MN Fisher

'Dad' and Sara playing tug - lost her about this time back in 2001...I still miss her.

I'm way overpowered for towing. My 2001 Silverado has the optional towing package and is capable of towing up to 11,000 lbs. So what will I be towing? An 84lb canoe with trolling motor, battery and fishing gear on a 220lb trailer. Whoopee.

Switcheroo - they're saying mid to upper 40s for us next week.

Today's the warmest it's been in weeks - only hit 38.

HEY! Send that back this way - we need it.

Same in Minnesota - we've even had lakeshore home owners cited for harassing boat fishers because they were 'too close to my property'. Trout and panfish are my other targets - eatin' fish.

Which is why here you have to dispose of unused minnows in the trash instead of dumping them in the lake - even if you caught them in THAT lake.

The canoe I have is the Sun Dolphin Scout SS...14'... and rated to 765lbs (You, Trolling Motor, Battery, etc-etc-etc) https://sundolphin.com/scout-ss/

Those regs were in place LONG before Jesse was Gov. I think some of them are good ones...Bass are just large Sunfish (yes, they're the same family) and Yellow Perch are members of the Walleye/Sauger family after all. They're all gamefish far as I'm concerned. Plenty of minnow species out there to use without cutting into the gamefish.

I'm not small at 6'1 and 210. I went with a canoe and am in the middle of some modifications to make it more stand-up/sit-down friendly. Total cost will be under $1000 - with another $600 for the trailer and it's one mod. This is where it's at so far - just some painting, laying down traction tape and finishing up the wiring left.

Just make sure your state allows you to use certain fish as bait. In MN it's illegal to use any gamefish as bait...and bluegills (all sunnies) and perch are considered gamefish under state regs. We also can't use salamanders.

Watched the vid - much ado about nothing.

This is what happens when the athletic department of a college/university gets more support than the academics. Sports in college are suppose to be a sideline to learning...not the main focus of an educational establishment. When did we switch that?

The spincast combo? If that's the one...the rod is rated to 2oz on the standard combo http://shop.zebcobrands.com/808-reels-combos/808-808h702mh-20-ns3.html The 'Bite Alert' combo is rated to 8oz lures http://shop.zebcobrands.com/808-reels-combos/bite-alert-ba808h702mh-20-ns3.html

Latest NWS forecast has less than 2" of rain between now and Friday...with some more snow Thursday night. That's not going to make too much of an impact on the current snow cover.

Life Preserver is more important than a motor...you can always paddle a boat. Cell Phone or 2-way radio to call for help if needed. Anchor so you don't drift off your spot. Map of the lake/river so you don't get lost. Plenty of water - it's hotter on the water than it is on the bank. Fishing gear. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Only way I know there's a tournament happening is that I see posts on it here. Personally - watching a Bass Tourney is as exciting as watching a Golf Tourney...I.E. Snooze Fest.

If you go with the intention of nudging into someone else's 'spot'...then yes, that's disrespectful. I go out when I can...where I can. I don't watch or even pay attention to when/where tournaments are being held. So if I'm on someone's spot, it's totally unintentional and I can not be blamed for that. That's the difference...being there on purpose knowing a tournament is being held, and being there accidentally because you had no idea there was a tournament going on.

Last report had Minnetonka still at 16" of ice. With all the snow on top, it's well insulated. That snow has to go before the ice can start really melting. Even with the upper 30s and 40s forecast - I don't see any of my fishing spots opening before mid-April.

Another 'Attack of the Zombie Thread'?

My personal position is that it's public water, open to all. Whether there's a tournament on or not, no one has the right to 'push' someone from a fishing spot. If the Pros want to 'hog' the lake, then the tournament organizers need to pay a fee to the state for a temporary designation of 'private use only'. If they're not willing to fork over the kind of money needed to do that, then tough luck...the lake and any spot on it is open to whoever gets there first.

Depends on other factors as well. The rain will help melt ice faster, but cloudy conditions slow the melting somewhat. Wind will also help the melting process. Best bet is to check with your local DNR/Department of Fish and Game/who ever...they're the ones who check on ice conditions around your state and the ones to declare lakes ice-free.

I use 12# Stren Flourocast on my Trion without major issues...I don't even use a line conditioner on it. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Which is why I do my Ned rigs on my ML (1/16-1/2) rather than my UL (1/32-1/4). I prefer to have my lure weights towards the middle of the rod's rating rather than near the top where possible.

A little Google search and I found that the battery is rated to 9 amp-hours. Check the manual on the unit - or do a Google search on the model - to find the 'Current Drain' for the unit. Searching on the Hook-4 I found that it draws 1.1 amps - so that battery would last a little over 8 hours (9/1.1=8.18) using a Hook-4 or Hook-5. That's assuming the battery is in very good shape and hasn't been subjected to too many drain-recharge cycles...the more cycles it's been put through, the less it'll hold.