charlesn

Hey Krawler, this latest boat is the third one I've bought from the states in 3 years. Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee were the three states I went to pick up a boat from. The drive was half the fun with the anticipation of picking up a new boat, plus I was accompanied by some friends and we dropped the boat in the water to water test it as well and get some fishing in. You will pay both taxes (except on the trailer) at the border. You pay the PST on the trailer when you register the trailer. You will need to go to Service Canada to get a vessel license, you can print off the form on-line. You also need to take the trailer for an inspection at a Canadian Tire. When completed, RIV sends you a sticker to put on the trailer. I found all 3 of my boats on-line. boattraderonline has new updates daily, so I would start there. Lots and lots of bass boats. Not sure what kind of boat you are looking for, but for bassboats it was a very good resource. However, if you are looking for a bass boat, I know of a current STEAL of a deal in Huntsville for a loaded 1-year old Z21 package that is about 2/3rd the cost of a new one. Had I known of it before I bought my boat I woulda jumped on it, because you could fish out of this boat for a couple years and probably sell it for more than it is currently going for. Send me a PM and I will send you details, Good luck in any case with whatever you buy, they say the day you pick up the boat is the second happiest day of a boater's life... Charles

Thanks! That's what I was thinking. Charles

Hey Lew, Ours run off the house's power and we also have the fire detection option in our home alarm. Should we get a battery operated fire alarm as well just in case? Also, thanks for the reminder, our CO detector probably could use fresh batteries. It's funny, I've lived in this house for 8 years and never cared about any of this stuff, but my little girl now makes all of this stuff a lot more important! Thanks, Charles

The last time I took my wife fishing was in a fun club tournament. Blast off was at 8 AM, so we woke up at 8, got breakfast and then launched the boat at 11:00 AM. We had a great time and she caught a 4.4 lb largemouth from the back just after someone had rudely cut their boat literally inches from the back of my boat cutting off the area she was casting to (we had caught a number of fish in front of them). Needless to say we celebrated the big fish quite loudly to the chagrin of the jerks and she proudly posed with it at the weigh-in. She talked excitedly about that fish for months. She was pregnant and unable to get out much last summer but just recently has been talking about how she's wondering if she still has "the touch". Can't wait until my daughter catches her first fish... Charles

I respool braid once a season. Mostly for peace of mind, but also because I usually have at least one mother of a pterodactyl nest and being a knucklehead, my only backlash removal technique involves yanking on the braid and either getting it free or digging it so far down into the spool that the rod and reel go back in to the rod locker for more extreme maintenance at home. I find that the best backlashes occur when you hook something on your backcast just as you are trying to make a monster cast to a splash or fish that you just saw surface. Use lots of mono backing on your spool and just put enough braid on there so that you don't ever get down to your backing on your longest cast. Sometimes you see people with 200 yards of braid on their spool. Not really sure that is really necessary. I can spool 2 baitcasters per filler spool of Power Pro or Stren Super Braid. Charles

Unbelievable. Inspiring. Awesome! A bigger upset than even any of the Pride 33 events but what a legend. I guess they don't measure heart at the weigh-ins. Charles

When fishing for smallmouth on a warm overcast day that you suspect they are active. Cast it out there and act like you are having an epileptic seizure. lol Absolute erratic thrashing of the bait causing wild crazy movements of the bait is sometimes the best thing. Got tendonitis from it so it's not my favorite technique, but I can not argue with its effectiveness at times. Charles P.S. Don't give up on the spinnerbait though, that's a great technique at all times of the year.

All three of those are possible GBay, it could also be mudfish or toothy critters a snapping turtle, sometimes you just never know. Sometimes the knot slips out too. Nonetheless, better safe than sorry so I use 65 and pray I'm not setting the hook on a stump cuz that hurts! Charles

65 lb braid or 25 lb Berkley Big Game. Big fish seem to live in the thickest nastiest junk around. With the proliferation of zebra mussels, I uae the heaviest line that is still manageable. Experimented with 80 lb braid last year, but it was too rope like. I have broken 30, 40 and 50 lb braid on hook sets. It plays with your confidence then and in a tournament, it's all about confidence. Charles

I'd talk to a trolling motor mechanic or perhaps to a marina that sells and services both and see which brand sticks out... I'd stick with cable steer over any of the motorized steering systems as that seems to be a weak point for both brands. I had 2 Motorguides in the past and had quite a few issues. The Minn Kota Maxxum series is hands down the most popular trolling motor for tournament fishermen who rely on and abuse their trolling motors probably more than most. Especially running around in rough big water... But a good deal is a good deal and I'd trust either brand if buying new. Charles

I find it kinda ironic that the person saying that someone else needs anger management would "shoot first and ask questions later" for driving on his lawn. lol I was at Baton Rouge in Richmond Hill yesterday at 3:20 PM and it took me 1 hour to get to Leslie and 407. Yup, it is about 2 kms, but it took an hour. Some inconsiderate people would "make their own lane" of course needing to merge back in about 4 car lengths later, I guess they are just more important than the rest of us. The entire drive took 4 hours and I only had 1 CD (not mine) in the car so I heard a LOT of Eminem over and over again. What an angry young man. lol I couldn't get off the 407 at Hwy 10 because the plows had created about a 3 foot tall snow barrier on the off-ramp. Saw a big rig plow through it and even that 18 wheeler almost lost it, didn't want to chance it in my little car. I got to dream about fishing and I got home safe. All in all, I've been less comfortable situations. Charles

Kevin, I believe you will find the Maxxum is easier on your battery than the 30. Simply because you will not need to have it cranked past 40% very often. The Maxxum motors that I have had were all 24 V, so I don't know if this is true for the 55, but all of mine had a dial where you could use 2% of the power or 100%. It was not only limited to 4 or 5 speeds. Perhaps the 55 is different. I don't think you will have any problems adjusting to the extra power, and like many have said, when you need it, it sure is nice to have it. The Maxxum 55 is probably quite a bit heavier than your 30 lb thruster. Not sure how that will affect your performance, but reinforcing the mounting area is a good idea. I had an 80 last year and loved it, but found that I needed to upgrade to the 101 this year as there were applications in heavy current where the added thrust was not only good to have, it was absolutely necessary in order to make the right presentation. Charles

Vera doesn't have a contract with UFC right now (I think). I think he wanted more than Dana was willing to pay. Couture may not be the best of all time, but he's certainly legendary enough to be given main event status. If you compare Couture's pedigree to Tito's, it's very obvious that Couture is more of a headliner than Tito and when is the last time you saw Tito on an undercard. I think he's gonna get beat down unless he gets real lucky or Sylvia just totally gasses. Charles

Sure thing Blake. She'll always live on as long you keep honouring her memory. See ya at the show man. Charles

Wow, great insight Sam. Always wondered what it cost. Thanks. Charles

I know there are some big time MMA fans here looking forward to this weekend. The return of Ace and Matt Hughes, 2 tremendous fighters. I really hope both can rebound from dominating losses. The "main event" is more of an execution than a match-up. I just can't see how Couture can win against a guy that might have, 40? 50? lbs on him, a good 5-6 inches of reach advantage, strength advantage, KO power in both hands and very decent take-down defense. I think Couture needs to pull a Randleman (in his KO of Cro-Cop). Fake a shoot and throw a haymaker over the top. Sylvia has never shown that much of a chin. I just hope Couture doesn't get hurt, he's 44 years old and a legend of the sport but in this case he's just so totally overmatched. I guess the same coulda been said for Ken Shamrock, but watching him get pummeled is kinda funny. lol Hughes I think will win, I just hope it's not a boring lay and pray type of fight. He needs to make an impact to earn a rematch with GSP. Ace is fighting a canuck. So mixed emotions, but I just feel that he is so much better of a fighter than he showed against Silva the first time around. I'd like to see him get a rematch. He'll need to be in top form though as McDonald is dangerous and a lot of fighters are somewhat changed (mentally especially) after absorbing a thrashing the calibre of the one he took from Silva. Charles

Yeah, I saw on the news that the 3 stations in Richmond Hill near Bayview and Major Mac were dry. The 2 I mentioned in another post at Hwy 10/Britannia in Mississauga were dry this morning. The Shell at Hwy 10/Matheson was serving up Super unleaded at 97.8 since they were out of Bronze and Silver. I assume they have plenty because a big double tanker had just pulled in when I got there. Of course, not sure it was delivering more fuel, just speculating. Charles

2 of the 3 stations I normally frequent in Mississauga are out of gas. Hwy 10/Britannia Esso and Petro Can both dry. The Shell at Hwy 10 and Matheson is out of Bronze and thus selling their Super at 97.8 which is what I filled upon this morning. I think most gas stations will start installing a vaseline dispenser at the pumps to make it easier for us to take the pain. lol Charles

The fellow from Cameroon, Sokoudjou(sp?), who trains with Hendo was a +1600 underdog. I think that means if you bet $2 on him, you win back $16, so 8-1. Not sure as I don't bet on sports. People who knew more about the fellow might have made a killing as he looked fantastic. But like you say grilw, could be the toughest sport to bet on as upsets from a lucky punch, freak injury or simply from a match-up of styles can lead to some massive upsets. Charles

Actually Hendo lost to Misaki (the guy Frank Trigg dominated) in the last 185 lb Grand Prix Tournament. Misaki lost to Paulo Filho, but then won the tournament as an injury replacement for Filho over Denis Kang. Hendo won the first 185 lb Grand Prix over Bustamante. I guess one factor to consider is that Hendo lost a close decision to Misaki, whereas in Silva's last match he got brutally annihilated. Quinton Jackson has never really been the same since Silva destroyed him the 2nd time. Maybe Silva's psyche is destroyed now after the Cro Cop destruction? I guess a devastating knock out loss can play with anyone's confidence in themselves. Charles

What a huge upset. It was weird, it almost looked like Silva was very very respectful (maybe even fearful) of Henderson. Most times Silva is a relentless stalking attacker. He was going *backwards* while exchanging including the left hook that caught him. I'm shocked. More shocking however was the pathetic performance by Gomi. He fights 10 minute first rounds in Japan and fights at a fast pace. What kind of training did he do that he was totally gassed at about the 3 minute mark of the first round. Great card though top to bottom with more upsets than I've ever seen at this level. Wiuff, Nogueira, Misaki, Gomi, Silva were all favorites and all five not only lost, but lost BIG TIME. Some complaints though. Too many UFC comparisons and snide remarks. Almost pro wrestling like - contrived. Doesn't pass the smell test, I think Dana White might be buying Pride very soon. Lonny Mac did a pretty good job in his first MMA gig. I like him in the WSOP broadcasts, but he did a very passable job in Mauro Ranallo's normal role. Charles

Agreed douG and unfortunately as we have all seen in public shore fishing areas... The reputation is deserved. Sometimes after the ice melt, I go out on Simcoe and am shocked at the debris and litter left by the ice anglers. You pick up what you see, but what else can we do. Some people simply don't get it and never will. Charles

I didn't realize we were allowed to enter baitfish... Charles P.S. Team 10 roolz.

I can agree about the gains not being worth it, but I'm not sure where all this housing and lower unit talk is coming from. I've gone through 7 SS props (all badly nicked up or chewed up in some form) in 4 years and I have never had lower unit damage. Skeg damage, yes, but that's what the skeg is there for. I think it is misleading to say that damaging a SS prop instantly leads to lower unit damage. If you hit your lower unit on something, it doesn't matter the kind of prop you have. If you rub a tree or stump with an aluminum prop, chances are there will be some folding or damage to an ear. With a stainless prop you often don't even notice at the end of a day. Rocks and boulders are another story though as I have learned on many occasions. Charles P.S. Headhunter is correct in that a SS prop is more likely to get stolen. Investing on one of those custom prop guard locks might be something to look at.

Here's the thing though. For this and other well known scams to be still going around, someone somewhere must be falling for it? That's the truly sad thing as it preys on the weakest and most trusting people. Kinda like the scum that bilk pensioners out of their money during periods of tragedy like 9/11 or the tsunami. Special place in hell for sp©ammers. Charles