MN Fisher

That give me hope that the MN record 8#15oz CAN be broken Hurry up spring, I want to get on the water.

I'm not shy about that. Got $1000 from the parents for Christmas...told it was to be 'fun' money only. With my tackle, new rods/reels and a trailer for my canoe...it's all gone. So $1000 spent this year.

I third that - I purchased a Fuego CT and while I haven't used it yet (we have 'hard water' here), it feels and works like a dream in my bench-testing.

It has to let go now - I'm out of money for fishing purchases.

Last of my orders has now arrived (the Aird-X 661MFB arrived 15 minutes ago). Showing off my two big tackle purchases for this year. Top - Diawa Fuego CT-XS (8.1:1) on a 7' H/F Diawa Aird-X - new setup for pitch/flip/frog/etc Bottom - Pflueger President (7.3:1) on a 6'6 M/F Diawa Aird-X - replacement for my Ambassadeur 500R - spin/crank/jerk/etc

We put ours out of the reach of waves. (Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior)

I don't have large piles, but I do have differing color combinations depending on what style of plastic we're talking about.

Okay - had to bring up that old horse... and I'm gone.

Low end of the spectrum - the rod I ordered for my Pleuger President 6.4:1. Diawa Aird-X, 7', M/F - $55 at TW

As mentioned already, the hook, skirt, weed-guard and everything else - including the paint - other than the lead add to the weight. So ya, a 1/8 oz jig with those add-ons (necessary as they are) would weigh more.

I was talking more of offensive side as they're the one's who score most. Owners and Coaches are a whole different ball of wax. How'd they sneak one in?!

Whelp - 2nd TD for the Pats just before the end of the Half...this is going to be a long game for Chiefs fans.

If you're using a M or MH rod with finesse hooks (light wire), a hard hook-set will be enough to straighten the hook as the rod is stiffer so more of the force is transmitted to the hook. With ML or UL rods, the rod will absorb more of the force helping to prevent this.

Well, I don't follow football closely...just cheer for my 'hometown team' (was born in Worcester). All I know is that Brady has more SB rings than anyone else. I'm kind-of, sort-of following the game now - just getting updates through Google. The Chiefs seem bent on just handing the ball back to the Pats everytime they get possession. They need to up their Offensive and Defensive lines otherwise it's going to be more than just a loss...it'll be a blowout.

And everyone will see why Brady has won Super-Bowl after Super-Bowl. GO PATS!

Darn it all...he's onto my money making scheme.

Some spinning rods, the grip is not uniform in profile. I've seen and handled some where the closer you get to the seat, the thicker the grip is.

My finesse rig splits the difference - ML/F It's a spinning setup so I don't know how much that'll affect your choice.

Park Rapids area - Lake George, Leech Lake (the smaller bays) Bemidji area - Plantagenet, Irving, Wolf, Andrusia, Cass, Big Bass, Little Bass Those are all lakes I fished when living in Bemidji in the 70s and caught bass on. Bemidji itself isn't the best, but around the Mississippi River outlet on the east side would be the prime spot. There are launch points on Irving, but it's also connected to Bemidji by a short channel - Mississippi river inlet to Bemidji. There are launch points on Wolf or Andrusia, but they're also connected to Cass by navigable sections of the Mississippi. Big Bass has launch points but Little Bass you need a canoe or kayak you can carry in.

IIRC the weight is for the lead and hook only. The skirt would be in addition to the 3/16 stated weight.

As with any casting, there's going to be variations in the weight. I don't know what the tolerance mark they've set is, but all the jigs will be within that tolerance value. 3/16 is .1875oz - if the tolerance is 10% then the weight could be anywhere from .16875oz to .20625oz. You'd have to weigh each jig to find it's exact weight, and every jig in a package could be different.

There's reels and rods that work well at various price points, just have to decide how much you want to spend. Far as the right/left thing is concerned, that's also a personal thing. I'm a rightie in most things, but my left arm is stronger and steadier than my right. That's why I swapped the handles of my spinning reels to the right side - except the old Pleuger 640...it doesn't swap. You have to try it yourself to see how it works...places with a exchange policy are the best. Get a reel...right or left...and try it out. If it doesn't seem to work quite right, swap it for the other model. Or swap it back if the first one is better.

If you're going to split a spool in half - walking it out is your best bet. To make sure they're the same length, loop the line over a smooth-bark tree branch (ash, poplar or willow) then walk away with the spool and the free end in your hands. When you reach the end of the spool, walk back to the tree and snip - voila, equal lengths.

Auburn Lake (Carver County - twin cities metro area) - this would be considered southern MN Acres:290.6 sq acres Mean Depth:23.0 FT Max Depth:84.0 FT For comparison, the state record Smallmouth came from West Battle Lake - 8lb 0oz West Battle Lake (Otter Tail County, east of Fergus Falls) - this would be considered central MN Acres: 5,565.5 sq acres Mean Depth: 0.0 FT Max Depth: 108.0 FT The chances of northern MN having a record Bass, large or small mouth, is fairly low. Bass do better in warmer climates, which is why 5#-6# are considered a good catch here where-as in FL, GA and other southern states, those would be considered a fair catch if not below average.

I don't know how far north, but Leech and George in mid-north between Park Rapids and Bemidji are good ones. Bemidji...not so much, but Irving which is a short channel trip from Bemidji is decent.