MN Fisher

I think his point is that how do you know that a catch made on FC would not have been made on Mono - and visa-versa. There is no definitive proof that one is better than the other at catching fish - it's all supposition and 'feelings'.

Here we go again. If he sees his shadow - six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow - spring is only six weeks away. Guess what - the calendar date of the start of spring is only 6 & 1/2 weeks from now. This is just a fun update to the old Pagan holiday of Imbolc - the start of Astronomical spring...nothing really comes of it.

This is Minnesota law as well - unless you're under 10 years old, then you have to wear it all the time.

In my case, it comes down to "Do I have a PFD that can save my life, or do I give up fishing from my canoe all together." Given that I've had drown-proof training, am a certified SCUBA diver with over 2000 hours of downtime, and worked Underwater Search and Recovery; I consider myself a strong swimmer and not likely to panic. Add to that, I always inform the wife which lake/bay I'll be fishing, when I'm expected back and the lakes/bay are small enough as well as I don't go far from shore, it's easy to swim to shore in a short amount of time. I never fish night-time, it's always light out, so the possibility of having to search for me in the dark is a non-starter.

When I went to buy a PFD, I had a budget limit for it. Being on a fixed income makes purchasing difficult. After trying on a number of PFDs, I finally found one that would be comfortable wearing all day. The only color it came in was forest green. If the PFD manufacturers would make available comfortable PFDs in brighter colors at a reasonable price, then it would be easier to get a brighter PFD. As it is, I have to make do with what I can afford.

(shakes his head) Sees his shadow - another six weeks of winter Doesn't see his shadow - spring is only six weeks away. Since 'official' spring happens in six and a half weeks - Phil is just pointing out the calendar day no matter what happens. It's just a fun thing to replace the old holiday of Imbolc.

Exactly - it would require extensive experimentation and documentation. Exact same lures presented in the same way in the same location at the same time of year under the same weather conditions. Repeat with every other lure in your bag(s) in every location you fish. Only such a thorough research project could determine whether FC was better than Mono or Braid at catching fish. Only place I'll use FC is for diving lures where I want them to run at a depth, except in heavy weed situations...then out come the braid.

On my BCs I use nothing but braid. On my spinners it depends on the application. Deep running lures I use FC, but everything else I use Mono. As others have said, it's the diameter of the line that's the issue, not what type. Since braid is thinner per pound test, I use it for the heavier lines (20# and 50#) My FC is 12# (Trion), my mono is 8# (Avocet-finesse) and 4# (640-UL rig). Just for a change of pace, I'm putting 12# Fireline on my Cardinal this year as an 'all around' rig.

That one's yours, bud. I got a Forest Green one. ?

The crankbaits I have mimic perch, bluegill, crappie and golden shiners - which are part of the main forage in the few local lakes/bay I fish.

There are so many ways I could take that in a VERY wrong direction. I'll abstain.

Let me guess - the pink one is yours, the Mustang is for your lady. ?

A President reel for 21? It could be yellow with purple polka dots and I wouldn't care. Go for it and use it well, I won't even mention it again.

From what I've read on reviews and such, the American Hero combo is a good starting setup. Certainly up there with the combo I just retired that served me well for a couple decades. A 7.2:1 gear ratio on that reel is a good mid-level one. Crank/chatter/jerk is the 'sweet spot' for that ratio IMO...my new replacement for those techniques is a 7.3:1.

1) For a finesse rig, I don't do braid. 8#mono is my choice for wacky, Ned, drop shot, etc. 2) If you DO do braid, use the thinnest you can get by with, 8# or 10# - 12# at the most. If the water you fish is stained to 4' visibility or less, then go with muted colors - PP Spectra green or Suffix 832 Camo - and you don't need a leader. If the water is clearer, then a clear leader of FC or Mono in 8#-10# is your best bet.

I just use the PP green, don't color it, don't do anything but spool it on. Doesn't seem to affect my catch rate. Of course most MN waters I fish are a bit stained - 3-4 foot visibility, so that might have something to do with it. Clearer water, I MIGHT put a leader on...length dependent upon how clear...but it's not a given.

I've used nothing but Power Pro on my single baitcaster for years, never had an issue. With two baitcasters going into this next season, I'm again using PP on both of them. It casts well for me and is less expensive than other braids...a necessity as I have a limited fishing budget.

Another option is to ask the Department of Fish and Game.

For Jan-Feb, anything above freezing is a heat-wave. I'll take it. I went ice-fishing once years ago (I was a teen and I'm closing on 60 now)...never again.

They're still saying a high of 37 above on Saturday...but back down into the teens next week. Follow the bouncing ball.

Currently in the Twin Cities where I am it's -22 with a wind chill of -51...and it's still dropping. They forecast that we'll break our record low for tonight.

IIRC - all American Hero Speed Sticks are a Fast.

School districts in MN have closed school for today and tomorrow due to hazardous wind chills. I went out to do laundry and the laundromat was closed as well. Quite a few businesses here have closed due to the extreme cold. Current temp is -7, current wind chill is -28...and this is about the warmest part of the day.

Didn't we have this discussion recently? 4# either Mono or FC... 2# is just a bit too light

This is 9.5mm thick. One place I worked, we used it as insulation on tanks that the contents were industrial solvents that were heated to 300f and this stuff withstood the effects of the solvent vapors and heat for years. Applies using contact cement and you can layer it to build the thickness up. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKT33BW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07BKT33BW&pd_rd_w=ttNF0&pf_rd_p=f0dedbe2-13c8-4136-a746-4398ed93cf0f&pd_rd_wg=KAus7&pf_rd_r=YVKRVZJ84MA1B6C29VR7&pd_rd_r=f3b23e9b-2363-11e9-b177-15559c9dc0fd#feature-bullets-btf