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Good luck catching fish with single hooks on Whopper Ploppers ?

I'm glad Mille Lacs fell from the top spot on the list. I wish they'd wipe it from the list entirely and forget it exists. The added pressure over the last few years has turned the lake into a mind bogglingly difficult bass fishery for those who don't want to vertically deadstick a dropshot over a deep boulder pile. 5-10 years ago you could run and gun for 20-25-pound bags of brown bass, now it requires a frustrating level of finesse to get those 15-year old hogs to bite.

A few times on the ice. They just look up your name and drivers license number to see that you're licensed. Now the MN DNR has a licensing app so you can bring up licenses on your phone or print off as many copies as you'd like.

Dobyns Champion from American Legacy Fishing Company selling on Amazon or eBay. Right around that $200 mark. https://www.amazon.com/s?me=ANPC7UORF9UP5&rh=p_4%3ADobyns+Rods&dc&fst=as%3Aoff&qid=1561679276&ref=sr_in_-2_p_4_11

Shimano Curado K 6.2 on eBay for $145. I have one in the mail right now for a new deep cranking stick. Slow your hand down a tiny bit.

Funny that would have been my suggestion! I own that rod as well as the Champ 705CB graphite. Unfortunately, the Fury sits in my garage now. I bought it for my dad but he's scared of treble hooks now after having one surgically removed from his knuckle. How are you casting that you're having accuracy difficulties? Are you bombing them over flats or trying to hit closer targets? I toss those types of baits on MH cranking sticks with a sidearm roll-cast and drop them right where I need to. I don't think going with a stiffer fast-action rod is going to make all that much of a difference. However, if you do, grab a 734 over a 733; it's much more versatile. It's a little long for downward snaps though. Give that Fury 705CB a whirl with bladed jigs. Leave the braid on. You might like it.

Good advice above on varying retrieves. Most bites seem to come after some sort of variation. I think the bass follow it sometimes and then whack it when something changes. I often just keep the rod still in a good hook setting position, low and off to the side a little, and vary the retrieve with the reel handle. Just throw in a fast turn or a slow turn every 3-4 of the reel handle. I do the same thing with bladed jigs and crankbaits.

Keep outfishing him. Offer some education. He'll adapt eventually when he gets tired of it.

Looks like his sister posted on FB that things are going well. Full recovery expected in due time. No brain damage.

I'm sure we've all butchered a few fish as youngsters learning to get hooks out. It's part of the learning process.

What's your location? Trying utilizing the MN DNR Lakefinder site or app to find lakes with good bass populations near you. It's the best thing invented since Budweiser/Clamato. Search your nearby counties and look at the fisheries report surveys. You'll find little lakes where half the bass electroshocked are 15" and above. Fish those honey-holes, and keep them on the DL. ? https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html

Fish Chris was one of my favorite posters back in the day.

Dual Purpose X2Power group 31 AGM for the cranking and electronics. Paid $350 at Batteries Plus. Group 31 is probably a little overkill to be honest. I was killing my lead acid cranking battery last season with a Helix 12 and 9 to the point I couldn't turn the motor over after about 6 hours on the lake. The new AGM holds more than enough charge, but they're not cheap. Ive had 14 hour trips with no issue. I'd throw two group 31 Interstate lead acid marine batteries on the other side for the troller. It'll push the bill a bit over $500 total. I know they get mixed reviews but I've always gotten 5-6 good years out of them for the same purpose.

That's a good idea. I just broke a Dobyns dropshot style hanger off and have the two sharp wires now.

The implication being order it now, fish with it, clean it up a bit if it's dirtied during the trip, then seal it after the trip once the order is delivered. Is that clear enough for you?

Amazing story. That article is so damning, it's unbelievable. I can't believe any reputable company would allow this guy to hitch his wagon to them. Winning more than 50% of tournaments fishing solo and less than 25% with a skilled partner...??????????? Kinda wondering if those Dobyns Mike Long Jig Rods are going to be on sale soon. Namesake aside, those are sweet rods.

U40 Cork Seal

Worse comes to worse, it you can't find it local, just use a Magic Eraser or some super fine sandpaper after the trip and it'll look like new, then seal it.

A 1/16th or 1/18oz tungsten bullet on a Texas-rigged Senko-style bait is a great bait. I use them all the time when fish are in that 10-15' deep grass. I did it tonight actually. I'm more a fan of the 1/16th that the 1/8th. It has a really unique glide that doesn't really seem to occur with any other plastic bait. If I need more weight than that, I'll choose another plastic, like a ribbontail. Another benefit of this presentation is that you can use the knock-offs without any loss of action. I throw real Senkos weightless and Strike King Ochos or Yum Dingers with the bullet.

I'm convinced it doesn't matter a bit. If the bass could tell the difference between a painted and unpainted jelly-bean-sized piece of lead, we wouldn't be catching them on all they funky stuff we throw at them.

Do you think that skirt helps get bites? I haven't tried one yet.

Soft plastic lizard. I have a 10-year old pack of watermelon red flake Zoom Lizards with a couple baits missing somewhere around here. I just really don't think a basss can tell the difference between a ribbontail lizard and a ribbontail worm. They're not that smart.

I’d like to know what goes on inside of people’s heads when they’re choosing their dropshot weights for LMB/SMB on spinning tackle and relatively light line. I’ve settled on using 3/8-1/2oz round ‘line pinch’ weights for rocks and 1/4-3/8oz cylindrical tie-on weights for fishing around weeds. Please share your methods for choosing weights.

You can toss topwater on rigs with fluorocarbon if you're not letting baits sit for a half minute between twitches. I do it all the time with faster topwaters. It's not leadcore line. It just sinks a tiny bit and comes right back up to the surface with every twitch. Fluorocarbon burns and weakens really easily if the knot is not well-lubed with spit and tightened down slowly. There's no need to jump to Tatsu. Give Invisx another try with some line conditioner on it, and slow down with those knots.

Both are good lines, but I prefer Hybrid over CXX. It's a little more supple. I use 10 and 12# on casting setups, mostly 12#. The 10# is my preferred jerkbait/crankbait line. The 6# is passable on spinning reels, but I much prefer a braid-to-fluoro-leader setup. FWIW, the 4# is an excellent walleye ice fishing line.