bigbuck

Thanks Lew. I'm done with the thread. If the OP wants or needs any more info on the area, he can PM, we are headed up tonight for an extended weekend.

Beautiful fish. I'm partial to the 78deg water myself, ice in June, no thanks.

The whole saying for salespeople goes like this 'They're liars till they're buyers and it's all bull until the cheque clears'. Put yourself in their shoes, someone comes and says they are going to buy something everyday, but 99.9% of them don't come back to buy the item. Soooooo, if you really want something and are serious about it, put down a deposit. They are trying to do something for you to get your business. See if you can squeeze them a bit more, a few bucks saved is better in your pocket than the dealer's. That doesn't mean making outrageous demands but that has it's place in negotiating too.

GBAy, if you have a problem, PM me. I don't know you from a hole in the ground and you don't know me either. Those that do know me know that I'm not full of bull. The 'fabled' fish was caught by someone other than myself, if it were me and I had a pic, I'd post it, but it wasn't and he does not want his pic plastered all over the web. I'm not confused, halftimers has not set in yet.

Do you know the CO's in the area, if so, ask Bruce about Gerry's monster. I'm respecting a friend's wishes, that's all. Lew has seen the pic. Don't go bashing, its not appreciated.

I've got one but he doesn't want it floating around the web. It was a beast that's for sure.

If you hit a shoal with a stainless prop, the prop will only have a ding, BUT the prop shaft will be warped, various gears damaged to the tune of 2k +. An aluminum prop is a buck to a buck and a half, stick to that. If you are happy with your performance, get the same prop and/or repair yours. Should have a spare on board just in case.

I picked up a spare from a tire shop here in Oakville for $125 for rim and tire. Just the tire alone at CT was that much. The tire is a Hercules and the guy at the shop guaranteed me that I won't have a problem with it. He never had any come back. Run proper inflation for the load and you'll be fine. 9 times out of 10 when someone blows out a tire on their trailer the tire was either in poor condition to begin with OR wasn't inflated properly. As for your wear, double check the pressure WITH AN ACCURATE GUAGE. A $5 guage isn't very accurate, you need to spend $30 for a good one. Take a look on the Iboats.com forums. There is a good section on trailers and trailering.

Make sure you use a snap swivel to attach the bottom bouncer to the main line, then another swivel (not a cheapie) for your lead (min 3ft), you can use artificials (worms or minnow type) but I like to stick to real worms. You don't use another 'walking' weight when bottom bouncing, that's only used for Lindy rigging.

If your looking at Mermaid Island, you should be fine depending on where on the island your looking. There is lots of pike, as for musky, there aren't tons but those that are around are pretty big, not too far from the island you are looking at, a friend of mine managed to land a 61 incher with the help of the MNR and OPP (MNR netted and OPP took the pic). I landed my 50 incher in the same area.

As for guides, if you are looking for musky, Johnny Dadson is your man. Google him for his website and contact info. You'll need to spend some time learning the waters in the area you settle in.

Lots of places for sale. Depends on your price range. A few cottages have come down in price (ridiculous pricing to begin with). I guess you are looking for a boat to place. Road access cottages are huge dollars. North Bay has some really nice spots and is scenic. As mentioned above, stay away from the channels. It WILL drive you crazy. There's also a nice little bay across from Marina Row that is fairly deep. Lots of good fishing around if you know where to look. We have a trailer in HH and love the area. A cottage there in the future is a definite possibility for us.

NICE!!

Change the oil as per recommendations. Break it in nicely and you'll be running that engine for a loooong time. Enjoy.

Extra 25 ponies, no brainer. Consensus from those running optis is that they love them. Go for it.

Nice ride. Get'r slimed up reeeeal good! BTW, go with the biggest trolling motor you can afford. You WON'T regret it.

Abu 7000i. Big, strong with a low gear ratio made up for by a large spool. It can double as your trolling reel.

4-4.5k. That's it. It needs motor work. Who knows what is going to be found once its opened up. Count on at least a grand to fix the engine. Once its apart, the rings and pistons may as well be changed on the other cylinders and it may need To be bored and honed. How old are the batteries?? Electronics?? Etc......

I hate to tell you this but its a bad idea. There's liability issues as well. Does your boat have insurance and who does it cover?

Go with 15 percent. Try that and work from there.

My alltime favorite body of water. NICE!!

You don't need a pressure hose. Regular garden hose works just fine.

Starbrite Hull cleaner. Available at Cdn Tire. Mix 50/50 in a spray bottle with water. Wet hull with hose, spray on, leave for a few minutes, get a car wash brush, give quick little scrub and hose off. VOILA!! Never fails.

You got that right Lew!! We had a great evening on Friday, lots of catching up (one of the guys comes up from New Jersey). All of us except 1 of the group are married and most have kids now so the nature of the trip has changed from a weekend of partying with some fishing to a weekend of fishing with some partying. Good times.

I'd be going after him for the part in question, threaten that you will be calling VISA and notifying them that his business defrauded you(them). That'll straighten them out right quick.