04 May 2023 ~ Nice Smallie & My Last Fishing Video

[A-Jay]

Got this pre-Spawn fatty very early.

She went 5.84 lb and I was pretty pumped.

On a separate, kind of sad & final note, this will be my last fishing video posted publicly on you tube.

It's been a blast and I'll keep making them for me, but sharing them is no longer an option.

Always said once this deal started to adversely affect my fishing, then I'd have to make a decision.

Well I just made it.  Thanks for the support.

Stay Safe & Fish Hard

A-Jay

[gim]

I for one hope you can continue to at least post the photos of your fish.  Your videos have been both an inspiration and informational at the same time.

[TnRiver46]

Last a-jay fishing video??? Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!

 

nice fish tho……..

[Kirtley Howe]

Glad you had a decent day. Very sorry to hear you will not be posting videos anymore, but do what is right for you. 

[Jar11591]

Tank of a fish! Your videos are my favorite YT content. Hopefully we’ll still get to see photos of these giant smallies you catch. Like gimruis said, the documentation of your smallmouth fishing has been both inspirational and educational, as well as very entertaining. But seeing your reports is a privilege, and it’s a privilege you owe to nobody. So I am thankful for all the content you’ve shared with us over the years!

[Swamp Girl]

@A-Jay, are other fishers deducing where you fish from your videos and fishing your spots?

[Tim Kelly]

Always enjoy your films, thank you for making them. Maybe come out of retirement for your next Mexico trip? 

[A-Jay]

19 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

@A-Jay, are other fishers deducing where you fish from your videos and fishing your spots?

 

These are all public waters so I've never have looked at areas I fish as my spots. 

 

Anyone who has tried it, can tell you that there is a considerable chunk of time and effort put into big fish location.  All of which I enjoy, take great pride & massive satisfaction in doing; especially when it all comes together.  But it's takes a certain inner drive & determination and I'll even add sacrifice, to see even a hint of success.  Lakes are big, fish have tails, and they swim all over the place.  The chances of being at the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing to catch trophy fish are not good.  Unless of course, one follows around the guy who makes it happen. 

Admittedly, this is all of my own doing and I get it. 

Accordingly my future endeavors will all be once again, conducted well under the radar.

Something else I'm good at.

However, I am done leading the boat parade. 

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

49 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Unless of course, one follows around the guy who makes it happen. 

 

I would be ashamed to do ^this.^ It would be like choosing to be a leech. Thank you for explaining and I'm sorry that this was done to you.

[gim]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Unless of course, one follows around the guy who makes it happen. 

Sad, but not uncommon, unfortunately.  They're called tail pipers and tournament anglers are notorious for it.

 

Frankly, I'm somewhat shocked that this is occurring given the vast expanse of water you fish in Michigan.  There must be how many acres of fishable water up there near the Great Lakes and it would really take some serious intel and spying to find them, aka Lake Menderchuck.  Not to mention the early AM fishing windows and inclement weather you're often out there in too.  I don't blame you one bit for cutting of the supply of information if that is indeed what's happening.

 

I am guessing that newly-installed moderator @12poundbass is using his wizardry behind the curtain on you.  I call for an immediate investigation of this espionage.

[A-Jay]

37 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I would be ashamed to do ^this.^ It would be like choosing to be a leech. Thank you for explaining and I'm sorry that this was done to you.

Let's call it like it is.

This deal is all of my own doing.

People are going to be people.

I'm over it and looking forward to future endeavors. 

A-Jay

 

 

[WIGuide]

Absolute tank!  Nice job, but no more Youtube videos...

How am I supposed to get my dose of brown fish porn? lol

[GaryH]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Let's call it like it is.

This deal is all of my own doing.

People are going to be people.

I'm over it and looking forward to future endeavors. 

A-Jay

 

 

Sorry to hear Andy but what you just said about it being of your own doing is what makes a lot of us admire you. No excuses only facts. Good luck and keep catching the big ones. ??

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, WIGuide said:

Absolute tank!  Nice job, but no more Youtube videos...

How am I supposed to get my dose of brown fish porn? lol

Thanks ~

Maybe the anglers fishing Lake Menderchuck in my stead

will get all the giants and post something for you.

A-Jay

[casts_by_fly]

Thanks for all that you've posted already (which I hope you'll now take down from youtube).  I hope you keep doing video and getting some great photos that you can post here.  Its always inspiring and encouraging to know that the fish are out there if you just keep working for them.  Also really sorry that people have done that to you.  Like you said, people will be people but it doesn't make it right.

 

You've checked your truck and boat for a random airtag, right? 

[roadwarrior]

Well, I for one enjoy your videos and will miss them. 

 

 

                                     

[WIGuide]

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Thanks ~

Maybe the anglers fishing Lake Menderchuck in my stead

will get all the giants and post something for you.

A-Jay

Doubtful, guys who try to steal spots off youtube or otherwise, in my experience, lack the skills needed to succeed. Sure the blind squirrels will find a nut on occasion, but not often enough to survive. 

[A-Jay]

7 minutes ago, WIGuide said:

Doubtful, guys who try to steal spots off youtube or otherwise, in my experience, lack the skills needed to succeed. Sure the blind squirrels will find a nut on occasion, but not often enough to survive. 

Agreed ~

But the boating traffic alone will relocate these fish.

Always does. 

But hey, more power to them.

I'm obviously not the happiest camper right now,

but I've still got all 'the tools' and a new born desire to make it all happen again,

all be it in a much more clandestine manner.

#cloakingdevice

A-Jay

 

[Susky River Rat]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

However, I am done leading the boat parade

There is a guy who fishes my stretch of river we talk here and there but, he’s very well known in the area. Fishes almost every day and is very good. He has a red boat and so do I. One day I was in the parking lot and a guy came up to me and said oh I guess I can’t follow the red boat around. I said why would you want to follow me? He goes oh the tackle shop told me to follow the red boat around down here.

 

I always joke with my dad that fishing is monkey see monkey do. If we spent time in an area and left the boat across the way is going to come right over after we leave. Jokes on them. Most the time we don’t catch anything.

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I've still got all 'the tools' and a new born desire to make it all happen again,

all be it in a much more clandestine manner.

Hopefully you'll still post perfect brown bass still shots using voodoo'd-backround-trickery? #FootballsOnMars, #FootballsOnMtEverest...

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Hopefully you'll still post perfect brown bass still shots using voodoo'd-backround-trickery? #FootballsOnMars, #FootballsOnMtEverest...

I hear ya - 

Not sure how that's going to go just yet especially since 'the scenery' has always

been 'part of it' for me.

But since it's just pictures, I can be quite a bit more judicious

when it comes to having any super obvious land marks from Lake Morpheus. 

?

A-Jay

[PhishLI]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I hear ya - 

Not sure how that's going to go just yet especially since 'the scenery' has always

been 'part of it' for me.

Maybe you'll find your way back to this particular scenery sooner than you think. Perhaps @WIGuide has a point. The same point was made to me after I'd blown a fuse over a guy posting an almost 7lber from one of my prime spots complete with key backround-markers on a local public FB bass page. I made enough noise in the pipeline that someone encouraged him to remove the post, but I was still miffed. I'd imagined some of the ruthless NYC poaching crews caught it, as well as out of town bassers. The guy who talked me down is a hammer and explained that guys like himself and others who've come out with me find it very difficult there on a good day, so even if the post attracted some unwanted attention, those who saw it would likely peter out quickly anyway. He's right in this case. New faces don't stick around long at all here, even the ones who look the part. Most people don't have the head to crack a code to begin with, or the willpower to grind it out when that's just what it takes nearly every single time.

 

Hopefully you'll make it back home.

[A-Jay]

8 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Maybe you'll find your way back to this particular scenery sooner than you think. Perhaps @WIGuide has a point. The same point was made to me after I'd blown a fuse over a guy posting an almost 7lber from one of my prime spots complete with key backround-markers on a local public FB bass page. I made enough noise in the pipeline that someone encouraged him to remove the post, but I was still miffed. I'd imagined some of the ruthless NYC poaching crews caught it, as well as out of town bassers. The guy who talked me down is a hammer and explained that guys like himself and others who've come out with me find it very difficult there on a good day, so even if the post attracted some unwanted attention those who saw it would likely peter out quickly anyway. He's right in this case. New faces don't stick around long at all here, even the ones who look the part. Most people don't have the head to crack a code to begin with, or the willpower to grind it out when that's just what it takes nearly every single time.

 

Hopefully you'll make it back home.

First off ~ Thank you.

Please know I am not on the ledge and do agree with your premise above.

I'd be lying if I said that I thought this day would never come. 

After receiving so much support from members here,

I just felt like sharing this was the right thing to do. 

(despite the embarrassment)

Plan on allowing grit & gut instincts drive the train.

It's helped me keep my head above water so far

and I trust it. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Everywhere I go is lousy with boat traffic and fishermen, luckily nobody wants to follow me

tho haha

[galyonj]

17 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Everywhere I go is lousy with boat traffic and fishermen, luckily nobody wants to follow me

tho haha

 

If we wanted to make the saddest video in the world, I could follow you around while you fish a spinnerbait, then lay a Sarah McLachlan song over the video.