Rizzo

...I guess Aquarius or Pisces...or maybe you just meant consolation...sorry but that's one of the better typos I've seen, couldn't let it pass

go away for a couple of weeks and looks like I missed lots of fun. I do love it when people "announce" their departure...especially over trivial little things like nobody answered my post. Usually there is a good reason for things like that (ie nobody knows the answer...or maybe they just don't like you...but I doubt that's the case because I've never heard of you)

don't hide the location! Tell me where you are finding pike and I'll toss a spinnerbait there for an hour or two the next time I'm fishing Balsam

I thought you said you'd be using big baits? Those would be spring-sized musky baits, not a bigger bait at all. Either way, Pigeon (so I hear) has to be one of the best bets for a newbie to catch a musky (other than maybe scugog), and a supershadrap would probably be fairly reliable in a kawartha lake I would imagine. Good look and let us know how you do.

I always talk trash with my fishing partners...name calling, mother jokes, insults...helps the day go by when the fish aren't cooperating

I've got one, but it uses overflow tube. Maybe they just didn't give you one with the boat??

rain is not the problem, it was all the lightening that was predicted. Pouring rain in 85 degree weather is actually nice (and good for the fishing). It appears that today was the perfect day

just as it always happens...scared off by a forecast (lightening lightening and more lightening) that doesn't come true. When will I learn to not trust the weatherman? Even if it starts now, I still would have had a solid 3 plus hours in great conditions

I know this because I just canceled my plans to go fishing tomorrow based on the forecast.

ouch

fish taste yucky...they all go back.

just thankful my wife pays zero attention to the things I type here...kind of like I pay zero attention to all that facebook *#!@ she does

isn't that what wives are for? (oh man, I'm gonna get it now)

Only fished it once and got chased off by a storm. Good smallies for the hour I was out there though. I fish Crane more often because it has a free launch and I'm too cheap to pay on Blackstone!

congrats on your personal best. Every time I hit Balsam its windy as heck, good that you had a calm day...although with the temps you were probably begging for a breeze

man that last bass is a fatty! nice job

any 2 colours are fine (assuming those 2 colours are black and orange)

I have seen one on the underwater camera while drifting down the upper niagara, maybe just a bit smaller than that one. Very nice!

even a remote threat and I get the heck out of there. Twice I couldn't make it back to the launch due to waves. Once, crawled up under somebody's cottage, the other time I tied off to a small rock island and got pelted by rain and wind but thankfully nothing else

fish of a lifetime! very nice

Some awesome fish. Always happens when you're not there! Kind of like the resort owner who tells you "the guys last week did really well"

Very busy lake with cottagers/personal watercraft. we always did well for smallies and eyes if you can find a quiet place or time of day. I never caught any pike there

I towed a slightly lighter package (14' Lowe, side console, 25 hp) with a toyata celica for years and never needed someone with a truck to help me . If your weights listed above are accurate though I think you know the answer, don't even bother!

That's my first trip to Balsam this year, sounds like I hit it at the right time...but isn't that a big part of musky fishing - timing. GCD that was hilarious...accurate assessment, but hilarious

so windy 3 out of 4 times for you too, Cram. I agree it helps with the fishing generally, but come on, I get tossed around on that lake a little too much. Last year I was there one time and it got so bad I actually tied off to some guy's dock on Grand Island and hid under his cottage to wait out a storm. I had tried to make a run back to the launch, but when the waves started to come over the front of the boat I headed for the nearest shelter! I wasn't alone under there either, there were birds and some other creatures hanging out down there while the storm went on. Come to think of it, the one time on Balsam I got totally skunked (ie not even an incidental bass or walleye) was on a day where the water was like glass...guess I shouldn't complain about the wind.