Pro Tec powder paint seems like a good option. Their “Disco” colors are glittery.

I’m sorry bud. He looks like a good boy.

I’m worried about my dachshunds too, but more so from coyotes and eagles. One of my breeder’s pups got snatched by a bald eagle. Never made a sound.

I’ve used to be all about the Shimano Stradics. They’re great reels, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not cheap! I still prefer Shimano for my baitcasters; Curado for bass and Tranx for musky.

I’ve been incorporating more Daiwa spinning reels into my arsenal. Honestly, I’m very impressed by their value. They feel like a much more expensive reel, their weight is comparable, and they appear to be just as durable.

I’d recommend a Legalis LT or a Fuego. You could probably get 2 Legalis for $100 if you play your cards right.

I was using (unheated) Ionic 12v 50a lithiums last fall until the water hit 37 degrees. I store my boat in an insulated, unheated garage. I didn’t have any issues charging, and I have been super happy with these batteries.

Chick fil A stopped serving cole slaw a little while back, and the recipe was released to the public after there was a backlash.

It’s a super simple recipe that’s available on the net. It makes the best cole slaw I’ve ever made at home. I add a little extra Mayo to it. Give it a try. I’ve made it no less than 20 times now.

I’d like to get the Lund’s Byerly’s potato salad recipe if anyone has it.

Best Turds on the market. Gorilla Glue Super Glue Gel is your friend. Glue them to the jighead. Lasts all season without drying, not cheap though.

The SCRATCHER wrote:

I am not a smallie fisherman but my nephews boy loves to fish them, he got 1 yesterday 20 inch and I guess the young man could not keep it because of no way to keep 1 over 17 inch. Wow a small mouth? What is the mille lacs regs thinking

They is thinking about protecting a trophy bass fishery and tourist destination.

I personally haven’t had a good bite in two ML trips this year. As of Tuesday, I couldn’t spot a single smallie bed and the walleyes were tight lipped, hence the empty accesses. This warm weather will likely help.

The prices at these burger joints makes me appreciate how reasonable the prices at Chipotle have remained. The cost of a burrito has gone up a buck or two over the last 10-15 years, while every burger place seems to have doubled their menu prices.

Am I the only one here that thinks MN is doing an excellent job managing the fisheries?

I fish musky, smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, bluegill, and/or crappie about 100-150 times per year on a $26 license, using the plentiful public accesses that are almost always well maintained. I eat the fish I catch about 25 times a year. I follow the laws, and nobody ever bothers me.

What more are you guys asking for?

Shampooer and some homemade carpet cleaner. Lots of good recipes online.

I’m still using a Gen1 12 and a Gen2 9 that have been bulletproof.

Congrats, and best wishes!

It’s been the best fishing show I’ve ever seen, so the news is a bit bittersweet. I’ll miss IDO TV!

I just bought some of their short on the BOGO deal thru the email link. The Frost reels that are left are righties.

Just tie the knot to the spool and put a 3/4” piece of tape over the knot. The entire spool full of braid can spin on the metal spool, in theory.

Seems like adding a few feet worth of tape to the reel would add more weight to it compared to line.

Excellent episode! One of my favs

The Frost are my favorites. The Carbon is nice but I don’t like the location of the trigger.

The fly rods and reels are a bargain too.

Their little backpack is my work bag and I really like it.

Team X Lures Fat Ba$tard topwater

Musky Frenzy 8/9 stagger bucktail

Beaver Baits Baby Beaver XL

They did something similar for me too. I had my 5 year old 999 fixed for about $300, and it crapped out again a month later. They asked me to send it in. A few days later a Helix 9 Gen 2 arrived. No correspondence. Just a new unit. Still clipping away without an issue 5 years later.

Humminbird is truly an awesome company.

I’m surprised there’s been no mention of toilet bowl cleaner. It works like a champ if something has been neglected a bit. I apply it with a rag that’s soaked in it, wearing a pair of gloves. The hard water spots come right off. They fizz off, in fact. Keep it away from the plastic hood.

A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and very warm water with a heavy splash of dish soap works great on areas the toilet bowl cleaner would damage, and it’s more reasonable to use for prevention.

Angling Buzz has good content.

Nick is a nice guy. You’ll find him at the Garrison accesses on calmer days eventually if you visit enough. He’s got a really nice black Lund.

True to size. If anything, a tiny bit big.

I took mine to an Amish place out near Osakis that advertises boat tarp production.

A younger guy named Samuel fixed up a mild tear in the seat my North Face bibs, two mild tears in Striker jacket cuffs, and replaced a leg-length zipper on a pair of Cabela’s bibs for $40 total. Really nice work.

Great idea. I’m a big fan of the Hideout seat, not so much for the Lodge Pro.

I replaced my Muck Arctic Pro with Norfin Klondaik boots. They’re an upgrade in every way. The Mucks just didn’t keep my feet very warm after a few hours on the ice, and they’re heavy as heck.

I believe the issue was how tight of a seal the Mucks create around the calf. There’s no air exchange whatsoever, so my feet would sweat and stay damp. I tried every sock or sock combo known to man. The Norfin allow my feet to breathe because of their cloth inner sleeve. I could tell the difference right away. I got home to damp socks with Mucks and dry socks with Norfin. This could also explain why some people love Mucks and other don’t: the size of their calves and the seal (or lack thereof) created.

The Mucks are good boots still. I use them for snow blowing or launching my boat after the docks get pulled, because they pull on and off easily and they’re perfectly waterproof, but they’re disappointing ice fishing boots.

I was wade-fishing the Mississippi River in St Cloud for crappies in backwaters near the country club. I had had phenomenal luck on plastics just days prior and was spending long hours trying to replicate it.

I never carried my phone while wading for risk of getting it wet. That time of year, I typically wet-waded with a fanny pack.

I didn’t find out about 9-11 until I got home about 5pm. I saw all the events of the day from start to finish in just a couple minutes. Absolutely will remember that moment forever. I was one month past my 19th birthday.

I’m sorry that happened to you.

I’ve run into Tony and a client on ML on my very favorite late-season spot. He was super cool and we chatted for like an hour at a distance of 30-50 yards. He was full of tips and good info. It was a very respectful exchange.

I finished up on Thursday. Had one of my best bluegill trips of the season. Leaving at dusk, I fell in up to my mid-thighs a few steps from shore at the access. Good sign that it’s time to clean and pack up the ice gear. I’m not road-tripping hours north in hopes of finding a bit of solid ice. It’s time to get the boat ready.

That sounds like Osakis community-hole behavior, where people fish the holes you drilled before you can set down the auger.

The best way to avoid being the victim of the Bent-Rod Pattern is to fish in a portable shack, or at the very least, fish from your knees using your body to block other’s view of your catch. Sitting on a bucket and getting up periodically to drop a cutter into the bucket is a bright shining beacon for Meat-Hunters.

There’s a lot of shameless rubber-neckers chasing panfish who have no issue claiming the holes you drilled. They want the experience and the meat, but they aren’t willing to work for it. You just have to get over it. It doesn’t pay to get mad that them; it just ruins your fishing trip and likely leaves little-to-no impact on them. They’re assholes, and assholes don’t care. That’s what makes them assholes.

Good work on finding those slabs!

I’m taking it day by day. Tuesday was supposed to be my last trip, but the ice I found was surprisingly good in the Alex area. Someone even had a wheeler out.

Today I’ll try again out in that direction. After this weekend, if we get the rain and wind they predict for next week, it may end quite a few more access points. I think the snow and cold nights that we got recently insulated the ice a bit and preserved some accesses for another week or two.

The fish often push really shallow this time of year. Sightfishing can be a really fun option. Last year, I caught a wall-hanger (replica) in 4-5′ of water just hole hopping and dropping Eurolarvae jigs without a graph.

I work this weekend so I’m done for this walleye season. I was up on LOW Weds and Thurs. Good numbers of active fish, but it was an absolute dink fest!