⬆️x3

Thanks for that information Nick! That’s great stuff.

https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-caster-wheel-polyurethane-6-in-1200-lb-5vj61/i/G2108802/feature-product?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping%20feed&utm_content=free%20google%20shopping%20clicks&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrNWvttiN7gIVTL7ACh1gKQetEAQYEiABEgIAi_D_BwE

Don’t be afraid to try in those holes as well. Start in the head of the hole and work to the tail. I reposition my baits at least every 1/2 hour. Later in the summer I have more luck in deeper water than up in the shallow brush it seems.

Like stated above it is most likely pot metal. Be careful and slow. Remove it from the reel first, don’t try to pry on it while mounted or you could do other damage. Put it on a vice and slide a lever of some kind under to apply pressure as even as possible. Not sure if I would try heat because the knob is probably plastic. Good luck

I cant tell you how many flatties we have caught just because we have seen the line moving laterally or going slack (good anchoring is key here to prevent boat sway). I still use circles but like FBMR stated a lot of times you need to “load” the rod yourself with a slow steady retrieve. Careful those of you new to this, it is really addictive once you land your first big one and see a 10/0 hook look tiny in that giant mouth. Great info on these boards from guys like FBMR, Steve, BK and tons of other people look into the archives.

Hah! FBMR they are a trash fish but the sheepies should be biting this week. I’m a big believer in cut bait in spring for flats and will be out this week. thanks guys. looked at the river forecast and it should be nice and low.

Ratchet straps, a moving blanket, a small socket set, more ratchet, jumper cables, tow strap, 3 tow recievers with a different size ball on each! Head lamp, Big channel locks, first aid kit, and some bungee cords.

Also, if you bought a chevy make sure you have a cell phone to call a Ford owner to tow you

Red wing 19′ 4/5

I can’t help but think bfishn could make a commercial out of this. Anything will eat a ringworm!
Seriously though I’ve seen kids eat worse should be fine.

just drove down to the 494 launch, was planning on catfishing tonight. Saw all the cleanup trucks and the ramp over the levee was blockaded. Anyone have any info on when they plan on opening it back up or how far south they closed the launches?

I have a g3 that came with vinyl flooring and absolutely love it. I fish the river in February and have never had any issue with slippage. Would never go back to carpet. The ability to power wash out any blood or fish poop in under 5 minutes makes it worth everything. Being a catfisherman, I end up with a lot of slime in the bottom of the boat and I never have to give it a second thought. My next bill will have vinyl as well.

@bk That was supposed to be an angry emoji. For some reason when I posted it it came up as question marks. I had been one of the lucky recipients to have been using a cast net for the last few years. Just sad that everyone I talk to was completely in support of it but like others have said you bundle these things together and there is always something wrong.

????

I’ve used a lot of different lines over the years and just never had breaks like I have with PP. I’ve never had a break on a fish thankfully it has always been in a snag (the snags I fish are purely timber and not rock). Its not the fact that the line is breaking its where its breaking and under the amount of stress. I always use 80lb line to a swivel and at least a 50 lb mono leader. I tie good knots and trust them well, but I also understand that no matter the knot it should be the weakest spot in the line. The breaks occur at random places in the line. The one that almost put me out of the boat broke 6 feet from the end of my rod. Its the only line I have ever used that doesn’t break consistently at the knot. The other part is that I understand pulling at a snag is going to probably end up breaking the line but the amount of force needed sometimes is no where near what I would expect for it to break. I don’t know maybe I bought a bad batch or recently their QC has gone down but I’m done with it.

I use a basic overhand loop knot to attach my braid to my swivel as well as my mono leader to my swivel, I think some call it a double surgeon’s loop. Simply make the loop, thread it through and around the swivel and you are done. Takes all of 3 seconds to tie and I have never had a line break at that point. For my hooks I use a Palomar knot if it is a straight eye hook which is how I buy my Gama Big River bait hooks. However if the eye is turned up which is how I like my gama octopus circles then I snell the hook to the shank. The only time I have ever felt that my knot was a weakness was when I used to use an improved clinch knot to attack my hooks, With the large diameter of the mono we use this is just an inferior knot. It is fine for walleye fishing with 6lb test but not 50lb mono or any braid.

Wow, I had no idea you had already addressed this. Thanks! Is there any chance that they would look at this again in the near future? Is there anything that the rest of us can do to help?

Beyond what fbmr said, what types of hooks do you use? Do you fish from a boat or shore? Hard to just give a blanket statement as to the best setup. Most importantly, what is your budget? I know people who run st. Croix rods with shimano Calcutta reels as well as people who run Wal-Mart shelf set ups. All can catch fish, just gotta figure out what works for you and your fishing style.

You lookin at these for channel reels fbrm? The drag seems a little light for flats or sturgies.

X2 on everything BK said. Clicker is too light and musky guys burn them out casting. That being said, I use circle hooks and fish for flatheads and sturgeon so I like my 6500’s

Heading up tomorrow morning, I drive a three-quarter ton truck, with the current weather conditions should I have any worries about driving on the lake?

ethan meyer wrote:

I have a mke fuel impact driver 1/4in; can this be adapted to drill with nils augers? Most guys I see have the drill/driver but was hoping to make this work

Spoke with a K-drill rep at the ice show about this same question and he told me that under no circumstances should you ever slap a k-drill on an impact. He said it would destroy it.

Ray PM me and I can point you in the right direction for bullhead in the East metro. Flatheads are on the chew right now, seeing some great fish being caught.

Pike, all I can say is to emphasize that they hit like a sunny. If you have heavy gear then watch your line. If it starts to dance then let some out grab the rod, reel until you feel something and set the hook. Otherwise fish with rod in hand and a open bail. If you feel a slight rat-a-tat, give line then reel until you feel. FBRM swears by circle hooks in a rod holder, and they work very well too, but you need to know how a circle hook works. Double action hooks (aka Khale hooks) work great because they will hook themselves or you can set the hook. They can be found all up and down the croix but detecting and connecting is the real challenge. good luck

Awesome! Love the videos guys. Keep it up! Sound went south around 4 minutes but I’m sure your quality will keep going up. South Saint Paul and Inver grove have some great shore fishing spots if you are still looking. Love the shout out to the police, was defiantly let go more than once by them for fishing where I wasn’t supposed to at your age.

beautiful fish!! Surprised there wasn’t a mark on it. almost every flat we have boated this year has been in battle. Love pulling them up outta holes like that. Keep it up

Congrats man!!!

craig s wrote:

Hey guys,
Does anybody get flatheads in the spring?

Short answer yes. They are in intermediate depths in close proximity to deeper holes. But I have chilled my bones many nights for few fish to tell you that you can reliably catch them right now. So if you are just looking to wet a line and try them then I will tell you that you can catch them. But don’t think that they are anywhere near as aggressive or in the same places as early summer/late spring.

Was a fun time BK. My only question is: was that first guy teaching us how to catch bait for sturgeon? Those were some ugly fish he had pictures of but I bet the cats and sturgies would love to munch on em

A few years ago I lost at least 5 or 6 strong bites as I was experimenting with circle hooks because I was hooking my bullhead under the spine behind the dorsal or just ahead of the anal vent and the bullhead would basically roll into the circle so the hook was ineffective. once I switched to hooking through the upper lip my hookup rate went way up. I will be interested to see your results but that looks like a lot of “stuff” for the bait to have on it. Please keep us informed on your results.