Jaron_K

Thanks fellas i will have to check some of these out. As for the bird i have now i have tried everything i could think of to get the settings to my liking but its not the most advanced piece of technology. Might be a dumb question but do all these suggestions have Navionics capability? I have it on my I-phone as am wondering can i hook it up through that or are they already built in to the system? I'm not in much need of the structure scan although i have gazed at them for hours in stores cuz they are pretty sweet. Basically just GPS and sonar i think would be best but i still want to be able to read soft/hard bottom without having to put my line down to feel for it. And of course arcs of fish just to get a better idea on what fish are holding on what structure. In the fall i usually have best luck in 30-40' when rock transitions to mud right on that edge. Would be nice to see it before i fish rather than just stumble upon it.

Just looking for a good priced all around fish finder. There are a ton of options and size and price but just looking for suggestions on what to buy. Right now i am using a cheap $200 hummingbird and doesnt do what i need it to do. All it is basically being used for is a depth reading. As for finding fish i dont have much faith in it when all it does is put a symbol of a fish on the screen. No arcs nothing. Also when i get out to 30' or deeper it doesnt mark fish towards the bottom all it shows is a thick faded black line. I guess my point is i am looking for a fairly inexpensive sonar preferably colored. I am thinking around $500 of spending money hopefully will do the trick. I looked at a hummingbird 597 and wasnt quite sure if it would have the bang for the buck. I fish walleyes and with the fall coming here I need to be able to locate fish over deeper water. Last couple of years i have been limited to my vexilar over the side of the boat but have done suprisingly well yet. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

I should probably clarify i am fishing walleyes mostly. But thanks for the info so far. As for the end hooks you really just snip them off? It makes sense they would catch the edge of the whole i guess i never thought of that.

Just wondering if anyone has some tricks of the trade for fishing jigs. I recently purchased a few of them mostly Rapala brand and am wondering any tips on how to jig them. What technique works best? Lift up a foot and slowly drop down? Soft light jigging motion? Fast and aggressive? When a fish is on your hook do you stop or slightly jig it? I bought a couple of the flyer type and a couple of the new northland zip lure looking ones. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

The temps look good for central mn starting this Friday into next week. A couple days getting close to highs of 32 but for the most part below for highs and lows. I had heard that once the lake is completely frozen over you can usually get out 3 days after if temps are decent. Any truth to that?

Anyone know of any good tanneries around the Melrose/Freeport area? I have a mount all caped out and ready to go just not sure where to bring it.

Musky I know where you are coming from. I have the same issue with the area I hunt. The 3 other sides surounding my area are on board with manage hunting and it has definatetly showed from 3 years ago when i talked to them. We pass on 2 1/2 -3 yr olds every year. My only problem is the small area of state land that butts up next to mine. Year after year there one or more small baskets, forks or button bucks that get shot and it bothers the heck out of me. The BROWN ITS DOWN mentality is absolutely dominant. Granted i only see groups of 2 or 3 ppl out there (knock on wood) but shoot a doe if you are hunting for meat. It's not like hunters are hunting for starving kids in Africa. WE HUNT FOR SPORT NOT LIFE SURVIVAL.

You can also purchase what they call an alien box. Not sure if any of you have heard of this but it just came out last year i believe through Dish. I have an uncle that sells this stuff and its basically and octagon looking box that you can hook it up to your tv and set it outside making sure there are no trees blocking above. Last year at our deer camp he brought it, set it outside and turned on the tv. In a matter of a minute or so he had Dish. He does the same while ice fishing just sets it on the ice. Not sure how expensive they are but seemed to be the simplest way to do it.

I am looking to buy a whole outer shell of ice fishing gear. Jacket and Bibs. What would be the best bang for your buck without spending $300-$500 on the suit? I have always gone out in basically dressed in layers with under armor, fleece and my hunting clothes. Never really seemed to get cold just looking for more convenience as far as pockets hook ups having easy access to them. I have been skeptical on getting a suit because the fact of it being bulky and weighing me down. I bounce around constantly ice fishing out of portables so I need one light and comfortable. What are your guys' recomendations?

Monday night 10 pt

Went out to Birch this past weekend and yes it was a little cold but this is the time of year you seperate the men from the boys haha. Water temp was 47 degrees which i thought was rather warm yet but the fish were definatly active. Saturday went out with my little brother for a couple hours and caught 2 but only landed the one the other showed his face and took off. Sunday came and a buddy of mine wanted to go so we headed out to Birch again. Caught a giant perch, 2 more walleyes and missed another one in the hour and a half we were out there. He got cold and didnt want to stay till dark which was disappointing but 1 was 22" and the other 17". Fishing 26-32 fow off a smaller 15 ft rock point with big boulders and a sharp drop to a 60 ft whole. I cant seem to figure out how to post pics on here otherwise i would have them up.

I generally use rapala brand divers. I never do look at the box to see what series they are but the typical "wally diver types." On the box it says 10-15 ft and when I troll I have no problems getting it down to that 15 depth. The key i believe is you need smaller diameter line. Maybe trying some fireline or braided line that will sink. Most mono will actually float. I usually run 6-8 lb fireline when i want to hit those depths of what they are intended. I will also use my baitcaster with 20lb power pro which has a very thin diameter that helps. When casting with the baitcaster it will only go down about 7-8 ft with the rod tip just off the water but trolling i usually hit the 10-12 ft range. One other thing to try out this time of year(walleyes) is three way rigging with rapalas to hit the 20-30ft depth. Big and slow is the way to go:)