bigbuck

Wow, Lazarus is actually going to speak in public. For those that don't know about him, this guy could boat a musky up on the North Pole. He is very secretive about his techniques and spots and to get a chance to hear him, I'm in.

This guy is a complete moron!! I feel sorry for his family and for the poor taxpayer. His family will probably have to pay an undisclosed sum for his release (if they don't skin him first) and External Affairs will have to pay staffers who knows how much to deal with this. I'm being a bit coldhearted but I don't suffer fools and this guy certainly qualifies. Who in their right mind goes to a war zone who doesn't have any business there (soldiers, media, mercenaries (oops, I meant private contracters), and the like).

Roy, how bout we just call ourselves "The Hosed"??

Where is the PM from??? There will be no meaningful reform in our fuel supply as long as Calgary is calling the shots. The Chretien government let the refiners and oil companies get rid of their competition (the individual gas station owners) and the whole retail structure was reworked to suit them. I never could figure out how that was supposed to be good for the consumer. There are fewer refineries which are artificially tightening the gasoline supply. Now I don't blame the oil companies for not wanting to spend billions on new refineries when the internal combustion engine may be going the way of the dodo bird in the next 25-50 years or sooner. We are getting hosed and there is nothing we can do about it. Saudi Arabia has 4 million barrels/day of excess capacity capability so really, Libya shouldn't really affect the market as much as it has with 1.6 million barrels/day of output. I think with all the unrest in the Middle East, we can expect oil prices to continue upwards and gas prices to do likewise. Unfortunately for us, who really knows what kind of regimes are going to take power in these countries. The people there in all likelihood whon't be any better off than they are now.

You won't need another battery, you should be fine running the 1 for the riggers and electronics. You are going to need 2 or 3 for the MinnKota depending on how big you go. As for riggers, I think they are all pretty good whether you go Cannon, Scotty or Walker. HDS 7 is a great unit. Since you are a musky guy, you know all about Salty's, you're going to need a couple. Your trailer will need to have the bearings greased at least once a year or so depending on how much you use it. Other than that, make sure the tire pressure is good EVERY time you go out. Boatcovers, if you found one that is specific to your boat you should be fine. Now get out and slime it on season opener!!

We gave up our membership once the kids were out of diapers. The meat there is very good, the produce, not so bad but you have to know your prices because the fruits and veggies can be very expensive. You always end up buying stuff that wasn't on your shopping list. When Price Club Costco started, they changed all the packaging on everything, instead of a 24 of Coca Cola, it became an 18 and you saved a buck, everyone thought it was a great deal, actually, it cost you more per can. Laundry detergent, dry goods, canned goods, the list goes on and on. They drove all the suppliers crazy with their demands to change the standardised packaging. They build their stores for free, the membership goes towards contstruction. I'm not a big fan but as mentioned above, there are perks, like the buffet, the Ford discount, etc.... Catch it on the right day and you can skip lunch and dinner. If you want to save money, know your unit cost, not the cost per package, you need to know the cost per can.

What's happening now is that we are entering a 'New Age of Austerity'. We have had it too good for too long. Our parents had to scrimp and save and really, we haven't, not even close. There were times when it may have been a bit tight but it didn't last too long. There has been too much money available and now the majority of people are overextending themselves. I'm not just talking about the average working stiff either. In my house, we eat steak, roasts, ribs, chicken, fish and the like very regularly, how you may ask?? I don't make $200k/yr. Every Saturday morning I have my ritual, while the fishing shows are on, I go through the ads for the week. Over the course of the week during my travels, I will stop at the various stores to pick up the specials along with some of the basic staples, bread, milk eggs and the like. I have a freezer that is very well stocked in the basement as well as a well stocked pantry of dry goods. Why buy a can of tomatoes for $1.49 when you can get them for .88 each on special. Buy a dozen or two. Why pay $7.99 or higher per pound for a Prime rib roast when you can get it for $3.99/lb? You just have to be a smart shopper. That's what our folks did. The only time they went into debt was to buy a house. Now we have car payments, mortgage payments, credit card payments, daycare, etc....etc...etc....

Problem with some of the big box house brand stuff is service, you can't go to Aikmans or one of the either repair guys out there and expect him to have parts. Stick to Abu, Quantum, Shimano or Daiwa. Spend more on the reel and less on the rod. You get what you pay for with Baitcasters.

IFF (if and only if) I had a sled and it wasn't the last week of my busy season, I would be on this like white on rice. Just goes to show what kind of a guy Wayne is, offering up his little piece of paradise to us OFC'rs. If you do make it up there, I hope you slay the walters and brookies.

I got caught up with work today and couldn't make it. We're off to Honey harbour for the weekend so it looks like I'm going to miss the show. Too bad, it would have been great to have a chance to gab with Pete Maina and Gord Pyzer again.

I went through the whole rigamarole before xmas. My car failed and when the tech scanned it and saw no codes and that I had just put a new convertor on, he took it for a drive and retested it, it passed. It was not hot when they tested it. They ended up just charging me for 1 test. If it's time for a tuneup, do it. Otherwise, change the oil, take it for a nice run on the highway and go get it tested right afterwards.

I guess that boat has a little bit of get up and go. Starting up all 4 motors costs my gas budget for the weekend.

Lots of history in that home. When Steve Stavro bought it, he had an addtion put on the back of the house, the stonemasons and stone were imported from Great Britain to do it at great expense. It's rumoured that Royalty stayed there during a visit to Hogtown. Some of the furnishings there were from Henry VIII, there was an ancient table and chairs from the 1600's in the Great Room. Over 20 years ago, I saw Luciano Pavarotti sing there at a private fundraiser. As a kid I helped move some of the furniture there from the Stavro farm in Cambellcroft north of Port Hope. Memories.........

The Okuma rods are great for the price. BUT, don't cheap out too much on the reel. You'll just end up spending on a good reel later. I'd second the ABU Record 60, it's a good reel for a decent price. You can spend more on a low profile reel but they aren't the greatest when it comes to trolling because they just don't have the line capacity. A Shimano Calcutta B is also a good option but is a bit more dough.

I'll be there Friday afternoon.

What fuel/oil ratio are you supposed to be running??? You don't just dump oil in the gas with no measuring. Too much oil will foul up the spark plug and gum up the engine not to mention tons of smoke, not enough and your engine will end up seizing or blowing.

Looks like I may miss Pete Maina this year. I'm going to go on Friday afternoon and hopefully I'll get to see Gord Pyzer and his protege Jeff Gusstafson.

I've got some buddies that have gone to Lunge Lodge a few times and they said it was pretty good. Don't know about the other place.

What about bathroom fan venting?? Is there sufficient venting in the soffits to allow the roof vents to breathe?? Could the soffit vents be plugged up with insulation or critter nests??

Dax, it looks pretty good and it only gets better. To those that haven't gone, there can be some great deals to be had on the Silent Auction tables. Lots of great stuff. Great speakers too!!

I'll be going on Friday. Anyone else going to be there?? I'd have gone on Saturday but we are heading up to Honey Harbour for Winterfest with the kids and maybe a bit of snowmobiling.

A few years ago a bunch of natives went hunting up on Georgian Bay. The bottoms of their fishing boats were covered with spent 12 guage shells and there were tons of cormorant carcasses. Too bad they don't do it more often. I'd kick in a couple boxes of shells.

Soft water can't come soon enough!! I've had enough of the cold. I miss being out on the water!!

I'd look at a 6' Light action fast tip St Croix Premier. It's at the high end and may bit a bit more than a c-note but it's a great rod and you'll love it. I second checking out JBs.

They look fantastic!!! I'd give them a whirl. You can expect an order from me before the season opener.