Further North

I fished all the way around Snake Island yesterday, got bit off once on the SW corner, nothing other than that. Didn't see anyone else catch anything either, but there seemed to be a pretty consistent crowd working the west side of the island. Folks were catching walleye pretty consistently out at past 30 ft., and I did have one low 30s musky on for a bit. Conditions were not the best - hot, sunny, few clouds, Big storm blew through Friday afternoon. I'll go out late this afternoon, early evening to see if that makes any difference today.

Thanks all, I appreciate it!

Thank you!

I'll be headed over there for the weekend and will be fishing while my wife does thgns with her family...I'm not looking for spots, but if anyone has any advice on what tactics or presentations work, I'd be grateful.

Yup, that's it, right there. I love a mono/fluoro leader on my line, it's the best of both worlds...and the FG knot makes it just about bullet-proof. It takes a little more effort than some other knots...but I've been a "you get what you pay for" guy for a loooong time.

MickD - I agree with your assessments of the FG knot - and wish to highlight the comment about the micro guides...you are spot on. Is the FG an "everything" knot? Nope. But leader to braid, I've not found one better. Are they a little harder to tie than some other knots? Sure...but the day I start settling for the easy way when a little more effort gets me much better results...it's time to park me in a rocking chair.

I use a plastic bead rather than the glass ones - they are softer and less brittle than the glass ones and are easier on the knot and line.

I'll add another + for the Boomerang - I'e got a dozen sets of 3M scissors on the boat and the Boomerangs have replaced them for everything but wire leaders.

This season I've been using Lake Forks Parallelium FluoroHybrid FH 14#, 20# & 32# depending on what I'm fishing for and how I'm fishing...I like it quite a bit.

That is great info to have - thanks.

Agree - I can't recall the exact terminology, but aluminum that is bent quickly sort of "crystallizes" and is difficult to bend back without snapping. I recall something to the effect that very similar conditions to the original incident (which is nearly impossible to define) have to be recreated for a successful bend. I'm not an expert on this, so take it for what it's worth...but I left the slight bend in the skeg of that motor...never noticed any ill effects.

I do exactly the same with the same equipment...in fact I leave my batteries in the boat on on the charger during the winter. My last set of Interstates (I have 4, 3 for the trolling motor, one for the main motor and electronics) lasted 5 seasons.

Something I should have added - I've owned three 18 ft.-ish boats, fished out of several more...they were as different as could be within that size constraint. Storage, how they ran on the water... The first thing to do is figure out how you want to fish, then ID the stuff that'll drive you nuts...then go with the one that meets the first and has the fewest of the second...

Not sure about that...I use all kinds of technology when I fish: Modern welded hull aluminum boat Stainless steel props that are engineered and manufactured to do so much more than 1970s props it's amazing Modern, fuel efficient, quiet and low emissions 4 stroke outboard Two depth finders, with regular sonar, down imaging, side imaging, GPS with 1' increment mapping Humminbird 360° 36 volt trolling motor with GPS enabled features like Spot Lock, contour following, speed control and heading setting. Fishing lines with all kinds of enhancements over what I used in 1974, in mono, flurocarbon (didn't even exist when I was a kid) and super braids Fishing rods that are super light, super responsive and engineered to specific fishing techniques Fishing reels that are smaller, lighter, faster, have better controls and drags than anything that was available in the 60s and 70s. Computer designed manufactured lures that are far beyond what was available when I was a kid - soft plastics, hard baits...you name it Terminal tackle like tieable wire leaders, ultra tiny but extremely small swivels... A canoe that is so much lighter and more durable than the aluminum or fiberglass ones available when I was a kid that it's not even a fair comparison. A vehicle to tow it all to the boat ramp that has no problem moving the laod, yet still gets upper 20s in MPG day to day ...that's a quick baker's dozen...I'm sure others might find things I missed.

Boat size is less important than figuring out if the boat is set up well for how you fish...or the other things you might want to do with your boat. Is there room for your rods and tackle? Your other "stuff"? can the number of people you anticipate fishing with fish and manage their "stuff" without getting in each others way? Do you like a tiller for the massive amount of deck space, a full windshield for rid comfort when running, or a single/double console because the windshield gets in the way? Do you need two live wells...or one? Or none? For me, fishing is king - I want my tackle off the deck and out of the way, I want large front and rear casting decks, and I'll sacrifice the cozy ride of a full windshield for less restrictions on my fishing space. I want room for 5-6 rods on deck, I want a motor that goes at a decent pace but doesn't break the bank on fuel costs...I want a trolling motor that can handle an eighteen and a half foot boat in river current all day without running out of juice or becoming a slave to the current. I also don't want to be fiddling with that trolling motor all day, I want to set my route and fish...not worry about boat control. I want electronics that give me info about the structure below...but that don't get in my way while I'm fishing... I'm on my 6th boat...and I have all of that now...I wish I'd taken the time to think about it all before I started...but I did need to try different things to learn what I liked.

That's a great story (except the part about your dad cutting his hand). You'll like that Edge...should be perfect for your application.

Between the Alberto and the uni-to-uni, I'd pick the Alberto. Add the FG to the equation and I'd pick that, especially with heavier leaders.

No need to defend - I understood that. I'd just hate to see someone skip at least trying the FG knot based on a declaration...I find it much easier to tie than the blood knot, or back to back uni, a lot stronger and that it goes through guides (especially micro guides) better...so it works for me. ...but keep in mind that most of my leaders are fairly heavy fluoro or wire as I live where most of the water is infested with large toothy fish )thank God!). I think the FG ties much better on heavier line.

For you, maybe...not for others...

I use braid at the same diameter (not line strength) as the leader, than 4' - 6' of fluoro or mono leader if I'm in clear water or the fish seem line shy. I see no reason to spend the extra $$$ to spool with thin diameter braid when I'm using a leader...doesn't make sense to me...and I benefit from stronger line if I snag bottom or structure. Also...similar diameter lines join better...

...not sure on bass (I only use a leader for finesse presentations in clear water for bass...and it's alway diameter based, not break strength based...and therefore much less that the braid the leader is tied to)...but on toothy fish it's for resistance to line abrasion. When you tie into a 36" - 48" or bigger pike pike or musky, the teeth and gill rakers can slice a thin line like it's not even there... I either use tieable stainless, or 80# - 100# fluoro for those applications... There's not much that's more disconcerting than hooking into a 25# - 30# musky and having it break the line before you can get the lure out of it's mouth...first...the lure cost a bunch of $$$...second and much more important...that lure stuck in the fish's face can kill it...and there's no toothy fish angler worth his tackle that wants that to happen to a fish that's a couple of decades old...

It might be a wee bit more complex that that if the 5# bass wraps the line around a dock support, a sunken log, or runs it across a rock pile...also...it might be worth figuring out what stresses are put on a line during a hook-set (hint: it's more than the fish weighs...way more...). I use braid that is roughly the same diameter as the reel is designed for...for a coupla reasons: It'd be stupid expensive to put 10# braid on a reel designed for 12# mono... Given that the line diameter is the same, why not get the extra strength? I don't loose lures with "50# rope"...the hook will bend before the line will break...

Interesting...all the rods I've ordered from STP came in solid fiber tubes... Question: Are we talking "cardboard" (ceral box material) or corrugated (what most boxes are made of)? I ask because there's a huge difference. A triangular corrugated tube is way more than a fishing rod needs unless the shipper screws up massively. There is no stacking strength to worry about, and burst strength is fine unless the shipper does something stupid...

I'm going to guess that it was really corrugated and not cardboard (the stuff they make cereal boxes out of). A triangular corrugated container is pretty tough, will get the job done for a fishing rod unless the carrier fouls it up spectacularly. ...I've ordered rads from Temple Forks Outfitters via Amazon, arrived in a similar package, it was fine...After 32 years in the packaging business, you won't get better unless it ships in a 1/4" think solid fiber tube...and those bad boys are expensive.

So far (about 2 months into using the FG knot) I would say that it is at least as strong as the Alberto...and slimmer without question. I've used it on bass (30# - 50# braid to 10# - 17# fluro) and pike/musky (50# - 65# braid to 80# fluoro or 30# - 50# tieable stainless leader material like Surflon or Tyger Wire). It's a bit more of a chore to tie...but it goes through guides better than an Alberto and hold on tight.