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This is what I've been putting up with since Saturday night. -14 at 5:00 this morning Two years ago this happened in September, the snow came and stayed. Not that it's a bad thing really. My wife and buddy and myself are heading out hunting next week on horse back and Argo to get us back in the foothills at the base of Black Rock Mountain in the Rockies where we will set up camp, can't wait, and conditions should be perfect. Wish me luck, I need all the help I can get. I've harvested 39 white tail bucks and some very respectable ones mostly with the bow, all clean shots, (pics to come) if I'm not confident I won't take the shot, and I want number 40 to be something special. So I've decided to leave my rifles at home and just go with my bows. I've turned down several nice bucks in the past five years waiting for Mister Right, so hopefully this will be the year. Might be MY last year as I'm not some young whipper snapper anymore Haha. Unfinished antler mount of my favorite mule deer harvested with PSE bow.

Well Barry, best wishes on your hunt but as far as the snow goes, ya can have it. Great for hunting not so much for dog walking in shorts and a T shirt like I had here today as Weeds noted above. I'll take it every time it's offered. I'm just in from my fourth walk of the day with the dogs and some Frisbee time. In fact I shut down the furnace and opened the windows for the day.....damn lovely it was. Nice rack you got there (wink, wink), please forgive me for counting the number of reel seats I see there. 😆

We fished there 5 years ago for 3 days in September. We mainly stayed on Tube and Kecil Lakes. I'd describe the fishing as mediocre at best. Some dink Smallmouth, a few hammer-handle Pike and one lone small Walleye. Perhaps it was the weather, we were there just after a strong early fall cold front pushed through...temp went from 23c to 12c overnight the day we arrived. Not sure if you saw this review: https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/threads/waterfalls-lodge-spanish-river-review.616604/ Only a few minutes away is the mouth of the Spanish River...Whalesback Channel (the North Channel of Lake Huron). We've been there twice in the last few years...both times for a week in September. Some of the best drive-to fishing this side (east) of Sault Ste Marie in my experience. Excellent Smallmouth...quantity and quality...plenty of 20"+ fish. Good Pike in the 30 to 40" range...and shots at big Musky. Never a problem catching enough Walleye for a fish fry. We stayed at Brennan Harbour Resort...which I highly recommend...James and his wife are great hosts ! There are other places that are on the same water like Blue Heron and Vance's that looked good too. One other thing...in June the Bass will be on the beds up there, not sure how you feel about that..

I hope to have this first one off prototype (third attempt) completed in the next few days then assembled on to the rod in the coming days, fingers crossed. Stay tuned for the reveal, soon I hope ........ 😉

Back in September, we spent almost 2 weeks primarily targeting Musky in NWO (Eagle and Cedar Lakes). It seems that my age (65) is finally catching up with me. We prefer to cast, but tossing 6 oz + baits (and figure 8'ing) day in and day out takes a toll on these worn out shoulders and arthritic hands. Every day, after 3 or 4 hours of casting, I would make the suggestion "why don't we troll for a liitle while" .. Anyway, I came across a new series of Musky specific rods from St Croix that feature "GRASP" grips...it's like a pistol grip extension below the reel seat. Their marketing material claims that this keeps your casting hand in a more ergonomically correct position allowing you "to fish longer, harder and quicker hook-sets".. Anyone have any experience with this type of grip ? I'm hoping to fondle some at the local tackle shop when the come in...but just curious if anyone had any feedback ?

Safe to assume you aren’t in Southern Ontario. 20 degrees here. Thinking about hitting the beach…

My nieces husband once told my bro-in-law "You show me a fish in this lake I can't catch at noon hour and maybe I will get up early !"...LOL

tournaments get me outta bed at 3am, but theres no way im doing a 3am wakeup for pleasure fishing lol. 5am thats as early as ill go. Tournament hours dont start till 7:30 anyways. no point in finding the 5am pattern! at least thats what i tell myself.

Good deal man, I had a heck of a time on a father son trip with my middle boy a while back! Good to spend time afield with the kids. Downside is he’s learning to outfish the old man! Only a couple weeks until deer season with my oldest boy, can’t wait for that!

In the 80s salmon were stacked in the water column from top to bottom! The rigger lines would tremble with all the bait school hitting the wire as they were so thick. I started salmon fishing in 89 at the tail end of the heyday but it was still a lot better than now. Way less salmon and probably a line counter wouldnt hurt

Salmon in the early days...Pink Ladies and counting passes of the level wind...and then we graduated to a home-made downrigger made from my Mom's old clothesline reel, counting revolutions. After that, I thought I had the ultimate in hi-tech...I got together enough scratch to buy a Lowrance X-15...fond memories of trying to change the paper roll in 7 footers on Lady O...

Yeah, even flat-lining or using snap weights it's the "repeatability" of a specific presentation that makes a line counter invaluable for me. Even with colored leadcore, my short memory span makes dialing in a specific number that much easier.

I switched over to the GRASP handles this year with a 9'6 Slingshot II and a 8ft Switch Blade I use for glides/jerks. Coming from a 9ft Big Nasty and a 7'6ft XHF 'The Jerk' jerkbait rod. I find the GRASP handles much more comfortable and have a lot less wrist fatigue at the end of the day, especially tossing big bucktails. It does take some getting used to though. I gained casting distance going to the 9'6 MH from to the 9ft Big Nasty. It makes the casting even more effortless. And when you're burning blades you're really going to like the GRASP handle compared to the trigger grip you're probably used to. Some guys like them, some guys don't. I was a bit skeptical at first but after a few days on the water, I'd never go back. If you're going to grab these, wait till the Odyssey as Gagnons will have 30% off St.Croix muskie gear the weekend of the show.

My 1st thought was that grip may force you to always keep your hand and wrist in the same position which could make it even more uncomfortable. I know anytime I was casting large baits for an extended period of time I liked to be able to change my hand positioning. Also looks to me like it may hinder your casting. Just my opinion though as I've never tried that type of grip before.

Great story Bye...I loves fish'n with my boys too (sons, grand sons, and great grand son...cripes I'm getting old eh?) With this damn COPD I don't do the walking now so the grand son bought a pontoon boat so that I can get out on the lake again...He's a good lad...I tells his mother !