MN Fisher

I don't know how far north, but Leech and George in mid-north between Park Rapids and Bemidji are good ones. Bemidji...not so much, but Irving which is a short channel trip from Bemidji is decent.

I got mine from Dick's - they have everything from Jawbone at $2.99ea and up.

I've had Metropolitan for house and vehicle for 30+ years - a claim on the house (storm damage), 2 claims on vehicles - one charged to the other driver - and always great service without my premiums reaching for the sky. I added the canoe with TM last year, added the trailer this year, and the premium is very affordable. As long as Met does business, I'll stick with them.

I use to be a seller on E-Bay using Paypal to accept payment. Paypal charges a fee to the seller for each transaction. This is a percent and it changes based on the amount of the transaction. This is how they make their money. So for everything you find on E-Bay, you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere as the E-Bay sellers mark up their prices to account for the Paypal fee.

Don't feel TOO old...I was 'out' of playing video games before the PS-2 even came out.

Our forecast is for near-normal - which means it'll be April before I get the canoe in the water. Average ice-out for my lake is April 14.

My MH rig is the Fuego CT on a Diawa Aird-X MH/F - it's not the weight of the lure that's the issue, it's getting the lure through the lily-pads, reeds and milfoil that needs the heavier equipment. My President will be on a M/F Aird-X - the chatters/buzz/spinners are 3/8 (all I got since I have to be a frugal fisherman by need)

I've got four different spinning rods with three different types of seats - two of my rods are Ugly Sticks. So long as the seat holds the reel and doesn't interfere with my casting/retrieving...I don't care.

I dunno about giants, but there's lots of good lakes in the area that have decent size LMs. I fished Lake George - north of Park Rapids on Highway 71 - back in the 80s and remember some of the guys getting good size bass out of it. Other lakes in the area... http://www.minnesotalakes.net/hubbard_county_lakes.html The state record LM came out of Auburn Lake which is in the TC Metro area.

Twin-tail grub in Green Pumpkin - that was my best producer as a trailer last year.

I think it has been mentioned - but I'll re-iterate. Buzzbaits, big twin spinners, chatterbaits, larger jerk and crank baits all get done on my 'lighter' Baitcaster...use to be the Ambassadeur, now will be the President with 20#PP Can't use Alabama rigs here - at least not with hooks on every end...illegal in MN. One end can have a hook or lure, the rest have to be hookless. Heavy vegetation - that calls for the Fuego CT with the 50#PP

A pic of me activating the bail trigger. I can do this with the hand on the rod, never needing to remove my hand from the reel-handle.

Exactly, @reason, it depends on the spinning reel. If I do any trolling it's with my Cardinal, which has a trigger on the side of the bail to instantly open it if I get caught on a snag or a larger fish grabs it and runs. It's as fast as the thumb-trigger on my baitcasters.

Yep - those are the ones. And "My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...."

I used Spinning tackle from the beginning as that's what I grew up using for panfish and trout. Adding bass to my 'targets' didn't change my habits. I only added a baitcaster when my dad decided, after an accident at work, that he wasn't going to fish anymore and gave me his rod/reel - my Ambassdeur 500R that I just retired. For me, heavier lures or heavy cover fishing (pitching/flipping/frogging) will be done with my two baitcasters. The rest of my fishing will be with my spinning gear I would consider 3/16 to maybe 1/4 to be the limit for finesse work. Personally - my finesse rod will be relegated to 1/8 oz or less. Above that I will go to my medium spinning rig.

Almost the last of my shipments - just waiting on the rod for the President BC in this picture. Also add a Plano Weekender bag to this list - that's going to be my plastics bag...the Cabelas will be for everything else. Only 2 chatterbaits (Green Pumpkin, Shad) because I already had a Black in my bag. Leashes are for my rods and anything else I want to secure - paddle maybe even though I've got a TM for the canoe...need backup.

Ditto this except the line - 8# here.

If I did rig a grub Texas style, I'd use a 1/16 or 1/8 weight and a keeper hook like the Gamakatsu G-Finesse in any of the three sizes. Shakey Head jigs would also be good with a twin-tail grub.

My flipping/pitching/frogging reel is getting 50# Power Pro Original My crank/jerk/spinner/buzz/chatter reel is getting 20# Power Pro Original My spinning reels get Mono or FC.

One of my two newest spinning combos I got last year worked well for me. Garcia Mitchell Avocet RZ-2000 on a matched 6'6" ML/F Avocet rod- this one is in your budget. Loaded with 8# mono, this one's my finesse rod...drop shots, ned rigs, unweighted Texas rigs, etc. The Avocet combo comes in ranges from UL to Medium, all well under your $60 limit - leaves you enough for line. https://www.amazon.com/Mitchell-Avocet-RZ-Combo/dp/B077Y8G5S6

Enjoying the change of seasons and not melting during summer.

No different than any other I/T Support position. Back in the 80's I was the Technical Support person, normal hours were 8-4:30 but carried a beeper evenings and weekends. Occasionally got calls at 1am to come and fix the networked printer so they could ship orders. Of course I still had to be there at 8am for my normal functions - but the OT was alright for my call-ins.

Add to that, trailers on spinners/chatters/buzzbaits. They really are all-purpose plastics.

Lack of storage space on the canoe makes it more difficult for me to find places. I could fit a large container under the seat, but prefer to have things more compact. Longer worms get de-bagged from original packaging and placed in snack-size ziplocs. Two of those fit in each slot of a Plano 3606. Shorter plastics (grubs, craws, tubes) are kept in their original packages and placed in a 3607. I've ordered a second tackle bag which will fit 4-3600 size boxes. That's going to be my 'plastics bag'. Outside pockets of that will hold any overflow.

Has to be - I'm 59 and occasionally growl. Lets see what happens after November ?