Way north bass guy

I have a couple black Max’s that have been in the rotation for a couple years, they work just fine for me. They’ll toss a spinnerbait a long way out there, and I’ve brought in some dandy northern smallies without any issues at all.

That’s what my inflatables are, mustangs. I’m sure there’s several different companies that offer good vests, but these seem to be the most popular around my neck of the woods.

Nobody’s saying anything about “merit”, only you. Who cares, it’s just guys fishing bass tournaments! Why do some people just have to be “right”, if you need that to be happy, then here, YOU WIN!, you clearly want this thread to go only your way, so it’s all yours. Just give it up man, there’s lots of people that are gonna have a different opinion than you, I’m not sure why this thread was even started other than to argue with others.

I’m enjoying watching these guys catch em, but I’m also slightly and slowly going insane knowing that I won’t be doing this in those clothes for months yet ?.

Seems like some guys just can’t be happy for others, maybe it’s jealousy, but either way why even bother to get riled up about something as ridiculous as what tournament series a guy started in. Seems like extra stress that nobody needs to have, just chill out and enjoy watching guys catch some decent bass in their shorts! ( won’t be doing that here for months yet.

Although mostly black, the one I wear all the time does have some fairly bright highlights on the top, where I’d expect them to be seen better. A nice fitting vest that was only just over $100 cad on sale here, I am also a good swimmer but still wear it all the time on the boat now, never used to wear one unless running in a tournament ( as per most tournament rules), but since my boy has started fishing, which was when he was about 2 years old, he has wore one always right from launch to launch. It seemed like a bit of an oxymoron for him to wear one all the time and dad to “not have to wear one”, so now it’s on always. Honestly, since I’ve started wearing one, you don’t even notice it’s on anymore, and it sets a good example for young ones that you can’t be too careful when on the water.

I agree, it’s gonna be fun to watch. Those guys can flat out catch em! ??

Think you might need to trade it in for this guy!

Sometimes the couch is just not long enough! ( and someone hasn’t learned about personal space yet).

My old man had a 2005 tundra, was a nice truck but a pita to drive in the winter. Turn a corner on a little bit of snow and the d**n thing would beep and hum and buzz and brakes would come on and off, hated driving it. My Fords and Dodges are much nicer for me, I can control what I want to do with them, and not have a computer “tell me” how to drive.

I’m doing the same today, as a self employed guy I made this a “paperwork day”. Snow isn’t supposed to hit us until late today but this morning it was -27C with winds 30-50kmh meaning below -40 windchill, I was supposed to be on a roof installing a stainless steel chimney liner, it’s right on the shore of Georgian Bay so I’d likely freeze my hands and face off, then get blown off the roof! It’s a summer cottage that doesn’t need the heat immediately hooked up, so it’s gonna wait a day or so ?.

Nice! Right now I need about three sets of sleeves, my snowmobile coat and a toque and neck warmer along with heavy mitts! Oh yeah, and there’s about 16” of ice on the lake too, I’d take those dink fish all day long right now.

Went for a short ride around the lake, wind was pretty raw and the snow was blowing all over. Saw a couple deer snacking on some cedars in a backbay where I catch largemouth in the summer, man I sure wish I was in the boat rather than the sled but at least we got some “fresh” air ?.

Took a drive down to my local launch on Georgian Bay, needless to say it’s gonna be a while before the boat is going out from there. You can see a few “hardy souls” out there in huts, right now it’s -17C with 40 mph north winds, so you can imagine it’s not a real fun day to be outside, but I may get the snowmobile out for a rip with the kid later. At least the sun is shining!

I have also done that, all you can do is just shake your head ?

I’ll take some as well please!

Not so much, most places in central and southern Ontario at least the season is closed until June, most all bass are pretty much done spawning by then.

You talking green ones or brown ones? It depends a lot on where your fishing as well. Great lakes smallies, a lot of big fish are caught on small, goby imitating baits as that’s the number 1 food right now for them. I fish Georgian Bay as well as many smaller inland lakes, and from my experience around where I live, most of my bigger largemouth have come on good sized baits and usually from the shallowest, thickest cover I can find. Might be thick weeds, docks, or big laydowns, but that’s where I’m finding the best ones. Same for smallies, some of my largest ones have come from knee deep water, even in the hottest part of summer. I think up here where the season is so short and water temps aren't crazy high, they tend to “make hay while the sun shines” so to speak. Of course it depends on what they’re eating, if they’re gorging on smelts or herring over 60’ of water you may not find many in the back bays, but for the big ones, that’s often the first place I check out.

Our temp for tonight is supposed to drop to -30C (-22F), with wind chills below -40. Today’s high is only supposed to hit -22C. At least the sun is out, maybe I’ll go sit in the greenhouse where the temp will get up to 90 deg. this afternoon with my eyes closed and pretend it’s summer ?.

Funny, Amazon.ca does, it’s the only way I buy stuff on there.

Matching squirrel post caps, very sought after decorations in the winter. It’s hard to find ones that will fit and pair up well together ?.

There’s always a tube rigged on at least one rod in my boat year round. I’ve caught almost every type of fish that swims around here on one, and there’s a lot of types of fish around here ?. One place where a tube can really shine is around docks. When I used to fish tournaments in southern Ontario, there were a lot of good largemouth to be found around docks, and when everyone else was throwing a jig, worm, or stickbait around them, my partner and I would skip a tube on fairly heavy spinning gear way up under the docks and catch lots of fish that hadn’t seen a tube much before. We were never afraid to run a piece of shoreline that one or more boats had just fished, knowing that little bait would clean up for us.

This is almost word for word what I would say about my younger years. Used to go to the Toronto sportsman’s show every March and stock up on gear, but now it’s just a super expensive flea market.

^^ Ditto.