mjseverson24

Bottom Contact rod: Shimano Crucial or Daiwa Tatula (150 ish) with a Lews Tournament MG (120) total 270 ish Swimjig/spinnerbait: Shimano Compre or st croix mojo (100 ish) Daiwa T3-B or tatula (110 ish) total 210 ish crankbait: W&M Skeet reese or shimano Compre (100 ish) Lews BB1 or Tatula or T3-B (110-150 ish) total 210-250 ish Frog/punch: *** BLK or Daiwa Tatula (100-130) with a Lews Superduty(160 ish) total 260-290 finesse: st croix mojo or shimano Compre (100 ish) pflueger president (60) total 160 Total = aprox 1160.00 Mitch

Punching and frogging in heavy cover as well as big swimbaits would be more difficult on these types of materials(this does not mean they will fail, just that they have a higher chance of failure). the problem is they will be more prone to flexing and potentially misaligning the gearing, which would potentially cause them to slip, or break. Also with these types of setups I like a longer, heavy action rod, and the lighter material doesn't balance the rod out quite as nicely as the heavier aluminum framed reels... I like the Chronarch CI4+ i want to get one, but i will not be using it for the techniques where power is paramount... Mitch

I also use a composite frame for some of my jigging (Daiwa T3-B ), and i dont have an issue with that, but for frogging in the slop, which is where i primarily frog fish, i want a beefy reel that i can abuse and it can take it, not that the Chronarch CI4+ cant do it I just don't want to find out that it can't the hard way... and his statement of heavy t-rigs makes me think of 3/4 oz + for punching and other really thick stuff... which i again want a beast of a reel, not that the top composite reels are not beasts, i just dont want a 250+ dollar lesson to find out they are better suited for light to medium heavy duty stuff... Mitch

I see your favorite lake is Little Boy lake, I have fished that one a few times(if it is the same lake "attached to Wabedo"), so in the case of that specific lake i would run no less than 30 lb braid and probabily 40 lb to reduce any digging in, and then get a spool of 30 lb trilen vanish, tie about 3 ft on with a double uni knot and for spinnerbaits use a snap, but with swimjigs tie direct. That lake is full of pike and some muskie, braid alone will cause you to loose some nice lures throughout a day... is it May 10th yet??? Mitch

I go with the more medium quality set ups, rather than a few very nice ones... a combo in the 200 dollar range will work great for most applications, some techniques higher end gear is helpful, but you can do without... Mitch

I wouldn't use a composite framed reel for frogs and heavy t-rigs... it probably would hold up just fine... but what if it doesn't... aluminum frame and gear side plate is proven to be able to take the abuse you are looking to do... check out the Lews Superduty... Mitch

Technique specific rods in my boat just means one rod for one technique, like a jerkbait rod, it has a rod, reel and line that will allow me to fish the bait most effectively... same thing for jigs/t-rigs, and spinnerbaits/swimjigs, or punching etc... I honestly dont have an all purpose rod left in my boat. i believe this helps increase efficiency on the water... Mitch

Leech... only big lake in mn where 5 fish limits routinely reach 25+ lbs... (mille lacs is close) mitch

Glad these guys are going to be ok. I probably stay out too long during bad weather, but once the lightning starts to ground strike, or the thunder becomes more violent thats it for me i head to shelter... Mitch

I use the owner 5/0 twist lock keel weighted, and they work great for me... Mitch

I fish a lot of clear water lakes in MN which should be relatively similar to the lakes you are fishing... If the lakes has quite a bit if weeds, this is where i spend most of my time, I find the inside weed edge in spring and cast reaction baits like spinners/ squarebills, typically i match the hatch with size and color so either a bluegill/perch or a shiner pattern works well in these lakes, my most productive techniques in clear water is the dropshot with a senko or finesse worm, or a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig in watermelon or green pumpkin with a flash of color, red and blue seem to work well. later in the year find the outside weed edge and jig/dropshot works great here as well as a deep crank or spinnerbait. in super clear water finesse seems to be the ticket... if your lakes have a lot of rocks, crankbaits/football jigs/shakeyhead, and the C-rig produce very well for me, also jerkbaits work great in grass lakes and rock lakes... hope this helps some... Mitch

I Like the superduty quite a bit... but for casting the BB1 is a great reel... Mitch

Havoc Craw Fatty Havoc Pitt Boss SK Rodent ( that Rage Bug looks pretty good too though ) Mitch

I like moderate fast that way the rod doesn't break... or at least not as easily... Mitch

Topwater(frog/spook/popper) I am always looking for the big mamma's early in the morning... Mitch

Hey now I get enough calculous in class, i don't need to see it on here too... lol good stuff man wear the nerd badge proudly... Mitch

I fish big swim baits quite a bit... When i am Muskie fishing... i have caught a few bass on them, the biggest was around 6, but i dont think i would use one in a tourney in MN unless i have a sack full of 5 lbers and need a kicker... out east, out west, down south i would give them a fair share in the rotation... Mitch

your thinking is correct, but the magnitude of the effect you are talking about may be a little off. say you have the 9:1 ratio like the rocket has, by increasing the size of the handle you will effectively" slow down" the reel, but it may slow it down to the speed equivalent of an 8.5:1 or an 8:1, but you will have better leverage when reeling than you had before without totally sacrificing the speed of the reel. In my opinion it is a better mix of Power and speed. But apparently it already comes with a 95mm handle so upgrading may not be necessary...

it does not effect performance to take them out other than limiting the reels casting versatility. 2 screws, give it a try if it works leave it, if not put them back in... Mitch

nice i was thinking high 5's great fish especially on light tackle they are a lot of fun... Mitch

Havoc/Netbait/bigbites Mitch

For bottom contact, quite a bit. for moving baits, not too much... Mitch

I would use it for jigs/t-rigs and hollow body frogs, i would most likely upgrade the handle to a longer 90+mm to increase the torque... Mitch

I try to keep "noise pollution" to a minimum when I am out on the water, and actually I do this for the most part every day no matter where I am, I don't like loud obnoxious people so I chose not to be one myself... If I do listen to music when fishing it is on headphones (usually country, Lionel Richie, CCR, 3 Dog Night...) so I don't bother or negatively effect the fishing and or anybody else's experience out on the water... Think of it this way, you are deer hunting on public land, and some guy brings a boom box out to the woods and jams out right next to your stand... is he doing something illegal? No... but is it still wrong? Yes... at least this is the way I think about it... Mitch

Yes there is... go fishing the monkey leaves you alone for the most part until you need to replenish supplies. but it seems each year the monkey comes back in the off season and is bigger and more demanding than the previous year... funny how that happens... Mitch