MN Fisher

I don't doubt it - looking at the manual, the Helix 5 pulls 650 ma - so to run it an hour takes 650MaH - or .65AH. Rechargeable batteries hold about 2000ma - so, 3 hours is about the limit for a charge. Need to get a battery that holds more - a 12v 9AH battery ($20-$40 depending on brand) will run that Helix for about 13 hours.

This is exactly what I do.

Someone in MN actually posted that question to the DNR - here's the answer. Q: Since walleye, bass and pike seasons are now closed, can I still fish in waters where they swim? A: The closure of seasons for different species of fish at different times is designed to minimize pressure on those species when they are at their most vulnerable, usually during a time surrounding their spawning season. For instance, pike and walleye spawn in the early spring, while ciscoes and lake trout spawn in the fall, and closures or seasonal limitation reflect that. It is unlawful to target or fish for a species during the closed season. However, it is possible that you may catch a walleye during the closed season when you are legally fishing for a species that is open, such as crappies or perch. As long as the protected (closed season) fish was not targeted and is immediately returned to the water, there is no violation. If you are fishing for crappies or perch and find yourself only or repeatedly catching a fish for which the season is closed, it is best to change your tactics or location to minimize the impact on that species during their time needed to spawn, and stay on the right side of the law. Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit. ----- Since the MN DNR in cooperation with the local Sheriffs departments regularly patrol the lakes - it's best to just avoid those species whose seasons are closed.

We're a bit earlier here - mid May (Mother's Day weekend) for C&R, Memorial Weekend for keepers. Walleye and Northern open mid May. So from ice-out till then, it's panfish only.

Last coat of the top-color is drying on the rear seat now...and I've got the electronics mostly finished Backside of panel Panel mounted, fishfinder mounted, tablet in it's mount - with power cord connected, and framing the 'Ryobi' on my drill/driver is the camera mount...and yes, there's a power cord for that too. Now I just gotta terminate at the battery end and that part is all done.

Still painting the rear seat - but starting to mount things on the center. Was tired of the paddle just knocking around the bottom of the canoe, so a couple spring-loaded tool clamps and it's off the floor, out of the way, and handy when I need/want it.

Which is my baseline as I get out maybe once a week during season - I think I got out 10 times last year, all for 4 hours or less.

Another thread put up the link to this year's flyer - sale starts March 12. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/online-catalogs?catalogCode=BassPro/SFC_20_19_tab Yes, it's legit - on page three it shows seminars on 'Saturday March 14' - which IS this year...last year the 14th was a Thursday. Page two has the trade in chart.

I do a general maintenance on mine every winter. Just a quickie really...take off the side-plate, remove the spool. Check the spool bearing(s)/bushing(s) - clean and oil if needed. Check the level-wind bearing(s)/bushing(s) - clean and oil if needed. Clean and oil the level-wind itself...it always gets 'gunky' after a year. You should have gotten the schematics with the reel - and you can find videos on Youtube about how to service your reel...sometimes a vid about your EXACT reel is available. If things start to get grimy, then I'll think about doing a full takedown/rebuild...or sending it to someplace like DVT.

Nice canoe, and you can do lots with it. Far as electronics, I'm at the 'bottom tier'. Minnkota Endura 30 for propulsion and a Hook 2-4 for fishfinder. I do have a group 27, 75AH Deep Cycle for power, but that runs the TM, Sonar, Tablet (where I have my GPS contour maps) and will also be running a camera this next year. Since I'm never out more than 4 hours - at least for the foreseeable future, it's more than enough. Get some ideas and go wild - I know @Goose52 has, and I took inspiration from him when I planed out mine - though I'm doing some more work this winter to 'improve' it. Last season's configuration.

Part of the whole new system is cameras - as shown in the previous post. Well, I wanted one to be 'on' me and got a clip on mount...but it was unwieldy. So decided to cobble together a 'hat-cam' using my Bonnie. Here's the set-up, and test of it while I do some painting on the seat-base that featured in the previous vid.

Dobyns Sierra 766FLIP - 7'6" Heavy-Flip/Fast - 1/4oz-2oz - $180 retail

I don't replace trebles unless they really need them - most of my treble-lures are Rapala which come with VMC hooks anyway (Rapala owns VMC, so it's a no-brainer). When I do need replacements, Owner ST-36.

Case in point - got the 5-pack of BPS squarebills. Open it up to find that the front hooks were mis-shaped. Instead of them forming a triangle looking at them from below, they formed a 'T' shape. Of course I replaced them with Owner ST-36s.

NOW you've jinxed it...

If you're hard on your gear, expect breakage that's not covered under warranty. A guide, even a top-of-the-line one isn't THAT expensive to get replaced.

X4...or X5...whatever. Soon as it arrives, or I'm home if I've shopped local, it comes out of it's package and into the appropriate box.

IF I was going to put braid on a 3000/MH spinning rig - 12#-15#...no need for more.

Add to that - the 'Saturday March 14' seminar. 2019 had March 14 on a Thursday.

That will...but what I do is give the filler-spool a good spraying a couple days before I spool up the reel so it dries - this helps manage the line while spooling it on the reel. Then every night before an outing, a couple spritzes directly on the spooled line for a maintenance touchup.

Sounds like us. -7 right now, high of 14 today...near 40 by Sunday.

I'm in this group - minus the VHS tapes. I'd already been fishing/learning for almost a decade before VHS was even available...and we didn't get our first VHS machine until I was almost 20. We didn't have cable TV until I was almost 17, and the local stations where I lived from 14 until then quite frankly sucked. Library books, magazines, and trial-and-error were my teachers from the time I was 8. It's only the last few years since I retired that I've had the time to browse the Internet for fishing information...and this site is the main one I read - So thanks @Glenn for having this great place to learn.

You don't say where you are, and that will determine the local forage. Here, I swap that sunfish/bluegill for perch - seems to work better here for me. The shad closely imitates the bluntnose and fathead minnows which are prevalent in MN waters. Crayfish is always a good one almost anywhere.