fishnsled

Just another government I don't trust. The finacial mismanagement of Attawapiskat is a recent example of this with “An average of 81 per cent of files did not have adequate supporting documents and over 60 per cent had no documentation of the reason for payment,” in the recent audit. Perhaps they would do a better job of governing these lands then the present government. I have no confidence that this will happen. Just words out of another politcians mouth to get a "vote" imo. We all need to stand for something and as a community shouldn't we be taking a stand for what we love to do (fish and hunt), to protect what we have.

So very true.

Now is certainly the time to speak up! It is very disturbing how fast this seems to be moving along. What other hidden agendas lie underneath of all of this. I've never trusted any politician but Harper more than any other. Can you imagine Algonquin Park as a mining quarry instead?? The thought of all this land being handed over with little to no stipulations in place is just not right. The "we'll sort that out later" mentality is unacceptable!! We need an agreement that we can all live with and ALL can use for many generations to come.

1/7th of southern Ontario!!?? "It's a good start." And being that is what was offered it's not going to change? So many loose ends that will be discussed at a later time?? Our government sucks!! I would encourage everyone to watch the video link that Chad has posted and info yourself. You might want to check out the webcast on Monday April 15th at 7pm too. http://www.algonquinlandclaim.ca/ Also, copy and send the letters from the site to the Prime Minister, Premier, and your MPP, MP etc.

A buddy of mine sent me this video a while back. The video itself is quite interesting, at 5 minutes she starts to talk about the Spey casting. Some great footage.

Maybe your new fuel line. I had one years ago that I had bought brand new and the bulb would not stay hard. Went out and bought another fuel line and problem was solved. One of the clamps was not tight enough allowing air to leak in but not enough to allow fuel to leak out. If you have a buddy with the same fuel line, maybe borrow it and see what happens.

Pretty obvious that people in TO forgot how to drive this morning with the accidents I passed. A little wetness and a touch of snow and look out!!

I'm sure the flower pot picture would look nice in the bathroom or any closet in the house.... The new painting is quite nice Nick. I like it as well.

Congrats to the winners! Some big fish there.

Might mess up the launches for the weekend if it comes in. Well the snowblowere is ready to go as are the shovels, haven't put them away yet.

Before I got a boat I always hit the rivers in the spring and fall. When the boat came along I was less drawn to fight with the crowds on the banks and slowly gave it up. I should probably sell all of my river gear but the tackle junkie in me says NOOOOOO!!!! LOL! For many years my routine would be panfish in the April, walleye in May, musky in June, bass from the end of June till Thanksgiving weekend and then back to musky and walleye to finish off the soft water season. In recent years I even have thrown in a couple of carp fishing trips as well. When the ice is ready it's usually panfish and then over to trout and whitefish with a couple of walleye trips as well. That has been my pattern for the last 20 years or so but last year that all changed and spent most of the summer chasing trout and salmon on the big water. Much like yourself muskymatt (you might want to change your name) I can't seem to get enough of the big water stuff. I think I fished for bass maybe 3 or 4 times last year and other then 2 trips that were planned, the others were do to weather and not being able to get out on the big water. Been on the big water once and looking forward to many more trips. So yes my fishing habits have changed in the past year but perhaps not changing species just chasing new ones. I won't hesitate to go fishing for anything when the opportunity is there.

Oh so true.... Let alone all the drywall that would have to come down to access the ducts. I'm sure the wife and kids would be very impressed if you tried to do it Joe. I'll even come over and lend a hand....when the misses is not home of course.

Might want to try this stuff, Battery Equaliser http://alexmilne.com/resources/pdf/battery_equaliser.pdf Read good things about it on another fishing board and some guys are swearing by it for their deep cycles. One guy had completely dead batteries and added this stuff and after 4 charge and drain cycles the batteries were as good as new and got 2 more years out of them. Could buy you a season or 2 for much less than the cost of a new battery.

My condolences Dan. One of the toughest things we go through in this life, losing friends and family way too soon. Treasure the good times, the memories never go away.

Great job on the Photoshop Cliff but how did Rob know that we were fishing the Finger Lakes.... It was awesome to be on the soft water again Roy and running out to the spot in the morning on near glass conditions was fantastic...even with the brain freeze from not putting on my touque. A great fish to to start off the season and even better that it was a PB. Can't wait to do it again. Thanks for a great day Cliff and for all your contributions!!! You really shouldn't have.

Found two bullheads of the same size like that once. Put them in the net, pulled them apart and they both swam away just fine.

X2 It would be a shame to have come this far not to get her running again. Don't give up just yet and yes, great time spent with your son.

I had no idea that he was born a Canadian either. I have a couple of those 3M series bass videos on VHS somewhere at home. There were great learning tools way back then, probably still today. RIP Doug.

That one heck of a dumping of snow!! Jealous of the more sledding part but I'm looking forward to having the boat in the water this coming weekend...if the weather cooperates for the big water.

Looks fantastic Mike!!

I had once tried to fill up the truck at one pump and the boat at the one behind with my debit and was denied at the second pump. Didn't realize they would do that so fast. Anyways, I have since gone to filling up the truck with my debit and the boat with a credit card to avoid this problem when both need to be done. Back in the fall I had used my one credit card for putting gas in the boat for a grand total of $27 I believe. Paid that when the bill came in and another couple of months go by when I got the call from the bank. "We know that you haven't used your card for a couple of months and were wondering if you purchased anything from iTunes?" I told them no that I don't even own an Apple product and asked why? "2 transactions for $50 were placed and since you have never ordered from there we were concerned." Card was cancel, new one sent out. Had to sign an affidavit saying that I did not make those purchases and send it in. I was pretty pissed too 206. Only $100 bucks and yes I don't have to worry about it but shouldn't we? We all end up paying for this somewhere along the line.

Is the dreaded Asian carp swimming in Lake Erie again? It’s a mystery as big as the lake. The question terrifies several agencies in the U.S. and Canada, but one scientist says there is a strong likelihood it is back. “We have evidence that suggests the most likely explanation (about) how its environmental DNA got there (in Lake Erie) is because of the presence of live Asian carp,” said David Lodge, director of Notre Dame University’s Environmental Change Initiative in Indiana. Lodge said the area where positive samples of Asian carp were found, in the lake’s western basin, is where the last live fish was captured in 2000. “There are other explanations ... for how the DNA could have got there,” said Lodge. “They are possible, but not plausible.” According to Notre Dame’s Center for Aquatic Conservation, plants and animals shed cellular material (like traces of DNA) into their surrounding environment, and this material can be collected and analyzed. Environmental DNA extracted from water samples can be used to determine if a target species has been in the vicinity. If toxic blue-green algae are the biggest threat to the lake’s survival, Asian carp are a close second. Asian carp are a group of highly invasive bottom feeders that have infiltrated the waterways of the American Midwest. The fear is they could disrupt Lake Erie’s ecology if they increase to large numbers. Two of the most-feared Asian carp are bighead carp and jumping silver carp. They compete with native fish like trout and pickerel for food such as perch. These native species support a multi-billion-dollar sport and commercial fishery in the United States and Canada. Asian carp have no natural predators and have an explosive breeding capacity. They consume as much as 40 per cent of their body weight daily and monopolize food sources of other fish and marine life. They can grow up to 1.2 metres long and weigh 45 kilograms. Asian carp are prohibited inside Ontario’s borders unless they are dead. “You can well imagine why we are so worried,” said Mark Burrows, a Canadian scientist who works with the International Joint Commission, a binational organization . “We have enough challenges in Lake Erie already.” About a year ago, scientists who were analyzing samples from Lake Erie discovered environmental DNA of the Asian carp. The researchers, led by Lodge, found genetic material at two locations: at the mouth of Maumee Bay in Michigan, and in Sandusky Bay in Ohio. For several months, agencies in the U.S. and Canada increased surveillance, took additional samples and involved commercial fishermen, but no further evidence of the presence of Asian carp was found. So where in Lake Erie are the Asian carp hiding? Lodge says there is a chance that there aren’t too many Asian carp in the lake right now. “Given the intense (search) efforts, perhaps not too many have a self-sustaining population.” The discovery of the environmental DNA is disconcerting, says Tammy Newcomb, a senior water policy analyst with Michigan’s department of natural resources. It could have come from dead fish, from the digestive system of a bird, or a rotting fish, say researchers “But the best presumption to take is that there is live fish,” she said. It’s tough to find live Asian carp, though. Newcomb said looking for the invasive fish is like hunting for a flea in a 75-litre aquarium where “you have a net the size of a quarter of a teaspoon and you are also blindfolded.” But no one is giving up. When positive DNA was confirmed last year, Ontario, too, took multiple samples from its side of the lake, said Eric Boysen, director of the biodiversity branch with the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources None of the samples came back positive and no trace of live fish was found . “I don’t know if there (are) any live Asian carp ... the DNA could have come through a number of sources,” said Boysen. But it’s had us look very carefully,” said Boysen. “We are continuing with surveillance,” he said. “We don’t want to see Asian carp in Lake Erie.” The fishy facts Asian carp species, native to China, were brought to the U.S. in the 1970s to control algae problems in Arkansas aquaculture ponds. But there was flooding, says Burrows, and many escaped and started reproducing in the Mississippi River. They have since been working their way up north. Asian carp could find enough food and breeding areas to reach all five of the Great Lakes within 20 years if allowed to gain a foothold, said a report released in the summer of 2012. The analysis by U.S. and Canadian researchers said as few as 10 mature females and even fewer males could establish a population in the lakes if they find rivers suitable for spawning. Officials said previously that it would take hundreds of the carp for a successful invasion.

Thanks for the update Cliff. Would certainly be nice for the family if they can get him back to the GTA very soon.

Great report Chad and glad you kept the tires on top of the ice. Here's a story for you from last weekend. I was out perching with Rubin on Simcoe and as we were unloading a couple of guys were having troubles with their sled. Rather than a complete break down out on the lake they decided to load it up and and walk out. As we were about to head out they asked if I would mind dragging the hut out for them. Told them I'd come back and get them and the hut. Drop off Rubin and the gear and run back in for them, one guy on the sled and the other on the sleigh, helmets on and away we go. There was a pressure crack to cross but the crossing was good and several other ATVs and sleds had used it. As we got closer to the crack there was an atv with their hut in front of us. There was a bit of a road that people had been following out but as you got close to the crack the "road" went to the right but the crossing was to the left. I watched in complete disbelief as the driver took the ATV to the right and watched as the driver and passenger bailed off the machine as it broke through the ice. I kept us going to the other side and we stopped to make sure they were OK, which they were. The hut was still attached and sitting on top of the ice but the ATV was in the water with an inch to spare from the top of the water to the exhaust. And the machine was still running. He got a couple of his buddies over with their atv's and winches and after some trying this and that we managed to get 3 of us lifting the front of the machine up while in 4x4 and pulling with the other two machines. The tires bit into the edge of the ice and the machine popped out. Lucky for them there was another layer of ice under the front tires but nothing under the rear tires. The hut probably saved it from slipping backwards and disappearing completely. Glad to have helped out and really happy it worked out for everyone. Could have been avoided though if he just lifted up his foggy visor to see where to cross. He missed it by 10 feet.