The local economy around Mille Lacs has my full sympathy, but due to the complete mismanagement by the state I decided many years ago I just won’t fish it.

I interned with MN DNR in college, stationed on Mille Lacs. I met some of the nicest locals ever; I also saw the horrors inside MN DNR bureaucracy, and it was very informative in my career choice to stay in the private sector rather than pursuing a state job.

When they say “biologists”, do they actually mean it in the plural or is it still one guy out of Brainerd office who studies mille lacs when he’s able? Because that’s how it worked when I was there. The number of biologists at DNR is very small. It’s a law enforcement agency first and foremost.

Thought about getting into something with a crew cab to make kid seats simpler, but the price of used trucks and SUV’s combined with outrageous (IMO) interest rates have me loving my paid off ext cab and commuter car combo.

Westconsin had me at 3% when I was paying for my truck and now the best they say they can do for gold members is 6… so no thanks, I’ll pass.

Good luck man hope you find something worthwhile, and pay it off early.

I’ve never smoked a ham that sounds good! I might suggest something like lots of honey and brown sugar?

I have 1 15 foot talon on a 2018 impact 1775. Love it. Does not go into garage without tilting, but then again if I put it in y garage I also need to do a really fun dance of backing in partway, opening the center windshield, lowering the motor, then pushing it in the rest of the way by hand due to hub clearance.

The tilt bracket mounted direct to transom is a super nice way to mount IMO, it’s extremely solid.

I’d plan on buying a new pump (cartridge type, so you can replace motor easily when it goes bad) and going for a full new install. As others mention it may be difficult to get to. Even my 2018 Impact was tough to put in a backup pump due to having to work through two access panels, but it’s doable. Take your time make sure all holes are sealed up nicely and make sure you place it such that it’s easier to access next time.

Good luck!

I’ve been happy with my blackfish set because I don’t get too hot wearing it in the summer. Works well for me

Oh man I love the pfas/ 3m commentary from the clueless.

On a related note, here’s a big hint: I wouldn’t buy their stock. It’s over for mmm as we know it. There’s still a residual pulse for a few years but the company is in general dead and cannot recover from the current spat of problems.

And remember, when they “exit” pfas production just understand that pfas production doesn’t stop. The feds demand it for national security applications. another company will gain access to the production equipment and trade secrets will be sold. Production will simply pick up again, somewhere down south likely.

The end of this era will, however, leave thousands more Minnesotans jobless while mpca leeches and 3m execs laugh all the way to the bank with their cash.

No shortage of 6.5 boxes, but the crew cab (I think Ford calls super crew?) and 6.5 box combo is always a huge pain to locate unless buying 3/4 ton.

It represents the longest wheelbase config available in half to and that’s probably why they don’t pump them out by the millions. You can always have a dealer order one.

Newer terrovas also have the on/off button. I’ve left mine “on” for several days with no noticeable battery drain. That Tiny led draws next to nothing.

I made the bacon right away mistake. Never knew until now why mine was picky for so long!

Mark’s Prop Shop in Stacy was my go-to, and my uncle’s, and my grandpa’s, but I heard Mark recently sold his blocks and got out of the prop world. The place down the road- I think maybe countryview marine? I’m sure if you called Advanced Welding Technology in Stacy and asked Mark who does props now he would tell you.

Happy birthday Sheldon! First boat mechanic I’ve ever known to work remote and still manage to get the motors fixed with nothing but a cell phone, knowledge, and a knack for explaining things to us cavemen

I’m amazed yours lasted that long! I was constantly patching holes in mine, however I never got holes in my actual shack material. Agreed the price is insane for what it is.

Yes I ditched lower unit ruiners (transom savers) after the same happened to mine. 2×4 is the way and the light . My wedge is doodoo in the cold.

Sent you a private message

Is the asking price actually $175 or is there a typo here? If so I’ll take it

I have a 15 footer on a lund impact. Works great. Direct mount to transom as I didn’t want to shell out for one of the swiveling brackets.

Congrats man, I’ve got one of each and wouldn’t have it any other way!

I don’t care about live scope or 360, but what I do care about is useless, unenforceable regulations.

Just like jaw jackers or whatever being banned in MN, they won’t ban the sale of these items or possession. So it just becomes a game of don’t get caught with it on- totally ineffective, waste of tax money to discuss it, etc.

My GT54 can read depth up to about 32mph… so IMO it really is a high speed ducer. Anything faster than about 25 I’ve got my eyes on course, not on graph anyway.

gimruis wrote:

Seth Feider has a 22 inch NBT Battleship screen

In 2-3 years they’ll be selling us swim goggles so we can truly see what the fish see, live where the fish live. The future is now my friend, grab a pair and dunk your head in today. Unlimited field of view. Ultra HD realism. We’ll have crystal clear hulls made of high tech polymer so we can just watch them live.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I personally do not care about records.
Have caught state record big mouth buffalo, white bass, likely sauger, and like everyone else, the state record rock bass all went back without giving a hoot.

Every year we declare one of the walleye opener rock bass to be the “state record, probably national” LOL. And back into the drink it goes.

Just don’t keep records? Don’t give someone that “winner” title, then there’s zero incentive to cheat.
For me the best thing ever was 12 years old catching a 21.5″ Smallie on 4lb test while walleye fishing vermilion. My dad was so proud of me for not snapping that line and landing the fish, he took pics and sent to outdoor news and I felt like I won the world record. Didn’t matter to me (and still doesn’t) that this size smallmouth is really nothing to write home about amongst the big bass guys. It’s the first of two fish I have mounted. Dad wanted me to have my first fish on the wall, and it really was a positive experience for me in angling.

I got one of these, intrigued by this post. I like it. Tea candles are dirt cheap. I lit one, it burned for 4 hours before I put it out because I had to leave. Good, cheap, easy to pack light source and in a pinch, small heat source too. I found I could warm my hands above it. Thanks for posting!

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Fake news. The whole thing is a crisis creation exercise to invent a government gone crazy narrative.

No one in Colorado, suburbanite or otherwise, will be deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of a clean driveway and neat edges.

The new rule, finalized Friday by the Air Quality Control Commission, will bar state agencies from using any gas-powered equipment with an engine of 25 horsepower or less during the summer ozone season from June 1 to Aug. 31. Local governments will be subject to a similar summertime rule, but only within a nine-county Front Range region and only for engines of 10 horsepower or less. Both rules will go into effect in 2025.

No private individuals are impacted by the rule. Crisis averted.

Does anyone else find it ironic that Colorado is concerned about smog? Maybe they need to look at fitting catalytic converters to all the bongs and one hitters that seem to be burning 24/7 in Potrado?

Good actual read of the rule. I read and interpret government regs for a living so it’s nice seeing others actually read the nonsense the government writes, because for every item like this that will get blown out of proportion by the public, there’s 10 others that should be receiving full attention and are being ignored because muh facebook memes said 2 strokes is illegal in colorado now.

“conspiracy”

What additional evidence would you need to believe that foreign interests, mainly China, are purchasing large swaths of US farmland?

SR-NYSE-2023-09 is the proposed rule, and here’s a link where you can go leave public comment. Not that public comments will matter, it’s good to make it known how much we disapprove of the federal government. Everything they touch dies or gets sold to China.

https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-nyse-2023-09/notice-filing-proposed-rule-change-amend-nyse-listed-company-manual-adopt#no-back

You can continue with head in sand calling these things conspiracies, these are very real, very present dangers to our way of life as Americans. This must be the best part for those in control, they just do it out in the open and nobody cares because it’s not on their favorite MSM 5:00 channel.

My wife and I had a boat which for me was my second boat in life. We had a very easy conversation, she saw the price of new aluminum boats and said whoa we should buy a brand new one. This was in 2018… I don’t think my boat has actually depreciated at all since then. I got offered a trade in last year that was within a couple hundred dollars of the original sticker price from 2018.

Can’t imagine making payments for 30 years on a boat. Can’t imagine making payments for 30 years on anything to be honest… We did sign a 30-year mortgage for the house I guess but it will be paid off before then.

MN politicians have forsaken the Constitution, now is the time to simply not comply.

Yes of course write the letters, sign the petitions, etc. but they’re going to do it either way. Don’t recognize rules that are repugnant to the Constitution. Don’t willfully give up your rights.

Riverrat, I just found an alcohol stove in a batch of survival stuff I had purchased years ago and ticked away for a rainy day. It’s a Trangia. I finally got around to putting some denat in it and using it, pretty cool and seems like it will burn for a long time on one little batch of alcohol.

Any recommendations on a simple but effective wind block/ pot stand for it?

I have a few “Coast” brand ones came in a 3 pack at costco. Battery life is so-so at best, but you can focus the light by twisting the bezel, which my milwaukee one cannot do. So I keep those Coast ones in all my outdoor stuff and the milwaukee one stays in my glove box for truck stuff.