MN Fisher

I'm sure I don't need to post what the Pres-25 nor the shirts look like. But here's one of the 'care package' contents.

Haven't been out the past couple weeks. Have to schedule my trips in advance, and the weather my past couple scheduled dates hasn't cooperated...high wind and/or rain with a canoe is not a good thing. Was scheduled for tomorrow...but again there's T-Storms in the forecast - sighs.

I had to put this out there. A couple very generous members here have gifted me with so much. Earlier in the year it was the President 25, loaded with 4# Yo-Zuri Hybrid..you know who you are, I've thanked you privately...you can go public if you wish. Today I received a 'care package' from another member loaded with baits, plastics and terminal tackle. He's increased my total tackle by about 25% as well as giving me some lures that I had no equivalents of - couple squarebills, couple small swimbaits and some poppers..again, thanks done in private, go public at your discretion. A third member gifted me 4 fishing shirts - 1 Columbia and 3 HUK long-sleeve 'T's... you'll see me wearing them in my pictures. Another who shall remain anonymous unless they desire to 'out' them-self. The generosity of members here staggers me and I just had to give this shout-out to publicly acknowledge them.

Get them while they're available - just popped out to Rapala's site (they own Storm) and the only ones they still have are the 25s.

I did quite a few mods to my canoe to make it a fishing machine - most of it detailed here. One example is the rod-rack I made from PVC pipe screwed into 3/4" MDF which is through-bolted to the canoe side

It depends on numerous factors 1) Weather that day 2) Time of year 3) Water conditions - temp, clarity, etc 4) Cover conditions - weeds, structure, etc 5) How hungry the fish are at the time you're out on the water/bank Best you can do is try different retrieves. If I'm running a spinnerbait, I'll vary speed and running depth, If it's a crankbait - same thing. Jerkbait, I'll vary up the pauses or even sometimes just straight retrieve. You can't know beforehand what type of retrieve is going to trigger a strike - so you have to be flexible.

My 'sunglasses' are clip-on - over my expensive, OSHA approved, poly-carbonate lens prescription glasses.

Should be marked in some way - 'Lean' and 'Rich' being the old notations on the 23' Cruiser my dad had when I was a teen and I took out fishing occasionally. Cold starts, put it more towards Rich. Once it warms up, turn towards Lean until the sound evens out. Through the day, you shouldn't have to adjust it again as the motor will still be warm even after an hour or so parked or slow-moving with the TM.

I haven't tried P-Line, but two of my reels have Yo-Zuri...4# on the Pres-25, 10# on the Trion. Since I treat all my non-braid with KVD, I've not had the memory issues with Hybrid that others have mentioned. I'm thinking of putting it on my crankbait rod which has Mono right now, but the Avocet I'll keep Mono on .

November 4 for us - sigh

Good fishing can happen at any dollar amount. My most expensive rig is right around $150 - all six of my rigs combined is still under $500 total.

I don't watch MLF precisely because it's a dink fest. I think if it was either a threshold or 5 biggest I'd watch it...but this 'count everything you catch' is for the birds as the guys are going for quantity over quality.

My main brands for years were Abu, Mitchell and Pflueger...mainly because the reels I had from those three lasted-and-lasted. Now I've begun getting Diawa and moving away from Abu. My 'feeling' is that Pflueger and Diawa give a better product at the same price-point as Abu. But that's my gut feeling from testing things out.

Maybe - but my wallet would call it the 'roll over, scream and die' effect.

Both stretch, FC later than Mono for the same stress. But Mono does 'rebound' to an extent, whereas FC doesn't. I had FC on my Trion, but after a couple breakoffs, switched to Hybrid...best of both worlds. I also don't use leaders...ever.

I'll agree here...while my first rod/reel was a Junior BC, for my 8th birthday I got my first 'adult' rig. A Mitchell 320 on a matched rod. So I was spinning when I was 8 - never had a spincaster.

Coleman - I have the 16qt C-Tec Excursion cooler, fits under the 'work table' in the canoe. Bag of ice in the morning, and there's still ice the next day even in 80o weather

Diawa DXSB - comes in four flavors from MH (1-6 oz) to XXH (4-14 oz). Priced at about $110 retail. I was thinking about getting into the larger swimbaits, and this was the rod I'd picked. Right now that's on the back-burner.

If you do go there - skip the Ugly Stick and go to the Diawa Aird-X. I've got three so far and my remaining Ugly Stick is slated to be replaced by an Aird-X this Yule.

The bait-monkey is sneaky. The bait-monkey is insidious. The bait-monkey will NOT be denied in the end. All you can do is postpone the inevitable.

My opinion is that whether it's high-end or budget - they both catch fish...and that's all that's needed. You want to gift me with a high-end St Croix or Dobyns rod...I'd love it. Being on a fixed income, however, means that I'll never be able to afford it myself.

I don't remember the exact rods - but the reels that outlasted the rods are my old Pflueger 640 and Cardinal 562. Both are 40-some years old and I could still use them, but right now they're sitting on a shelf. Never had the money to own a high-end...anything. Also never fished with someone who had one...so I can't say. All I know is that I catch fish with my 'budget' equipment, and that's the name of the game.

I'm with @Cattand @NYWayfarer. While having a great rod can be a plus, it's the reel that's going to last longer. I've retired reels that went through several rods each. So put the money into the reel. For me, as I upgrade my rigs - no matter the budget, be it $100 or $300 - 1/3 is for the rod, 2/3 for the reel. That's my 'rule of thumb' and my Fuego rig follows that to the 'T' - $55 rod, $100 reel at retail.

I second that...though the reel is more important than the rod to begin with. I'd look at the Pflueger President combos. The reels are great and will last years. The rod can be replaced at any time. For a 7 year old - either the 5630 (Pres-30 on a 5'6" Light) or the 6030 (Pres-30 on a 6'0" Medium) http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/pflueger-combos-spinning-combos/pflueger-president-spinning-combo/1447419.html

Joining the party - reel, then rod. I've got three levels of reels on a single line of rods. Even with the 'budget' rods, I can tell the difference between the three reels - the Fuego is much smoother and easier to setup/cast with than the Nitrous. So the reel matters more than the rod. Start there.