Further North

I've caught more muskies (and pike) on what most folks use for bass fishing than I'll ever catch on the specialized musky rigs. I remain unconvinced that huge lures are needed...or even that they produce more fish...or bigger fish. A hungry Esox is gonna eat...you put what they think is food in front of them...or what ticks them off...you're good to go.

Early trout (artificial only, C&R only) opens 1/7...so there's not going to be a lot of downtime this year...as long as the weather's not miserable. I'll clean out the boat, maintain the gear, tie some flies, chase some grouse and pheasants, fit in a couple of business trips, and one with the family, polish of some around-the-house stuff that gets shoved back if I can fish... Plenty to do.

One of the films at the Banff Mountain Film Festival was about dog-power...it was fun to watch and learn.

My Wife, daughter and I went for the 5th year last night in Eau Claire, WI...enjoyed it as we have every year. If it'll be near you, I highly recommend you grab your family and go: https://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/worldtour/usa Great photography, wide variety of subjects from skiing to tracking elk thorough the mountains around Yellowstone to "Four Mums in a Boat". Learned a couple of things: 1) People row across the Atlantic...for "fun". 2) There are a lot of things people use dog power for other than pulling sleds. Quote of the night, from "Ace and the Desert Dog": "...you give them a few years of their life, they give you their entire life." ...and...this:

I've never had a Talon, so I can't offer an opinion about that, but can't agree enough on the trolling motor. Ask around, see what most people say...then add an extra battery....

Interesting - never had an FG unravel. I've had some I tied poorly do some other stuff, but not that. Pretty much the same here.

Quick note: The 8.1:1 is more speed, less torque. The 6.4:1 is less speed, more torque.

Surgeon knots work fine when line diameters are about the same or you don't want a long leader (I find dragging a few feet of leader through the loop to be a PITA). ...but I'm curious about the FG...why is it "hit or miss"? I don't find it hard to tie on the water, but understand that some people do.

Nah...dude's got every piece of sun protection he can have on...Wide brimmed hat with a drop down sunshade, sun gaiter, dark shades that block the sides, long sleeve shirt in the tropics...so he won't get skin cancer... Right over a huge warning that says: WARNING: this product can cause mouth cancer. Apparently it's better to have it start from the inside and work its way out...

Found this on the inside cover of a popular fishing magazine this month. Anyone else see the basic disconnect in this ad?

I'd look for a used PWC trailer.

Both. Depends on the situation. I can do everything from dropping a fly on a current seam, and drifting a #20 nymph for a picky trout to throwing a 6 ounce musky bait on a rod more suited to towing small vehicles. Horses for courses...

Complicated answer...fished from the time I was 5, until the year after my Dad passed away back in 1987...so that was 21 years. Was away from it until about 6 years ago. Been at it hard ever since.

That works, though I modify it a bit because goals are unavoidable in most of the real world. I set up my systems to blow past the goals...or so that I can go back and show that the goals were the wrong ones in the first place. ...bus some things I'm going to systematically work on next year: It's time for an electronics upgrade - replace the 1198 and 798, probably with a Helix 12 at the console and a Helix 10 at the bow. I'd go smaller at the bow (like the 798) but the 10" is the smallest unit that does what I want it to do. Branch out from my "safe" lakes. Need to fish more unfamiliar water. Fish rivers more. I love rivers, but they are such a PITA to fish...I need a better system... Pick a better Canadian destination for pike. LOTW is great, but muskies tend to get in the way of pike fishing. This may take a while, so might end up fishing LOTW again. Get better at crankbaits Get better at swimbaits That'll keep me busy.

Buy used. Used boats Used reels Used rods ...or just buy them on e-Bay, unused, but not current models. Used boats alone will save tens of thousands of dollars...

I have three Type R reels. Two are the Cabela's version (Called Arachnid, $110, used points, so "free"), 6.3:1, one is the "real" Daiwa Type R (100HSL, 7.3:1, $82, brand new in box, eBay). They work just fine, I am able to palm the reel well, but I also wear an XXL glove. They cast great, as well as anything else I have with the exception of the Shimano Calais DC. I would not hesitate to buy another.

We'll get the same weather...minus the winds, apparently*...starting Friday. Good video, nice fish... Great net, almost the same one I use. *That's what you get for livin' on the wrong side of the lake...

Thank you - the lake I fish most often is a deep, clear lake, I'll give your strategies a try. I'm not very good at fishing deep water...have to learn to adapt.

AJ, If I can ask: what are you using and what kind of water are you fishing to bag those big girls? I can't seem to touch anything other than muskies on my favorite smallmouth lake.

I spent a week on Lake of the Woods a couple years back...caught muskies from about 35" to 48". Biggest lure I threw all week a 1 1/8 oz Doctor spoon. Caught a couple (and lost some more) on a Strike King Smokin' Rooster...to the point where I re-rigged my T-Rig with 12" of tieable wire. The dedicated musky hunter on the back of the boat. who was throwing big baits all week...boated exactly zero muskies and a couple pike. That trend has continued since then.

We'll have to disagree there... A friend and I fished with a guide a week ago on a northern WI river that will go nameless. We were chucking big (14") streamers at muskies. Our guide busted his hump for us,rowing up-river a few times to put us on good spots on both sides of an island or part of the river he was free with information and techniques, very clear about what worked where and why...and coached well on improving casting huge flies. ...and he put us on five muskies; two of which were in the 48" range. It wasn't his fault we didn't land them... He earned his tip, and he got it. I'll even recommend him to anyone who wants to send a PM.

No bass room...but I have a detached 24' x 36' garage that dedicated to fishing.

If you haven't already, consider giving pike & musky on the fly a try. Don't be afraid...you can catch lots of toothy fish on bass gear - you absolutely do not need monster baits and super heavy rods. I have plenty...and I still catch more pike and musky on bass sized gear than on the heavy duty stuff.

That'll be great - it'll be right at your feet and it'll deploy every time you put the TM in the water. What I worry about with the 360° on the back of the boat is smacking it on the bottom - it has to be below the hull to work well. ...also, I have to sort of offset the center of the circle by about 16 ft...some days I'm better at that than others.

Yep. Except that I've got that river 15 minutes away...3 more inside a half hour...and another dozen within a couple hours...some amazing smallie water...and some musky rivers that have fish in 'em that will...in the words of my friend Jay..."Make you curl up on the bottom of the boat and cry"...we had five come play with us last Monday a semi-local river that will remain nameless... ...and you can't get to a lot of that water in a "regular" boat...unless it's jet powered or you sacrifice to the prop gods a half-dozen times a year. My problem is that I fish by myself probably 90% of the time...so I can't drift a river section from one takeout to another.