FryDog62

I don’t, reel is Daiwa Alpha SV... don’t know if it can be added but seems to work fine for how I use it anyway...

There are about 40 lakes of various sizes and species in the Northeastern corner of SoDak (near Webster, SD) and approx 4 hours straight West of Minneapolis. Best thing to do is get the latest fishing report when you’re in town - can call the daily fishing report at the Sportsman’s Cove bait shop in Webster and they highlight what’s biting and which lakes each day (605) 345-2468. If you hit pound you can ask for the owner Doug who can probably give you shore fishing spots/ideas?

Ok... to the east coast guys - how come you don't pronounce the "H" in words like "Huge" or "Humid" but you do for other words like "Halibut" or "Hook?" (I mean Huk?) I hear this and I say “What the ell?" in my best Fargo accent... ?

7 lb Sunline Sniper. I get zero line twist because I use a finesse baitcast outfit instead of spinning. No issues with backlashing besides some occasional minimal overrun.

Only problem is that the TV host Steveo was referring to is wearing his Strike King sunglasses...

Yes, one of my wife’s best friends from your area loves to have “Chewocolate” with her “Koowoffee” in the morning...?

Sounds like a fun trip. I wish I could give you more direct input, I’m really only familiar with the Eastern part of SoDak. Wondering if there is an SD Game & Fish person you could contact in that area?

Northern Pike are aka: •Toothy Critters •Snot Rockets •Scud Missiles •Jimmy Durante

Kind of dovetailing off the “Fishing Lingo” thread, I hear a lot of fishing terminology mis-pronounced. But knowing things are pronounced differently in certain areas of the country, maybe I'm the wrong one..! •”KamaGatsu” hooks instead of Gamakatsu •“Sinko” instead of Senko •”Polymer” knot •”Polaroid” sunglasses

A friend of mine, we refer to going out to catch “Big Smallies” as fishing for oxymorons...

I like the Zolo Toadface at 7’2” and with a MH tip to work the frog, and a Heavy butt section to get fish out of cover. Went back to my 7’4” Heavy rod for awhile last year and realized how much better the Toadface was at least for me..

Our season in Minnesota doesn’t open until mid-May, but the ice will be off hopefully by mid-April. I plan to be in a neighboring state with a year-round season in late April. T minus 50 days ?

I’m a Mepps 4 or 5 guy either on rivers or in Canada along rocky shorelines for SMB. I like Wordens Rooster Tails too but they are lighter and a little harder to throw when it’s windy. Spinners work well but I put them away if there are any weeds around as the trebles grab everything. Consequently I don’t catch many LMB with them but they would work if not directly in the cover.

It’s debatable whether it works with braid - but I would never try do that with fluorocarbon. That kind of pressure on fluoro microfractures the line. You might eventually get the rats nest out, but your chances of a break off later on go way up.

I think my sons learned their first “colorful” terms from me on some of those early fishing excursions... But it’s amazing to me how adding a simple coffin blade to a swim jig can more than double the price.

And usually price too

Hair jigs up here in the frozen tundra after ice-out are actually fairly popular. They really were back in the day before plastics came along - for walleyes and bass. Most here fish them on long rods 7-8 feet light power with 6 lb test (sometimes less) and 1/16 oz if you can get away with it, otherwise 1/8 oz. Black seems to be the color of preference, no trailer. Slow steady retrieve, or hop/twitch along the bottom. Although finesse in nature, can elicit bone-jarring strikes!

I have the 685cb which is the slightly shorter version of the 705cb. When I called Dobyns last Fall before buying, they said Gary uses the 705cb himself for jerkbaits. Either will work, depends on your preference for rod tip clearance.

Agree, anything in St. Croix Medium-Heavy are going to be thicker, tip heavy rods. Dobyns isn’t light either but better balanced IMO. Tatula XT is another good option as well as Ark Tharp rods.

FG knot is the thinnest - UNTIL you tie the hitch knots at the end. Look at it closely, the hitch knots are a lot bulkier and tick against that guides a lot more than the rest of the knot. When you take this into account, other knots like the Crazy Alberto are actually thinner and very strong.

I have found Grass Pigs to be effective and highly durable. On a Chatterbait, I don’t think you need something really soft or full of flavor... you just need action and durability. I save the Keitechs for when swimming alone as a swimbait.

iRod Fred's Magic Stick as mentioned above, Daiwa Tatula Heavy Flipping rod, ALX (Ikos Hammer, or Zolo Brawler).

Yes, but I think there are some great options that are both more sensitive than a Dobyns, and not a pool cue like an SC.

I had LTB’s for 15 years. In a Medium or ML they are very good rods. But in MH and Heavy they weigh a lot - most 5-5 1/2 ounces and very tip heavy. Once you pick up one of the other brands listed above and compare side by side, it’s pretty amazing. But then the other brands are 20-30% lighter and better balanced.

I’ve been thinking about ordering some this Spring. We are ice-up until April, so if you gain any further perspective on sink rate in the next couple months, let us know. Thx