I like Scotty rod holders. The ones I have are clamp-on ones so I can transfer them easily from my canoes to my boat. The ones I have are designed for baitcasters, but work with spinning reels too, you just have to deal with the reel sideways at a 90-degree angle. I think they have other designs as well, but I’m not sure.

Braid, better sensitivity, no twists, better durability

I managed several 15-16 inchers last year fly fishing for pike. 4-5 inch long flies entirely in their mouths, maybe go big baits?

lucky he had his motor trimmed up

My sanity

Been fishing an ice 35 humminbird flasher for like 7 years now… Simple design but that’s what I like about it. No problems with it ever. The mount for it got smashed up but the unit still works so I made a mount out of wood. Great unit, can’t see myself using anything else

Hooked a monster lake trout jigging in the boundary waters from my canoe. went on multiple runs on my MH rod that lasted at least a minute each. I got him probably 20 feet under my canoe and he started feeling a little weaker so I cranked the drag just a little bit to get him in faster, as it had already been a 10 minute fight. right as i started pumping the rod he did a giant headshake and started going straight down on the biggest run I had ever felt. My drag was too tight and my line to line connection snapped, the fluorocarbon leader getting cut by the braid. The worst part about it is that I saw the giant bubbles that he burped up right after it snapped, and it looked like the water was boiling with huge bubbles. That moment is permanently burned in my memory, the far the most painful fish loss I’ve ever had.

x2 on the Loomis, I bought a E6x a couple years ago and I was disappointed that it was just OK. Not a bad rod at all but I prefer my Fenwick HMG that was half the price.

Hand augers rock

Got my first one a few weeks ago on a jig and minnow

I think the line needs to be drawn somewhere, personally I will not ever be buying panoptix or other live image units

I like the extra length on the ult nood but I think it’s just personal preference. They both make good rods

Throw them in a non see-through water bottle and bring them inside work

I can’t get an electric or gas to work reliably so I said f it and am now a hand auger guy.

With mine the charger just has to be in a super precise position on the thing. Try snapping it on and moving it around just a tiny bit till it says it’s charging

Morakniv

Both of my parents had very mild symptoms

Those clam leech flutter spoons are all you really need, deadly bait. I usually fish one of those and then have a deadstick next to me.

Always bonk and bleed my fish

Hopefully the cold temps help with the ice some

Couldn’t agree more

gim wrote:

s

We had a little bit of both in Fargo last night, a thin layer of snow stayed.

Charles wrote:

All that snow is going to melt going freeze fine. Few lakes around cross are between 4-6 so this won’t hurt it a bit.

However that being said, there is a chance of major snow in northern MN coming this weekend, that could screw up some of the ice.

Luckily early next week is looking great for ice making conditions so hopefully the snow this weekend doesn’t impact us too badly.

Sometimes early ice I sight fish them in weed pockets or on the deep side of weed lines, but I agree with the other replies having a flasher really is a game-changer.

Fished 4 inches of ice in eastern ND and western MN over the last week. Still lots of water being kept open by wind and birds.

This may be a good resource

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_in/index.html?year=2020#map

There is variation between years but looks like we’re slowly getting a later ice on date.

Youbetcha wrote:

Invest in a nils and you can make it most of the season. After you drill 5-10 holes through 20+ inches of ice in a row you really start questioning yourself

It can be a workout for sure

jumpingeorge wrote:

Yeah, we’ve been seeing moose up there pretty consistently on the trail cams & if you go out in the winter you see the tracks in the snow. Surprised by the size of this one though, hadn’t seen a bigger bull before.

They look smaller on trail cameras

Heading out tomorrow around DL

4mm is my standard, up to 6 and 7 mm for deadsticking minnows. Have used 2 and 3 mm for finicky cisco or panfish