Search the Community

It's been awhile since I purchased any new braided lines. The last batch of lines was a bunch of Diawa J-Braid x8 and J-Braid Grand x8, a couple of Fireline Ultra 8, and Nanofil lines. On my list would be YGK G-Soul Upgrade X8 line and YGK G-Soul SS112 Sinking Braid line. Well, shopping cart, submitted. Well I ordered a few lines but I stayed with the small diameters again and keeping them under .200 mm for the most part. This will put it in the same frame as most of the other lines I've used in the past for ice fishing. So my impulsive line order came through and I ordered a variety of line tests. YGK G-Soul Upgrade X-8 14# at .131 mm 16# at .153 mm 22# at .171 mm 25# at .185 mm YGK G-Soul SS112 Sinking Braid 10# at .165 mm 14# at .185 mm All I can say is wow this line is thin. It feels significantly much thinner than anything I've felt. Even more thin than the J-Braid x8 Grand. Will have to give it some line break test and some side to side comparison later. The clear package spool is a great visual product. One can really see how nice the line is and how little room it takes. The appearance is so uniform and even as a braid, it looks like a single monofilament. Some preliminary line break test on the G-Soul Upgrade X-8 with all knot break failures. 14# listed with four trials: 6#15, 6#12, 7#0, 6#15 16# listed with four trials: 9#0, 9#15, 8#15, 8#15 22# listed with three trials: 13#10, 12#15, 12#10 YGK G-Soul SS112 Sinking Braid: 10# listed with three trials: knot break 9# 10, 9#1, 9#8 14# listed with three trials: knot break 10# 10, 9#15, 10#8 It's been a while since I've tied and manipulated the knot on thin PE lines. I can't remember what I did to achieve a higher strength. However, I'm glad to see a rather consistent breakage. It means two contributing factor. First I may be tying a rather consistent knot with how I'm tying. Second, the line is consistent in uniformity strength with the extrusion process. As much as I expected that I was not going to get the manufacture listed line break strength, after all that's not what I'm after. I'm after my real world use of the line and how the knot will hold for me. I tried looking for my 6# Diawa J-Braid to make a line to line comparison but couldn't find it at the moment. I did find some 10# J-Braid X8 and the 4# Berkley Nanofil line. The 14# G-Soul Upgrade looked thinner than 10# J-Braid while the 16# looked very much alike in diameter. The 4# Nanofil was just about equal in turns of line diameter thickness. The line is very pliable. Compare to Nanofil, it feels very much like it. The line feels so smooth and has a good body feel almost as if it is one single thread. There is also a self support and while holding about 4 to 5 inches horizontal of line material. That's quite amazing and almost feels like a levitation trick. Getting to about 6 to 7 inches it will be pull down by gravity and is no longer able to self support horizontally. Compressing the line by pinching and pushing together did not yield any strand separations. The weave is just too uniform and well packed. I was only able to see a sign of thread separation after multiple line break of the same sample. Even then I was not able separate the thread weave. Further note is that this time I did a really crude line test method. I kept using the same line even after the first break. Typically I expect that the sequent test should have yield less results. After all there were obvious signs of line damage even after the first line break test. I could see that the thread fluffed up where the fibers broke in multiple spots throughout the sample test line. Another telltale sign was how the line had contracted into a somewhat bunched deformity of random compressed doodle. This means that the fibers were stretched and rebounded. However it's odd that later test of the same sample would yield a higher break strength. This could hint that the line is still very strong even after some light stressed breakage. Similar line diameter .13mm comparison: 14# G-Soul Upgrade X-8 is within same break threshold and is below average. Diawa J-Braid Grand x8 .13 mm 8# knot break 10# 12 oz. Berkley NanoFil 6# .13mm knot break 9# 14 oz. Berkley Fireline Original .13 mm 4# knot break 6# 12 oz. Similar line diameter .15mm comparison: 16# G-Soul Upgrade X-8 is within same break threshold and is just below average. Diawa J-Braid x8 .15 mm 10# knot break 13# Diawa J-Braid Grand x8 .15 mm 10# knot break 16# 14 oz. Berkley Fireline Crystal .15 mm 6# knot break 8# 8 oz. Similar line diameter .171mm comparison: 22# G-Soul Upgrade X-8 is average break and slightly above. ASSO Sinking Braid .16mm 10# knot break 12# 5 oz. ASSO Sinking Braid .18mm 12# knot break 13# 10 oz. Berkley Fireline Original .18 mm 8# knot break 11# 6 oz.

outdoors luis carries top-quality discount Outdoor and Hunting Gear, Guns, Ammo, Fishing Supplies and more - all at great low prices! Shop, discover now :https://outdoorsluis.com/product-category/hand-guns/

Can anyone recommend some good shore fishing spot in the 30 minute range of the twin cities?

Does anyone have information on bass fishing clubs looking for new members? I am in Wright County and have my own boat. If you have any information, please post the information or send it to my email, [email protected] Thank you

Has anyone fished the Rum River between Onamia and the Wayside landing around this time of year before? I'm looking to take a trip with the kayak over labor day, but wanted to make that stretch would be deep enough to float (I'm ok with occasionally dragging the kayak, but I don't want to take my girlfriend on a 9 mile hike in ankle deep water), and that there'd be a realistic chance to hook into some good smallies. I will be doing strictly catch and release, I just want to get out and have some topwater fun. I had heard from some that the stretch of river in question may be better in June, so I wasn't for sure. If that stretch of river is no good, is there another that you'd recommend? I appreciate any help.

Any tips on bass fishing Cross Lake in Pine City? Any offshore rock or any good structure anywhere? Any insight would be great. Thanks

Going up to visit family at Mille lacs 4th of July weekend. Given the current fishing restrictions and the fact that I don’t have a boat, does anyone know any good shore/kayak fishing lakes in the Mille lacs area?

Anybody have any tips or secrets they care to share about fishing rush for large mouths in early June I am a high school bass angler ad our first tournament is there. If you have anything that could give some insight please do share.

Following up my earlier search for advice on camping with a couple more questions in need of help. At least three of us (1 boat) coming up Saturday through most of next week. Thanks in advance for your input! 1. With the high water, are any public accesses actually closed? Or can you launch if you have a couple guys and waders/hip boots? (Or, as a backup, will resorts let you launch for a fee?) 2. What bait shops do you recommend either in Cook or Tower areas or elsewhere? 3. Assuming 150-foot (or 300-foot?) no-wake restiction, how long of a boat ride from the West Basin to get to the East Basin in decent conditions? Of course, we welcome tips on tactics for walleye and smallies. Sounds like it's minnows-leeches for eyes in classic early-season habitat. For smallies, there is 3 of us so we fish different tactics until one of us figures it out. I'm guessing smallies will be pre-spawn. Or are they on beds? Again, thanks in advance for any advice. I'm in Central Minnesota/St. Cloud area. Happy to return the favor in this area.

looking to do some kayak bass fishing on Clearwater lake by Annandale. Are there any Other landings other than the one on the far south west end? Was wondering how the fishing is on the east end but that is a heck of a paddle. Appreciate any feedback.

So I know opening day is May 14. My lake of choice is White Bear Lake. My question is, can I start keeping bass and walleye etc on that date from that lake? I ask because on the opener last year I was fishing there and caught some bass and was showing my buddy some pics and he said I couldn't keep them. He mentioned something about inland lakes? I can't recall exactly what he said.

outdoors luis carries top-quality discount Outdoor and Hunting Gear, Guns, Ammo, Fishing Supplies and more - all at great low prices! Shop, discover now : https://outdoorsluis.com/ Find our best-selling marine electronics and accessories. Shop transducers, fishfinders, trolling motors and more! https://outdoorsluis.com/product-category/trolling-motors-electronics/ discover the new Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Transducer Accessory Now available in stock https://outdoorsluis.com/

I just ran across their website and was curious if anyone has used their rods. Thanks

After more than a year, thankfully we have been allowed to return to our Rainy Lake home. Hopefully the travel bans will not be repeated. Fall fishing is as good as it gets. Walleye and bass are making their fall transition and are schooled up. Find the right spot and let the party begin! Thanks to Muskies for feeding my addiction while I was stuck in the U.S. If you can get to Ontario, come now!

I have some bass and they are out growing there tank so i want to put them in a privite pond in my friends back yard. Is the illagal

Anyone fished for Smallies on the horseshoe chain? Wanna target them this spring. No hot spots needed unless you wanna. Just a good idea of where I’ll find them. Thanks all.

Hello Folks, I have never posted on a fishing forum before. Looking for advice from folks who have visited the nicer resorts from Mille Lacs and up. . . Not interested in the house boat concept. MOSTLY, looking for good chance of fish catching SUCCESS during period from mid-July through August. Looking for actual resort names and Lake names. If info on definite places on Lakes, better yet. Probably a one time trip with brothers from Colorado, Iowa, and Illinois. . . One with limited experience. Have at it! thanks in advance.

Shimano Poison Adrena Spinning Rod: PAD2610ULMA This is a 6'10" rod with an Ultralight tip section transition into a Medium backbone rod. It is listed with an Extra-Fast action tip. In a way that make sense. I bought the rod on an impulse just because I was sort of wanting an Ultralight power rod. After using the Zodias rods for sometime and I found them to be well performing rods I just really got curious about a higher dollar value rod in the same likeness. In a way I am repeating the same thing I found in St. Croix Rods years ago when I purchased my first Premiere spinning rod and then jumped on the chance of a Legend Elite spinning rod. The Poison Adrena being an impulse buy partially due to Thanksgiving Black Friday deal has a lot to do with it. I think the best feature of this rod is the full Carbon Monocoque handle design shaped to likeness of a split grip silhouette style. So that leaves the locking nut on the top side as the fore grip. The locking nut being machined aluminum is a contrast in feel and material for that function. There are some ported hole integrated into the forward reel set assembly. The rod has 8 line guides plus tip guide of SiC rings and the tip being a titanium frame with SiC ring insert. There is no traditional hook keeper on the rod. The entire handle is measured to about 12 1/4" and the rear handle length is about 8 1/4" long. I set onto the rod with a Shimano Twinpower 1000FD reel to check for balance and it seems to match very well. There is however some spacing between the reel seat on the lock position that detracts from the overall reel seat. In part it has something to do with the slightly larger reel foot of this reel. I went to double check the fit with a different reel I had lying around with a significantly smaller reel foot and it was fully lined up on the close position. Actually this reel has an extra small foot so it actually was still loose. So back to the Twinpower reel. I thread the line through the line guides and gave it my typical line pull flex load to see how the rod bends. It feels a bit more like an UL+ tip as in part to the Extra-Fast action and that Medium power backbone. In a way I think this rod should finesse a bit better than the Zodias rod in Light power. I gave the rod a few backyard practice casts with a 1/4 practice plug and the rod feels like a shorter rod feeling. It does not give off the 7' rod feeling at all. Wish I could feel the lure contact open water. So it will be a long wait till next spring to give it whirl field test.

The season was short due to the border closure but Rainy Lake never disappoints. It was great to be back on the lake again.

Spent the weekend at Vacationland, Otttertail. Lake level down almost 3 feet so only one landing with enough water to launch a boat. With 20 to 30 MPH winds and 3 to 4 ft. waves we chose to fish surrounding smaller lakes. Had great time Catch & Release Bass fishing. My prise money fish was a sunfish. My giant "Ottertail Money Sunfish" he looks sorta small cause I have very large hands and I held him a long way from the camera. He did put up a good fight. He is still swimming.

What a year it has been with this drought. The Mighty Mississippi isn't so mighty anymore but doesn't stop the smallmouth from eating. Got out for a nice evening float after work and found a few quality Bronzebacks.

Hey all, I am new here obviously, but I recently learned how many fish the DNR kill off every year with those surveys. I've never started a petition for anything before, but here's my attempt to get that to stop. https://www.change.org/KillingFishMN This is not about the big lakes. To me it is the same as trying to manage deer by digging a pit in the woods to see what falls in and dies- Wisconsin pretty much gave it up and we should as well. I know some DNR guy is going to get on here and say it is for consistent data, and that it only happens every few years on the smaller lakes. It should not happen at all. Every 10 years and the best fish in the lake might still be dead in that net, just to have a fancy survey. Heres what a survey should look like. https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=967200 If there are already petitions and groups out there trying to change this I would like to get involved, A

Was looking at doing some bass fishing on big marine. I saw on the map that little inlet on the far south side that goes into some super shallow water. I’m guessing it’s full of weeds or pads of some sort. Anyone bass fished tgat in the summer before. I would be doing it by canoe. Just seeing if it’s worth a shot.. Thanks

Looking to head out kayak bass fishing with the gal here in the next couple weeks on lake independence. I have never been on the lake and would love some help to get her a few fish. Bass only. Thanks

So I really got my first field test of my new Zodias Rod I purchased this spring. I did bring out both the ZDS70LA and ZDS70MLA. Since I only managed to hook up with fish on the Light power rod, it's really the only one that got the real test. Anyway for both rods casting is wonderful smooth and slick. I didn't put any additional effort other than the bare minimum. Lure retrieve also was wonderful for both rods and both rods don't even feel like 7 feet rods that's I've used in the past. I almost felt like they were shorter rods with feel in likeness to a typical 6'6" rod in use. Working lure retrieval on these rods feels like they're robust medium rods. At first I was wondering what's the ding ding sound while I was using the rod and it turns out that it was just the butt handle clanging onto some D rings on my clothing. I almost though that something in the rod was broken or either it was my reels. What a relief. I'm still not quite accustomed to this effortless casting motion and having a lure project itself so smoothly. Still not accustomed to a rod that in the casting motion is so well tuned. I did not even need any counterforce at the end of the casting stroke nor any need to grip the rod more firm to dampen the typical harmonic vibration that some rods exhibits. That monocoque butt handle design really upgrade the feel of these rods. While hooking up with some little white bass, the Light power rod loads up very well progressively. These are just fish in the 15-19 inch range so not to big nor are small either. Overall I could've confused my sense that it was a Moderate action Medium powered rod with the crispness of feel of a Light powered rod. Only a few times did I look down on the whole rod with the fish on did I notice that it was still a Light powered rod. I didn't have a need to put a hook set nor did I feel the pronounced tap on the inhale to drive a reactionary hook set. There is the feel of the bite, then the solid weight feel and the fish is securely hooked. Looking forward for more field testing of the Zodias rods.