JoshS

Here's a few more tips b/c landing and releasing them safely over the breakwalls isn't easy: Climb down a ladder if you can and unhook in the water or if you need a pic, walk the fish over to a low point and grab it. Try to avoid the net and definitely the ground. I use 50lb braid and sling up most of the fish by the line (everything low 30" and less). Set your rod in your buddy's hand or ground. Grab the line and pull up quickly as possible and grab the leader. Once you have the leader, grab your fish quick, unhook, and torpedo it back head first. When you sling a fish up by the line, the gills flare open making it easy to get your hand in there quickly (or grab the pike behind the head). Bigger fish need to be revived and I suggest using one of the ladders for this (check ladder for safety first - watch out for rust), or walk the fish in the water to a low point where you can grab it and revive in the water. I understand these are unconventional methods and a bit risky but I've been doing it for years with little issue. If your gear and terminal tackle are strong, and the fish is hooked well and not huge, you're safe. I love reading fishing posts but I also think everyone should be selective with the spots they post online, especially the ones so close to millions of people. Goodluck out there!

We got into a few end of March. Didn't fish a lot.. Some of my favourite early spring spots just became castable recently. Did not see any 40in class fish though..hoping that changes in May.

I've got some research to do on xbmc and android tv I guess. Thx for the tips.

I've been streaming basketball off nba-stream.com. It's pretty brutal actually, in terms of quality on a big screen. But doable on a computer. I got a digital antenna a few weeks ago and get 11 channels in Toronto... CTV, CITY, GLOBAL, CBC, TVO, CHCH, etc.. The best investment since my cable cutting has been a Chromecast. You can cast almost anything from your device to your tv. If you have a galaxy, there's an app called showbox which is pretty good for free content. That and netflix and queuing up fishing youtube video's is more than enough tv for me. I'm going to miss throwing the jays game on in the background, hopefully there's a solution I can find next week (streaming it).

Sweet report. Look awesome up there.

If you do end up travelling a bit... Hamilton's not that far. Give bills bait and tackle a shout and they will order it for you. They have always had fair prices when I go there.

I'm no expert on the nacl but seems like a good all round reel, I'd pair it with an all round rod like 8'6H. You can get by throwing everything on this. Personally I'd sell the C4 if you can and work towards putting together another combo for your style of fishing. I'd say wait a year and figure out what you need most (big baits, jerks/gliders, trolling combo). Or win the lottery! The new compre's do feel pretty nice. It seems like they've upgraded (have not researched this). I picked one up a few weeks ago and they seem to feel lighter than the old ones. Make sure if you get one rod it's rated something in the 2-6oz range so you don't limit yourself with something lighter. It's easy to throw lighter baits on a heavy rod but difficult and uncomfortable to throw heavy baits on a light rod.

I've bought three used cars and paid tax on the bill of sale twice and book value the other time. My first car we wrote up the bill for "$1" and I ended up paying tax on the book value. My jeep got written up as $2.5k, book value was 5, and I paid tax on the 2.5k. My current car I paid tax on "$7k" even though the retail book value was way more. If you buy a car "as is" ... why should you have to pay tax on the book value when the car isn't worth that "as is"? So you spend a few bucks and fix it up, you should still pay tax on what you paid for the car. That said, makes sense for the rules to say you have to pay tax on the greater of the two values considering how you can write up a bill of sale for anything you want. Think it really depends on who's working that day at Service ON.

I got one last night from shore. My boats a few weeks away. If anyone needs a partner, would love to get out there from boat, feel free to fire me a pm.

Neat videos. Hard to tell what's going on in #3. I was way back in my chair a little squeamish watching what was about to happen there.

How about in the midst of switching baits, thinking you've clipped on a new lure, only to toss it over board and watch it sink. Those are warranted f-bombs.

Probably hard to tell now. I heard complaints about the lack of weeds or late weeds last year. But I kinda liked the less weedy situation last season for some spots.

I use mend-it sometimes. But have more success with something along the lines of this: You can experiment with different coloured plastics as well. One of my fav bulldawgs has been melted back a few times and now has kind of a zebra pattern going on. Last season a melted a plastic craw on the tip of a bulldawg and it looks awesome in the water (no fish on it yet but it will get eaten!). Not sure if the musky really care lol but who knows....you can melt anything you want on there! Big grub (8in) tails are good to replace bulldawg tails too.

I use mend it.. It works ok for small tears or any place the hook doesn't go. Any split on the head where my jig goes needs something greater. I've had a bit of success melting them back but it doesn't work that well with the swammer plastic. Oh well... Hope someone resurrects those molds one day or better yet makes one in the 7in range (big pike couldn't resist). Maybe it's just me but for some reason fish like that swimbait more than others.

Still haven't found a swimbait I like better in the bigger size. I stocked up on what I could find but now I'm scared to put a hook in them! I have a whole graveyard of ripped swammers at home with plans on repairing them one day. I tried to meld them back like you would with a bulldawg but doesn't work well with swammer plastic. Anyone have success repairing them?

I'm a fan of the later spring. Still too early to say though...

That's a risky adventure! Plus it'll be a decent trek to get out there not too mention no one around if things go array. I've ice fished the harbour a few times, but protected areas. I put a foot through a few years ago.... I was on 14 inches, walked 15 yards to drill a hole and put a foot through an inch of ice. Scared the crap out of me and have been extra cautious since. I wouldn't risk it out there.

Such a sad story. I had my fingers crossed all day yesterday too. I feel horrible for the family. Good advice wormdunker

I have bad luck with lucky crafts for some reason, probably because they're expensive. I've also snagged my share musky baits. Nothing beats battling your 80b braid trying to break those off. There's bulldawg high in a tree that I'll be taking a second go at again in the spring.

You've got the magic. Nice work out there!

Nice, wish I was getting out there when I was two. Must be a blast for you both! Something I look forward to when I have kids.

I've never had one eat a walk the dog lure. Just follows and have had a few blow ups completely miss. Smaller fish though. It's still fun and addictive. My friend loves his topraider at night. The knees get real shaky when you hear that blow up out there in the dark and you wait for another one. One of my most memorable 2014 fish came off my friends top raider blow up that missed two attempts at night. I went back at the fish slow rolling a plastic bait and it ate it. On a calm night when all you can hear is the topraider and crickets, the blow ups are incredibly loud, nothing like it.

I've noticed it depends on the lake, some are more accurate then others. I've seen different versions give different info some reason too. I'm not sure why they can't group all the data. As an example, there's a few humps on a specific lake that show up on my gold chart that don't show up on navionics+ chart which is supposed to be conclusive. In terms of accuracy though, every lake differs from what I've noticed... some are close, sometimes it's way off. I take it with a grain of salt. It's good for getting an idea of an area, then use your fishfinder.

I'll probably check it out...

I like my mh 6'6 v-rod for pike husky jerks, rogues etc. Been using it since it came out back in the day. Feels good. Mind you I've never tried a dobyn's or megabass. I have an old school crucial as well that's longer but I like the shorter stick for jerkbaits. If the new crucials are like the old ones that sounds like a good bet.