Douger

thanks for the replies guys, i appreciate the info. nuke: i don't mind your asking at all. the way a lot of the guys fish off the harbour wall for whities is to chum the bottom. the best chum combo is roe mixed with corn, although you can get by with only corn. put it in a margarine container and bring along an old serving spoon. just drop a couple of spoonfuls a couple of feet out in front of you. for your rig, slide a barrel sinker onto your main line, then attach about 18" of flourocarbon leader to your line using a micro swivel. pinch a split-shot sinker just above the swivel to prevent the barrel sinker from sliding over the swivel. use a #16 sedge-hook and bait the hook with a single chinook cheese egg (they come cured in small jars). just drop your line over the edge and wait. wait some more and keep waiting. keep an eye on your line at all times. when you start gawking at the sky or whatever, that's when you miss a strike. if your line starts to move out it may be a strike. to set the hook, give a gentle lift. the mouth of a whitefish is soft and if you set the hook too hard it may tear through its mouth. i was told that whitefish run in schools and that they like murky water, so after a storm (or even during one) is good. and that's the beginning and end of what i know about fishing for whities, and i learned it from the old timers in faded ball caps who call each other by nicknames and whose time spent at the harbour wall is as much about socializing, complaining about the price of gas and shaking their heads at the line-ups at tim horton's as it is to fish. take care

yeah, i think that's why they use the hi-vis, because apparently whitefish have a slower take and they can see the line being pulled and give a gentle lift to set the hook. thanks for the info!

in the spring i have a tradition where i visit my dad on georgian bay and we wake up early and hit the harbour wall with our buddy tim horton. it's relaxed and we try for steelies or whitefish. i was wondering if it would be worth it to try lures to catch steelhead there. if so, which lures work well? under which conditions? would you put them under a float or chuck them? thanks!

The guys who fish for whities off a georgian bay harbour wall fish off the bottom using chum and single eggs. they use these short rods (4 feet??) and a kind of yellow or chartreuse high-vis line. i was wondering which type of line and rod they use. i've heard the term "drop-shot" rod before, but i'm not sure. thanks

welcome aboard! it's a great forum with a lot of friendly, helpful folks. take care doug

nice work, cliff! i know you'll get a ton of use out of it.

you and the family are in my thoughts & prayers. take care, and live each day as if it was your last.

nice work. way to go, guys!

pentax optio wp -5 mp -waterproof to 1.5 metres deep: awsome for fishing -small & light, wouldn't believe it's waterproof: i travelled with it and ended up keeping it in my front pocket for most of the trip - $350-ish -good quality pics

nice work! glad to see your fall is shaping up to be a good one!

the line does have backing. i was suprised too when i couldn't get the rod to balance. if the reel were heavier it would be easier. it's apparently one of the lightest reels on the market.

thanks for the info guys.

i have a 13" float rod and the centre pin i have is very light (raven vectra sst 3). the rod is front-heavy even when i position the reel close to the front of the handle. i need to add some weight to balance my rod. i know lead-core can be added to the spool, but i'm not keen on that. also, there are butt-weights available that fit into the ball at the butt-end, but on my rod you can't unscrew the butt. what other options do i have?? thanks!

my thoughts and condolance's to the family. does anybody know how to keel-haul??

i have the 13' quantum pt and really like it. i started float fishing with a spinning reel and 11' rod and was successful. it is nice to have well performing gear, but simply spending more money doesn't necessarily mean you will be a better fisherman. as you gain more experience, you will know more about when you will appreciate forking out a little extra cash for some gear you will love. a guy i fish with has been using a 10'6" foot shakespeare and $25 quantum reel. he's been steelheading for 30 years and always catches fish because he knows fish behaviour and knows his environment. as for the reel, i wanted to try using a centre pin this year and i just bought a raven vectra sst (second hand from dmasse, on this board). it's a great reel, but it is light and i will need to add weight to the handle to balance the rod. i bought the raven b/c it was a good deal, and it was recommended to me by another 30 yr. steelheading veteran that the okuma centre pin (about $165) is a very good reel, especially for beginners. i was going to get it until i saw the raven for sale. take care

hey man, welcome aboard. this is the best forum around. i'm a newbie steelheader. i picked up the 13'quantum pt last winter (rings, not seated), and love it. who got you into float fishing? doug

welcome aboard! this is an excellent forum - active and very friendly. i'm a newbie steelheader myself. i started last fall. i've fished the notty several times but don't live near there. i do know that the salmon are heading up river, but i don't know the details about the area you're after. it's early for steelhead. take care and good luck.

congrats on the pb, cliff. you must have been stoked to hammer a hard-fightin' fresh one! -d-

nice one. congrats. still waiting for mine...

wicked fish. congrats.

the arctic sunrise will be in toronto harbour this weekend and is open for tours.

good luck. i was there last night from 12:30 - 02:30.

congrats!!! glad to see everyone is happy and healthy. is this your first? my wife and i had a little girl in late june. it's a wonderful thing.

I have dreams about catching fish, and often cannot sleep the night before a day of fishing. I slow down and take a look every time a drive over a creek or river and can spend hours in a tackle shop without noticing the time go by. I can spend even more time browsing fishing articles and videos on line. sometimes i go downstairs, pull out my reel, and give it a spin, just because. dude, with the amount of posts on this thread it's easy to see you're not alone.

thanks for the info, guys - appreciated.