MN Fisher

Always room to learn more. I've been a trout fisherman since I was little - caught brookies in a stream near my home in MA growing up (age 7-11). I've fished rainbows, browns, brook and lake trout in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. I'm primarily a bass fisherman now, but occasionally I still go targeting trout and even panfish. My college education comes in handy too at times.

Oh - one of the very distinguishing markers of a Cutbow (Cutthroat/Rainbow hybrid) is a pink stripe along the sides. Sometimes it's faint, but most times it's very prominent.

Minor color variations in sea-run trout species (steelhead, coastal cutthroats, etc) are normal. It depends on 1) How long they were at sea 2) The specific diet they had there 3) The diet they've had since returning to fresh water The WDFW site can't picture EVERY color variation, limited space. So they pick the main color variation. Me? Aquatic Biology Major in college.

Google is your friend - that's a 'Coastal Cutthroat' - like steelheads, they're Cutthroats that go to the ocean for a time. https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/Species/2310/

This year I'll be learning something new...pitching/flipping/punching. I never had a setup that I was comfortable in casting into heavy growth with. Now I have the Fuego on a Heavy rod, loading it up with 50#braid. This will be a learning experience for me and I hope to do well with it.

C&R for bass opens Walleye weekend...those of us who like to occasionally keep our catch have to wait until Memorial day to do that.

Previously all my spinners, chatters and buzzbaits were cast with my Ambassadeur on 20#braid. Now that I've replaced the Abu, they'll be cast with my President, again with 20#braid. I don't use leaders with my braid, direct tie.

Tie a flag to the top and stick it in a rod-holder on your boat/canoe/kayak/whatever.

I feel so inadequate - I have a single 3600 size box that contains all my spinners, chatters and buzzbaits...4 of each.

Nope - they're owned by SOFINA, which is a holding company headquartered in Belgium.

From Berkley's site 'Did you know' - http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Berkley-ae-why-use-fluorocarbon.html "The difference is, it takes a greater force to get fluoro stretching in the first place."

Yes, it does stretch, but it takes more force to START stretching than the same line-test mono. That's where the sensitivity increase comes in.

Try talking nicely with him. Ask the other neighbors if they have issues with him. I'm glad I'm out in the far-west suburbs (you and I are both Minnesotans) - guy next to me snow-blows my driveway after his own, he's also lending me his SUV while my truck is in the shop the next few days. Guy across the street lent me his truck last time mine was in the shop. I've had parking issues like that before from both of them - politely asking them to 'can you park someplace else' has had an immediate effect. Be nice to your neighbors...until they totally tick you off.

My neighborhood runs the gammit - my 2br place is 130k, two blocks away are lakeshore homes approaching 1million.

With my canoe, I have more storage for rod setups, but if I had to reduce it to three here's which one's of my stable I'd take. Fuego CT-XS 8.1:1 on 7' H/F Diawa Aird-X Trion 30 Spinning on 6' M/F Ugly Stick Avocet RZ-2000 on 6'6 ML/F Avocet

If you're talking White Lithium grease - that's all I've ever used and I've got reels that are 40+ years old and still going strong.

Once you get above a certain price-point, the differences in capability are negligible. It comes down to what features you want. In the case of baitcasters, what type of braking system you prefer. Personally in the under $100 market. Abu and Pflueger for spinning reels...I've got one of each that are 40+ years old and still going strong as well as one each newer that performed great last season. Diawa, Pflueger and Abu for baitcasters...I have one each (new) of the two first, and just retired an old Abu that was 25+ years old. I stay away from Quantum for one personal reason - they're Zebco, and I had lots of problems with Zebco reels in my youth. They may be better now, but I still get this twitch.

If it wasn't an hour and a half drive to and from...and I didn't already have a selection of dual-blade spinners...I might have popped up to Cabelas for the Booyah special.

This is my Crank/Jerk box - Plano Pro-Latch 3620

I just did a search on Abu's site - only Cardinal they make anymore is the Bruiser. It's rated as a saltwater reel, size 50 (5000) and only comes in a combo. Any other Cardinal models would have to be gotten used or from someplace that stocked up before the line was discontinued.

I have a Trion 30 which I use for smaller crank/jerkbaits, weighted T-Rigs (1/4-1/2oz) and jigs under 1/2oz. Solid performer and smooth action.

Are the Cardinals even made anymore? I think the Abu Orra S or Elite Max which are both around $70.

Tree-huggers run rampant.

No, but my wishlist at TW is growing. ?

Happily married for 28 & 1/2 years - it's still a little special. I got her chocolates and she spent the day reading. I spent the day cruising through lures online.