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Had a great year last season with tonnes of great numbers. Hammered walleye from a kayak in a super back lake with my dad. Later flipped the same kayak in the middle of a trout lake and almost died of hypothermia lol, was a fun year!

Pictures of some of my favorite mountain lakes. Most are so gorgeous they look fake, but are not. I hope you's enjoy. Maligne Lake, Peyto Lake, Waterton Lake, Lake Louise, Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes where in 1983 while fishing from shore I caught the Alberta record Bull Trout, Alberta's provincial fish, one oz. shy of 18lbs. And it still stands today. Lower Kananaskis Lake, Abraham Lake. I have a couple more that are well worth a gander but as usual my computer decided to take some time off, I will try and post them later.

Hi all, walleye bite went nuts from 7pm for 45 minutes. must've got 20 or so between the two of us....nice evening too .

Almost 12 years since I last logged into OFC. I saw a post of Facebook with some yellow jackets and grey hats and figured I would check out what’s going on in here! See lots of familiar faces, so much has changed since I was 13 years old discovering OFC with my dad, over the last 18 years one thing that hasn’t changed is my desire to chase Muskies. In 2017 I bought what at the time was my dream boat, after a boat accident and a couple boat upgrades later I am now fishing in a boat I could have never dreamed possible. During Covid I was unable to book at Lakair lodge or Memquisit lodge on the west arm of Lake Nippissing, one place on the upper French river was allowing guests so I took advantage, after quickly falling in love with the area I decided I wanted to dedicate my time to only fishing The French / Lake Nippissing. Last season I decided to start guiding, a life long dream that always seemed like a dream was now reality, being paid to bring people out to catch fish??? SIGN ME UP. The guiding aspect was very different, I went from bringing buddies on the boat trying to get them a fish to now needing to get people on fish, the fish cooperated quite well. I just wanted to thank all the OG members of the community who made things so much fun when I was younger, we would have never went to Lakair Lodge/Lake Nippissing without OFC. Here are a couple fish from my season last year: His first musky My GF with a 51” 51 x 26 September whale 51” fall fatty 55” 43.6lb last spot of the season, MAGIC.

My wife and I spent the weekend at our daughters place in Mississauga but getting across the GTA on the 401 is always mind blowing with all the morons on the road. Speed limits mean nothing and guys just fly back & forth changing lanes without even looking. Worst I saw though, we were cruising along around Keele St.doing about 110 like most folks when the guy in front of me missed his exit and slammed on his brakes and stopped dead on the road waiting for a chance to cross 3 lanes. I always leave LOTS of room between me and the car in front but I was sure we'd get hit from behind but fortunately everyone behind me was paying attention. I left Toronto 14 years ago and moved to the boonies and now almost never travel the 401 for just that reason. Coming home yesterday morning I said to heck with the price and took the 407 and what a treat that place is, there were practically no cars on the road and it sure was nice. Won't get the bill for awhile and it probably cost me a small fortune but I think it may just be the way to go from now on. Or maybe I'll just never leave the peace & tranquility of the boonies again LOL

A 30 lb difference between cylinders is a sign the motor is starting to self-destruct. The compression will continue to lose as more metal and the numbers become more unbalanced. This is equal to walking with one leg stronger than the other. For now, it might be less expensive to fix it before it damages the crankshaft, crank bearings, and piston walls. After reading your responses, I do not feel that you can do the machine work and ensure the correct tolerances and torque specs are accurate. Anyone can assemble a motor but without experience, the mistakes become apparent when you are not at the dock or home. Just some insight from a person who has been building high-performance jet skis and motorcycles 2 strokes since the late 80s. Congratulations and enjoy your new boat. Art

Hi all, Got out for an hour in front of the house this evening with my good buddy Roloff.

Hi all, Got to our spot around 5pm, usually pick up a couple of whitefish and the odd walleye and pike before the bite turns on but it wasn’t until 7:20pm when the switch got flicked. We didn’t even mark a single fish before that, was getting worried… lol. Once they turned on it was non stop bites.

I wouldn't spend 5k on that. Absolutely no way. Not with that motor.

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Just a couple kinda cool sunrise pics over looking the prairies east of town.

Mrs,s and I had a great day at the swap. As always, great seeing you David. Till next year.

I must have bigger squirrels. I screwed two rat traps to the rail of a fence they travel and they completely destroyed them. Next time I didnt screw them down, but put the trap on a tether so they had no leverage. That worked for a couple rounds. I found they can get in the live traps , have dinner and leave without paying the piper. I now put a mouse trap in the live trap. When they set off the mouse it scares the crap out them and they inadvertently trigger the live trap. I discovered that trick one day watching one eat my peanut butter. I wipped the door open and yelled at him causing him to make a run for it. Got him. I;m just tired of having to load them up and drive them out of town 10-15 miles. I used a rattle can on them for awhile to see just how far they would travel to get home. A couple made it 10 miles in no time. I think the rest fall victim to predators while they run around with neon pink tail. lol

I would put my 5K away, and save another 5K for next year. I’d take up river fishing for smallies and salmon and trout for a season. Then I’d find a 16 foot bare hull with a 30hp 4 stroke and put a flat floor in the front if your that type of angler. I spent my first 7 or 8 boating years in a Lund SSV 16 with a 30. I did all kinds of fishing out of that boat, caught all kinds of fish, and towed it all over the province. Did a lot of down rigging out of it on big water too. I would not invest in one of these old tubs. I’ve watched too many guys at the ramp on various opening days praying to no avail that their motor would turn over, or that they wouldn’t have some other problem. And then they try the home repairs because marine mechanics are expensive. I’m a frugal guy, have 3 kids, one I’m putting through university, and 2 more to go. I understand the need for budgeting, but I’m far enough down the road that I don’t waste my money on crap anymore. My time is valuable, and when I want to go, I want to go.

I have owned a 1989 Rangerboat with the original Johnson 150 motor since 1999. The boat was purchased from a friend who took excellent care keeping it waxed and serviced like a pro. Even so, it has had, the motor rebuilt, the flooring and carpet replaced, misc. electrical upgrades and basic maintenance. With that said spring is not the correct time to buy a boat. I would spend the money to have the boat checked over professionally there is nothing worse than finding out the motor is at the end of it's life on an old boat and needs a $12,000.00 motor. Same with any of the other major areas for rot and electrical issues. While you may have to survey 2 or 3 boats it will be the best money you can spend. Go slow and remember the fall is the best time to buy a boat it will be cheaper and you will have all winter to putter and fix it just the way you want. Happy hunting Art

From your description, it seems you were up the Lower Moon River heading to Moon Falls. Yes, there can be a substantial current in that stretch, especially in spring. And yes, Walleye do come in there...that's why it's a sanctuary. There are more subtle currents throughout the archipelago, in neck down areas and channels between the islands. G Bay experiences a phenomena called a "seiche"...it's like a freshwater tide caused by the wind. A prolonged west blow can temporarily raise the water level by over a foot, a prolonged east blow can drop the level the same amount. All this water rushes in and out of the myriad of channels creating current areas...these spots attract predators feeding on the baitfish (in turn attracted by zooplankton) being swept by. If I can give you two pieces of advice....First, journey out and away from the Lower Moon and Woods Bay...it gets pounded. The further you get from the marinas and launches, the better the fishing. Those reefs out by the outer band of islands always have consistently good fishing..On a calm day, go out even further to those offshore reefs...few complaints about slow fishing out there.. Second, a lot of the reefs/structure is smooth featureless worn rock...ignore those. Look for structure that has broken rock, preferably boulders of between softball to basketball size...if there's cabbage weed nearby, even better... Enjoy....there's enough fishing and places to explore in that area to fill several lifetimes.

I wouldn't be worrying about the boat too much, but I'd definitely be doing a compression test on that Mercury 2 stroke.

Crestliners are good boats. It all really depends on the price point though, those black outboards scare me.

Sure, worse case is you slap on an external transducer. Simple stuff.

You might have trouble with a 45" shaft on that boat if the wind kicks up.... usually those shorter shafts are for bass boats which are much lower to the water than deep V hulls.. that is why the guy got rid of it in the first place. You also bought an regular I-pilot motor, not an I-pilot link. So its just a GPS motor and does not have the capability to hook up to a fish finder. You would have to upgrade the head unit if you wanted that. If you do that, then you'll have to buy a Humminbird fish finder that is compatible for Link... check below. https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/support/compatibility/link As for batteries... if you have confined space 2 100ah mini lithium trolling motor batteries might be a good option. There are some budget brands who make them which get decent reviews right now. Getting into higher tech electronic outfits for your boat is not a cheap endeavor. Its a "do it right the first time and try and make it last as long as possible" type of thing. Good luck BM

I take an ol' fella out with me occasionally that uses nothing but mooching reels for rigging. He doesnt own a level wind at all. As you know, there are limitless options for rods, but I have this stuck in my wee brain for now. It has to be resolved. lol I have experienced very little line twist using the run feature on the reels over the last 10 years or so. Maybe because I face into the wind and cast out a long lead?

Would like to attend just one show, some day! Always away working when it's on though. Some incredible bait makers, anglers and quite the fishy culture for the big toothy beasts all comes together there and it'd be sweet to meet and enjoy that vibe with others.

I agree with Akrisoner, an 80lb electric TM with a couple of lithiums might be a better investment than hanging a gas kicker on that boat. A lot more versatile...you can still troll with it, and if you wire it up so the big motor charges it when running, should always have enough juice to get you back.

Well, it seams to have worked, I just had a friend call and leave me a message and it came through as a normal voice mail. Thanks again I really appreciate the help!

I agree with this…you truthfully are gambling when your motors compression is starting to go that bad. Sometimes the piston ring cracks and you “mildly” blow it. A re bore and some new rings and you’re back in action but sometimes she blows bad, your piston essentially super heats and gets stuck while firing and destroys the crank case, or literally blows through the top of the motor. I’ve seen videos of high powered motors shoot a piston literally through the engine cowling like a rocket. Needless to say, there’s no rebuild when it blows that bad

Chances are it just needs the cylinders honed, new rings and gaskets. A much less expensive option. Buying another ol' two stroke may find you in the same position. $2000 is a rebuild. As said, basically a new motor. Sometimes it's the way to go. Better the devil you know. A new engine for 2k is cheap. In the interest of more power, you may want to keep your eyes open for a bigger engine and have it rebuilt while you still run what you have. Maybe find one with good compression and other problems like lower unit issues. Cheap motor and you can tackle it yourself. I just know that if I wanted toys, I had to learn to work on them. Otherwise I couldnt afford to own them when they broke. lol. Broken=worthless. Basically throwing it on the scrap heap and starting over with another old used motor with the same risks. Get some tools, pick up another cheap motor and tear into it. I think I mentioned Iboats forum. Those guys eat sleep and breath this stuff and will help you through anything you want to tackle. It's where to go for boat related problems. ANYTHING boats. I'm sure there are folks here that will agree.

Easy peasy you can do it unbolt the head slide it off the pistons get the serial number tell them to bore it out for a new set of over size rings to your pistons now put the rings on slide it back on bobs your uncle 2 strokes are easy and that’s not a complicated motor personally I’d run it for the season the way it is are you very confident with the pressure test seriously rings are not big deal all said and done 500.00 on the high side if you do it yourself that’s with the boring make a nice stand bring it inside or out and just do it get a good tear down manual lots online YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! Cheers Peter BringOnAnotherThousand

It's in my garage! brought it home today! Thanks guys

Very nice. We've had some great sunrises and sets recently also. Minus the white stuff. Here's a couple from the other morning.

I feel this is like my brief encounter with golf, good clubs, good balls, go to driving range till you get it right. So a bucket of pellets and a stack of targets. Got it. Hope it goes better than my golfing.

Those will work just fine, I use the same thing and have no problem putting a pellet right through a squirrel at 50' or less.

I took an everything out of a boat last year. that boat will cost $3000 and 150hrs(and I work fast) to rebuild.

They could not even clean it up for a picture..... Run

I had a nest of bunnies in the yard a couple years back and while I was looking at them I noticed Momma 100' away watching me. Next morning they were all gone so I spose Momma came and got them so hopefully that'll happen with yours too.

Wasn't the injection system a big issue on those? A lot of guys bypass that and just premix before fueling. Still not a fan of 2 strokes. I'd remove that pass side console or even remove both and make that thing a tiller. Tonnes of deck space

I personally liked the chrysler outboards they were the fastest motors of their time outboard manufacturers rated horsepower at the crank but Chrysler did it at the prop so you got the full hp without the mechanical loss you get going through gears

I passed on it... will take my time and increase my budget... thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom..

^^this post talked some sense into me. Thanks for the wisdom. I’ve already got a 14 footer with a 15hp 4stroke merc with an i-pilot 55 LB thrust trolling motor on it. I fish walleye a lot but now I downrig for lakers on bigger lakes regularly with it and that’s mostly what I like to do these days so I’m looking for a bigger setup with more floor space and capability to keep doing that, but I’ll wait and get something newer thats got less wear. Appreciate the advice!

I had my auto tilt and trim fail on an 08 ETEC 75...... I could have bought another motor for the price they wanted for a new one. Luckily found a salvage but still very expensive. I wouldn't buy an Evinrude or Johnson now that they are out of the game. As for that boat.... keep looking unless you're getting a screaming deal. It's seen some things. Like the trailer though.

What Bill said , I was about to write the same thing

All the time, probably spend more time there than anywhere else until it's muskie season. Smallmouth are basically unlimited like Crowman said, muskies are a tough go out there (For me so far, although I raised an absolute giant 2 years ago), it's my go to spring pike spot. Also a sneaky population of big largies. Stick to the channels and go slow if you don't know the area. My Navionics maps are pretty accurate out there when it counts. If I go to a new area I slow way down and keep a look out. I've hit rocks in places I've been dozens of times lol

I've taken a bunch of moon pics, the craters can really play tricks on you!

Lots of Cisco in G Bay...usually mark them right around the thermocline. How do you think the Muskies get that big in the Bay ? LOL

Definitely the high lip of a large crater. If it was a "landing craft", it would be much larger that any structure created on Earth. Considering the moon has a diameter of 3500km, by my estimation it would be at least 50km across. Timely, as I've recently been watching the new Netflix series "3 Body Problem"....maybe it's the alien invasion...

Most importantly I know one thing. It ain’t a fish.

It’s not on the outer edge of the moon because the outer edge is in darkness.

Simple answer, yes the 2d universal sonar transducer is only useful if you intend to use it with your other humminbird electronics. they are most certainly replaceable, and if you have newer modern electronics, you’d most likely be installing your own transducer anyways.

Atta boy Corey, you've come a loooong way my friend !! I remember back in the days when you were happy to catch these little guys LOL

I had an island cottage just off the north channel of the Moon for a number of years. The Bass and Pike fishing is as good as, if not better, than anywhere else in Southern Ontario. I had some submerged rockpiles waypointed out along the outer islands where I could catch 10 Smallies on 10 casts. In the early season, the entire archipelago is over-run with Pike...many of a good size. Musky took a lot of time and effort...but the record Ken O'Brien fish came from right there. Some say the next world record is swimming around those islands right now. Walleye were harder to come by...but they usually were big. Bowfin and Gar also kept me entertained. I would even down-rig for Chinooks in the deep trench off 12 Mile Bay. Yes sir...rocks are everywhere. The charts don't even show 1/4 of them. Woods Bay isn't too bad, but Iron City Bay can be a nightmare for the unexperienced. You don't want to stray off the marked navigation routes without being hyper vigilant. On the plus side, the water is very clear..so with one eye on the GPS and one eye on the water...I was down to maybe one new prop a year...LOL

SO would that require 2 12 volt batteries?