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Flat Calm, Blue Bird Skies, super clear water and just about zero wind. But I still poked a few. A-Jay

Never let the truth get in the way of a good fish story.

In all seriousness, the one piece of advice that probably changed me was “be prepared.” I took this as doing everything I could in advance to ensure that my gear, tackle, equipment, and my boat was operating properly so that I could reduce potential problems while fishing. Something as minor as a weak knot or buying cheap gas or using a dull hook could turn a good day into a bad one real quick. I try to control the variables I can because there’s enough items I can’t control working against me.

Over 16 years ago, I joined the Bass Resources Fishing Forums. The benefits have been countless and priceless. Thank You. A-Jay

Stuck a nice one this morning before I had to pack it up and go get stuff done. Interesting progression of fish. The bigger one ticked in right at 4lbs, absolutely crushed a walking bait while I was on the phone scheming with @LrgmouthShad. Off to the panhandle, maybe I'll post a smallmouth later

Finesse fishing won't compromise masculinity 😅

Howdy Well we made it through ok all things considered. I lost fascia and soffit on the SW corner of the house which makes sense as that was it’s track SW to NE. Someone told me that track hasn’t happened in over 100 yrs! I have a 60-80ft tall 200+ yr old Heritage Oak on the side of the house that Ian trimmed up good that really bothered me thinking at one point it was goona come down, but she held. It came in at Siesta Key about 55miles from me which put us just outside of eye wall. Some may know that Siesta Key is always ranked as one of the best beaches in the US as its sand is like white powder. Everything was shaking. A 2 door glass sliding door leading outside was pulsating in and out on its track. I thought at any minute it would blow in but it also held. (That really scared me) All in all we were lucky compared to many others, it could have been much worse. Sanibel, Captiva, Cayo Costa Islands south of me took the brunt as it moved NE as the most of their land mass faced south. Venice Island, Manasota Key and Anna Maria Island to the North got hit hard also but the entire Bradenton, St Pete and Tampa area were worse according to the spotty info I’ve heard so far. I still don’t have power or the internet so I really haven’t heard any updates (I’m sure you know more) Thank You all for the comments and concern that many of you had. I appreciate it more than you could know!! Mike

A couple guys in a bass boat pulled two decent fish out of the slop next to our dock. I asked them how they were able to fish those weeds and one showed me a Texas rig. They gave me some bullet weights and weedless hooks. A whole new world opened up to me. That was probably 40 years ago.

Fish Lo-K-Tor. Discovering structure fishing using the original sonar unit change my bass fishing forever. Tom

And set the hook into a channel cat

I was in my early twenties. Now I'm 67. A guy who owned a tackle shop told me to slow down. He said if you want to catch more bass, slow down. It's been true all these years.

To quote the immortal Bill Dance: Wet lines catch more fish. Which I take to mean you can't catch fish if your line is not in the water...so go fishing whenever you can.

My fishing got so much better after I joined a fishing club where the members freely shared information. Being able to fish with a variety of other good anglers taught me more than reading all the books and magazines or watching videos.

I will never fish like that. I guess that it is a good thing I am not a pro.

Use WD-40

Another tough morning yesterday of missed strikes, I blew it on all of the nicer fish. I still caught 8 and provided a mild show for the other anglers around, but I had barbs in a few really solid feeling fish. Thankfully I never saw them. Sooner or later I will get them stuck stuck. The common denominator with the lost fish is the vmc trebles I'm using, I got some of those finesse trebles with the slick coating. While they are very sticky, they slip out way too easily. I want to like them but for distance hooking they're just too slick. Back to the gamakatsu short shank ewg trebles I love so much. Off to the panhandle tomorrow to play a show and fish lake Meredith for smallmouths

My morning on Lake Menderchuck started out foggy & cold. But shortly after sunrise it was like a different world. Water was super clear with temps still in the low 60's. Experienced my first false spawn ever which was pretty cool. Had a slow pick most of the day. Couldn't put down the jerkbait. Fish Hard A-Jay

All the Monkey got me for this time was just enough for free shipping. 2- Zoom magnum Ole Monster 2- Zoom Ole Monster 2- Magnum Rage bug 1- Rapala Crush City Mayor

30 years ago I read an article about two Florida Biologists that went out to study the food intake of alligators in the Everglades. The airboat they were in broke down in the swamp, and they were 8 miles from the closest road, and no cell service back in those days. The experienced man had to walk out in three feet of water and muck on a hot, sunny, Florida day. They had limited water supplies. The man walked out but it took 8 hours to get to the road. The woman left with the airboat was found unconscious when help finally arrived. She dehydrated and died after reaching the hospital. I learned a valuable lesson, always take a lot more water than you think you will need in case of mechanical problems when in the boat. With our modern electronics I always take emergency numbers of Fish and Game and those that have the equipment to help when in the back waters, especially when in the Everglades.

Don't be afraid of the night...be afraid of what hunts in the night ?

It's not the tackle and it's not the line... it's the fisherman. When you use one type of equipment for one presentation, you get used to it and develop a rhythm for retrieves and hook setting. Change that and you see what happens. A lot of people use braid and MH rods for buzzbaits with success but that's what they use all the time. You have a rod, a reel and line that you have success with... use it. And maybe buy something similar to lend.

99% of fish are in the water. Never underestimate how close a bass is to the bank, or how shallow they might be. Ive caught bass in inches of water, inches from the bank. Line, lure, bait, color, and size mean nothing most of the time. If i took yarn, tied it to a hook with a piece of a plastic straw a bass would probably bite it. Do some things work better than others? Absolutely, but our human minds love to over complicate every single detail and next thing you know, youve got a room with 1 bait in 40 different colors you wont even use. 10 different brands of line, and enough lures to start a tackle shop. Its a rabbit hole within a rabbit hole. For trout fishing i can understand it, but bass arent line shy, and remember they need to eat to survive. Some days are great, and some arent. Try making the bass-less days a learning day, maybe pracitice casting or skipping, try new lures and techniques, etc. And just because you didnt catch any bass, doesnt mean you have to tell the guys at the boat ramp that? You caught a 10lber for sure, state record, for sure, and stick to it. Do the complete opposite of what the popular guys on youtube are saying to use for that week, if they have hundred of thousand of views, than more than likely the people in your local lake have heard about that bait, in that color. And remember, fishing is all about the fun.

This your UPS driver?

Two things that always stuck with me…. 1) Never leave fish to find fish 2) Whenever you think you’re fishing too slow, you’re not Personal Note If your boater puts on a Goalie mask and tightens his vest..Hold on tighter Mike

A little marabou/hackle craw jig I tied for bfs fishing. I think the Sculpin olive marabou, burnt orange marabou, and ginger hackle look really great together! Should work great for our little smallies and big trout.

You had the right to remain silent, but you put it on the internet. The Bass Police will be knocking at your door soon.

Not exactly what I was after, but a decent fight.

@raydomz: You are rightfully a proud papa. Please rethink PFDs for your kids. I am a lifelong fellow paddler and I've seen too many fellow paddlers drown. Some of them were young and strong swimmers. Although I have paddled thousands of miles, I flipped my canoe last year. It was so sudden that I have no memory of flipping. I was in the canoe one millisecond and underwater the next. "Oh, this is how people drown," I thought. It was May and the water was cool, as it is now. And then, remembering that I was wearing my life jacket, I also thought, "Not me."

Hooksets are free.

Interesting. . . My hands are a glove size 11-12. The hand I palm my reel with is 10-1/4" from thumb tip to pinky tip, and the SLX 70 MGL is the exact reel I have on my jerkbait rod. Bottom line is to use what feels good and works.

https://bait-wrx.com/ All I'm saying...... Better hurry.

08 Oct 2024 ~ Update Past couple of weeks have been mostly uneventful health wise for Lynn. This is most often a good thing. She continues to have Chemo once every two weeks, and dialysis twice a week while having her blood drawn & tested prior to both of those procedures. Also waiting in the wings is her eye surgery scheduled for next week. And so like I said, none of that is really new. But what is new and quite the phenomenal turn of events, Lynn's last two kidney function blood test results indicate that Lynn NO LONGER REQUIRED DIAYSIS ! I dropped her off for her scheduled procedure this morning and not 5 minutes later, she called the truck and said "come pick me up, I'm coming home." After almost putting my rig in the woods banging a U-ey, I may have fractured a few posted speed limits getting there. Either way, we're both walking around in a daze, while counting our blessings. Clearly we don't how long this will last, but it's a sign of slightly better health and that can never be taken for granted. Stay healthy & Safe. Thank again A-Jay

My buddy Josh and his sister Nina have hosted the annual Rockport kayak, um, bacchanal for this many years. Through the evening's firepit haze, I got the sense Josh was foreboding the 13 Omen. Nothing could have been further from realized - everyone had a wonderful time. Eight to a dozen kayakers turn out at their extended family digs on Copano Bay. The historic property on Live Oak Point is the highest elevation on the TX coast (sorry, only had winter-trip photos for the gazebo and firepit). There's no way to do this trip justice, but can show off a few photos and talk about a couple of days on the water. Some folks will come and go through the week, may show up early or stay late. We haul kayaks to different grass flats and mud marshes covering about 100 mi of the coast, typical paddle trail for a morning fishing is 8 to 10 mi. We cook or go out for an evening meal, and end the evening at the the firepit with cigars and libations, planning the next day's travel around tides, wind, and a binder of embossed Google Earth charts. Normally, the first organized trip is Wednesday, and the last organized meal is Saturday night shrimp boil. While wind was stiff on the back of the week, Wednesday's light wind was wonderful for sight-fishing. We launched at Cavasso (salt) Creek. Though only 10 minutes from Copano digs, Josh had never fished this spot, and the last time Steve and I fished it was 30 years ago. Parks & Wildlife release gators here they snag in Goose Is SP. Great hard-pack launch, and paddle into the sunrise. I was behind Josh along the grass, sight-fishing his rejects. Prop-tail topwater shrimp cast into the grass caught my first and best red. After doing the math, I caught 5 redfish each morning, though not all in the slot. Great photos of Josh with a fly rod red. My day ended with a small wind knot in my braid, and the knot breaking an over-slot spec right at the boat. All part of the fun, and a great day. Josh's special Cioppino with cod, crab, shrimp, and mussels hit the spot for the evening kick-off dinner - Josh and Nina competing in the kitchen always exceeds our imaginations. Thursday brought us back to my favorite Estes Flats, and a reliable NNE wind for drifting down Trout Bayou. Launching at Palm Harbor, a mile to the turn up Talley Island, and 2 miles to the top of Trout Bayou. My morning began in Aransas Bay, drifting back into the tide pass. Plenty of small trout were slashing. I brought a nice big spec to the boat, but she tore the hook out with a head shake. Began my drifts down Trout Bayou, and landed 3 absolutely 19" reds. I was happy to get one more that measured 20" for my stringer. I ended bringing an over-slot red to the boat. Thought I had him set with 3 solid pulls. But the little slack I had to give him while pulling in drift sock was enough for him to shake the hook. Again, all part of the fun. The group meat haul from Estes. Friday, we took our boats across Port Aransas ferry to fish East Flats on Mustang Is. It was our longest paddle and toughest wind, though with some shelter, and everyone brought home fish. GPS trail for the day. Saturday, another big wind day, we fished Marker 1 trail on Lighthouse Lakes. Josh traveled farther upwind than everybody, and sight-fished a banner day in the mangroves - he deserved his results facing the wind and currents to get that far. The rest of us stayed close in the first 3 lakes, and Andy pulled a couple out of the mangroves. Caught this photo of Stevo crossing back Aransas Channel. Josh's trip-fish 27" red. Josh's shrimp boil gets better every year, decided to spend some electrons on the master at work. Another feast, and easy clean up - we were hungry, not much for leftovers. We also made a good showing sampling the single cask bottles into the last evening, before packing out Sunday morning.

In a recent post, Glen made the statement that he thought line stretch was over rated, and it's one of those things that bass anglers worry about, but don't need to. After all my years fishing, I agree with this. I fish with mono and co-poly lines. I can't say that line stretch has ever been a factor. And, I'm not sure that I've ever actually felt the line stretch on a hook set. Do you feel that line stretch is over rated?

So launched the boat this morning in a small 50 acre lake in WV, very windy. Apon return I noticed an entire grass mat came loose and had the single ramp covered. Well, had to get the boat. It was like dragging an entire rain Forrest out of the lake. Wish I'd taken a picture before yanking all this junk off the boat trailer. Plan on fishing next week and will scrub the bunks.

Water temps are a critical detail for me in the spring and the fall.

Old Lady Angler of YouTube recorded the water temp at 61 degrees a week ago. Our cold nights have certainly chilled it since then.

Praying for all you guys! Hope for speedy recovery efforts

I appreciate you sharing your concern and I am certainly guilty of lax rule enforcement. We’ve got several “rules of the boat”, life jackets at all times in one of them. I’ve spent a lot of time in canoes growing up and know those exact scenarios like you experienced. I can see now a need to focus deeper on keeping things safe at all times 🙂. Again, appreciate the call out!

Yeah, I learned the same lesson, mostly from my dad. Now we're both too old to reach the yonder lakes, but we can both return to them whenever we want with our memories.

First frost, the farmers almanac didn’t have that on the bingo card

Thanks - yes. Mostly perchy looking deals. Unless the water has some color. Then I send in the clowns . . . A-Jay

“Buy a kayak. It’s a cheap way to get into fishing and tournament fishing.” 🤦‍♂️😱🤣

I agree with this 1000% In the world of fishing there is so little we can control that I like to control everything that I possibly can.

If you do it long enough, whatever you're worried or excited about will eventually happen to you. Be patient, be ready

Obviously you haven’t been watching the pros this season. Many of them don’t even make a cast until they spot at least a 3 pound fish on FFS.

Depth and speed and location and timing and type of cover - that's about all that matters YMMV

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Slow day with cold front moving in, blue skies, cloud arrival delayed, and light winds. Just stuck a few long skinny guys along with 8-10 crappie. Wind blows today, but hoping for a change of scenery on Friday.

Just a few creek bass from yesterday morning. I only took one rod and one 3500 box and it worked out just fine. Good thing I took a spool of 10lb fluorocarbon line because I backlashed on my third cast after getting bit twice in a row. After catching a couple of 1.5, 2 lb fish on these little Keitech jigs with straight fluoro... This setup is definitely going back to braid to a leader. I'll just adapt my cadence and action with jerkbaits, it's fine.