Deephaven

Nice. I haven't been out in a couple weeks and won't get to this weekend. Next week I'll fix that!

You aren't trying to cast far enough obviously. As for the fill Dr. T, that is what mine look like as well. All good.

Oh geez, ignore my snubber post. I read the title dock lines and somehow missed the part on launching. Even in wicked water the right trailer placement will resolve that. You need to learn where what waves will lift the boat off and what won't. Once you know that you can ride the waves right onto the trailer pretty much.

I moor our wakeboard boat. It is tied up with ropes and snubbers: By far the easiest and most robust. You just wrap the rope around it so that it can stretch. I've been using the same ones for more than 15 years and while they are sunfaded, they are still working great.

I use a 7'10" (built to fit in 8' rod lockers) GLX 904C. In hindsight, now that boats have longer rod lockers I wish it was longer. For walking/popping frogs I have a slightly lighter action SC MH that is 7'10" as well. The lighter rod isn't as good deep in the slop, but when you are that deep you aren't walking or chugging much anyways. The two make a killer combo.

All the above

Indeed. I have found more frogs to not be right than any other bait out of the package. I confirm it by swapping with an identical and then they get donated to someone else. No desire to have anything that doesn't work right in my box regardless if it is the top or bottom.

Where in MN?

Has nothing to do with sensitivity and everything with me taunting you into another.

What? The frog rod is the most important. Hurry up and finish what you started.

Awesome. After the monster thunderstorm last night I bailed on going this am and instead worked on the house. Regrets a *****. Awesome. I grew up in Becker. Never seen a 7 up there though. Would love days of 4's and 6's, but guess I better leave the city.

The most expensive rod I own is the cheaper one I replaced with something better that no longer gets used. I'd go all in and have zero regrets.

Awesome fish. What part of the state were you fishing in?

Depending on the presentation, I find putting 2 up front much more efficient than one in the back. You have to know the angler you are with and trust they can roll cast effectively from the side they are on but then it is really easy to position the boat for both to have a chance at the fish and cover water more quickly. Some presentations the separation is better, but we put two up front a lot.

I caught a couple bass last week on them here on Tonka. Different retrieve than early spring but what a blast when they hit them.

Exactly what I meant. His frog rod will throw a 1.5oz spinnerbait perhaps, but will die trying to toss a 2.5+oz Suick or the like and have no capability to set the hooks. Hybrids/smaller skis are like targeting large Northerns in MN. Not big enough for real Muskie baits, but they sure like big bass tackle.

The other reason to not buy true Muskie baits is that your frog rod won't have enough power to get the hooks to set into their jaw. You need WAY more power than a bass rod to throw a true Muskie bait. Think of a flipping hook on monster steroids and trying to get it to dig into a bone. Muskies have beefy jaws and landing one safely requires a good hookset. The only way to land one without a net is to land it on shore. I've had to do that in a canoe before, but I was not targeting them when that happened. As others have said, just upsize your bass presentation and see how it goes. I've caught a lot of Muskies on bass jigs, although none over 45". Sounds like you aren't in a spot where they will be much bigger anyways so the classic techniques for trophies you should avoid.

I have a 6'8" blank kicked out to 7'0 and it is my favorite spinning rod.

Once balanced all of them

Same here....if you ask my wife.

I use mostly power pro and mostly the palomar. Can't say I've ever experienced that. 10lb, 30lb, 40lb, & 50lb are on my daily rotation of rods.

Lol

I'd much rather have the XF for bait control and a lighter power to keep it pinned than a sluggish slower rod.

I've pretty much only fished Tonka....but the pike have been super aggressive and large. Hardly any under 25". I am used to getting dinked by pike and super frustrated with them.

Winnibigoshish is 88 sq mi so I figured. Also a classic offshore lake. I bought a tiller for partly the OP's reasons and the other that I regularly fish with 2 little boys and maybe their friends. Steering wheels get in the way. The front casting platforms on big water boats are also not super bass friendly in comparison to big tillers either. Was a bit of the best of both worlds for me and figure it fit what the OP is looking for if he can deal with holding onto the motor. As for that, with the power steering on my boat at 40mph you can take your hand off the tiller and it tracks perfect...not that I am recommending that anyone do that, but relaxing your grip is fine and shows the power of the tiller systems.