crappieperchhunter

Note to self....go out tomorrow and get some new underwear. Kyle next time I'm talking to your mom I'm gonna tell her what a rotten child she raised !!!

I think April 11 was my latest day on the ice. A good possibility this year to get close to that. Here's hopin as I love last ice perchin.

Good thread and good suggestions from others. A part time job doing something you enjoy...great idea...helps with expenses and sanity. My mom volunteers at the local hospital...doesn't get a penny for it...but it gets her out of the house and she has made alot of new friends just through the simple act of meeting people. I love sports especially hockey. There is something about grabbing a coffee and heading out to the local arena to watch your kids play. Mine have outgrown it but when I retire I plan on "adopting" a local team every year and making a point to get there schedule and watch there home games. For the cost of a cup of coffee I get out of the house and enjoy being at the arena and watching the kids have fun. I figure that will be good therapy. Gotta be better for you then sitting on the couch everynight watching TV. Same with fishing. I don't know what kinda fishing you do....but you can shore fish for several different species of fish pretty cheap. Don't have to spend much money to enjoy a day on the water....especially if you already have tons of gear like you said. And friends in a similiar situation could help with splitting the costs...a win win situation. I am a list person. Debbe says I am the "LIST KING" Make a list of things you have to do or can't do without and things you can do without. You might be surprised at how small the list of important things really is. Focus on those things. Also look after yourself. I can speak from personnal experience here. You really don't have to do much "right" to make your life so much better by improving your health. Little changes can make big differences. Take charge of your health and you will be rewarded with a better quality of life...I can't stress the importance of this enough. Bottom line is your retirement is what YOU make of it. If you focus on the negative things and mope around feeling sorry for yourself I guarantee your retirement will suck. If you focus on the positive things you have it will be fun and rewarding. Your choice. Relax and learn to enjoy your life even if it has a few bumps and brusies...and isn't the story book ending you had dreamed of. Take care and good luck.

It was a perfect day out there weatherwise...glad you got some fish as well.

I have had a weight problem my whole adult life and a few years back lookin for answers I tried the vegetarian thing for almost 3 years. Never felt better in my whole adult life...so I understand the vegetarian way of life. BTW..it never stuck...I am a carnivore at heart. However I never thought for one minute I should stop fishing or join P3TA or anything that remotely resembles supporting any of those kinds of misguided beliefs. That woman has issues and by the sounds of it...no life either.

My brother has the cast iron hot dog ones. Never leaves on a fishing/camping trip without them. Something about just throwing stuff in the fire to cook really seems to tickle people's fancy. The first time he got them out for me to try. I thought this is a lotta messin around just for a couple of hotdogs. And really if you sit down and think about it....it is. But DON'T forget them at home because it's fun.

I think a lot of the pricing hasn't changed simply because nobody is stepping up to take the hit. Debbe always wants a funny desk top calender for her office at work..so Santa hunts one down every year. Right on the packaging it said $14.95 US or $19.95 CDN. I didn't get any kinda rebate. This coming Xmas I expect to see the same gouging. Not many companies are going to mark anything like that down. They are just going to carry on with there current pricing unless there is a huge market backlash and they are forced to change.

Funny...those little buggers!!! My brother use do to some fishing up on the French River every spring and fall. The place they stayed had one dock per every 2 cottages. Every morning they went down to the dock to get in there boats to start the day off...there minnow buckets where always empty. Thought the guys "next door" where making off with there bait. Until a midnite beer and smoke break down on the dock caught a mink red handed raiding there buckets!!! The next year they had cotter pins in all there minnow buckets.

Fishing Goals....Jeez....I really don't have any beyond just gettin out. I kinda think in the same vein as DanC though...not really about me getting anything spectacular...just getting out and seeing my fishing buds...new and old...having some fun and landing enough fish to remind us why we enjoy it so much. My dad, brother and I get together every fall for an overnighter in Orillia. Catch some perch..enjoy each other's company...which we don't get enough of in this busy world...and have a small wager on the biggest perch every year. Kinda like to see the old man get the biggest perch this year and win OUR MONEY...as it has never happened. CHRIST...what was I thinkin??? The heck with that...it's game on and his $2 is mine!!!!

My pickle of choice...nothing fancy here... loblaws no name are actually my favourite with a Ceasar. They HAVE to be the garlic dills though. Nothing else will do.

In my circle a Ceasar is not complete without the dill pickle. Slice it in half lengthwise but not all the way through...a cloths peg effect. Clip it over the edge of the glass. Goes perfect with a Ceasar. Dip...suck...chew...oh it's heaven.Forget about the celery...the pickle's the thing. Betcha can't have just one.

How much beer....and what kind? Nevermind. It would be a good trade reguardless.

Are any of those GPS co-ordinates for carp Cliff? If so I'm very interested!!!! And I'II ask real nicely too!!!!

Wish I could help Meely...I think there are quite a few on here anxious to get out there...wink...wink...nod.

I figure I average a little better then a day a week...so maybe 70 days a year. When I am retired I count on that doubling!!!

My youngest finished minor hockey last year and High school this past June. During that time between school events and sports fundraiser's we always had our hands in our pockets for something. To each his own but I have always thought that getting your kids to beg for money was a classless thing to do, and it does put people on the spot. So mine NEVER EVER did it. If they where selling tickets we would buy a whole book ourselves...and never won a dang thing...chocolates...buy a whole dang box of bars...at least you got something outta that. Whatever extra we had to pony up came from our pockets, we never ever asked strangers...or co workers for money to support our kids.

Nice sink-o-perch. Good job and thx for sharing.

I have read many funny things on this site over the years...but this just killed me. I was laughing out loud and Debbe even came over to the computer from watching TV just to see what had got me going. Made my day....thx for sharing !!!

I'd have a hard time narrowing it down to 10 let alone one...but if it had to happen I would choose Simcoe. I fish it 9 months of the year now...June, July and August I'm at the cottage in Bobcaygeon so I fish the Kawartha's in the summer. Many many good trips on Simcoe over the years...and met alot of good fishing buddies on the water there.

I was out Friday night and had a Muskie on myself. No way it was coming up my 5 inch auger hole. After the 3rd time I had it up to the hole it spit the hook...thankfully...so I never lost my lure. I usually manage a muskie or two every winter on Scugog. I am not a muskie fisherman and I have only ever got them by accident through the ice on Scugog. Sure is entertaining with 4LB line and a 5 inch auger hole.

Tom Debbe...my wife has never enjoyed fish. I have tried for over 20 years to find a fish she likes or a way to prepare fish that will make her enjoy it. Perch was about the only fish she would tolerate...but believe me she would never request a fish dinner. Two years ago fellow OFNer Beans and his wife Maribeth invited Debbe and I over for supper. Chef Beansie made a fantastic meal with fish...and Debbe even had 2nd's. We now have fish pretty much once a week. I have tried fresh caught Perch, Walleye, Pike,Catfish and Crappie as well as store bought sole, pollock and haddock done this way and it's all good. Give it a try...I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. The following is copied from the original recipe Beansie emailed me when I requested the recipe from him. As for the recipe: Natureally the amounts depend on how much fish you are cooking ... I'll give these for a frozen bag (400 g) of cod or my fav...haddock...preferrably thawed to absorb the marinade...arrange in a baking dish and sprinkle about a tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of white table wine over the fish about 15 minutes before cooking and let sit, do not drain...in the meantime preheat oven to 400*F In a small saucepan, heat some peanut or canola oil till hot and add 2 tablespoons of Panda brand oyster flavoured sauce along with a clove or two of chopped fresh garlic and a tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger root...add a 1/4 cup of hot water and stir until boiling then pour over the fish evenly...cook in hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until fish flakes when tested with a fork...remove from oven and sprinkle with some of the green part of 2 green onions and a few drops of sesame seed oil...enjoy! Try it Tom and let me know what you think. We always serve it over rice...and white basmati rice is our favourite. The only thing that would make it better is if the master prepared it himself and if he made his authentic Chinese food to go along with it. Whatever you do..make sure you chop up the fresh green onions and sprinkle on the top..I really think it adds to the recipe...and you mentioned about sodium. We use the sodium reduced soya sauce (loblaws no name was the lowest sodium soya we found) Good luck and take care of yourself.

Thx for sharin Rich. I love the carpin...but won't be chasing any until the end of May. But it's nice to see someone out after em.

I'll add my 2cents to the discussion. We have a small cottage in Bobcaygeon. It is not on the water, so the price is much cheaper then waterfront. My taxes are under a grand a year...and we are actually on town water and sewer. We use the cottage from May 1st until September 30...and then have winter tennants. We have been fortunate to get a retired couple who have a trailer for the summer and need a place for the winter, so they return every fall. So we have a cottage for the whole summer and then get 7 months worth of rent cheques to help pay the mortgage. When we retire we will sell our house here in the city and move to our cottage...which will be paid off by then...so all the $$$from selling our house in the city can be used to buy every darn fishing toy/gizmo/necessity under the sun (don't tell Debbe). As long as you do your homework...you will do well on any kinda cottage and whatever rental income you can get on top is just gravy. If you have any questions fire me a PM. I'll help answer whatever I can. Good luck with whatever course you take...the earlier you get into the real estate market the better...whether it's a cottage or your home.

Just scrambled down stairs to measure my Fish Trap Pro. Base measurements approx 34 x 64 when erect...giggle...I said erect...guess I'm safe.

Yeah the "PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE" come back phone calls are annoying. And did anyone else get the nice card in the mail? Mine was soooo cute...Picture of a kid on one end of a teeter todder with the other end empty up in the air...and the caption reading...We miss you. Brought a tear to my eye....not. Switched to Rogers this past summer. Combined phone/cable/internet package...for $28 a month less then Bell...with more features then what I was getting from Ma Belle. I hope everyone leaves them. Would serve them right for years of gouging. I never ever had any issues with Bell...and would consider going back if they became more competative. My livelihood does not depend on the phone...so I will always shop for a bargain in that department. Never heard of VOIP before...but my homework on them has officially begun.