Old Ironmaker

Sitting here reading the paper waiting for the games to begin and I have beads of sweat dripping off my nose. The sky is crystal clear and the rays of the Sun are reflecting off the water and the warmth coming through the lakeside windows is wonderful. I have all the windows and doors open for some much appreciated fresh air in here. If I could I'd be out there dropshoting for trophy smallies, perfect conditions. I hope some off you guys and gals are out there fishing today. It sure is rare this time of year for a day like today. For anyone looking for open water, come on down, Erie is open for business, be careful please. I read the jumbo perch are hot at Port Colbourne, Point Abino and Crystal Beach. If it's like today pick me up on the way!

That enough info for me thanks.

Unfortunately I come across some low life's, they love Kigigi, they probably have sold a few things like tires and chainsaws they stole from sellers. It is really sad I can remember the name of the guy that killed the innocent guy selling his truck on Kigigi, but I can't remember the victims name. If I have anything I don't need I donate it to a worthy cause or if it's a big ticket item sell it through my own network of friends and associates or donate it to someone that deserves it. Like the $500.00 inflatable I gave away on another forum, no way some stranger is coming to my property to scope out my stuff. No way I'm telling here what I've been told, I may fold under questioning.

Very interesting read, thanks. My limited 51% grade 13 biology leads me to the theory that larger Musky in a body of water that have Pike have DNA and the evolution to allow them to grow larger than the second fish on the food chain to maintain there top dog position in the pecking order. As well as the Musky in waters that do not have a large predator, Pike, to compete for food with do not need to grow larger. Lew I never knew there wasn't Pike in your waters before I read your post. I wonder why? Combined there is a great deal of real estate under water there. I looked at the Tiger Musky hanging on my wall and see it's tail is forked not rounded as the paper says they usually are. The markings are right but then again it's hand painted, I was told it was a Tiger but now I wonder. There is an old photo that will be like a needle in a haystack to find. I need to take a pic and send it to Mr. Columby and get his opinion. The pours below the jaw are covered with the filler Joe Martin used to do the mount. It was caught in 83 on Skugog, pre catch and release days. That mount looks like the day it was caught other than a small crack I see below the jaw line. Mr. Martin was the man to go to in Hamilton for a great mount. The 31 year old fish is proof.

I am trying to drag our baby boomer butts into the 20th century. Looks like a nice stocking stuffer, my wife loves music and we have a nice sound system on the TV. We have everything here that it requires so it should work including router compatibility. The question is if anyone has it does it work? It's only $39.00 and comes with 90 days of free Google Media. I have no idea what the price of streaming Google Media is, it might be a great way for Google to generate some income. I'm a skeptic and frugal, not cheap and untrustworthy. Thanks all, Johnny D

Thank you Dave, more great giants of the sea, imagine on a top water, wowza again!!!!! It's nice for me to live vicariously through other lucky buggers. How many feet of ice up there? Heck it's December you must have been drilling holes for a few months now. edit: I see the program here replaces s oh bee with buggers. To make a long story short, which is most difficult for me, the origin of that word is actually associated with the practice of sodomy dating back to the 13th century to disparage a group from Bulgaria that was in a war with the Pope and the Catholic church. That's funny, the word replacement not the 20,000 men women and children killed.

Better yet from 9 to 52. That's really only since 07 when I sold my share of the business then it far less than 9 but since I enjoyed it and the perks immensely it really didn't matter. Go for it Steve.

All I can say is wowza. I can see how you folks have that beast on the must catch list. When you say Giant it's a true giant. Almost like the travale I catch in Fla, about a 100 pounds difference is all. Need to know what WGSF stands for Ron, thanks.

And they wanted me to open the car door for them too!

Your best chance for that lunker would be here on Erie, but many hours burning fuel have to be put in. Second would be Quinte in winter. I have seen plenty of 12's there but not a 15. The only 15 I have seen was many years back out of Nanticoke.

44" Ski is a beauty, any Musky is Sir, congratulations. If you asked me a few years back the last thing I thought of when heading to bed was fishing! Now I don't even bother with trying to get some sleep. Why should I waste time tossing and turning and waking my wife that has to get up early to go to work so I sharpen lures and put a plan together for the Walleye assault on Erie or wherever we are heading? Plenty of time to sleep when your dead. My bucket list fish next has to be Tarpon. Got my Musky in Nippissing (my first non Tiger Musky) this past October with Dan Columby, thanks again Danny, no sleep that night either. So Tarpon is next. We go to Charlotte Harbor as often as we can and it is smack dab next to the best Tarpon waters in the world. Sportsmen come as far as Japan and Australia to fish them. I have tried but no luck yet. If it's in the budget and the season is open I want to split a charter soon. Anyone interested? I'll even take a small 50 pounder. For here I would like to get one of the many Gar Pike I see all spring and early summer spawning along the shore here.

I think I am freinds with your Mom and Dad. Sounds exactly like a few friends I have that are retired. Louis' high light is his afternoon nap and driving into town to do some shopping and standing in line at the bank. Your parents are my parents but the opposite. Dad is go,go, go, even though he slowed down a bit at 85, 87 now. Rode his 10speed to the Boce club everyday until his late 70's .Mom has been sedentary for years. Many back operations from the 60's to 90's have crippled her up and can hardly get into and out of the car, I timed it, a good 5 minutes of struggle and pain, sad to see and scary, that could be me someday, we share much DNA. Sad to see. Even when they lived in FLA in the winters for 20 years she never left the condo for one reason after another. She only went to the pool if someone was visiting from here. I started putting resumes out before I left the plant. Almost took a great job as a Ministry of Labour inspector, Gov car with a light on it! And a basic flex time schedule only having to into the London office a few times a week, basically working from home, that is until I realized it was a union position and I would be getting a few weeks vacation for the first few years. I couldn't go from 9 weeks to 3, no way. And I carefully looked at business opportunities before leaving. I put together a bucket list of things I always wanted to do that I never had time to do because I worked shifts for 25 years of 30. I's never too late to learn and took a business course at Mowhawk after I finished the reno's to the cottage, and I wasn't the oldest there. I always wanted to get involved in the theatre and acting as I mentioned earlier, fantastic experience but never made it to Hollywood. Dennis Farino, a very successful actor never acted a minute on stage until he retired from the Chicago PD, he was my inspiration to do it, Hollywood never called, yet. Another was to visit many relatives in the US that I was never able to. Drove Route 66 from Chicago to San Fran in a rag top and we took our time doing it. It was still tough, the guys and gals at work is what I still miss the most. A few still keep in touch but it's not the same as breaking their balls every day, I still dream about the action there 15 years latter. Another was getting something bigger than my 14 foot tinny and golfing more than a dozen times a season, the list is long and I'm not anywhere close to done, as long as the money holds out and more importantly my legs. The list is constantly growing. This winter will be helping a pal finish refurbishing his 35 footer and working on my 19 footer. More painting and drawing this winter. I can't go south much as health insurance for me is ridiculous now, a few weeks is about it as my lady works full time still. The adjustment was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I started working at that plant at 16 years old on weekends and summers. It doesn't take much effort to make a list of things you always wanted to do in your life, the tough part is doing it. As the Nike motto goes " JUST DO IT". Keeping busy is different than being productive. It doesn't take money to be productive, sometimes it can be lucrative as well.

We tried it 14 winters ago Steve. Kept the home in Hamilton, rented it out and moved to the cottage on Erie about an hour away. Probably the biggest reason to make the move to take my pension very early. I calculated if we would be able to survive on my pension alone and could if we downsized. No need for all those rooms we had for 2 people. Can only sleep in one room at a time. I can tell you though I was a few R values short last winter with that snow and wind blowing off the lake and it was tough for my wife to get to work, she missed 9 days due to white out conditions. So this year I did not rent a studio on the 3rd floor in the city and if need be she can go there. It actually has come in handy as we have stayed there a few times this fall rather than drive home after a night out in the city. It is killing me knowing I'm out the rental income but worth it when she can't see the road in front of her once she gets within a few K's from the lakeshore. It is great if you can swing keeping both properties until you put in at least one winter at the smaller home. It is a real change for sure. Storage was the biggest challenge as I tend to keep everything I ever had including my high school jackets. They will be back in style I tell her, as for fit, well.....

Do not sacrifice the valuable years skrimping and saving and not living things like for some future life 30 years from now be only find out your health won't allow you to enjoy things when we took good health for granted at 30 and doing simple things like walking down the beach. Yea now you own the beach and can't walk down it. What I'm saying is there has to be a balance, life is too short to live for latter but too long for some that haven't planned for it. Still only a few mentioning the mental preparation for retirement, it's not all about money, money, money, many millionaires are very depressed and unhappy, look at Robin Williams, sad.

Came close with a 20 pound Bat Ray on Charolotte Harbor FLA. 8 pound mono (pre super line) with shrimp and float fishing for Trout. The guys that had to pull their lines were not amused as it took a good 1/2 hour. I nearly handed off, begged my brother to take over, no way he'd piss on me if I was on fire. Cliff, OK I'm in suspence, what was the 19 plus fish? Great tip for turning a salmon in fast water. Sorry no quote feature working again.

I was told by the former owner of Bear Creek Cottages, I think it was Dick Donovan, years ago if you have ever ordered scallops in North Bay in winter there is a good chance you will get Ling Cod loin, that's pretty good. Yes they are good, caught a few through the ice and kept a few after he told us that. You take each side of the back, loin, and do them just like scallops. Ugly as sin but not as ugly as some things I've put in my lips on over the years. Like Monk fish, got ya.

Do we even have legislation in Canada that can go after these guys? The last I heard the " Do not call list" was run by a consumer watchdog group. Nothing else, now that's a joke. If there is legislation I can imagine the lack of enforcement if it's as effective as other laws they don't enforce here, like the piddly fines for poaching game.

I never knew the person that came up with the " I have ducks" line, now I have, funny anyway. My phone rang off the hook with the duck cleaning service. I finally made the appointment and made sure I was on the lake all day. Then rescheduled and went golfing. Never called again. And I really don't have forced air. Maybe next time I'll be here and when the guy that drove in from the city sees that I will tell him I just wanted to prove I don't have any ducts or ducks except the one on the lack to clean. Maybe I will but don't expect them to call back after 2 no homes.

This what I do when I am being playfull. "Johnny, hold on Ima getta him ride away, JOHNNY................JOHNNY, telefona for you. Put he phone next to the CD player and put on a Dean Martin CD. Listen for a few tunes then go back to the phone, if they are still there I am amazed and say, You there Mr? Yes sir, Johnny no home, click. Actally heavy metal might work well too. My luck shes a metal head! As I have said here many times my brother supervised a call center for a time. They have a system on their auto dial computer that has there own do not call list, F around with them enough and they will put you on their do not call list. The same companies sell these list as well as the list of numbers that people give them from filling out forms for that " New BBQ" at the mall, just give us all your info and could win this " Free all inlcusive trip" pictured here. I asked one young lady where is the trip to? She pointed to a picture of Diamond Head and said Jamaica. Someone once offered us some good money to sell them our data base of customers, just came into the showroom and pitched us. Offered us a huge list of leads in our line of business as incentive. Another scam in itself. This world of scammers and those legal pains in the ass is highly organized.

Thanks so much. I still have a 2" format Hasselblad from Sheridan College days believe it or not. $3500.00 in 72'. The new digitals for much less surpass it's quality and capabilities for sure, amazing. Great art Joey.

Bell can do anything they want but are limited by law. They can't give out person phone records until compelled to by court order for example. It is frustrating and I share your pain. Just when I was reading this I got a robo call. If I say hello and no one says hello back with a second or 2, bye, bye, click. It works. They will put you on their own " Do not call list " eventually.

Tiny Talent time is back on CHCH.

If's not too personal a question how old were you when you had saved enough to move out. Just talked to a pal about a fishing pal of his and it came to light both this guy and his brother still live at home, 57 and 55 years young. What!

We have come to expect nothing less than great art. Joey would you share with me what is your favorite camera, do you use more than one? Always digital, any film?

In the end what is left? Family that's what's left. But at 32 you get a pass because you don't get it yet.