bigbuck

It was great if you were looking for a boat that's for sure! As for fishing gear, the usual suspects were there and there were deals to be had, I picked up a Quantum Energy 30PTi spinning reel for $90 from JB's - the $15 rebate, I pretty much stole the reel that everyone else was trying to sell for $169.99. Add a 6'6" MH St. Croix spinning rod and I was out just over $200. It was good to see a few OFC'ers, I had a great conversation with Lew (I'm going to take you up on your offer this summer). Then to boot, I ran into an old friend's brother who I haven't seen in quite a few years (they saw the light and left Toronto to move up to Sundridge). Dave Mercer gave a good presentation that was very insightful, especially when it came to dropshotting - thanks for the $10 Subway card Dave. I missed Al Linder's presentation but I had to get home and spend a bit of time with my little fishing partners.

I'm hoping to be there Friday afternoon. See ya at the bar for a wobbly pop Lew!!

Cliff, 4.99/lb for strips, that's a pretty good price, they are in excess of 10 bucks/lb in the big chain stores. If you are happy with your butcher, AND his shop and cutting room are CLEAN, stick with him.

OOOOOOOOOOOO............ A topic close to my heart. I was a butcher working part time at Knob Hill Farms (remember the blue collar grocery chain??) going through high school and university. The biggest problem buying a bulk order of beef like that is whether or not you will use everything and how long it will take you to use it all. If you've got a big family, it might be worth it depending on whether or not they package everything exactly how you want it. The problem going directly to a farmer to get your beef is that it's not federally inspected (as opposed to provincially) when the butcher takes down the carcass? Is the butcher inspected??? I can tell you horror stories about provincially inspected packing plants. Federally inspected plants have to meet a much higher standard that provincially inspected plants. A lot can happen from the time your cow gets slaughtered till it gets packaged. My dad was the meat buyer for Knob Hill and part of his job was to inspect the packing plants the Knob used for suppliers. He was very picky on who he did business with. Too bad, since Knob Hill closed the doors, the price of beef has more than doubled in the grocery stores but on the production level (farmer's side), the price hasn't changed all that much. Knob Hill kept the big chains honest on their pricing.

Jeez, that's bigger than Husky the Musky in Kenora!!! But, the next record will come from Georgian Bay or the Larry according to Dr. Casselman, the fellow studying Muskies, the combination of the warmer water and more food leads to a bigger ultimate size.

Trilene XL, by a big honkin' spool and re-spool your line often. It works fine for me whether I'm down in the Kawartha's or up on Lake of the Woods. 8lb is a good general purpose line. All my spinning gear has mono (Trilene XL 4,6,8,and 10lb test) and my baitcasting gear has PowerPro in 50, 65, and 80lb test.

I'm sorry for your loss. You have my sincerest condolences.

God Speed to your son and his comrades. Tom C, I wish it were so easy. Afganistan is a crazy piece of real estate, the vast majority of the people there appreciate what we have done for them, the minority however are doing everything in their power to get us to leave, they know they can't win a stand up fight so they have become experts at designing and building IEDs which is how most of our troops have been killed and wounded. They are trying to fight using a remote control. The Canadian contingent there has seen much more fighting and casualties because our troops are actually leaving their bases and going out into the field keeping the Taliban at bay - that's why we have such a high casualty rate, unfortunately, some of the other members of NATO that have troops there don't want their kids going out into harm's way. It burns my butt but at the same time it fills my heart with pride to know that our sons and daughters are there helping the Afgani people, most soldiers who have been there would not hesitate to return, they know they are making a difference.

Congrats on the new ride!!! 380k out of a car, it definitely doesn't owe you a thing. Anything past 300k is a bonus with a car. When my old Bonneville SSEi hit 320k (ONLY routine maintenance, electrical gremlins at the end), I put her out to pasture. It was the greatest car I ever owned. I didn't want to put any money into repairs at that point because it probably wouldn't end. This new one should last you quite a long time, the Koreans have really pulled up their socks and have come a long way from the Hyundai Pony and Stellar. Your CRV should easily hit 350k without probs.

Congrats!!! Great News!!! Just think, in 3 years you'll be going to Crappy Tire and picking up a nice Dora the Explorer or SpiderMan fishing rod for your new fishing partner.

Having fished the Muskokas, the Kawartha's and shore fished Lake O, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing compares to Lake of The Woods. You could quite literally fish every day for the rest of your life there and still not cover all of the little bays, around all the islands, the open water etc... Awesome fishing for walleye, pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout, perch, crappie, whitefish, and did I mention MUSKIE (please remember that all of the aforementioned fish are just bait for the mighty muskie that reside there). It is gorgeous and there are sheltered bays you can fish without even hearing another boat or seeing another person.

I'll definitely agree with the benefits of fish oil capsules (Omega 3 fatty acids). A couple of weeks ago, I was ready to go to the doc to get some heavier anti inflammatories for my left knee which has been giving me grief for the past couple of years. Advil stopped helping to give you an idea of how my knee felt. I had read about fish oil and figured I'd give it a shot, I didn't have anything to lose. I picked up some Life Brand Salmon and Fish oils (salmon, anchovy and mackeral). I started taking one a day and no word of a lie, after 2 days, I was pain free. Now, I did burp up some nasty stuff but I beat that by popping a couple of the mini fish oil capsules my kids take that are flavoured with strawberry. I'm going to try a couple of different brands to see which is the least 'fishy' after I finish this bottle. As for not liking the fishy flavour of fish, I would use plenty of lemon and garlic - between the two of them, they work great, I am not a big fan of the 'fishy' taste and after having a couple of buddies who worked for a fish market/distributor in Toronto, I'm not a big fan of fish I didn't catch myself.

I've got a Quantum Tour Edition PT in the 6.3:1, I don't have the blazing fast reel. This I can tell you, it is a fantastic reel. I liked it better then the other options in that price range. You can also get some cash back on them now from Quantum that makes it even better. It's the smoothest low profile baitcaster you will ever put in your hand.

I've heard stories of some big muskie in Moira lake as well as quite a bit of pike and walleye. Any truth to this?? I've got a buddy with a trailer there and an open invite to go this summer.

LEW, is that a smile??? You mean when you were a kid, you smiled, I find that hard to believe!!! LOL I have a Gerber Multi Tool that I bought 15 years ago that goes wherever I do and for camping etc.... I have a CUTCO hunting knife that I bought 20 years ago that is fantastic. Also, my CUTCO Fisherman's Solution fishing knife accompanies me whenever I wet a line, it too is 20 years old and is very good.

Wow, I'm weighing in on this one kinda late. I am a financial advisor and here's my take: If you have $50k to buy a property in the next couple of years, stick to liquid (ie. cash) investments, don't buy equity mutual funds, those are for long term investing (5+ years). Things to look at are GICs, Money Market Funds, Bonds and the like. You MAY NOT make as much money but at least you will have the full amount with some interest. If you invest in stocks or equity funds, you are gambling, I can tell you horror stories of people who thought they can make a few extra bucks and ended up getting crucified. No one has mentioned buying a small home and renting out a room or the basement to help offset the costs (nothing wrong with having someone pay your mortgage for you). Another thing to remember is that real estate values are really high, if you are buying a home to live in, it's your home, not strictly an investment, if you own it for 20 years, you will most probably make money on it. A cottage that you will probably sell in a few years to make a down payment on a home, you stand to lose a significant amount of money if real estate corrects. Vacation properties get beaten up much more then residential properties - Remember that point. Remember that a second property is subject to Capital Gains taxes, you can't move in for a year and call it a principal residence. You have to have it appraised before moving in to establish your Adjusted Cost Base on the place. Any monies made BEFORE moving in have to be taxed when you eventually sell it. The point regarding a trailer is great. Why not, for a few thousand, you can pick up a trailer and for a couple of grand a year, you've got a place to go every weekend and fish. LEXX, I'm with you, cash in my 20's, lots of fun, lots of time, now 2 kids, a wife, a home and no time to kill with a growing 'Honey-Do' list.

My thoughts and prayers are with you Jack. I hope you have a speedy recovery!!

N I C E ! ! ! ! That's my dream boat!! Your family will enjoy that baby for many many years. She's the Cadillac of boats! Use it in good health and may you catch many fish in her.

They do it because we buy stuff there. The website is cheaper but fishing purchases are a lot like golf purchases, done on impulse. You see it, you touch it, you feel it, you like it & then you buy it. Off the web, it's more of a planned purchase, you do your homework, find the best price and pull the trigger.

How things have changed!!! Great read and a fantastic tribute to your dad. He's up there somewhere smiling down on you.

Lew, go see Brian at JB's, he's a bigtime wally troller although last year he saw the light and started hunting 'skis and had a blast with his son on the Larry.

I thought it looked familiar, I've passed it a few times on the way to LOTW to visit the out-laws. I have a buddy that has a cabin up there and I wonder if this affected his place.

I hope they have a speedy recovery. Jeez, how much can happen to one family???

My brother has a 5 year old Sony dust collector. He can't get either the tube or the bulb for it, Sony doesn't make a replacement. So he's out 4 and a half grand. I'm happy with my 12 year old Panasonic 27 incher, I turn it on and it works fine.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, & healthy New Year!!!