MN Fisher

My strong points have always been crank and jerk baits with the occasional plastic worm on a T-Rig or drop-shot. It's always produced, but in the 1#-2# range with the occasional 3#. My PB was caught years ago on an inline spinner up in northern MN. This next year, I'm going to work on my weak points. With a new rig, and a better quality replacement rig, I'll be pitching and flipping into growth...a place I've never fished before - always steered clear of major weeds. I'll also be trying Ned-rigs on my ML-rig as well as spinners, chatters and buzzbaits on my President BC-rig. Maybe changing things up will net me bigger fish - what I've been doing hasn't done that.

Get the small spool and put some cheap mono backing on the reel before the Sunline?

Badger - IMO the best Airbrush manufacturer - has a basic kit that includes an airbrush, canned air, hose and a few paint bottles. It's a fairly good airbrush and you can upgrade in steps. Compressor, better airbrush, etc as the hose and bottles are pretty much universal. I have this same model airbrush, used for scale modeling, and it's served me well for a number of years. I've got a 2.5 gallon compressor with regulator and filter instead of a dedicated compressor for the airbrush. https://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-Co-200-3-Airbrush/dp/B003974G1U/ref=sr_1_71?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1549402982&sr=1-71&refinements=p_89%3ABadger+Air-Brush+Co.

We've already had a double handful of vehicles through the ice. A couple of them tried to cross spots clearly marked "Thin Ice - Keep Away". Far as I'm concerned, they got what they deserved for being idiots...big bills for getting their cars out.

Only UL in the Lightning series is a 5' - 1 or 2 piece Which is what I use on my 640 - 5' Ugly Stick 1 piece

Don't forget to get a pressure regulator as what a standard compressor puts out is much too powerful for an airbrush. Also get a filter that handles condensed water as well as particles - water in your paint is a bad thing.

The Ugly Stick for my Trion is a GX-2 - seems to be at least as rugged and dependable as my UL stick.

I don't know what kind of penalties they have there for running an outboard that's larger than allowed on a lake. I do know that here it's a pretty big fine, and if you run a gas outboard on a lake designated 'electric only' (small trout lakes) they can even confiscate your boat - like getting your car towed for illegal parking...and the 'bail out' fee can run pretty expensive.

$10 more and a bit of shipping and you can have a UL that'll last for years. The Ugly Stick my Pflueger 640 is on is almost as old as it is. Pay the $10 extra and get a GX-2 UL rod.

They seem to have used an auto-translate function. Whether it was Malay, Mandarin or Tamil as the original language is up in the air.

Based in Singapore - I'd be leery.

Can't remember exactly when we cut our cable, but it's been about a decade. Have an antenna for the HD-TV but never use it. Internet and Netflix-Discs combined with our own DVD/Blu-Ray library are our sole entertainment.

For spinning, I'm an Abu/Mitchell and Pflueger fan - all I got For baitcasting, all I'd had for years was an Abu - now I have a Diawa and a Pflueger...we'll see how they work this coming season. Rods - for the longest time, what ever was affordable...either pre-paired with a reel or Ugly Sticks. Now I'm branching out and again we'll see how the new Diawa rods I got perform.

What were you using? Worms, minnows, jigging spoons, vertical jigs...mixing it up. Were you close to a bunch of ice-houses (shanty town) or far away from others...there's a reason they group together. I may not ice-fish, but I hear from friends who do about their times out, techniques they use and little tid-bits of information.

You're right - my bad. 6 rings now - still more than any other QB I'm a lazy fan - Pats win and I cheer, Pats lose and I sigh...that's the limit of my involvement with pro football. I don't watch, I don't know players other than the big names, I don't know detailed stats...just check to see if the Pats win their games - that's all.

And Brady gets his 7th ring. Of course, the arm-chair quarterbacks are going to be out in droves doing every thing they can to deride a great QB and a great team.

And of course, there's always this little issue.

This is the rig I'd use Of my own line-up, the 7' H/F Diawa Aird-X with a Fuego CT-XS loaded with 50# Power Pro is what I'd use. Bought for pitching/flipping but would also be a good heavy jig rod.

Ya, the questions I have are. 1) How much water pressure does it take to trigger the auto-inflate? 2'...3'... 2) If I'm knocked unconscious, how many lungfuls of water am I going to take in before it brings me back to the surface? 3) Even if it's properly maintained, what's the rate of failure on the auto-inflate system? 4) What's the spread of flotation time for these? 13-20 hours? 3-30 hours? How can you be sure the one you're wearing will keep you afloat long enough to be rescued? A regular PFD is always ready and will return me to the surface in seconds as well as having a lifespan that can be measured in days. Since the places I fish are so small in comparison, and my wife always knows where I'm going and when I expect to be back, I have no fear that my regular PFD...even in a 'muted' color will fail me or keep me from being rescued in the event I have a problem.

I've always had luck with Mepps Aglia and Comet for trout - stocked or resident. Size 0 and 1 would be your best bet - slow retrieve...just enough to get the blade turning.

They may stock the best brands, but not a full selection of each. Even TW doesn't stock everything. A 'wish-list' I'm making has most of it from TW, but one item I had to go elsewhere - only Amazon and Tackle Direct stock the item...and TD is iffy on quantities stocked.

It would be interesting...if it wasn't possibly illegal - I'd check with Iowa DNR to be sure. From Iowa's Fishing Regulations - https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/fish/regs_fish.pdf "When fishing by hook and line, you cannot use more than two lines or more than two hooks on each line when still fishing or trolling...When you are trolling and bait casting, you cannot use more than two trolling spoons or artificial baits on one line." This is also illegal in Minnesota - which precludes the Alabama Rig as well.

That's going to have to wait until next year. I've already reached my budget limit for this year, so no money to buy a replacement for a PFD that's only a year old. Also, gifting me a cert for an online store is a non-starter...I want to be able to put one one, adjust the straps, then test movement while wearing it to insure it's comfort. So next year, it's trips to my local DSG, Cabela's and West Marine to find a 'bright color' PFD...this year I'll have to make do with the Forest Green one. Don't even offer inflatables...just something in my gut doesn't trust an 'automatic' system like that. In my head, I'm sure they work fine, but in my heart I'm not convinced.

Old fart - I was only 8.?

Exactly, and that's how I treat it. The lake/bay/river/whatever they're fishing is NOT the ones I fish. I read/watch to bone up on techniques. What lures/line/etc they use won't be the ones I use as their 'fishing hole' is not the one I go to. Every location is unique, as are the fish in them. Do I try the lures that they've suggested? Maybe. But it's not a given...unless they produce a video or a detailed account of one of the spots I fish. Then I might listen more to lure/line selection.