MN Fisher

It hasn't...I got a 'refrigerator thermometer' on a line with a weight so I can measure temps at depth. Wednesday, the surface got to 50...but a foot down it was at 45. Now we got a cold front so I think the temps will still be low for a while.

Check the manufacturer of the F&S Blade - if it's KL Industries...it's a re-labled Sun Dolphin. Sun Dolphin is KL's 'home brand'. A lot of what F&S sells is actually Sun Dolphin products.

Another one to look at is the Mitchell 308 combo. The reel is a 2000 size and Walmart has them on 5'6" Light, 6' Medium, 6'6" Medium, or 7' Medium rods for $70. The 300 series has been around for decades and based on my old 320, is rock solid and will last a long time. If you want a bit of a step-up - they have the 300-Pro (4000 size reel) combo with a 7' Medium rod on rollback for $62.

If I wear a cotton t-shirt out doing yard-work in the sun, I can get pink even through the shirt in only an hour or two. Wore my HUK shirt out fishing Wednesday...was on the water for 2+ hours in the sun...only part of me that got pink was the back of my hands. The HUK stopped me from burning. Same thing a week-and-a-half ago when I was bank fishing wearing my Columbia. So yes, I'll be wearing my HUKS or Columbia out fishing as I don't want to turn into a lobster.

For jerk and crankbaits on a BC, I use my President which is a 7.3:1. Gives me a good middle ground - slow down the reeling if needed, or speed it up.

I have a Fuego CT and it's a awesome reel. Smooth, easy to tune in. I'd definitely recommend it.

Not exactly branching out...for years I had an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 500R low profile. Retired that this winter and replaced it with a President. The Fuego was purchased for new (to me) techniques. I'm enjoying both BC's actually...and if I purchased another BC, it'd be either another Fuego or another Pflueger - President, Pres-XT or Supreme. 500R pics - not my old one, but the one on the right is identical to my old one.

Got out yesterday for my first chance at using my Diawa Fuego. Easy to 'tune in', smooth casts, only one birdsnest when I changed lures and forgot to adjust the brake for the lighter lure. I'd buy one again.

Tackle Direct has them at $160 - limited stock https://www.tackledirect.com/shimano-slx-casting-combos.html

It'd be great...if they had any where near current information. Waters near my location, the most recent data on that site is from 2010.

Rods that can handle the larger/heavier swimbaits (2 oz and up) get into the $100+ range just for the rod Diawa DSXB series - $110 from various places Dobyns Fury Swimbait rod - $130 from Dobyns or others St Croix Bass X - $100 from St Croix and others Swimbaits themselves are $15 and up - some cost over $100 just for the lure. But 3-4 at the $20-$25 range would give a good selection of fair quality lures. So you're already at $200 and that's without a reel. I'd suggest saving up more...going with small swimbaits that can be cast with a standard Heavy power rod...or going to a different technique. Large swimbait fishing gets expensive really quickly.

Flipping, pitching, punching, frogging, topwaters/swimbaits 1-1/2 oz or less - 50# braid on a 8.1:1 baitcaster on a heavy power rod Crank/jerkbaits, spinners, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, T-rigs over 1/2 oz - 20# braid on a 7.3:1 baitcaster on a medium power rod (some others use 30# braid) Above lures 1/2 oz or less, Neko rigs - 12# Flourocarbon on a spinning reel on a medium power rod Finesse techniques; drop-shot, Wacky rig, weightless T-rig...any VERY light-weight lure - 8# mono on a spinning reel on a medium-light power rod Others will have different setups, but that's what I use.

Wow...that's an open-ended question that needs a little tightening. What rod/reel are you putting this on?

Beetle-Spins are an old standby for panfish Others I use. Small inline spinners (Mepps Aguila and Comet are my faves) in #0, #1 and #2 Small jerk and crankbaits (Rapala - any style in 03-05 sizes).

I don't do 'achieve orbit' casts...ever. 95%+ of my casting is side-arm lobs. Both 'nests' took maybe 2 minutes to fix.

That's exactly when my two back-lashes today happened. Right after a lure change...minor adjustment to the brakes and away-we-go.

My 1/2 oz and less I'm throwing on 20# braid, over that on 50#.

Clunn may be a great fisher, but I've always cast a BC on the horizontal. Today, between my Fuego and my President, I probably tossed them 100 times. Only two backlashes, neither of them deep or heavily knotted. Further ones prevented by just a minor adjustment on the brakes. So...2% backlash while casting with the spool parallel to the water...pretty good results.

Well, keeper season doesn't start until the 25th. Hopefully my outing on the 26th has some keeping size.

Well, first bass trip out on Phelps Bay and I didn't get skunked. But nothing really of note. 2-9", 1-10" and 1-11" along with a mess of panfish. Next scheduled trip out is the 26th...maybe try Dutch then First bass of the year - 10" dink

Ready to head out for some fishing today - truck (posted earlier) with canoe now hitched up

Only possible issue I can see is that the S-Waver 168 weighs 1-5/8 oz and the rod is rated to 1-1/2 oz...but it's not a severe overload. As long as you don't try to whip it into orbit, it should be fine. Other than that little (ignorable) issue, I don't see a problem. Leader? I don't use them, so can't answer to that.

As someone who's 'sweated in' many a copper line - the main advice I can give is...be patient. Even if you've done everything right, there's still a chance for pin-hole leaks. Can't tell you how many times I've had to re-melt the solder to seal those after installing whatever I'm putting in. So don't feel bad if the first try isn't a complete success...even those of us with years of experience still get them occasionally.

I wouldn't call my finesse rig 'higher end'. Matter of fact, it cost me all of $30. Mitchell Avocet RZ-2000 on a matched 6'6" Avocet ML/F rod loaded with 8# mono. This is the rig I use for drop-shots, ned-rigs, weightless wacky - any light-weight finesse technique...even weightless T-Rigs. I like the ML for the sensitivity and I don't worry about straightening out my #1 hooks with it. If the Medium rod is doing it for you, then I'd say go for it. I've got a President-25, but it's on my Ultra-lig rod for panfish and trout...great reel.

I've never come close to hitting the thumbar when setting a hook...mainly because I don't palm my reel.