Leaderboard

I don't waste my time worrying about what people think.

As some of you know. I am kinda, sorta ADDICTED to ice fishing. Before I got divorced.. I used to fish every weekend, usually both days. 🙃 Now a days, I get out 2 times every 2 weeks if I am lucky. I have my kids half the time, and that works out to every other weekend keeping me very busy with my family. My son has hockey Saturday and Sunday. My daughters have indoor soccer and dance. Life is just very very busy right now. Which makes each ice outing way more meaningful to me! I often catch flack from people for ice fishing, sometimes my X-Wife, sometime coworkers, random people I chat with, those pesky haters on the FB pages who won't fish on anything you couldn't drive a freight liner on first. So I had a few whiskeys the other night and wrote up a rant and was going to post in on one of the FB pages. But before I hit send, I thought I should best just save it and read it again in the morning. I never ended up posting my rant, because there are WAY to many people on these FB pages that are not actually passionate about ice fishing. Like the hunters who call themselves hunters, but only go moose hunting once every 3 years and never actually get out and hunt on a regular basis (I hunt waterfowl every other weekend and bow hunt deer when I can... I'm out 20+ times a season) In my head, when people are giving me flack about ice fishing, I tent to compare it to more "acceptable" sports in my rebuttal. Hockey is often the first thing that comes to mind. Everyone loves hockey right... It also involves ice, and is a winter sport that many people are extremely passionate about. So my rant that I typed up was how my twisted mind compares hockey and ice fishing. Pasted below for your reading pleasure.. Comment if you like (please..) Happy new years to everyone!!!! """"""Random thought for the day... feel free to chime in. Fare warning though, it's a bit of a long read. I don't play hockey. I ice fish. That's my winter sport. Opening/closing day is like a silver stick tournament. No hockey player has ever missed one. Ever. Each ice fishing trip is like a hockey game. Each time I go to Cabalas or bass pro it's like hockey practice, or a trip to Hockey Life to get new gear.. Nobody ever gives a hockey player crap for going and playing their sport.. for loving it with everything they have. It's the opposite, its encouraged! Some people need to realize that ice fishing is some people's life. Their extreme passion. Early ice is dangerous. But I know the risks. Ice in general is never truly safe. BUT..More people get seriously hurt playing hockey than ice fishing. Broken bones. Concussions. Serious cuts. Long term serious mental health issues. Abusive coaches..sexually, racially and physically. I know it might seem odd to be comparing the two. But I often catch flack from people for my desire to ice fish. Specially early ice. And you see it in these FB pages constantly. Ice Anglers getting ripped on for doing what they love. "Not worth a measly perch"... "why risk your life and the rescuer's life for a fish"... It's not about a fish. It's about the passion to be jigging on the ice. Walking on the water. It's euphoric. I don't need to be rescued. I have more money invested in ice fishing and safety gear then the average hockey player has in gear.. more tax payer money is spent on ambulance rides from the arena to the hospital and all the other issues people fail to see related to a career in hockey. The ongoing health issues of high level hockey players in their later years... crap, I'm from Barrie and I know lots of health care workers. Dan Malone (former leaf player) has spent thousands of hours at the hospital in Barrie. Beating the crap out of nurses just like he beat people on the ice. Google the cost to keep a person in a hospital for a day... one NHL player alone is worth many many many ice rescues if you look at their medical bills during and after their career. And in Dan's particular case he severely injured many health care workers during his stays. Many feel his behavior is directly related to his concussions he sustained from hockey. It's ok that he kicks the crap out of nurses though.. because he was a famous hockey player. I just hope some people out there will some day understand why guys get out and ice fish, particularly early ice anglers such as myself. This is 100% a whiskey rant. Feel free to rip apart the particulars, but it's the general idea of it that I felt like puking out there for everyone to stew on. I love hockey. And am not trying to put hockey players down. Even though it comes across that way. I'm at the rink sat/sun every weekend I have my son.. BUT I love ice fishing as much as a high level hockey player loves the game. And you rarely hear of someone being publicly flamed for loving hockey. Cheers everyone! Tight lines, and a crappie new years, cuz we ain't got ice for white fish opener!"""""""

Best way to work off a few xmas calories.

I'm watching the classic as well. When I turned the game on I was trying to figure out if it was being held in Nashville or Dallas. Then they showed pig races!! Oddly, that didn't help narrow it down.

I know but I was on the road and missed it. Not going to watch the next game though. Dang Rooskies!!! Got the Classic on now. Just in time for a good old outdoor donnybrook!!!!

Lots of ideas and selection here, getting one of them up in Canada could be a problem though. Building one out of marine ply and getting it professionally covered could be good way to go. https://www.google.com/search?q=Pontoon+Steering+Console&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA806CA806&sxsrf=ACYBGNT-rO9e3NYC1n8yqtXkfnjGHSbfxQ:1577899638923&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=c_N0NLRLn3kt9M%3A%2CbBYbmq37GobB8M%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQbFWcA9fO_Fd9b4Va4Xw3MdXpK3Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjliOCb9uLmAhURSN8KHSrJBnsQ9QEwAXoECAkQKQ

Just an idea, have no idea what the cost would be. How about an aluminum console, no rot degradation. Take the measurements and a diagram with angles and cut outs required to a metal shop. Open edges can be trimmed with self stick piping. They could give you a quote.

1978 Ford Fiesta. Fire engine red. With all the problems I had, my wife to be stated that she was sure that if she scratched the red paint, it would reveal a yellow colour ( a true lemon). Not the first thing she was right about.

Bingo

It was nice to get out and check out the gear, hear some speakers (Yourself included Dave!) and spend a few bucks on some new stuff. We went last year and also to this one. Personally, I think the last year one was a little better then this year from the location to the number of vendors. It's all good!

Of course they could get real jobs in the trades and not rack up all that debt getting philosophy degrees only to never find a good paying philosophy job. My buddies kid has the right idea, he's got an apprenticeship learning to be a lineman. When he's done being paid to learn he will have a six figure job instead of debt.

Were having burritos Lew. Need something to keep the heat in the suit in the morning.

Every New Years Eve for the 53 years we've been married...'cept the ones I worked...we've ordered in a huge feast of Chinese food and tonight will be no exception and I'm picking it up at 5:00. I should be about 6 pounds heavier this time tomorrow LOL

Agreed on the aisles too tight, but if they installed a cell phone blanker then all the important people would have to go outside to do their thing and not stand in the aisles like a bunch of rocks. Coffee dispenser maybe. Although the parking was free, a bit of a grudge. I would rather see it back at the BMC or Garden Gallery.

Morning David I am not sure why the new location. I would of thought they would of stayed at the rink and used the outer walk way areas for more exhibits. I really liked they stepped up the tackle and ice fishing related products. There was everything one needed IMO. The isles were a bit narrow I thought . I couldn't find the beer garden though .🤣 Next year I hope to make the morning breaky buffet. Missed it this year. Side note : The granddaughter really wanted to do the rock climbing wall. Maybe they will open that up for the kids next year. LOL

I understand where you are coming from a lot of people don’t get it and give me crap about early ice fishing They say no fish is worth putting your life at risk. Are you crazy. And what not. I spud out , I have the floater suit and all safety equipment. We are very careful. I fish a lot summer and winter and thank goodness my wife doesn’t mind me fishing all the time. It seems some wives say, if you love me you won’t go fishing my wife says if it makes you happy to go fishing. Then go fishing. She wants me to be happy. She loves me .It’s not all about her. As it seems to be in many relationships

Thanks David, We are here, it's beautiful!

Sounds like it would have made a good bomb!!!

Ford(s)...I've owned two and both were brutal. Windstar and Exploder. Until I read Lew's post about his F150 I still thought the Ford P/U's and the Mustang were the only two Ford's worth owning. I guess that list can be cut in half lol. I used to laugh every time I drove past the Ford plant in Oakville and saw a couple lights out on the big Windstar sign! I wrote customer service an email to tell them they could have the ones on my instrument panel - they're never off!!