I like a cutter vs. scissors for braid. The inexpensive rapala pliers with the small carbide cutter can cut braid like butter.

bigcrappie wrote:

Anyone taking advantage of the new Cannabis law and planting?

I am. Been growing outdoors for many years. I like to start feminised seeds mid-late April and put them out in late May. Some like the autoflower strains, as they finish quickly and can avoid killing frosts in Sept, but I have not tried them. I have not had trouble with plants not finishing but a cold, wet September with early frost could be a problem. Happy to answer any cannabis garden-related questions.

Lack of transparency, overrun by scalpers, tickets have become a huge gong show. DOJ is finally stepping up, hope they take on more corporations and address the rampant price gouging and monopolization that has flourished for 40+ years. Thanks Diamond Joe and the US Senate

I am looking forward to the eclipse, and will be watching from the path of totality in southern Indiana. I watched the 2017 total eclipse from the path of totality in Idaho and it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen.
A dark shadow approached, all the birds went quiet, and when the moon covered the sun you could see stars and the corona surrounding the sun. It looked like wisps of smoke. Certainly not for everyone but if you enjoy natural phenomena like the northern lights, storms, wildlife, etc., it is quite the spectacle.

I have not fished that lake but have fished the BWCA for many years. I like to bring a medium-light rod with mono that is usually rigged with a slip bobber and a medium with 10lb braid for bass. If you do not have a lot of experience fishing from a canoe, give it a try on some local water before your trip. It can be frustrating on a good day, and impossible in high winds. I like to troll #5 flicker shads and jointed shad raps using a simple ice flasher to stay in the right depth, as that can be easier than trying to keep the canoe in position while jigging or casting. At that time of year, you may have some good walleye fishing in current areas also.

I would trust the Toyota hybrid setup, they have been making hybrid drive systems for a long time, and many of the older prius hybrid cars are running around with 300k+

I think I had 1,500-2K into the fan, pipe, and labor. It would be easier in a single level.

to those who say “this is the dems” or “thanks Walz”, consider this: there are 67 different mn house members who can make up almost anything they want and call it a bill. The recent White Earth land grab bill was tabled after last week’s hearing, which means it is not at all likely to get a vote by committee deadline (3/22), Many of the opposing voices, including my representative, ARE DEMOCRATS. This bill is up against the same deadline, and it will end up in the same place as the White Earth land grab bill, the trashcan.

It could be expensive, but not for me. I run a simple 16′ tiller, basic 12v bow mount and a simple 2d helix unit. A couple of combos that maybe cost $250 each, and a handful of inexpensive bucktails, livingston and llungen cranks, and maybe a medussa in the fall. I am happy with the number and size of skis I catch and am not into it for much money at all.

Those high dollar baits are handmade, so considering the time spent on them the cost is understandable. That said, I do not see myself dropping that type of money on a single bait any time soon, and if I did it would be for a trolling bait like a supernatural headlock or mattlock. Regarding lost baits, I can remember only 1 time I lost a musky lure in many years of fishing them. That was due to a classic reel engaging/line snap/lure flies across lake situation. My all-time best bait is an inexpensive “Harasser” bucktail.

“which at this point is not even remotely a forethought.”

lead poisoning of eagles has been studied extensively by very qualified biologists

Lead poisoning in eagles is not determined by x-ray, it is measured by tissue analysis (blood, liver, feathers). The largest study of this type looked at 1,210 dead eagles from 38 states and found that up to half of the eagles in the US have lead poisioning. (go merica’) The authors attribute this to the eagles feeding on gut piles, which has been a known source of lead in raptors for decades. Authors also stated that at current levels this could lead to a reduction of bald eagle population growth by 3.8% per year, which seems minimal but adds up over time, like compound interest.

No doubt the industry is watching this closely and will deploy significant resources to combat any legislation banning lead fishing tackle in MN. To me, lead is hard to substitute for fishing purposes, unlike hunting. I like Hornady alloys for my big game hunting, as research I have seen shows lead bullet fragments in meat, no thanks. Also the risk to eagles as noted earlier. The thought of poisoning an eagle is, to me, unsettling. I have heard of far more birds being killed by discarded fishing line than lead.

Here’s a case study for y’all. Annie Battle Lake in Ottertail county has been classified as a “Heritage Fishery” since 1997 which bans the use of ALL electronics and gas powered motors, including augers. Another part of this regulation is that bass and pike are CnR only, and bluegill/crappie limits are 5/piece. Wow, what, no technology and reduced limits?! This lake must be chalk full of 10″ bluegills, 15″ crappies, 22″ bass, and 40″ pike! Well, not exactly. If we use the most recent 2019 DNR lake survey as a point of reference: the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass still average 13″, the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike still average 18″, the bluegill still average 6-7″, and the crappies still average 9″.

Annie Battle lake is less than 400 acres. Regardless of regulations, a somewhat sterile, sandy, clear lake cannot crank out many 40″ pike or 22″ bass. As I said earlier, fishing is only as good as the habitat available to the fish. I want the agencies to protect and enhance the public’s habitat, not reach in my boat and tell me what transducer to use.

We are still learning about hooking mortality, so even though folks may claim catch-and-release– FFS will affect muskies or other large targets. I watched people casting at open-water fish on hot days last year and had concerns. I say focus on what can be done, educate on fish handling, promote selective harvest, and invest in water quality/habitat. The fisheries are only going to be as good as the habitat and forage base allows.

We will never see a ban on forward-facing sonar in any state. If we did, it would still be available and used by many. Restrictions on harvest methods, seasons, and other regs certainly have done much to improve fishing, but fish numbers and size will always depend on habitat quality. The science seems to show that habitat degradation, invasive species and radical weather changes are far greater concerns.

I just had a conversation about how <12 year old kids should not be deer hunting, right before these accidents happened. I am curious as to why the rules changed, because as already stated, it was 12 years old when I started in the late 90’s.

Why is the current administration 100% at fault? Texas has Governor Abbott, Cancun Ted, and had Trump in the white house, all who promised all kinds of nonsense about immigration and have failed to deliver for years.

I fished yesterday, 9/14 from 9-8. Sunset was a bust. Caught 3 fish 30-38″ between 11 am and 4. Fish were in the weeds 7-15′ and wanted small bucktails. The fished seemed very boat-shy and there was a lot of other guys out there. I tried a headhunter (8″) for the first time and moved some nicer fish on it. I was surprised that I didn’t get bit as that thing looks great in the water.

I thought that Republican leadership in the south was going to bring so much prosperity to the common man? Reagan is long gone and guys in the south are still waiting for something to trickle down. The 10 lowest median income states are all republican-led, and the 10 highest are not (aside from VA, which is really more of a purple state) MN is 13th, way ahead of the supposed promised land of TX, FL, TN.

Another vote for the Demon, I have a #4 tied on a slip bobber rig year-round and have caught everything from crappies to lakers on them. My go-to for winter walleyes

I spend most of my fishing time targeting muskies in western MN. When I started out, I read some old articles by a man named Mark Windells. He is known as an expert angler and baitmaker and sells the popular “Harasser” series of bucktails, and other baits. He wrote about fishing fast with small bucktails in and around weed cover, looking for active fish. Mark was guiding and fishing before many of the big advances in baits and equipment we see today, but I think his advice is still very sound. I am not just looking for a fish, I am looking for an active fish that wants to bite. If you keep fishing weeds with a fast-moving bait like a bucktail, you will get bit. As noted, be sure to have a proper net, serious hook cutter and long pliers. I have had the same purple and gold harasser tied on since July 2 and have landed 6 fish on it, probably will have it on until after turnover. Good luck on boating your first fish!

dirtywater wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Riverruns wrote:</div>
Lots of people sure know how to work the system.

Yeah, like American Farmers, who got 20 Billion in handouts last year

They will turn you away if they find zebra mussels 100%, even if they are not attached and you can remove them by hand. This is different than MN law. In MN, it is not legal to launch with attached AIS, but if you remove it you are good to go, whether that is by hand or with a pressure washer. At the border, they deny entry until they see a time-stamped picture of the boat being decontaminated by a hot-water pressure washer, which they do not provide at the border. I talked to a guy recently who had a small clump of mussels in his transom area, nothing attached, and he had to drive all the way to Detroit Lakes to have hot water sprayed on a clean boat for a photo op.

Your county’s Soil and Water Conservation District office may be able to help out with designing and installing a vegetated buffer of shrubs, native grasses, etc. That would be cheaper than rock and may hold up better than the fence option. In our county they offer cost-sharing $ for projects like this for shoreland owners

They say zms can live for 3 weeks, but I don’t think that is possible in hot weather. I would feel pretty comfortable launching after a thorough hot water rinse and then parking on a hot driveway. DNR site says that 140 degree water kills the adult mussels in 10 seconds contact time.

The inspectors you see are not funded 100% by lake associations. Lake associations chip in to add hours sometimes, but they are mostly funded by a law passed in 2014 that provides 10 million dollars annually for AIS work at the county level. This money is allocated to counties based on the number of accesses and parking spaces within the county. To have inspectors, the counties enter a delegation of powers agreement w/DNR that gives the county inspectors the same authority as the DNR watercraft inspectors. To the point of inspecting boats on zebra mussel infested lakes, the biggest public cost borne by local governments and lake associations from AIS is from the plants, like milfoil and starry stonewort. Preventing these things is a priority for counties, as some want to manage that stuff which is difficult and expensive.

I will be on Detroit, there will be open water fish in play but I will be fishing shallow weeds. Good luck to all.

Technically, the local inspectors and the DNR watercraft inspectors do have the authority to inspect “visually and tactilely” in any area that may hold water, so they can touch your boat or look in a water-holding compartment. I have never seen one just start reaching in my boat without asking permission or explaining what they want to see. Legally, you do not have to answer the questions. I have seen guys act all tough with these inspectors also, usually some guy with short-dick syndrome berating a college kid or grandma.

Very nice find, someone took proper care of that one. Beautiful patina.

Bearcat89 wrote:

When I was far younger than 12, I learned that my Dad, a hard working veteran, enjoyed cannabis, and that some of the information shared with me at school was untrue. After this is signed into law by Governor Walz, people like me and my dad can live without feeling like criminals or second-class citizens.

It sounds like you and I wear very similar shoes. I grew up with my dad who smoked openly for ever, he was never a drinker. I bet I’ve seem him drink 3 beers in my entire life. But he was always a successful and hard working pot head. I watched him retire as a big shot for a huge concrete union company and be successful. And I’ve followed that same path. I am a very active smoker have been for a long time. I stay busy And work alot. A couple puffs after work is a great nerve calmer. I think alot of the negative stereotypes are what have been pushed on people over the years. Which is normal for most all illegal activities. If people looked in to it more or new more about the reasons it’s illegal in the first place, I think opinions would be changed.
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I agree 100%, plenty of hardworking people smoke. The most successful people I know are fairly heavy smokers compared to myself. I think the association with being lazy comes from the fact that cannabis is an easy way to have fun, and lazy people kind of follow the path of least resistance and do easy things. Kind of a correlation vs. causation thing.