punch

My current favorite dropshot baits are: PowerTeam's Hammer Shad & Tickler, roboworm, 4" senko, berkley powerbait minnow, berkley gulp minnow (great on crappies)

Correct, which is more like a 2000 series with most other reel companies. Pfluger's sizes are weird.

There's a color I've NOT caught fish with. I don't think it really matters too much.

https://www.amazon.com/Pflueger-Supreme-XT-Spinning-Reel/dp/B00LDYK7CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496161057&sr=8-1&keywords=Pflueger+Supreme+XT Pflueger Supreme XT (sealed reel) is on sale on Amazon right now for $97! Seems like a stout reel for $100. Very light too.

Spent the weekend in Isle Bay on Mille Lacs camping & fishing. The weather was not great (wind/rain) and my boat isn't very big so I was kinda relegated to fishing little nooks where the wind wasn't so terrible. I really wanted to find smallies but they proved to be illusive for me with the conditions and lack of mobility. I did manage to catch a nice 4lber fishing from the bank though! The walleye bite is just insane on that lake. I boated a ton of eaters and some big tanks on drop shots, ned rigs and swimbaits. They were eating everything and in all sorts of depths. Mille Lacs is such a fun lake. You never know what's going to happen every time you cast! Can't wait to go back.

What's the code?

I went out this morning on Big Lake for a few hours and we did really well shallow (like less than 8') with a dropshot and minnow-style plastics. I was using a finesse worm and didn't get bit, but we changed to a power team hammer shad and started catching a lot of bass. I got no action on topwater or square bills. I did get a few nice bites and one good fish on a crappie colored swim jig in about 9-10' on the outside of a growing weed line. Was a fun morning!

Wow, this is a VERY good deal. Lordy.

I got a campsite booked Friday-Sunday on Mille Lacs down at Father Hennepin. Taking the wife and kids and the boat (and the RV). Plan on chasing walleye and smallies all weekend down in the southeast corner. Can't wait.

That's actually a pretty good deal, BUT you have to be into the camo look.

Nice Job Frydog! Shot you a PM btw. I went out on Big Marine yesterday with my kids on my parents pontoon and we hammered some really nice sized panfish. Kept a bunch for future camping fish fry's. I really like that lake.. the boat ramp is fantastic and it's not super busy. Then I went out myself on Crooked in the evening for a couple hours but that was a mistake. The lake was pounded with pressure/boat traffic all weekend and the fish were NOT having it. They wouldn't touch anything moving and the only 3 fish I caught were fishing a weighted wacky worm in like 3 feet of water really really slowly. It was nice to get out though and toss a baitcaster around. Yeah the ramp at Sarah is VERY sketchy. Pretty cool lake though.

I highly doubt that but ya never know.. some people are idiots. I'm going out Sunday evening somewhere in the North Metro, probably George. Happy opener everyone!

I've never fished it.. Want some company on that new rig of yours?

Skol! It's a signed John Randal helmet actually. My favorite player of all time.

I did a video showing of my stuff for this summer.

Looks like you should talk to this guy..

I might just hit George or something for the Sunday evening bite. I finished doing line on my rods the other day and did a quick video about my baitcast rods I'll be using this year... just for fun.

The Storm Chug Bug is a little beefier and casts REALLY well. Plus it has a very loud rattle. My only suggestion is to upgrade the tail hooks to something sharper. If you got some $$ to spend... the Megabass Pop Max is a heck of a popper and also heavier. It can be walked and popped.

Saturday I wont be able to get out. I committed to taking the kids to a family event then my wife and I have a date night booked in the evening. Sunday I plan on fishing ALL DAY though. Somewhere in the North Metro... I haven't decided yet.

Looks like a good time.. and the weather was great! I didn't get out this weekend but we did take the RV out camping.

So, Cabela's does the "employee pricing in store" sales a few times a year and they can be VERY good. The only catch is that you won't know what the actual price is until you take things to check out and have the cashier ring them up OR get an employee to scan the price and do the employee price lookup on their portable pricing guns. The price you'll pay item to item varies so it's really a total gamble. I've used this sale in the past on higher end rods/reels/equipment and that's where you'll find the juiciest prices. Where did you hear they are doing that sale this weekend? Sometimes they have signs up in the store but don't advertise it online.

To be fair Abu did say right on their website that the sale was for "a limited time"

What are some good fishing podcasts?

Spybaits. This will be the first year I throw them and definitely a technique that is not popular in my area.

Abu must have all new models coming out soon. Their stuff is on sale/clearance all over the place.