Old Ironmaker

Check your cranking battery before leaving home too. Mine had enough power to tilt the outboard to remove the transom saver but would not turn the engine over once in the water. If I told you a nut on the battery was loose would you believe me? How does a nut on the battery loosen on it's own? Now I check the nuts before I put it in the water.

That is my truck Albert but 5 years newer. I bought my Silverado in 2011. Mine is silver grey with the chrome package, the only difference on the exterior my rear view mirrors are chrome. My is bare bones after that. Keep a close eye on the front and rear brakes during break in. Mine needed a few adjustments. Now I have 106,000 kms on her. I only had 1 issue at 100k, a fuel vacuum something that needed to be changed for 100 bucks after the check engine light came on. For someone that I know counts every decimal point in the Litres/100 and RPM's at a certain gear I am surprised you chose a big truck with 4X4. I don't get bad mileage on the highway, city driving empties the tank tout suite. 327 or 350? I have the 4.8 and a pal has the same year but 5.? He does get a tad better mileage in the city. I am talking a few cents per 100 KMS not dollars. Enjoy and congrats.

I talked to my brother about this thread at my parents the other day, as he is a very avid fisherman and hunter. He lives for the outdoors and travels across Ontario and the country and US hunting and fishing , if they are out there he may have seen one in his many hours in the bush. He reminded me of what happened in our neighbourhood in the early 60's. Mom said around 61 or 62 just before some kids burned it to the ground. I would have been 8 he 6 or so. We lived a few blocks below the Niagara Escarpment in east Hamilton. There was a lumber yard on Lawrence Rd. and Rosedale. There was a big commotion one night with Police and Fire at the lumber yard. Our Mom let us go see what was going on less than 100 yards from our home. There was a Mountain Lion treed in one of the huge Scandinavian pines on the property. The night watchman heard it went to look and found it up a huge tree. The Police told everyone to go home. They shot it dead we were told the next morning. We heard the shot. I forgot all about that, it was a long time ago. I'm prey good at stories but not good enough to make that up. Heading to Nipissing in a few hours, no sleep tonight too excited!! I won't be driving I guess, good excuse. I'll keep my eyes open for some wildcats up north.

Doug aka Shag, I have caught a 18" crappie and more than a few 14.75" yellows here on Erie. I just can't get that 15" perch though. Others have. When you get a big perch like that you would swear it was a Walleye at first glance. My pal we call The "Crappy" hunter lost it when I caught that Crappie. 1st time ever targeting them. Just after ice out around dock piers, no boat. There were still piles of snow in the marina parking lot. No way to get into that marina now, even with a boat it's all locked up. The marina does not own the water. It is totally illegal to put cables across the opening. I don't know if they have since removed them. If you PM me I will tell you where the crappie were then, the perch can be anywhere. It's hide and seek.

I'm here Shag buddy. I did write my recipe for Putanesca here last year or so. Just like Smitties. It takes longer to boil the pot of water and cook the spaghetti than it takes to make the succo. The sound of any tomato sauce will tell you when it's ready. The story is that street walkers in Roma wanted something, quick, hot and spicy and cheap when they finished walking all evening. Thus putana pasta because that describes a hooker. Others dispute that story, I like it. Spincast, that meal is unbelievable. I lived near TO's Chinatown for almost a year in the mid 70's. I gained 20 pounds, and not all bad pounds because I was in the gym everyday then. I have been to Japan and Korea and didn't want to leave because of the food. I pretend to be able to cook Asian food. I've had my Wok for over 30 years. Now I have a gas stove that has a very large burner that can get the BTU's up there. No where near what they would have in an Asian restaurant's kitchen but that extra heat makes a big difference for real stir fry. Without that heat we really, steam sauté at home. We're lucky to be close to Hamilton and several real deal Asian markets. I'll go in and pick up a bag of something and ask what it is and go home and give it a shot. Nowhere near what you do Spincast, great food you have going there. My buddy Quan closed down his restaurant in " The Cayuga Hotel", now there isn't a decent Asian meal within an hours drive. We called it the "Brown Water". He would ask if you wanted brown water, coffee, and Canadian gravy, ketchup. I miss the home made dumpling Moma made every morning at her table and miss Quan as much as his food, and great prices. A real character he is. If he likes you breakfast is 5 dollar, I paid 6 dollar because I had a new truck out front. A huge bowl of Won Ton soup (my favorite breakfast) loaded with strips of BBQ pork and Momas home made dumplings and fresh scallions along with a huge bowl of home made fried noodles 5 bucks. Or sometimes 6 bucks if you didn't have work cloths on, town councillors and the Mayor, 7 bucks and he charged them tax because they needed a reciept . We really miss that place. They retired and both deserve it, they owned it for over 30 years I was told. Sold the 90 year old hotel to the county and they are tearing it down to build a much needed new library. The bar with live music has been closed for years as well as the 25 rooms upstairs. That place used to rock Friday and Saturday nights and was packed after 3PM everyday with guys coming out of the huge plants at Nanticoke, 12 hour shifts killed that. Wives love 12 hour shifts.

JohnBacon, you are bang on. Not only because a smaller boat may fit in a regular garage anything larger than 20 feet can be a challenge to trailer it. Both because of weight especially in a glass rig and maneuverability can be an issue as well. A 20 plus footer takes up a lot of space in a city driveway too. When I was looking for my ideal boat of 15 to 17 feet of aluminum Lund, all the good ones were not for sale, the ones that were good were hard to find and none were a Lund. We did go to the Boat Show the year I bought and it was crystal clear that I wasn't buying a new boat for my budget unless I bought a good tinny with a 9.9 4 stroke or a underpowered over priced 15' Tracker. For what they wanted for a 14' Lund or StarCraft tinny with a 9.9 and zero options I bought the Superfisherman 190 in showroom condition loaded with options including 2 sonar units plus a GPS combo, 24 volt Motor Guide and a very good CD/radio. Oops forgot the top of the line VHF with the 6 foot areal.

Pics, during a break head over to #1dock and throw a spoon off the rock wall. We have caught a few fish there. Blue and chrome Little Cleo was the ticket. Tell Pete Sch. I said it was OK. Johnny D

Nice boat by the way Mike. You can get away with 5/8's PT ply, not much deflection rate with that span. I would use aluminum to frame and support it. Then again we have a scrap box full of aluminum from salvaged boats. Make sure you put something between the wood and aluminum. A small strip of roofing snow and ice shield works great.

As far as I.D. on a minnow trap if I remember right if it is a commercial trapper it needs to be ID'd or it is a fish cage for game fish those need an ID. I don't need a to ID my trap on my property. I need to find it. I grabbed 1/2 dozen copies of the regs last year as they are so rare, think I kept one? I'm wrong, again. It says bait traps need ID and only a license holder can trap bait. I take that to be a person with a Fishing license. Nothing about ID for a dip net. You would be the ID as you need to throw it. Better have your fishing license on you.

So a net has to be identified or it isn't? It would have to be one dumb poacher to ID his nets. Akri, you were speeding. You got caught. All Cops should also act as Conservation Officers and trained to do so. That won't be happening I'm afraid. Are Police allowed to fine violators as would a C.O.? Those pics of dead Sturgeon make my stomach sour. What kind of animal would do that? I'm all in for capital punishment for crimes to natures innocent animals by sub human animals. I was told by some unsavoury men when I was a kid if you are going to commit a crime do it in Ontario. Not to be taken as a political comment.

Yes Porkpie I hear you Sir. Please Mr. Winter make up your mind already, is it mid winter, late winter, early spring or what? I have seen the Sun for 10 minutes all year, maybe less. It's getting to me and everyone I know. I never thought I would ever in my life say it but I will take a bitter cold dry day with some snow on the ground with a bluebird sky than these plus 1 or 2 degree dreary, grey, wet, damp and deep bone throbbing days anytime. I swear I've gone through a case of Voltaren arthritic cream this month. We had the wood stove blazing at the shop today with the door open and everyone was fighting for the best spot in front of it. That dry heat felt so good. We probably were fighting to get some UV rays. It used to be pass me the blunt now it's pass me the Voltaren.

I got it now Mike. Very doable. I might opt for extending the front deck back to the livewell. It will have both advantage and disadvantage. You will have enormous storage below and that is a big limitation in smallish boats. Will there be enough room for 2 to cast without getting in each others way? If you get in sync. with your partner no problem. You could mount 2 removable seats just behind the extended deck. If 2 go out leave 1 at the dock. You have the base for the casting seat up front. You can store the butt seat below when 2 guys are up front. With that set up you could build in floor storage boxes even a cooler too. The options are endless.

Like brickeygetter said that drive is about the same as going to Florida. 7 hours shorter is Myrtle Beach and its "all you can eat" Calabash for less than 15 $ CDN, kids eat for free usually. Unless the entire family hunts and fishes one is more likely to drive south where everyone can enjoy it.

How about we give this thread back to the poor guy that started it.

We can fillet our minnows here.

C'mon man! Our average Walleye is 34" and weigh no less than 10 kilos. You need a Salmon net to get the smallies in them. Stringers of perch have been known to sink a boat. I can wade in and pick up 25 pound Carp with my hands, that's actually not what POTUS's people call "alternate truth".

Ricardo, I misread the OP's question. When I saw NWO my dyslexic mind said to me North West Territories. So any of my other post can be disregarded like many of my other posts. Of course I would love to get to North West Ontario, as long as I don't have to drive with Wormdunker for 22 hours. He can pick me up at the airport and I'll flip him a few bucks for gas. Actually that isn't a bad plan. No you won't catch 150 Pics in a day. But 15 of ours will weight the same as 150 of yours, as Al Pacino said whoooorhaaa!!! Kenora sounds like what I saw in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina and Vancouver. I didn't stay long in Calgary but I'm sure it's there too. Very sad, most were 1st Nations folks. We have a huge problem here in Canada that most Canadians don't know about or care to know about. The first time I was made aware of it was in 81' in Long Lac. The local in and out store had an electronic gate with a barbed wire fence covering and surrounding it to keep those addicted from robbing them. The guy that ran the store told us that without the security he would be robbed all day and night long. I told him he should call it 24/7 instead of 7/11.

Rumour has it a few have been braving the wind and cold and launched their boats here on Erie and got into some nice Perch. I wouldn't think a fellow fisherman would lie. I'm not sure where they found emerald shiners, are they available? Maybe salties. It is tough getting Erie perch without either of them no matter what I see on TV Saturday mornings. It wouldn't happen to be you would it Fish Farmer? I said I knew a few nuts from OFC that it might be. I'll tell you what though once it gets up into the low teens I am willing to think about it. I don't know if my snow suit still fits around the middle though. I should have bought the one with the elastic waist band. I'll find out if it fits as we are heading to Calendar Bay Sunday for our reunion. Finalized with 10 of us going. 3 to a room and I'll take the physiatrists couch. No Busch Beans on the menu. Cousin Ralph and his Son-in-law are flying into Buffalo from Atlanta. His SIL has never seen a frozen anything let alone lake, a good ole southern boy. They wanted to know what are Long Johns and what in Heavens name is a Tuque? This should be fun.

"Back of the boat? How do you access the tiller if you have a rear casting deck. I'm missing something. If you put a platform in the centre how do you get to the front easily? Where will Fisherpete sit when you are running full out? We built a platform in a 14' tinny and mounted the pedestal on it, unsafe as it made the seats centre of gravity too high. After the maiden voyage I took a crowbar to it.

It simply isn't worth the expence. For far less money plus not wasting 2 days of my life on a plane I can get world class fishing right here in Ontario. I just can't justify the expense when I have world class fishing right here in my backyard. I mean right in my backyard, I'm watching the waves break on the beach right now. At my age I have to ask myself would I go if it was free and I have to say no. Ask me 20 years ago and you will get a different answer. Just the other day friends asked us to join them at their new place in Vegas, we only need to get there and back and we respectfully declined.

When was the last time you read of jail time for these goof poachers? Unless someone has loose lips or caught red handed it will be next to impossible to find the guilty parties. I don't think the MNR has the resources to investigate.

What type of grease would you guys recommend?

I saw a Tracker on the BPS lot in St. Catherines last year. If they were the best boats to display they are worse than I have heard. Welds worse then a kid in a grade 9 shop class. Just a mess, and they suck new boaters into buying them.

That is one beauty of a Nip Walleye. Came close to that size there a few times but many moons ago. It is good to see a lunker come out of that lake. For Nipissing that is big.

I really scored when I found my baby, my lady too. I going to hang on to them both for a while. If I ever do decide to sell her someone is getting a great boat. 20 year old boat and people still give me compliments at the dock, some think she is a newer boat. Enjoy that Superfisherman Bassasin. Bassasin is my email address. 2 Bassasins with Superfisherman 190's! Mine measures just under 19'. Best laid out boat on the market. When I move a few seats around there is more room than my buddies 25 footer.