On 1/11/2022 at 7:59 AM, MN Fisher said:

Yesterday's high was 6

It's already 11 here this morning - heading for above freezing...33 is the predicted high today.

Tropical heat wave!!  Bust out the shorts!!

Fish Catch Friday ~

 

Ended this trip with a Fatty !

 

10 Weeks 4 Days and a wake up ~

A-Jay

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

10 Weeks 4 Days and a wake up ~

A-Jay

16 weeks and a wake up for our bass season to open.

Ice is thick enough here there are motorized toys on them now around here. 
 

10 weeks doesn’t seem too far off though. 

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

16 weeks and a wake up for our bass season to open.

4 months!? ?

I’d go bananas 

2 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

4 months!? ?

I’d go bananas 

If you go bananas you will never be allowed on a boat again. LOL

Just now, Log Catcher said:

If you go bananas you will never be allowed on a boat again. LOL

Touché 

LMAO!

 Winter still being winter with more very cold temps and lake effect snow today.

Wind chills of -10 to -20° tonight/Saturday morning…with the coldest wind chills across the inland portions of northern lower Michigan. Chances of more widespread snow and lake effect returns Saturday afternoon as a cold front passes through northern Michigan and renewed colder weather on north-northwesterly winds that will produce more lake effect.

 

Meanwhile it's Fish Catch Friday ~ 

This very stout smallie hit way out on the end of a long cast.

 

 

9 weeks, 5 days & a wake up . . . 

A-Jay

 

Just finished checking & sharpening hook points as needed.

As well as shining up the blades

 #flash

One step closer to being ready.

A-Jay

13 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Just finished checking & sharpening hook points as needed.

As well as shining up the blades

 #flash

One step closer to being ready.

A-Jay

Don't know if I have owned that many spinnerbaits in my whole life!?

6 minutes ago, FishinBuck07 said:

Don't know if I have owned that many spinnerbaits in my whole life!?

Bruiser Brown bass will do a number on wire baits,

And I won't mention the mangled mess a leg long pike gives me back,

and that's if I even get it back.  

So starting out each season with a solid & somewhat redundant inventory is a solid plan.

A-Jay

38 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

redundant inventory

Always a good idea to have backups.  Spinnerbaits are a large part of my arsenal too and I have multiple backups of the same one.  Seems like the frame or skirt is always getting ruined.

On 1/21/2022 at 5:06 PM, Jigfishn10 said:

4 months!? ?

I’d go bananas 

 

About to get ugly here in T county. Calling for rain, turning to half inch to an inch of ice, then up to a foot of snow. Kerosene cans are full in case we lose power, and a big pot of bean soup simmering. 

 New boat project is keeping me busy. All front deck bracing is in except for crossbraces for the hatch and seat. Just gonna have one 18x32 center hatch. Fabricated and installed the trolling motor mount yesterday. It hasn't been more work than expected, but it's slower going than I thought it would be.

Perimeter gaps between the deck stringers have all been filled with 1.5" square tube since these pics were taken. Footpedal pan will be installed today, and hopefully get some front deck panels cut. Not sure on that, making templates will be time consuming, and at $487 for a sheet of 1/8" I'd really prefer to get it right the first time around.

47 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

About to get ugly here in T county. Calling for rain, turning to half inch to an inch of ice, then up to a foot of snow. Kerosene cans are full in case we lose power, and a big pot of bean soup simmering. 

 New boat project is keeping me busy. All front deck bracing is in except for crossbraces for the hatch and seat. Just gonna have one 18x32 center hatch. Fabricated and installed the trolling motor mount yesterday. It hasn't been more work than expected, but it's slower going than I thought it would be.

Perimeter gaps between the deck stringers have all been filled with 1.5" square tube since these pics were taken. Footpedal pan will be installed today, and hopefully get some front deck panels cut. Not sure on that, making templates will be time consuming, and at $487 for a sheet of 1/8" I'd really prefer to get it right the first time around.

That should be an awesome boat for the lakes you fish man!!  Looks like some nice work there!!

Rain was freezing on contact when I got up at 5 this morning. Turned to sleet around noon and will turn to snow in a couple hrs. That will last until tomorrow afternoon. Lovely day to be in the garage working on the boat.

Deck framing is FINALLY done. Got the two side plates of decking cut to length and width, and a template made to cut them to shape. Hopefully get all the decking cut tomorrow. Slow but steady progress. I just might have it ready to go by ice out. I've been enjoying the process, and I'm glad I went this route, but I will NEVER do it again. I shouldn't need to though. As @FishinBuck07 stated it'll be a great boat for the waters I fish, and I went to the expense of building it all aluminum so I'll never have to replace it. Desert camo Seadek arrived this week. Should look good with the olive drab.

5 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Rain was freezing on contact when I got up at 5 this morning. Turned to sleet around noon and will turn to snow in a couple hrs. That will last until tomorrow afternoon. Lovely day to be in the garage working on the boat.

Deck framing is FINALLY done. Got the two side plates of decking cut to length and width, and a template made to cut them to shape. Hopefully get all the decking cut tomorrow. Slow but steady progress. I just might have it ready to go by ice out. I've been enjoying the process, and I'm glad I went this route, but I will NEVER do it again. I shouldn't need to though. As @FishinBuck07 stated it'll be a great boat for the waters I fish, and I went to the expense of building it all aluminum so I'll never have to do replace it. Desert camo Seadek arrived this week. Should look good with the olive drab.

Looking Good @T-Billy

Bet you're anticipating the maiden voyage.

Keep that heater on high.

A-Jay

 

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Looking Good @T-Billy

Bet you're anticipating the maiden voyage.

Keep that heater on high.

A-Jay

 

Definitely looking forward to that first fishin trip. I need some open water so I can run it and figure out where I want to put the batteries. It's all about balance in these little low HP boats. Had the kerosene heater on high all day. Kept it a balmy 48-50 in there. I almost couldn't see my breath. LOL

2 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Definitely looking forward to that first fishin trip. I need some open water so I can run it and figure out where I want to put the batteries. It's all about balance in these little low HP boats. Had the kerosene heater on high all day. Kept it a balmy 48-50 in there. I almost couldn't see my breath. LOL

LOL ~

I hear ya about load distribution.

My vote goes for Mid ships and along the centerline.

Configure everything else around that.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

LOL ~

I hear ya about load distribution.

My vote goes for Mid ships and along the centerline.

Configure everything else around that.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

10-4. Thanks for the input. That's where I had them in the 14' V. I was hoping I could put them behind the rear seat of this one , but you're probably correct. I just wanna run it to confirm before I go to the expense and labor of building a box for them. That said, a battery box behind the center seat would make a nice step up to the casting deck.

Fish Catch Friday ~

(OK it's really still only Thursday night but I'm on the road most of tomorrow)

 

 Cast to Catch ~

This fatty ended up being my best Brown Bass of 2020 

 

8 weeks 4 days & a wake up.

A-Jay

I never even considered throwing a chatterbait in water that cold before watching your vids A-Jay. You can bet I'm gonna spend some time fishing it early this spring. Thanks for the lesson brother.

On 1/28/2022 at 1:08 PM, A-Jay said:

Bruiser Brown bass will do a number on wire baits,

And I won't mention the mangled mess a leg long pike gives me back,

and that's if I even get it back.  

So starting out each season with a solid & somewhat redundant inventory is a solid plan.

A-Jay

Pike=buy in bulk

On 1/28/2022 at 1:49 PM, A-Jay said:

 

Just finished checking & sharpening hook points as needed.

As well as shining up the blades

 #flash

One step closer to being ready.

A-Jay

you REALLY like blade minnows for spinnerbaits trailers. I have a pack of green pumpkin and use them, but find they add quite a bit of weight compared to a boot tail or split tail.  I think I need to try them in white/light on my more preferred spinnerbait colors to give them a proper workout.