night, but then its calling for the temps to jump back to the 50s. Only a little sleet in the forecast. I am staying optimistic the early spring stays true.

It’s that time of year again around these parts so I figured I’d revive this thread. We’re getting an extra month of spring on the front end here in upstate NY, so we’ve already been able to get started on the yard. First order of business was building a compost bin, the first of the eventual 3. A couple pallets, some L brackets and braces and it went together in 10 minutes. We’re trying to get more efficient and less wasteful, so throwing the fruits and veggies we didn’t get to eat before they spoiled will feel better than throwing them in the trash. We sowed all our seeds indoor yesterday, and in a couple months when it’s time to move them outdoors, we should have lots of good homemade compost. After the rest of the compost bins are built, my next order of business will be to run power to my shed. Just gonna add a switch controlled light. I already have outdoor power so I can jump it from there and run it underground. After that we will be redoing the front garden bed. We’re going to expand it and replace a couple of the dying hedges and add some more native plants. Should be about 8 yards of mulch. Not bad. Beats the 25 yards of stone and soil I moved by wheelbarrow last year for the back yard. My back is still feeling it. We are also going to re-attempt our lawn makeover. We’re going for a mix of clover, creeping thyme and lavender to cut down on mowing and maintenance, but last year we ended up with crabgrass, nutsedge, and more crabgrass. Trying to do it chemical free seems like an uphill battle but that’s what the girlfriend wants so that’s what I’ll keep trying. What outdoor projects y’all got on the agenda this year?

Well no one has hit me up for donations in order to stop the spectre of advanced electronics threatening to destroy the forums!

Some spring time fatties showing up! Good catches, y’all.

Sounds like good jig water to me.

Spinnerbait. I know I can always get bit throwing a spinnerbait in milfoil or pondweed.

Find a mechanic shop. They usually have big drums of old gas sitting around and they don’t mind disposing of gas for people. I bring my old stale gas to my mechanic, throw him $5 and he dumps all the old crap for me.

I’d rather be hot. I struggle to stay warm all winter in upstate NY. My toes are always frozen no matter what combination of warm socks and slippers I wear. The cold makes my back tense up and causes spasms. Every winter I seriously consider leaving my life behind and just getting in my truck head south. Brutal heat is bad too, but I’ll take it over brutal cold.

Thanks. It certainly was a big decision. So far seems to be the right one.

Started washing dishes as a teenager, along with a little bit of line cooking. At 19 I began working at a glass manufacturing plant, and did that for a decade. I was in a supervisor role the last 6 years that I was there. We supplied all the local mom and pop glass repair shops with their mirrors, windows, doors, and anything else glass related. That's where I cut my teeth, and I'm thankful for the decade of experience but 10 years there was several too many. Quit that silly place to start a landscaping business in 2019 and that quickly became lucrative and enjoyable. Thought that was gonna be my career, but the long laborious hours caught up to me fast, so my girlfriend and I made the difficult but better in the long run decision of hanging that up after 3 years. Made some great money, had some great clients, and being my own boss was amazing, but my back, knees, wrists, and shoulders all started to get a little iffy. I am too young for that, so resigning as a landscaper was the right thing to do. I still do my own landscape projects around my house to get my fix, and I'll take side jobs if the opportunity is right. So next, with my girlfriend's support, I decided to go to college at 32. I'm studying electrical construction and currently halfway through the second semester of a 2 year program. I felt that was a good middle ground of labor type work that wont totally destroy your joints. I will never be one to sit behind a desk for dollars, I have to be doing some type of physical labor so this seems like a perfect fit. A couple months ago I acquired an apprenticeship position with a local outfit as well, and upon graduating I should be with them full time.

Hard to believe, but water is basically open here with no real chance of freezing again. The two week forecast still calls for 50s and 60s every day, which is hard to wrap my head around being February still. Gonna be rigging all my gear up this week. I’ll be on the water the earliest ever, it looks like. I could launch the boat today if I wanted. Seems surreal.

The two week forecast for my area of upstate NY is showing every day in the 40s to high 50s. It’s been an extremely mild winter. Only a half dozen or so snow “storms” totaling not even 20 inches. March can be brutal with snow, so I’m still cautious, but definitely feeling optimistic.

Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training. Opening day about 6 weeks away!

Honestly, no. Fishing, and bass fishing specifically is my number one passion in life, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m completely, hopelessly, addicted and obsessed. There have been times in my life when extenuating circumstances have prevented me from being on the water as much as I’d like, but even during those times, bass fishing is usually my last thought before bed and my first thought in the morning. I cant see myself ever losing interest. I sure hope it doesn’t happen because that will be a sad sad day for this guy.

We gave each other cards, and were planning on making homemade pasta together but we ordered a pizza and watched The Bachelor instead.

Big northern pike. I used to catch so many pike, and lots of large ones every season. The last several years I have only a couple dozen pike bycatches, and maybe just 3 of them have been of any size. The only reasons I can see for this change is the environment, and people keeping all the large ones.

Wordle 969 4/6 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #247 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 Connections has been a struggle for me the last week or so.

Rapala’s DT series covers about 90% of my crankbait fishing. I’d add Strike King and Spro for square-bills and flat-sides. Those 3 brands could cover 100% of my crankbait needs.

Wordle 968 5/6 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #246 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪

I’m lucky that I’m a good sleeper. I can fall asleep on a concrete slab at a Metallica concert. When I lay down I am asleep within seconds. I can function on 4 hours, but I try for at least 7. If I have 8+ hours of sleep there is nothing I can’t do lol

I agree with @TnRiver46. LM are easier to locate but smallmouth can be more willing biters.

From the fish tank in the entrance way? Did you go for the guppy or the angelfish?

Wordle 965 4/6 🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #243 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟪🟪🟦 🟦🟦🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟪🟦 🟦🟦🟪🟦 Could not figure this one out at all