WaskaCrank12

Today it is 60 here in west central MN....but on tap for tomorrow -- blizzard conditions with 55 mph winds, snow and 9 degree temps -- later today I will make sure the snow thrower fires up and that everything is battened down tight in anticipation of the screaming winds

I had nothing but wind knots, break offs and other problems with SpiderWire - so I use any leftover rolls I have for other purposes (ie, tying up trash bags before putting them in the bin) - Sufix 832 and Daiwa Samurai have been very good for me

Hello - I have a 2 stoke outboard motor (1993 Evinrude V4 90hp) and the past two summers I have been using Shipmate 2 Stroke Synthetic Blend Oil (they are a MN company and I live in MN so I figured I would use that oil, it has been perfectly fine) - yet since last fall I have not been able to find it anywhere (I had purchased it regularly from the local Fleet Farm - $24 a gallon which was the best price they had for synthetic blend - they said they have no idea if/when it would be available again). I am looking to see if anyone has a recommendation for a reasonably priced 2 Stroke Synthetic Blend Oil they have had a good experience with - Specifically - has anyone used the Bass Pro Shops 2 Stroke Synthetic Blend oil (it is $20 a gallon - most other synthetic blends seem to range from $28 to $43 a gallon or higher). The BPS 2 Stroke Oil is certainly the cheapest, yet I am curious if the quality is any good ? Thank you in advance for your time/efforts.

I have not fished very long (coming in to year three) and have not caught a ton of fish - I have used a net 100% of the time - I have a rubber net, which certainly makes it easier to get hooks out of and it seems that it protects the fish a bit - I keep a small old Gatorade bottle filled with water right beside my measuring board, I just knock it over with my foot and it dumps the water on to the measuring board so the fish will be on a slick surface (takes a second to knock over, takes less than 5 seconds to refill) - I try and remove hooks (while the fish is still in the net), quickly measure, snap a pic, then place it back in the water - it is no doubt longer than the 30 seconds others have mentioned (probably 1 minute plus, I do it as efficiently as possible, I have all the gear/tools ready to go) - if it is clearly a small/dink fish I will not measure/pic, I will just place it back into the water - I keep the fish in the net until the hooks are out so if I am struggling to get the hooks out I can dunk the fish back in to the water (while still in the net) to give it a reprieve before I try again to get the hooks out As someone who is new to fishing the thought of not using a net boggles my mind - and the fact none of the "pros" use a net seems, well, odd (ie, seems like a strange "tradition") I am going to have to travel to ME to see @Swamp Girl in action - 40/80/100 fish in a day !!! That is mastery of the craft !!!! My most productive day was 8 fish - and I thought I was killing it :))))))))) Yes, Torpedo Fish/Pike/Toothy Critters can be a mess and difficult to deal with - I measured the first few I caught (1 was 28") - but unless I can see that it is that size or larger I keep them in the net, use hemostats to get the hooks out and then deposit the net back into the water and let them go - they can be a slimy, toothy, lure stealing menace

I have followed along with this thread as I had the same questions - and over the last few months I have ordered from several of the JDM/Japan based shops - and as long as the exchange rate is favorable I will continue to look at these shops to find items that are not offered in the US - overall I have had positive experiences with: Ichiban Tackle (ordered tackle only, they offer new and "used" tackle, of the few "used" lures I purchased all are in mint condition, shipping cut into the overall savings yet they shipped quickly and arrived in good shape) Japan Lure Shop (ordered a spinning reel, price was right, shipping was fast, and they provided a free lure) Asian Portal (ordered a JDM rod and three lures, price was good, shipping cut in to overall savings yet I got a rod and lures that are not available in the US, the rod/lures were packaged very well and came in mint condition) 7 Palms (ordered tackle only, the website is a bit clunky yet unlike the post above I had a positive purchase experience, they offer a good selection of lures not found on other sites, slower shipping but everything came well packaged) I hear great things about Digitaka yet many of the items I have been looking for are, seemingly, always out of stock - and I have been checking regularly - their prices are good, just a challenge to find items in stock.

"Crankbait Monkey is King Kong" - the truth has been spoken by @king fisher

The Hook Up Tackle has a limited number (around 150) items at 25% off

As part of the Minnesota crew along with @gim and @MN Fisher it will be May 10th at the earliest - we are in the deep freeze right now - this past week we had multiple days with negative temps (it was minus 24 on Wednesday) and the forecast is for negative/single digits for the next week - not much snow cover here so the ice on the local lake is very thick/deep

There are some wonderful resources here on this site - as mentioned above if you search this site you will come across some great info. Like yourself I am relatively new to power boat fishing (I bought my first power boat, a used boat, in Feb. of 23'). I grew up near the ocean (and now live in the Alexandria, MN area) so I had experience being on boats/on the water and a very healthy dose of respect for the water (conditions can change rapidly and the water can get angry very fast). I had a decent amount of experience in sailing on the ocean, so I felt pretty good about how to navigate/be safe on the water - yet there are clear difference between sailing and using a power boat - and ocean navigation and lake water navigation. YouTube can also be a good resource for you (and others). Everything from how to prepare for your on the water experience (being properly prepared prior to getting on the water is a key element to a safe/positive experience), to safely backing down the boat ramp, to successfully navigating - can be found on YouTube. BoatUS has a good series of YouTube videos on safety - launching, navigating, loading your boat. Len's Cove Marina has a comprehensive catalogue of YouTube videos on all things boating. I am sure there are many more - search and find something that resonates with you. I encourage you to take someone with you on the boat as you learn and gain confidence (safety in numbers, someone to support you as you build confidence. someone to ask questions/encourage you) . As with learning how to drive a car for the first time - nothing beats actually getting out there and doing it - just make sure to always keep safety front and center.

I live in the Alexandria area (about 1 hour 45 minutes southwest of Brainerd) - Brainerd and Alexandria have almost identical populations - in Alexandria there are a number of beautiful lakes ranging from a few hundred acres to about 9,000 acres in size (some of the lakes are connected so you can go lake to lake) - plenty of things to do - proximity to highway 94 to either go west to Fargo or east to the Twin Cities - I think it is probably a similar distance to the Twin Cities from both Alexandria and Brainerd (128 or so miles) - Alexandria does not have the proximity to a lake as large as Mille Lacs - as @MN Fisher mentioned the Leech Lake area is beautiful I moved here from the east coast - here are some house buying things to possible consider: ---living "on" a lake (ie, property that has direct lake front access) drives the cost up significantly ----taxes and "assessments" are significantly higher if you own lake front property -----you need to take in to account (if you buy lake front property) that boats, PWC, kayaks, ect....will be buzzing around when the water is liquid and ice fisherman, trucks, ice fishing houses, augers, ect....will be buzzing around when the lake is frozen -- and they can be buzzing around 24/7 Certainly there are pros to living "on" the lake - you can walk down, lower your boat lift and cruise out on to the water (although there is a cost to putting that dock/lift into the water in the spring and taking it out of the water before it freezes over). I did lots and lots of research before buying. I live half a mile from a lake (I can easily walk, ride my bike to the lake) and I am about 15 minutes from a DNR ramp - so it is easy to drive the boat down and dunk it in the water. I would say every 40 yards closer you get to the lake (from my house) the prices of homes increase rapidly . I would add: ---my dad gave my brothers and I this advice when it came to purchasing a home - buy the least expensive place in the nicest neighbourhood you can get in to (I did that - and as people in the neighbourhood have added on three car garages, big decks, nice landscaping, ect... - the value of my property has risen quite a bit without me doing much to it).....as they say - location, location, location -----I agree fully with @Swamp Girl - find a home with "good bones" (ie, rock solid foundation, solid/newer roof, good windows, no water/flooding concerns, good insulation) and then embrace taking on projects like painting/making it your own -- check out big ticket items like the furnace/well (I have well water)/septic tank/deck/roof/ect....for defects or approximate timeline they may need to be replaced -- because when you buy the house these all become your responsibility to maintain/replace -----Be honest with yourself about the size of property/length of driveway that you are excited about maintaining --- it takes time/effort/equipment to maintain and show pride of ownership for your home (I have 1.5 acres and embrace/enjoy the yard work that comes along with that - many people would not want that) -----I believe these things were said before - drive into the neighbourhood at all different times day/night to see/hear what it is like - ask people who live there why they chose that neighborhood ?, would they chose it again ?, what is the best part of living here ?, what are the challenges of living there ? -----Get the home inspected by a licensed inspector --------Purchase a home that fits YOU the best ---- What is most important to you ? What are your must haves ? What are your deal breakers ? (ie, cracked foundation, water leak issues, damaged roof, ect...) What are your "I'm ok with that quirk" ?, "I am ok with taking on that project") Wishing you the best of luck in your search !

@bulldog1935 - thank you for the thoughtful, informative and thorough reply. I will search the suggestions you posted, thank you ! It appears this would be a good time to purchase (ie, strong US dollar vs. Yen at the moment). The rod I am looking at is an older version (I believe 2021 was the last refresh) so it may be best to purchase it prior to a newer version coming out so I don't get caught with an inflated price. Thank you for that heads up. Thank you !

I am considering purchasing a JDM rod from JDM Tackle Heaven. I am looking to see what experiences people here have had with purchasing a rod through this company. I have looked back through older threads and have not seen JDM Tackle Heaven mentioned very often. My singular experience with purchasing a JDM product from Japan was a reel from JapanLureShop and it was a positive experience. @bulldog1935 and others who have extensive JDM purchasing experiences: - Have you found a particular time of year better, in terms of exchange rate, to purchase from Japan ? - How have you tracked the exchange rate ? (ie, just checking each day ? looking at exchange rate forecasts ?) Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.

@NorthernBasser I am sending positive vibes, thoughts and prayers your way !! Know that you have an entire community here and beyond that are thinking of you and pulling for you !!! You have been here for us - and we are here for you

I like @MIbassyaker graph - I have only been fishing now for 2 years yet I have kept a note book recording catches - and since it's minus 36 wind chill today I just might crank up the fire place and make a chart.... What is considered "big" is certainly relative to state/location and lake - I believe the heaviest recorded largemouth in MN is 8 lb 15 oz's (23.5 inches long) and largest smallmouth 8 lbs. In comparison the MN Walleye record is 17lb 8oz (35.75 inches) The vast majority of catches for me have been 14 to 16 inches long - with the biggest smallmouth being 18.5 inches and largemouth 19.5 inches....I will make a chart and see what the percentages look like.

Just received the Tackle Warehouse "Mailing List Only" email - looks like the 20% off sale goes now 1/20 until 1/29