I purchased my magnet from Harbor Freight for about $5. It is about the size of a brick and has the eye bolt screwed into one side for the rope attachment. Of course it will lift more weight under water and the retrieved item will fall off if heavy enough so if heavy must be lifted out by hand and not with the magnet. Don.

I purchased a magnet on a whim a few years ago. I take it along when ice fishing in Minnesota. I was approached by a young man who wanted to borrow my ice auger as his first hole resulted in the auger separating from the power auger head and disappearing down the hole. I Had a 7 inch auger and his was 8 inches so I drilled 3 holes to enlarge his and retrieved the auger from 16 feet of water even though it was stuck into the bottom. He thanked me as a new one cost almost $200. Soon after a friend was in a fish house next to mine and complained that his headlamp had fallen off and down the hole as we were all packing up to leave. I asked him which hole and immediately retrieved his light which was still lit. I still carry the magnet with me but haven't had to use it since. Don.

To All. By the time this is sent someone might beat me to it as often happens but here is my contribution. If you prefer to scale the fish, put them in a container of water that covers the fish. I use my sink in the kitchen. With the fish under water, I use a large spoon to remove the scales which remain underwater and do not fly around the kitchen. It works just fine and requires no special equipment. I scale mostly sunfish and crappies and I understand other species may be harder to deal with. Merry Christmas to ALL! Don.

Bug A and Video Bob. The scoring for record for firearms is the Boone and Crocket and for Archery is Pope and Young. Any one can have any deer measured but a certain score is necessary to be a candidate for the record book. A lower score is required for archery harvest than firearms harvest. Again, simply google about how to score the antlers and many videos will readily be available. The scoring process is for many other animals also, elk, sheep, goats, etc. When it comes to bears the skulls are measured, again after a required time of drying. All species can be green scored to get some idea but for accuracy and records they must be dried first. Official scorers via for accuracy and recognition. Don.

Video Bob. There is a mathematical process which is used to gain the total points. It is complicated and prone to differences between those doing the measuring. The outside length of each beam is measured carefully with a tape, following the curves. Each tine on one side is measured and recorded, then the other side. The inside width of the antlers at the widest point is measured also. Each point one inch or longer is measured. There are also categories for typical and non typical and they do not compete against each other. Non typical scores are higher because of the additional points, spread and drop times. A ten pointer would obviously score higher than an eight pointer and may have a wider spread. It is confusing to watch the process but as I said there are differences between the scorers interpretations. All antlers must be allowed to dry a specified period of time before being scored. Google this process on the internet and you will find a number of articles and videos on this process. Don.

I live in Central Minnesota. Buckshot has not been allowed here since 1960 when I started hunting or before I believe. There are many zones in Minnesota but in Shotgun only zones only slugs are allowed and no rifles OR handguns are allowed because of the distance and danger. We have had a number of shooting accidents over the years, mostly with rifles. The zones in populated area are shotguns and slugs only but many zones are small so rifles could be legal a few miles away. The shotgun slugs are LETHAL but are short range only. Two hundred yards is possible with specialized equipment but is not the normal shots taken. During the rifle zone season some will hunt with handguns, legally but again they are usually not long range effective like a rifle, due to problems with accuracy at long range. So no handguns can be used in a shotgun only zone, only a rifle zone. Black powder rifles are allowed in both shotgun and rifle zones because they are also considered short range weapons. Don.

Tom Wasz. Tom is correct about the Cormorant hunt in Minnesota. This took place in 2015 on Leech Lake but was NOT open to the public. This was a controlled hunt by government "sharpshooters". The massive flock of cormorants were convicted of eating too many walleyes which meant poor fishing. Leech Lake has always been a "go to" walleye factory. The hunt ended when the nesting pairs of cormorants were considered to be under control. I haven't heard anything lately. I do not see the number of cormorants we used to see near the St. Cloud, Mn. when large flocks were observed on the waters and sitting in trees. I only saw one flock of cormorants this year which followed the Mississippi River I live on near St. Cloud. I do not get up north very often anymore but the Outdoor News fishing and hunting reports haven't reported on this as far as I know. The number of cormorants killed in the Leech Lake operation were not enough to affect the overall population that much. As far as I am concerned they can kill them all.

I lived in Southern California from 1965 - 1969 and had my own encounters with sharks, seals, pelicans and gulls. They loved the anchovies we used for bait and the fish we caught with them! Hooking a pelican which took to flight was an experience. The sharks would cut the line and the many encounters with seals ended briefly as they simply tore the fish off the hook or broke the line. The seals that arrived underwater and seized the bait or fish were incredibly strong and we briefly hoped we had hooked into a large fish. I fished the barges anchored off Seal Beach and the workers always had firearms ready and many seals and sharks were greeted by gunfire as they neared the boat. If hooked and brought near the barge they were always dispatched by firearms as they were not allowed to be brought on board. This also occurred on the few "cattle boats" I fished from. I then bought a 20 ft. Chris Craft cruiser with a 6 cylinder Gray Marine engine and ventured out as far as Catalina Island a number of times. Halibut, Ling Cod and Kelp Bass were my favorites for eating. For fighting abilities the surface fighters like Bonita and Barracuda were more fun to catch but the bottom dwellers were the best eating. Don.

willwills90. I agree that you should try the live bait route to gain confidence and also to catch bait for the big fellows. For giant pike and lake trout you should try some live bait or meat strips. I have only fished lake trout a few times. After being unsuccessful I followed what I had read beforehand. The big ones want MEAT. After trolling and casting for a few hours with no results, I used a one ounce jig and a strip of sucker meat (cut in a triangle with the narrow end at the hook) and cast out, let the jig hit bottom and reeled fast. Jigging was not the answer. A steady, fast retrieve accounted for ALL the strikes. We were in a boat and fishing 40 to 65 feet of water. The fish would have no problem with the fast retrieve.

As this was in the summer, the fish were down deeper. The locals said that in the spring the trout come close to shore and in shallower water. The pike are prone to do the same. Both will eat parts of bait fish. Perch are excellent baits for pike. Lake trout eat what they have available, even small trout. Again, if you have suckers there and can catch them on the worms, you can use them live or dead for both or as I did, strips of sucker meat.

A second trip to 50 miles from the Arctic Circle revealed the best bait for big lake trout was a whitefish. The man running the camp watched us fish from shore during the night, (this was in July and the sun never set). He gave us some prepared whitefish, gutted and filled with weights and hooks and leader and sewed shut. These whitefish were big, 3 + pounds! We were fishing from the shore of a fast flowing cold river. It was difficult to cast a large whitefish out very far but the trout attacked them. We were losing parts of the whitefish as we fished but the trout did not care, they were hitting any piece of meat left on the hook!

You could try to find a map of the area lake and check for the underwater bars, points, drop
offs, etc. Some local bait shop should be able to give you some help as to where to fish on that large body of water. Another way for fishing lake trout is to just throw a bait fish, dead or alive, out and let it lay on the bottom, no bobber. Many who fish in northern Minnesota or Canada fish this way. Many hook a small bell on the rod and loosen the drag, put the rod in a holder and wait.

If you do not already know, check on the legality in your area for fishing with live bait and which species you can use. Perch were my favorite for pike, under a bobber. Now we are restricted from fishing with game fish in Minnesota so that ended that. Some states in the US allow sunfish to be used and they are also good for bass and pike. Here in Minnesota we can only use rough fish and many of those have size restrictions. One trip in Manitoba we fished with frogs for trout and then switched to shrimp (raw and with the skin and tail on) as the on site bait shop suggested and that was the key to multiple hookups. Again, the bigger fish eat other fish. The locals should be able to steer you in the right direction and as I suggested, a good contour map of the area can do wonders.

One last thing. I know you are short on money. There is a fish finder that is not too expensive that you can cast out with your rod and reel and see what is in the water below and what depth the fish are using or cruising. You will not necessarily know what kind of fish they are but can vary your tactics until you catch something. This would also target baitfish and eventually the big ones will show up to feed on them. Good Luck! Don.

I follow Iowa Farmer's methods. When trolling or fishing in current I hook the minnows through both lips, from the bottom up. When fishing stationery I hook the minnow through the back and suspend
it under a bobber. I have seen some fisherman hook the minnow underneath near the tail so they struggle to right themselves and create an injured presentation which sometimes works. Don.

I have fished in Minnesota for many years. The 3 main live baits used here are Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches. For opening day of walleyes, minnows work the best in the colder water. It does not take long before I switch to nightcrawlers and although leeches are good I catch most of my fish on the crawlers. I read long ago that the reason fish like crawlers is they smell like crayfish which many species of fish eat. Leeches are non existent at the bait shops now and for the last month. They must be trapped and that doesn't happen in the fall. I don't use leeches for panfish because the fish are adept at sucking them off the hook without getting caught. I have had success with the Gulp minnows and found the all white to be more effective than the minnow color. In the winter and much of the spring and summer I use maggots (spikes, silver wigglers, eurolarvae)(all the same bait with different names). The larvae are super tough and many fish can be caught without rebaiting. I use the larva on wet flies and spinning tackle with a spinning float to catch large numbers of fish.
Since I don't like to troll I avoid the plugs which are effective for walleyes in Minnesota now. I have been landing big sunfish and crappies on a winter jig stick, 4 pound test line and a number six ice fly. The sunfish are 8 - 10 1/2 inches long and the crappies are 10 - 13 1/2 inches long. Tuesday I caught the biggest sunfish of the year, 10 1/2 inches long and 1 lb. 2 ounces and a 13 1/2 inch, 1 1/2 lb. crappie, both on crawlers along with many others. As noted by many others in the past, the smaller panfish, from 3 to a pound to a half pound are the best eating. That also applies to many fish, not just panfish. Many have questioned my catching crappies along with sunfish on crawlers but I have observed this often of and also with walleyes but often northern pike as well. I sometimes switch to the Gulp minnows which work for both crappies and sunfish, but usually do far better on crawlers. GOOD FISHING!!! Don

I should also mention, ONLY one line is allowed in the summer and 2 in the winter. Many have been caught with too many lines and too many fish. The fine for being over the limit will definitely get your attention and if you have over your limit the warden can also confiscate everything you were fishing with like your boat, motor, trailer and fishing equipment, along with the fish. The equipment is sold at the annual DNR auction and you would have to be there and be the top bidder to get your equipment back. Also there is a fine for not removing the drain plug in your boat, not draining your livewell, transporting live bait or fish home in the lake or river water (bring jugs of water from home if you have live bait to take back home), and also the fine is steep if you do not remove all weeds from the boat, motor, trailer, anchor rope and fish baskets, before leaving the lake! Also, a fine for not having an approved life jacket if in a boat. You can bypass most of these if you fish from a pier or shore or wade out! Don.

At your age you will definitely need a fishing license! The annual fishing license is the best deal and is good from March 1st to the end of February. The current price for a resident adult (over 16) is $25. If you buy an annual license now it will only be good until the end of February and you will pay the same price. Do not even think about fishing without one! The fine is stiff. Also, you can pick up a book of regulations at any bait shop free, even if you do not buy a license. You will want to read the whole book as the regulations and limits constantly change and are different from one lake to another. The state daily limit for sunfish now is 20, crappies are 10, perch = 20, walleyes 6, northern = 10, bass = 6. Now for the tricky part! The daily and possession limits are the same, except for perch where the possession limit is twice the daily limit or 40. There is a list of lakes, alphabetically, which the rules vary from the norm! On many lakes, and some rivers, you can only have 5 or 10 sunfish, 5 crappies, none, 1, 2 or 4 walleyes instead of 6, 8 of the 10 northern Must be under 22 inches, all between 22" and 26" MUST be immediately released, two over 26" may be kept along with the eight under 22". Nine or 10 can be under 22" if none over 26" are kept. There are three zones in Minnesota for northern pike and EACH zone has different size and daily limits. The daily and possession limits for catfish is 5 with ONLY ONE over 24".

Because you are just starting out, I suggest you don't fall for buying a lot of tackle you will never need or use. I would suggest buying just the basics and wait for later to see is this is for you. I have gone back to the basics. While it is relaxing and fun fishing, I don't want to sit and watch a bobber all day. I want to turn fishing into catching. You will have to put in your time and pay your dues but the learning curve can be shortened. I would suggest fishing from piers as there are a number of good ones on many lakes and rivers in Central Minnesota. I would suggest live bait like crawlers, maggots, leeches and minnows, depending what you are fishing for. If you would like to have some action, find a river or lake loaded with catfish and you will catch fish. I have yet to see a catfish pass up a juicy night crawler. Also walleyes, bass, sunfish, carp, even crappies and northern have inhaled my night crawlers. There is nothing like catching some fish to keep your interest and you will quickly find out if this is for you. Many years the license sales have fallen in Minnesota. This spring, because of Covid-19 I read where there were 135,000 more licenses sold and the spring turkey harvest was up 36% over last year because people HAD to get out of the house. GOOD FISHING!!! Don.

Canepole186. Good Luck with the closed faced reel. I had enough problems and would never go back! I am 81 and have few problems with "birds nests" with my open faced spinning reels. Many times it is the line, or the anglers catch fish and keep cranking and twisting the line when the fish is running or holding in place. Fight the fish with the rod and line, not the reel. Pump the fish and take up the slack so you do not twist the line. Also there is a vast difference in the many lines out there. I have been using 6 lb. test Green Trilene XT (Extra Tough!) for many years now. It is coated to prevent wear in weeds and brush. DO NOT USE the Green Trilene XL (Extra Limp!) as it is very prone to bird's nests and shredding from weeds and brush. I have tried other lines but have had problems with many. I don't even try any other lines anymore. With a good rod, this line and good technique I can land most fish swimming in Minnesota. (You don't say where you live but I have a few closed faced reels you could have. They have been hanging in my attic for years.) Good Luck and Good Fishing! Don.

ZoeyC2000. Happy you are still here! When you said "BYE" I for one was hoping it wasn't permanent. We need and welcome the participation of the opposite sex. Good Fishing and Reminiscing to ALL!. Don.

FS Digest. A live frog, a juicy crawler or a lively crayfish will usually turn any Largemouth Bass from a looker to a biter.