mnbassman23

Well done sir! Way to put in work on those MN fatties.

Your best option is straight braid or mono. 20lb mono is the absolute biggest you should go with that size of a bait, and 15-17 is going to give you a much better glide if you decide to go straight mono. One of the benefits that I like of fishing straight braid with glides is I can fish 40-50lb braid and it has the diameter of 10-12lb mono which creates less drag in the water and better action of the bait IMO. But most guys will tell you to fish mono or fluoro.

Thanks guys. Biggest was 5.25. Jeff I was sight fishing. I caught a few fish on beds, but most of the bigger females were roaming in and out of the shallows from deeper water while the small males were sitting on beds.

Perfect day to be on the water. Smashed a bunch of nice Smallies on the drop shot.

Lakes. Seems like guys all over MN are finding bass on beds right now and the cotton has really started to fall in the last 4 days. I noticed this about 4 years ago and so far it has held true each year since.

I have found this to be true in MN as well. Also when the cotton starts to fly I know the bass spawn is usually in full swing.

Found some footage from last summer that I forgot about. Most of the fish came on home made jig pitched around wood cover. Ended up with a few solid MN largies. Watch in HD.

If you're searching for large fish, then swimbaits are a great tool. A big glide bait will show you fish that you dream about. If you are just looking to cover a bunch of water and don't care what size fish you catch then stick to a crankbait, spinnerbait, keitech, etc for a search bait.

I got it installed and working like a charm. Ended up mounting it like the first picture, as you all had suggested. Thanks again.

Thanks WIGuide I was figuring pic 3 was a no go. I wish I had my boat to take better pictures. I have a thru hull for running so that isn't an issue. I just want it to work at speeds up to 3-5mph.

Maybe a long shot but has anyone here installed SI on a ranger 175 vs? Just trying to find the best place to install the transducer. If anyone could post a pic of their install that would be great. I grabbed a few pictures off of google images (not my boat) and if anyone wants to give me some input on where they would put the transducer I'd appreciate it. I don't have my boat here to take pictures, but hopefully someone can help me out here.

I've always had good luck with red label and have never had an issues with the Uni and San Diego Jam knot. Make sure your wetting your line if you aren't already.

I have the size 40 as well and you can easily throw it on a MH jig rod and even a heavier rated cranking rod. The size 30 is really small.

If you really want to stay around that 20$ range I'd say spro rat 40. There are a few guys that have had their Spro rat split and guys complain but I've also seen Bill and Spro take care of the issues and replace those baits. The slammer is an awesome bait if you decide to spend a bit more. Never thrown a Mickey jr so I cant comment on it.

This ^ I only have 1 on my boat as well and don't think I'll be adding another anytime soon. Think about how you want to approach your spots and how the boat will pivot and you'll be fine. I load and unload my boat solo more times than not and having even 1 pole is a huge benefit.