MN Fisher

I do about 3" - but ya...make sure there's some space for 'slippage' before the braid clamps tight on the FC.

Ya - Tonka should be open by the weekend. Quick dip down, then back up to start April off with a bang.

In that instance here's what I'd do Strip off some insulation a couple inches back from the plug full circumference of the wires. Wind a good length of the stripped end of the wire to the meter around the now bare wires. Touch of solder to secure and protect the electrical connection. Liquid Tape to create new insulation around the connection.

Not keeping the braid tight enough? While looping the braid over the FC, the tightness starts the 'bite in'.

For an all-around reel - I prefer a 7-ratio. 6-ratio I use for crankbaits, 7-ratio is what I use for jigs, moving baits, jerkbaits, T-Rigs, topwaters...pretty much everything else except tossing lures into thick weeds...then I go with an 8-ratio.

Add Pflueger Supreme to that - I have one and it's one of my MH/F rigs.

Ya - I actually tallied up the fishing boats in my neighborhood (2 block radius) last year. 2 Lund 3 Crestliner 1 Tracker 2 Smoker Craft 1 Ranger 1 Triton 1 Lowe

Very nice - now you know that being dockless doesn't mean being fishingless. Only one of the four main launch points I use has a dock (Little Long), so it's pretty much wet-feet most of the time.

As of about 2 hours ago Emerald and Seton are open Black Lake is 70% Spring Park Bay is still under 50% Cooks Bay is also under 50% The Surfside and Mist ramps are still unusable - ice blown up against the shore. Didn't get a chance to check Phelps.

Of my six BC reels - 2 are Diawa and the rest are Pflueger...though I am looking at upgrading from the Pres and Pres-XT as I get the cash.

Diawa Fuego CT - the Magforce-Z system is probably the easiest and most 'reliable' magnetic brake system in the $100 range for reels. My crankbait rig has a Fuego CT-H (6.3:1 26.3IPT) on a Fury 705CB

I have a preference for certain reels based on budget/quality. All but one of my reels is magnetic, that last one is dual - magnetic and centrifugal; Pflueger Patriarch that I bought used for a great price.

For most crankbaits, I like the IPT to be between 25" and 29". The 5.6 is 23IPT and the 6.8 is 28IPT - so I'd go with the 6.8. The 5.6 is more suited to deep-cranks IMO.

Whelp - it's over and done with https://www.npr.org/2021/03/29/982174644/ever-given-partially-afloat-as-salvage-teams-race-to-reopen-suez-canal

Pressure-treated 1x4 - $4 for a 4' length https://www.homedepot.com/p/WeatherShield-1-in-x-4-in-x-4-ft-Appearance-Grade-Cedar-Tone-Pressure-Treated-Board-314585/303606839

With fishing ramping up due to ice-out over a wide range of the north, this is timely info...thanks Glenn.

Nice to know someone is going out tomorrow. Errand today - status of waters I passed. Cooks Bay - 30% clear Emerald Lake - 75% clear Black Lake - 60% clear Spring Park Bay - 25% clear So we're getting there. I've got some gluing to do before taking the canoe out - rubber on the trailer walkways and the canoe deck for non-skid. It needs to be 60+F and I'd do it tomorrow...except the wife assigned me a honey-do...so it'll be Friday before I can do the gluing. Maybe next Monday I can get out - check out the panfish situation and practice making maps with the Striker.

3: Dobyns Kaden - everything anyone has said about these is that they're much better than the Sierra for only a bit more.

That's gonna take more than some Bondo to fix.

I certainly hope Lynn is the only one who sees that.

Little roller-coaster ride this week

The BPS-370 divides down into 46 compartments - with one having my Silica Packs, that leaves up to 45 for hooks/weights/misc and is 1/2 the price - good for my budget.

No different than taking aquarium fish home from the shop in a plastic bag...just that the bag for bass has to be a bit bigger.

When I was using 3600 size boxes - I'd just put buzzbaits in a compartment (or 2) of a 3620 box.