MN Fisher

You mean like this? He stole a Ratlin' Rap 07 in Bluegill from me.

@Chris Cervino - as demonstrated here, you'll find that roadwarrior is a lover of GIFS...he plants them everywhere. Kent...not much to say? (snicker)

Ya - they say that Nicotine is WAY more addictive than even Heroin or Cocaine.

Dunno what other forums you've been on - but Glenn and the mods take a dim view of 'bashing' here.

Nope - I've got 7' casting rods that range from 8 guides (Diawa Aird-X and Laguna) to 11 guides (Dobyns Fury 705CB) and 7' spinning rods that range from 7guides (Okuma Reflexions) to 11 guides (Dobyns Fury 702SF)

There's this thing called 'back-reeling' that some people do. They don't use the drag, they use the ability to reel backwards, letting line out at their desired rate, to fight the fish.

Parents both smoked - friend in school got me started at age 10. Here I am, 50+ years later still smoking. Tried various methods - patch gives me a rash, OTC gum and tablets give me 'Tijuana Two-Step'...as does the prescription meds, hypnosis has never worked on me...'too grounded' the last one who tried said...tried cold-turkey and turned into a right b-tard and the wife told me to go buy some as she couldn't handle me that way. It doesn't affect me much...I don't wheeze, my EKG's are text-book normal...just a bit lowing of my endurance is all I've noticed.

Sounds like Jaguars...

Running them along the weed-lines...I catch more pike with them than bass.

Yep - that whole group of algae grows best when there's an excess of nutrients in the water...gray water is LOADED with the kind of stuff they love.

Set the rod aside - let it dry - and BURN IT OFF. I hate that stuff - more so when I had to identify the exact species through taxonomy when I was taking my aquatic biology classes...do you have any IDEA how many different species of that 'muck' there are?

One thing to note - overuse of certain herbicides can lead to resistance. "3. Repeated use of herbicides with the same mode of action can lead to herbicide-resistance. Certain hybrid Eurasian watermilfoil genotypes have been documented as resistant. Lake Minnetonka has seven hybrids currently documented." https://lmcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Item-1a-WS-LakeVegetationAISManagementPlan_06_18_2020-FINALREV-PRINTABLE.pdf (Page 3-5)

My first thought is an failed gasket seal...which can happen hours/days/weeks after installation.

Three harvesting barges are worked by the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District - a group governed by reps from the bordering towns. They work public shorelines and contracted areas on the entire lake. Harvested milfoil is taken to composting sites in the area. "The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors composed of one member appointed by the City Councils of the 14 municipalities that border Lake Minnetonka." http://ci.shorewood.mn.us/government/boards_and_commissions/lake_minnetonka_conservation_district.php LMCD's homepage - https://lmcd.org/ There's also private firms, licensed by the DNR, who do manual harvesting. One guy does private docks and businesses literally by hand...he goes down in SCUBA gear and pulls them root-and-stem by the arm full. People and businesses on the lake are also able to apply for permits to use approved chemical treatments. All weed removal activities must be approved by the LMCD or MNDNR and certain restrictions are in effect. https://lmcd.org/lake-shore-owners/managing-lake-vegetation/ Effective? Well, they're keeping up with growth, but they haven't gained much ground

I've got a President-25 which is my finesse reel, and the President XT-30 which is on my Medium/Fast rig (as stated above) Now the President is the older model, I think it was 2019 when they made a change and the quality seems to have suffered. The XT is the 2020 Limited edition and it's been solid with no problems at all. I've no experience with the 'handle tightness' issue others have stated, both reels have been smooth and easy to work.

I don't palm my reels, so the physical size doesn't matter. I'm in the camp that says 'Rods have a handle - that's where the hand goes.' But - whatever - if you're a palmer, go for it.

I have two Fuego CTs - a 6.3 which is my crankbait reel, and a 8.1 which is my flip/pitch/punch/frog reel. Both have been solid, dependable, and the MagForce-Z braking is a joy to use...almost as good as the dual-braking on my Patriarch. For a $100 reel, I don't think you can do better.

IMO - the gear ratio to get your first BC in doesn't matter as much as the quality of the reel itself. 6.8 to 7.3 is 'middle of the road' currently and is good for a wide variety of presentations. Slower reels are primarily for crankbaits and fast one for situations where you want to get the lure back as quickly as possible - like pitching or frogging in heavy weeds. I may have six BC reels - but only 3 speed 'groups' - I have one 6.3, three in the 7.1 to 7.3 range and two in the 7.9 to 8.1 range...pretty much covers everything I toss. Only reason to get a 5-ratio reel is for really deep crankbaits or for large swimbaits - which also require a specialized rod - so you have the power needed to retrieve them. Higher the gear ratio, the less power you have - like an auto or motorcycle...low gear ratio gives you more torque, high gear ratio gives you more speed.

I'd still do regular changes - and a filter check, I 'baby' my truck - 2001 Silverado with 210k - mainly because I can't afford to replace it...so it gets regular service-checks whether something feels 'off' or not.

(blinks) Even the best reels need regular maintenance That's like saying a Bentley or Ferrari never needs an oil change or tune-up.

I've got a President XT Limited Edition in size 30 on my Fury 703. It's been a solid reel for weightless plastics, shaky heads and light finesse jigs.

I dunno about now-a-days, but back when I lived in West Warwick, Matteson Pond and Tiogue Lake in Coventry were both good places to catch a number of different species.

Okay - got it - blame it on some sleep deprivation that made me think you were referring to BC rigs. I'll back out now...

Ummm - Mick - topic has 'spinning' in it. FWIW. My L/F Procyon and my ML/MF Reflexions ARE my crappie rods as well as being used for bass.

I'd also add flip/pitch to the H/F with 50# I'd swap the techniques of the MH/F and MH/MF - I prefer a moderate to moderate-fast action for treble lures...add cranks to it's repertoire as well. The M/F spinning - I'd keep the T-Rigs to 3/8oz weights or less, use the MH/F for anything heavier. Dobyns Fury 704C or St Croix Bass-X 7'1" MH/F would be top of my list at that price-point