MN Fisher

I agree that switching out the felt for carbontex is a no brainer...but considering I'm on a tight budget I just picked up some carbontex sheets and made my own. Tools I had....I figure my cost was about $2-$3 a reel when all was said and done.

@throttleplate - why the confusion, dude?

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE passed away Friday - in addition to the above role, she was in a plethora of movies, TV and stage roles. She won 2 Oscars, 4 Emmys, 1 Tony, 3 Golden Globe, and 5 BAFTA awards and was well respected among her peers. She was also one of only 63 people in the world who was a member of Order of the Companions of Honour - that list is limited to 65 max and is a special honour bestowed by the Monarch. Another role not well known was as the Goddess Thetis in 1981's 'Clash of the Titans'. Rest well, Maggie...we'll miss you. (Maggie in 1962)

Menards is always my first stop - they had a sale 4-pack of 3" rubber swivel casters for $5.49....I got two packs.

Looks like Scheels is starting up the dump of open-water gear in preparation for ice-fishing season.

Another project in the finished 'pile' Wanted a motor dolly, but didn't want to pay $100 or more - so 1/2 a set of casters that cost $5 and some wood and hardware I had laying about and voila.

I'd put them in a different order, but ya - all great finesse techniques. Ned, Shakey, Drop-Shot, Jig Worm, Neko.

What's a 401K? (wife's and my 401ks, my Roth, my ESOP and her IRA all got wiped out by medical bills...reason we're on plain SS only)

Stick around long enough and they go on sale occasionally - I picked up 3 pair for $10 last year. And yes, they're excellent scissors for braid.

SK Banshee with Berkley Pit Boss - like bowhunter...yo-yo or burn just under the surface. Don't worry the skirt - the trailer with the skirt makes it look bigger and more enticing.

They use them in surgeries now too as they're much sharper than medical steel, causing less damage to tissue which speeds up healing.

She's the gal formerly known as Ol' Crickety....IE Katie.

^ What teeth? (mine are in terrible shape...and no money or insurance to get them fixed)

Damascus Steel

How about the Panfish 7'3" MLXF? It has the SCII and SCVI blend for resin. I have one, and it's actually a very good rod...and more budget friendly than the Victory.

I dunno, but can I get my entry in?

Reels: Daiwa Tatula 100 6.3:1 Shimano SLX-XT 6.3:1 Rods Any M/M or MH/M from St Croix, Dobyns, Phenix, Daiwa, Shimano

This is why they make hi-capacity cards...and don't take what the box says as max card size as gospel...my 3 say '32gb max card size'...my 256gb cards work just fine, and I even tested the 512gb card that's normally in my tablet....the camera's worked with that as well.

I'm sad too - I lived 6 years in Bemidji, so LotW was a frequent destination as well as Red Lake, Winni, Leech and others. Now I'm 'stuck' fishing the west metro of Minneapolis...fishing is good, but it's not northern MN good.

This is exactly what Bridgette did when she guided me last year. I knew knots, lures, etc...she basically found the spots where the bass were, taught me a bit about yearly movements in our lake, and suggested lure types and presentations. Both of us fished...and chatted...and I caught more fish that day than any other day I've been out.

Katie - I'd love doing that as I miss tent camping...but I have a disabled wife to take care of and can only go fishing in lakes close to home.

I can only dream of fishing a place like that, Katie...but I can live vicariously through your pics - keep them coming.

I've always followed Al Lindner's mantra of "Selective Harvest"...the 'C&R Only cult' gives me a headache.

Or BOC Still have the ball-cap I bought at the BOC/Foghat concert I went to back in '82.

Another reason I won't do tournaments...only fish I put in my livewell are ones that'll end up as fillets in my freezer.