bigbuck

Way too many doorknobs on the highways positively flying pulling a boat/trailer. I keep it to under 100kph when I pull the boat with the minivan. I can go faster but in an emergency, I need to be able to stop. How do some of these yahoos out there think they can go 120kph+ and think they will be able to stop???? So, Dan, what are your recommendations on trailer tires??? Stick to Marathons or go with something else?? I guess I have to start thinking about it since I'm doing trailer tires next spring. I don't mind a deal on tires as long as they are a name brand. I've had pretty good luck that way and have never gone with off brands, there always seems to be a better deal if you take the time to look.

Check for loose wires or a bad ground. Every post I've ever seen with regards to wiring has always had replies that start with 'check the grounds'. Hopefully it doesn't make you too crazy.

Basic maintenance on a trailer will prevent 99% of the problems experienced. The other 1% is from hitting potholes, curbs and the like. Make sure the tires are properly inflated for the load you are carrying and make sure that there is some grease in the hubs. Aluminum rims tend to leak after a few years so keep that in mind. Check the hubs every couple of hours when on a long trip, if they are hot to the touch (not just warm), it means that there is a problem. Fix it then and there, whether it means some grease, adjusting bearings or even replacing them on the spot. I have the old US Marathons on my trailer and they are fine, they aren't dry rotted and there is plenty of tread left with no bulges anywhere. I'm due for new tires and it'll be done next year after the boat gets splashed for the summer.

Nice!!! Fishing like that can only be had up north!!! Lucky Bugger!!!!

And who says there aren't any sharks in Ontario, look at that monster you caught!!!

Great report!! I was there a few years ago with the then girlfriend (now wife/colonel) for the Labour Day weekend and we had a wonderful time. Lots to see and do. Beautiful old city with a old world feel.

Good luck to you!!! You gotta do what you gotta do. Family is always first. My girls aged 6 and 5 love to come out on the boat with daddy to fish. I don't drop a line when they are fishing. I let them have fun and in turn, I have a blast. One day, you'll have the time to do what you want to.

That's very long winded, that's for sure, an interesting read. I just do what the owner's manual tells me too. The manufacturer knows their product better than anyone.

Thank you all for your condolences. For my grandfather, he finally was able to rest. Grandparents are special, I will never forget the words of my late grandmother who told me this when she was on her deathbed 'your parents love you, but a grandparent's love is much stronger'. I see that now with my kids and my parents. I was only 16 when she told me that and it took many years before I finally realized it. So, if you have grandparents that are still around, spend some time with them, listen to what they have to say and love them. I'm fortunate to have had a grandfather still around until I was 40.

NO NO NO!! That's for bass and crappie. Musky is a different animal altogether. You need specialized rods/reels, lures, release equipment, a net/cradle, etc.... DO NOT FISH FOR MUSKY WITHOUT THE PROPER EQUIPMENT!!!!

Port Perry (Scubog), Rice Lake, Pigeon Lake, Sturgeon, Chemong etc.. are all within an hour and a half. Don't forget your plug, everyone forgets it once. Don't forget to unplug your trailer lights before you splash the boat. And THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO, study the Nav Canada Charts for the body of water you are going to hit to find your spots and to identify the hazards. Hitting a shoal because you were unaware of it is a stupid expensive mistake. Spend a hundred bucks and buy all the proper charts for the lakes you are going to and save hundreds on new props and skeg repairs and possibly a few thousand for a lower end.

Doing homework before hitting the water, study the charts and put together a milk run. Boat is already in the water fuelled and ready to go (when I tow, it's checked, fuelled, hooked up and loaded the night before). Gear is cleaned, prepped and set up so all I have to do is hit the water, get to my spot and start washing lures. A cooler filled with a few bottles of water, a couple of sangweeches and snacks is prepped the night before.

Well, we just finished with the funeral for my grandfather a couple of days ago. He made it to a week past his 99th birthday. His health has been deteriorating for the past couple of years and really accelerated the past 2 months. Coupled with advanced Alzheimers, it was not fun watching him slowly go. He was the type that worked hard to relax. He'd dig a trench, not like it and then fill it and dig another on the other side of the garden and then go back and forth digging trenches every summer. His vegetable garden was a sight to behold, big ripe tomatoes, bushels and bushels of peppers, cucumbers, squash, onions, etc.... God didn't forget you, it just took him a while to find you the right spot in Heaven.

Sad to he him go out like that. He was a good solid player, and a good guy to boot. RIP.

Can't go wrong with a small hook, a split shot a foot or a foot and a half from the hook and a half worm (or a whole worm). Bigger shot for deeper depth.

He's got to do the drive up 17 around Superior, it is soooo gorgeous up there!!! There is no real time saving going through the U.S. My in-laws lived in Kenora for several years and Winterpeg before that and they never bothered to go through the States. They'd always do 17. My advice, leave at 4am, have brekkie around Sudbury, a quick bite/coffee in the Soo and lunch in Marathon. Get to Tuuuunder Bay and decide if he want's to continue or spend the night. The days are shorter but doing it this way and he'll get up to Thunder Bay around dinner time. From TBay to the 'Peg is a good 8 hour drive so I'd think about spending the night there or at least loading up on Coffee because the next Timmies is in Dryden and he'd be bypassing Kenora so it'll be a long night drive and it can be dangerous with the Moose crossing and the deer on the road. Don't discount that danger, truckers hit moose on a regular basis up there, that's why you see the big bumper bars around the front of trucks in the north, even then, they get damaged quite heavily. In a car, if you hit a moose, bend over and kiss your butt goodbye. Also, don't speed up there, the OPP has a very very low tolerance for that, it's not like doing a buck twenty on the 401 and not worrying. Up there, 10k over the limit is about it. Tell him to bring his long johns and an extension cord for his block heater if he has one (if he doesn't, he'll need one, most definitely).

Slowly but surely, the government is eroding our privilege to own firearms. It's not a right here in Canada like our neighbours to the South. I think everyone should have a working knowledge of how to operate a firearm and the government doesn't need to know just exactly what we own. Ownership of long guns is one of the checks and balances of government. That's why it's a right in the U.S. and a privilege here.

Sorry for your loss, it's tough losing your best buddy.

So much for shooting those pesky turkeys and deer that pop up in the back '40' from time to time.

And that is cottaging!!! Nice little spot!!! Quality family time is worth it's weight in gold.

There is no 'winterizing' for an outboard. If you had an I/O, then you would have to otherwise you'd crack the engine block and replace it yearly. As for backing off the drag, I have a couple of old spinning reels that have nice herky jerky drags cuz I never knew to back it off years ago. Do it and save a potential headache.

Nice roast!! A 9lb'er on the barbie is a great way to get a roast beef fix during the summer months. You got me thinking for the long weekend....

Buckeye Marine in Bobcaygeon rents Princecrafts with consoles. Not sure of details. Might be worth it to give them a call.

As for discounted passes, pop into a local hotel/motel/no tell and grab a few of the tourism rags and see in there. As for coolers, you are fine as long as it isn't full of beer. Pop, water, food and snacks are perfectly fine to bring in. Its a family oriented park. You may want to pick up a box of Corn Pops to feed the grizzlies. That's what they sell there. The kids will love it. My wife takes the girls 2-3 times a summer, she pays the extra 5 bucks for the season pass and gets her money's worth out of it.

Happy Birthday!! May you have a fun filled healthy year!