MN Fisher

Given the 'World Wide Web' - I don't even think Oz or Kiwi-Land are far enough.

Buzzbaits should be fine - but IMO definitely too fast for a Plopper...I do Ploppers/Choppos on a 6.3 actually.

First time my future-wife cooked a meal at my place - she scratch-made fettuccine alfredo - we were married a little over a year later...in 1990.

If I was to go with one of the castables - I'd use my Tablet instead of my phone...8" screen.

I grew up the reverse (I'm probably close to your dad's age) - Rare was normal, sister wanted med-rare - medium-well was 'oh gods, it's ruined', well done was likened to charcoal...

By that definition, FishUSA and 'the unmentionable one' are also 'mom and pop' businesses as they only have a single location each.

Latest news "Fishermen Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky, accused of packing weights into fish in an attempt to win nearly $30,000 at an Ohio tournament, pleaded not guilty Wednesday." Ya, the charges are felonies - but 5th degree....12 months in prison and $2,500 in fines - WHAT! Though if found guilty of the raw fillets found - loss of license indefinitely. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/26/1131624458/walleye-fishermen-plead-not-guilty-in-cheating-scandal

Nope - while you might be able to mount a spinning reel on it, the guides on a casting reel are much smaller at the reel end. Your spinning reel would have major issues trying to let line out properly.

"The Marshall" is a great all-around rod, can do a lot with it...since it retails for $200, I'd say go for it.

If you can find them used, I'd go for it. I got my 73HMF used (place I can't name...rules) and the 15 year transferable warranty did transfer...so I've got 13+ years of warranty on it. Paid $143 including tax, and it's pristine - can't find anything wrong with it.

Hate to tell you, but Omnia isn't a 'mom and pop' place. The CEO co-founded Contour Innovations - which developed lake mapping software and was purchased by Lowrance in 2014 The COO was a sales manager for Lowrance for many years The Head of Merchandising was a sales rep for Daiwa for a number of years - if you watch any 'Bass Utopia' videos, you know him as Polish Pete. Definitely not a 'mom and pop' operation. https://www.omniafishing.com/who

Second latest series released, latest is the new iteration of the Legend Tournament. Victory line first came out early last year with a new blank process. I've got the 7'3" H/MF and it's light and well balanced...have two more Victory's on my wishlist for BF...definitely a step up from the Mojo. If it matters - the Mojos are built in Mexico at a St. Croix owned facility - the Victorys are built in Wisconsin.

Wait for the Black Friday sales and you can get a Victory for just a little more than that Mojo is now.

Did he enjoy the weather down there? I was at Lackland from mid-August to end of September 1980....felt like I was melting every day.

Or at least what passes for normal here.

Everything needs practice...I practice pitching in my backyard on days I can't go out to wet a line. It will help - but before I got my Fury 765, I'd do pitching with my 7'0" Aird-X H/F...so it's not necessary. The reel on the Aird-X is a Fuego-CT, the one on the Fury 765 is a CA-80....don't need an expensive reel. I'd up that - you might be having a bit of dig-in with braid that thin on a casting reel...I'd go to 40#...I've actually got 50# on the CA-80 and our fish are about the same size as yours...9# here would be the new state record.

Bad enough putting a Daiwa reel on a Shimano rod (or the other way around)...but you want to mix parts on a reel?

I'd second the Aird-X - I have a 6'6" Medium spinning that I still use for bass shore fishing. Not too much more and you can get Okuma Relexions - I've got 2 of the 'A' series spinning rods. One is part of my crappie arsenal (7'0" ML/MF) and the other is one of my bass rods (7'0" MH/F).

No matter where I go, when I order steak I have three ways of telling them how rare I want it. "When I stick a fork in it, it should try to moo." "Threaten it with the flames." "Heck with it, just bring me a cow and a butcher knife."

Ya - where it's allowed. Can't use that rig in MN and spider rigs from a boat are also illegal. Check your state's regulations.

When I go after crappie with a slip-rig from shore - I start around 4', fan cast the area...if not even nibbles, add 2' and try again. Some places I fish, I'm down to 10'-12' before I find them

I feel for you man - my one bout of pneumonia was back around 1972 but it sucked cow dung. The two times I got the shot, I was sick as a dog for over a week...don't get the shot, and what ever I 'catch' I'm over in 2-3 days - needless to say I've given up on getting the flu shot...but I am current with my Covid - got my latest booster 2 weeks ago.

Best of both worlds - Thill weighted slip bobber

Training for a new job in Venice?