FryDog62

For simplicity and versatility sake - and to try to keep the cost down, I am toying with buying a 1000 yard spool of 15 lb Tatsu. Would use it on several of my rods including Carolina, T-rig, Swimbaits, Football jigs, etc.

I throw a lot of jigs in that weight range with a Tatula 7-1 Heavy. Excellent rod, $150.

I agree, once you add a trailer a 1/4 oz jig is fine. I use my Orochi Braillist up to a 1 oz Dark Sleeper, works great, very sensitive at both ends of the weight ratings... No experience with the Levante but I bet after misfiring on the 2019 model the improved edition is good.

Anyone used this reel with fluorocarbon? It says it comes with a “braid ready SV spool.” I’d plan to take it with me to Florida when fishing saltwater. But I also need another reel for freshwater - dragging Carolina Rigs and similar with 15 lb fluorocarbon. I would assume the reel would work for this as well, but wondering if anyone has real world experience using something besides braid?

If you have open water throw Mepps 5 or Doctor Spoon 285. If you have weeds around which pike like, then a Chatterbait or Spinnerbait... with one hook you have a better chance of getting through light/moderate cover clean. Either way, use the 2.5 inch Crankbait Leader from Bob’s Custom Tackle at Wayzata Bait. But better hurry, a car dealership bought their strip mall and they will be out of business by next Spring.

Send a PM to iabass8... he’s the expert I go to on finer details like that ?

Maybe, bait Im guessing probably better with 3/8oz and bigger...

Tough year for sure for many of us - better seasons ahead my friend. Cheers looking forward to an enjoyable and productive 2021 for you!! ??

Got out over 60 times this year and up until the last 3 weeks would say it was the worst year of fishing I can remember. With Covid/quarantine in the Spring, our governor made several proclamations including that 74,000 Minnesotans would die by Labor Day (thankfully we’re not even close to that). That shut our state down and almost all activities (besides rioting). Then he said stay indoors, no golf, no restaurants, nothing except well... er, um, fishing is ok! Then every boat ramp in the state was clogged with fishermen, new fishermen, wanna be fishermen, and everybody else that needed to get out of the house. Despite having 11,000 lakes and rivers we had a level of pressure never seen before. So many people I talked to said catch rates and size were way down all season. This past month with school starting (mostly), deer opener and people winterizing their boats - finally fishing pressure or lack thereof returned to normal. Of course we have had an early winter again - snow, low temps (and all the usual non-global warming stuff)... so have only been able to get out out here and there, but witnessed a vast improvement in fishing with many of the lakes not pressured for the first time all year. We’re about ready to ice up but at least we finally had some very good days during an otherwise below average year for most here.

Count me in, consulting schedule varies any given week but let me know when the zoom is scheduled and I’ll hopefully make it - Thx!

The one on the left is authentic if it has a Fargo accent...

All season long - from ice out to ice up - I would say the most versatile is an old standby: Northland Tackle Mimic Minnow “SPIN.” https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Northland_Tackle_Mimic_Minnow_Spin/descpage-NLTMMSP.html Sometimes up here in the North in the spring a standard size spinnerbait or even many plastics are just a bit too large a profile early season. The compact Mimic Spin produces then - as well as throughout the rest of the year although I move to other lures as the season progresses. Sometimes mid-Summer or Fall I pull the Mimic Spin back out and it works great then too. Since it’s more compact than a spinnerbait I will sometimes use it to cast in windy conditions... works very well year round, everything hits it - LMB, SMB, White Bass, pike, walleyes, etc.

We are cold here in Minnesota (snowing as I write)... but we still have open water. If we can have days in the 40's without wind, I'll still go. My tactic in the Fall is to target shallow lakes where the fish can't go way deep. The goal each time out is to eliminate water so if the lake is 50-60 feet deep they could go a lot of places, but many times out of reach. If the max depth in another lake is 15, 20, 25 feet - you have a chance to find structure/cover and still have some good days. Last weekend - despite 41 degree water temps I caught these fish in 7-9 fow on a lake that tops out at about 18 feet. They have far less places to hide...

Gim, you definitely had a great season been fun to watch your posts. You also seem to be the anomaly here in Minnesota. I’d say 99% of the guys I talk with had an average or below average year here. We just don’t get the pressure here with our 11,000 lakes like other states. Well until until this year anyway when the governor restricted activities but said yeah it’s ok to go fishing... and then everyone did all at once. I guess it just shows that the really talented anglers still can always figure out how to catch ‘em when others struggle!

Fish Monkey Wooly half finger for cool/Fall weather. But use the FM Tundra with pull off mitt that exposes fingers for cold/winter fishing.

I fish rivers enough that I would get the space saving lithium batteries and go with the 36v if it fits. Would rather have the maxed out TM and underpowered gas engine if I had to make the choice...

I posted a stretch test a few years ago and Berkley 100% fluoro came out the stretchiest of 21 tested lines. Second stretchiest was Seaguar Invizx.

Anyone fished white bass in really cold water temps, i.e. mid-30’s? If so, are the fish much deeper than when water temps were mid-40’s, and what do you use to catch them? I’m assuming blade baits like a Silver Buddy off the bottom or a jig/blade like below tipped with a Gulp minnow. Any other suggestions??

The rod that might fit your 3 criteria could very well be in the Dobyns crank bait series. Most important is the versatile action of their Moderate-Fast rods. Although the Dobyns 685c was designed primarily as a jerk bait rod (and it works great btw) I have also used it for walking baits. I think it has enough "give" to use as a square bill rod too. If you wanted longer casting distance, there is a 7 foot version - 704c, 705c. Call Gary and he can give you a recommendation that might fit your criteria reasonably well with one rod.

Last year I bought an ALX IKOS “Buzz” rod for Topwater. It’s a medium but rated a little heavier up to 3/4 oz where most mediums top out at 1/2 to 5/8 oz. I use it obviously for buzzbaits, but also 75/90 Ploppers and up to a 3/4 oz Choppo 105 (which might have been my best Topwater lure this season). It’s 7 feet long, but I also throw an Arashi Cover Pop and can walk it as well... $150. The other rod I use that is 6’8” MH moderate-fast for jerkbaits, Topwater and walking baits... is a Dobyns Champ 685 in their crankbait line up. Can probably get on Black Friday somewhere for approx $200.

Not St. Croix in MH, it will feel like a tip-heavy meat stick compared to the other three you listed IMO. Big fan of the Tatula and 734c in Dobyns is a fantastic versatile rod. Zodias is new but intriguing.

3-4 years ago I bought 4 of the $100 LFS reels. The first 2 years I thought they were the best $100 reel - light, compact, smooth. But 3 of the 4 started a screeching noise when casting after about 2 years of use. Didn’t effect casting distance but grew louder over time. Had the reels serviced/oiled twice but within a couple outings the noise started in again. The 4th reel has been pretty good but seems lack the smoothness it had when new despite having it serviced too. I no longer have the 3 screeching LFS reels (traded them off for $10 each for parts at a repair shop) and have replaced them with Daiawa reels including the 100. I’ve also had other Daiwa reels for years and my experience is they have been bullet proof. A little more expensive but when you subtract the frequent reel servicing of the LFS probably a wash.

5 inch Caffeine Shad on a weightless or 3/32 oz 4/0 Owner Twistlock Light. Out-fishes any fluke style lure I’ve ever used 3:1. But has to be that hook.

In Minnesota it seems that the winters in the past 7-10 seasons has gotten about a month longer... either earlier in the Fall or later in the Spring (or both). It did again this year with December-like conditions in October (highs in the 30's, low's in the teens/20's and 8 inches of snow recently). Hard part is that if you're shut down now - its 7 months until the open water bass season starts again! We have a closed spring season due to protecting the sacred walleye and its illegal to fish for bass too until May. Its hard when you're passionate about an activity you can do for less than half the year... and ice fishing, or shivering in your boat on the Mississippi in below freezing temps in the winter just doesn't do it for me...

It was on Pokegama near Grand Rapids, MN... I also remember when Aaron Martens set the record 5 years or so ago at like 88 pounds... also on Pokegama, mostly drop-shotting. Lots of small-medium sized fish is where plastics/finesse can really shine at least for numbers in this part of the world.