r/FishingMinnesota

Hey! So growing up my dad took us fishing all the time, mostly northern and crappie types for me but he would get bass, walleye and Muskies- whatever was lurking lakes around the west suburbs. He died 14 years ago and I got my mom to keep his old gear for me until I had room of my own for it. I took them to dicks and got all 3 set up with new light line and spent all Saturday fishing out at greys bay dam all afternoon with a friend going after sunnies and it was a blast. At the end i accidentally hooked a pretty big dogfish that thankfully shook loose as I lifted him from the lake cause idk what id have done without a net or pliers if I actually landed him lol, but the struggle woke up that part of me that used to fight and catch pike and I MISS IT. What a rush!

So long story long, this is what I have to work with. Could someone advise which of these would be best suited to reset with stronger line and start going after either bass or northern again? Could you tell me anything I should know about my reels? I know I’m very ignorant here, I don’t know how universal vs specialized my gear is I guess if that makes sense and I’d like to use them to their potential.

The first two poles are about 8’ and the one I’m holding is 5ish. I have the muscle memory of casting and setting hooks etc, but I never had open reels before so there was a little learning curve for casting but we figured it out, but I don’t know any technical info about them so I’ve been googling a lot but I think I’m just overwhelming myself with how much I don’t understand. I’d love to set up one of the two longer ones at least for bass, and eventually northern again but I need to learn and get comfy with unhooking them myself first.

Dad’s greatest gift to me was passing on his love of nature and being outdoors. Now that gift came with some tools too, and I know he’d have been overjoyed I pulled 3 fish in this weekend in after so many years since the last time I tried.

Thanks! Sorry that’s kind of long. I’m definitely hooked again already.

Caught on Lake Long in New Brighton. My buddy snapped a few photos before I could get a proper pose with it. Didn’t really know how to hold one (I know now). I was shoreline fishing using a Texas rig and black plastic worm to target bass. Reeling it in it did like 3 flips in the air. I wonder if I got lucky since it was warm water and shallow, as I’ve never targeted pike. Thanks for letting me share!

Had never done well out there until Monday. Had never caught a 5lb smallie in MN and previous pb was a Canadian 5.46lber. Absolutely smashed it with a 6.15 on my 6th fish of the day and then a 6.34 as my new pb later in the day. Managed to grind out a dream 30lb bag.