MN Fisher

Wake me when Ice-Out is declared?

Ya - same issue with me. They tried three different brands that supposedly worked well - weighted lenses so they don't 'spin' around every time you blink...but they didn't work for me. It's bad enough I gotta pay for two lenses when I only have one eye now...going contacts would just exacerbate the issue.

Walleye, Pike, Perch and Crappie are the big draws for ice fishing around here. Further north is where you start running into the Lake Trout areas. Tonka has rental ice-shacks available...usually from the marinas and guide services - way for them to make money when boats can't be used. Mall of America, Nicollet Ave downtown, 50th and France in Edina (upscale) - we got shopping galore up here. Just a few of the fish caught though the ice on Minnetonka We got good crappie too

The minnows and leeches the shops sell comes from licensed dealers. Some are tank raised while others are collected in the wild - but there's a whole bunch of regulations they must meet. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/commercial/minnowdealer/index.html While there's native earthworms across the country - Minnesota's earthworm population was exterminated when the glaciers came through...species from Asia and Europe arrived with the first settlers in the area. Our native plant species depend on something that earthworms destroy so disposing of the unused worms in the trash helps protect those native species. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html Purchased bait be used anywhere, but it's up to the purchaser to follow the regs and dispose/transfer their bait in a safe manner to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Actually, they're doing everything they can to halt or at least slow down the spread of invasive species like Zebra Mussels. Bait can be had just about anywhere around here. There's one tackle shop and three convenience stores within 2 miles of me that sell worms, grubs and minnows...one of those convenience stores even has minnows tanked...not bagged.

Or maybe you're just getting nosy in your old age?

According to their site - the 1.5 runs 1'-3', the 2.5 runs 3'-5' https://13fishing.com/scamp-squarebill-crank-5

Oh you can dig them up - but they're not native and you can't return them to the ground. Earthworms | Minnesota DNR https://www.dnr.state.mn.us › terrestrialanimals › earth... All of the terrestrial earthworms in Minnesota are non-native, invasive species from Europe and Asia (there is a native aquatic species that woodcock eat).

Lot of effort for a single day's use. MN - we can harvest our own minnows, but has to be used on the same body of water you caught them in, and any left over has to either be thrown in the trash or all the water in your bucket replaced with tap or bottled water at the lake/pond/stream/whatever...no taking the water from the source anywhere.

Glasses from the time I was 12, went to bifocals at 40 and trifocals at 50. Then at 54 was diagnosed with 'choroidal melanoma' - this is a cancer on the inside of my right eye, behind the retina on the sclera (the white part of your eye). At 56 had the eye removed.

Catching is a bonus...being out on the lake is my 'down time' from the real world.

So you're not playing this year to give the rest of us a better chance....right? Right???

Well, after last year when I really couldn't spend anything on tackle and rigs cause it was going into the F-9 rebuild....I decided to splurge a little this year.

Mud Crawler!

If they're scattered across all five groups...2 or more in the same group, better learn some new names.

First year I entered - I knew about 3 names.

My main go-to. Between points, and the rebate they were running on St. Croix rods - I paid $21 for the new Tat-CT.

Probably the same place I got my one used and two new Victorys, one of my three Mojos, My Tatula 100 and my Tatula CT

I would ask - but between six new rods and six new reels, I'm tapped out for this year.

Advance wasn't out when Chris did this test years ago - but he make a chart of his findings.

You can find some good deals used. One of the three Victorys I picked up this year was a used one from a shop I can't mention for $150 total.

Knots with FC are problematic as it is - tying FC to FC is just asking for trouble.

Go back to school - it's 25%

Just mis-translated...both are Japanese sites with A.I. translation - probably Google. The knob on the handle side only adjusts the spool tension - the dial on the right adjusts the brakes.

Fancy spool tension knob - not a brake knob. The brakes are on the other side.