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Tuned Up Custom Rods Bullwhip or Precision Noodle. I switched over from 13 Fishing Tickle Sticks and haven't regretted it one bit.

Thanks for the tips. I'm hearing Yamaha may be a good option.

Excellent replies here. Very helpful.

I'm looking to be a little more mobile next season to get after those bluegills and walleyes. I'm going to go with an ATV, an enclosed 12-14' trailer to haul to the landing (not behind the ATV), and an Otter XT Pro Lodge. I would love a $20,000 quad but I need to pay off my student loans first. I'm looking to stay in the $5,000-8,000 range, but I'm willing to be flexible for fishing! I almost always fish with my dad. We are both tall and a little heavy. Our combined weight is 500 pounds. We have been using Clam Kenai Thermal sleds. We fish around St. Cloud and Mille Lacs, and I prefer large bodies of water away from prying eyes. The question: is the Polaris Sportsman an ideal fit for this? Would the 450 or 570 ($1500 extra) be better? What should I look for in an ice fishing 4-wheeler? What should I stay away from? Is power steering worth the extra money? Thanks again, guys. Any and all advice is welcome.

I agree 100%. The LX-5i is the nicest flasher I've owned. I have no regrets. However, when the the late-ice sales come around, I will likely replace it with the Humminbird Helix 7 gen2 once people have had some time to expose the issues with it, if any. I've always been a big fan of the Humminbird high-end electronics for the boat so I'll probably go that route from now on.

Yo-Zuri Hybrid. It's technically a co-polymer line, but it's a terrific, tough, low-stretch substitute for monofilament. It's also very affordable. The thing you want to consider with Hybrid is that its actually breaking strength is about 1.5x the listed strength. For example, the 12# breaks at about 20 pounds of pull. The most useful line for a spinning rig would be 4-6#, with 6# being very useful. For baitcasting setups, try the 10-12# lines. 12# is on most of my rods with moving baits. Give this stuff a shot. It may very well become your new favorite line.

They are pretty speedy, that's for sure. I'm debating on whether to do the 8' or the 12' Talon. What do you guys use?

I'm really tempted to try one this year. I've always wanted one of these anchor systems. I've just heard that having just one will make your boat spin with the wind, and that it's better to have two or none at all. Is that true?

80lbs is way more than enough. I have an 80lb thrust Maxxum Pro on a 2,500lb bassboat and I troll cranks for walleyes at about 30-50% of full speed. When I pull spinners, it's like at 15-35% speed.

In Depth Outdoors is an excellent show.

I had one of those cheapy memory foam mattresses from Amazon for a few years. They're actually a pretty solid product for the money. They lose their 'memory' quicker than a high-quality memory foam, turning then into a saggy, too-soft piece of foam, but that's to be expected given the discount cost. I got a few years out of one, sleeping on it every night. I could imagine they'd last far, far, far longer in a wheelhouse in a climate where it's in the 60's in November and in the 50's in February.

That's how I did it. It took about 9 business days for my repairs to be made.

Sounds like he was using your house for a wind break.

The HT Blue Pro is a slick little rod and an excellent value. I picked up the 26" UL noodle rod for $10 online. The top guide is misaligned, but it doesn't affect fishing. The Blue and Blue Pro are known for having misaligned guides, so it's probably best to buy them in person. You can't feel a thing with these rods, but they show every little bite. I bought it for my girlfriend's young kid. It's a perfect fit for them.

Unpainted (silver) tungsten jigs with a black Powerbait Mayfly or chartreuse Powerbait Wishbone has worked well lately for bluegills.