MN Fisher

A little bit - backyard wheat field here in MN

I know - it's growing still. 13 rigs for this next year, 10 for the canoe, 3 for shore...and one of those on a different rod (that I do have) can add to the canoe for 11 there.

It's not a rule so much as a strong suggestion. You can cast lighter and heavier than that...but - lighter won't load the rod well and your casting distance will suffer - heavier and you won't want to try and 'reach orbit', but swing lighter with the rod as to not overload it. Far as the T-Rig example I posted - mid-point of your rod would be .56oz - so the .62oz of the 5" Senko and 1/4 weight is still in the 'middle-third' of the rod rating...so you're still good.

Ya - if you're going to target 'toothy critters' like pike, walleye and even bowfin...a wire leader is pretty much manditory.

Definitely - I've gotten 9-12# pike on a Medium rig with 8#-10# test. Takes a bit to get them in...no 'horsing' them to the boat...but it can be done.

Big Yak like that - I'd go trailer. For my 14' canoe, bought a PWC trailer and did some mods, including HDPE slides over the bunks.

Definitely the MH then - especially for the frogs in weeds...you'll need the power to pull them out. Getting more detailed on the T-Rig. A rod's best casting is when the weight of the lure is close to the mid-point of it's rating A rod rated 1/4oz to 1oz has it's mid-point at 5/8oz... 0.625oz A 1/4oz weight (0.25oz) with a 5" Senko (0.37oz) totals 0.62oz Wow - right about the mid-point for the rod. I don't drop to Medium for T-Rigs unless it's a 3/16oz or less weight with lighter worms. 1/4oz with 5" plus goes on my MH rig.

It is - though I use Strike King Banshee's myself in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz.

Or finesse techniques - my spinning rig arsenal runs from Light to Medium-Heavy, my casting rig arsenal runs Medium to Heavy. My shore-rigs for bass or panfish are a Medium-Light spinner, a Medium spinner and a Medium baitcaster.

1/4oz weight then the worm? A 5" Senko weighs just over 1/3oz - so your total is going to be over 1/2oz - you should be fine using the MH rod for that.

Gear ratio doesn't mean much in the end...inches per turn (IPT) is the factor. Example - I have three spinning reels, all with a 5.4:1 ratio...but three different retrieve rates: 22IPT, 25IPT and 29IPT - all depends on the reel size: 1000, 2000 and 3000 in this case. Personally, I like 29+IPT for spinnerbaits. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I would toss a 3/8oz spinnerbait on a MH rod...most of your Medium power rods are rated to 5/8oz or 3/4oz lures. A 3/8oz spinnerbait with a decent size trailer is going to be 5/8oz or more, so casting with a Medium rod is problematical. I'd also want to have 10# test if not 12# for that size lure if not braid with or without a 12# or so leader. The spinning rig I'll use for 3/8 and 1/2 spinnerbaits is the 3000 size reel on a MH/F rod, 20#braid with a 12# leader. He's talking more like the Strike King Tour Grade or Booyah Blade. Beetle Spins are a whole 'nother animal.

I occasionally toss spinnerbaits on spinning gear - main thing you have to be sure of is that the rod you're using is rated to toss that lure. 1/4oz spinnerbaits I toss on a Medium power, heavier than that I go to a Medium-Heavy.

All depends on who Steve Parks (inventor/patent holder of the Rage flange) has authorized/licensed. He mainly deals with Strike King, but he has final say in who can produce it, not SK.

That might not be quite enough - but lengthen the legs a little, make the snout a little more pointy...then you'd be good...maybe. It's a gray area for the most part, but as @roadwarriorsaid - patented parts are a definite no-no - so putting Rage's flange style on a Yum lizard would get you into all sorts of trouble.

(Snort)

Missed this part. Blood clots in the limbs that break loose and travel the blood-stream can cause a heart attack - the clot reaches the heart and it goes 'URK'. Happened to my dad...he survived, but has been on blood-thinners for the past 30 years to prevent this happening again. Go see a doc...STAT.

Nope - got rid of my SCUBA gear years ago...

@A-Jay - you're up again... Question - how old are you. I went into the Air Force at a couple months shy of 21 (did 2 years college before that) at 6'1" and 142#. Came out 4 years later at 165, married 6 years after that weighing 180...now at 61 years old I'm 195. I never worked out a ton, but I do enough to keep fairly toned. Sometimes you won't get to your 'ideal' weight until you're older.

I thought that was Paul's ( @slonezp's ) job?

Right now? My current producer, Berkley Pit Boss. I've got some others I'm going to be trying this coming year, so we'll see if 'the old stand-by' holds up.

I've had carp and the non-bottom dwellers are fairly tasty...but the same issue I have with pike applies here - lots of LITTLE bones. I think this is gonna crash-n-burn - and waste money.

I thought we were suppose to 'share the wealth', Kent?

I've used them on swim jigs and chatterbaits. Not that I've caught anything with them - my best producer on a swim jig is a Berkley Pit Boss.

Poor baby - you want our weather instead?

Rated 'Medium' power - down to 1/8oz lure...little more than I like for Neds, but should work fine.