Old Ironmaker

Big Cliff Albert knows what he is talking about, I don't do it exactly as he does but there are always more than one way to skin a Catfish. With his family background from the Netherlands and landscaping and my Italian decent and brickwork we would make a great pair for this. Except for me being right. You know what they say about the Dutch, wooden shoes, wooden boat, wouldn't listen. Depending on the soil I might or might not use edging, aluminum is expensive, pressure treated 2X4's will do it again depending on what soil you have. Don't need it with the clay we have around here. I don't like to rush interlocking, it should take more than 1 day no matter how small. I water the packed screenings let it dry and screte a bit more, not dead level, flat yes but you need a slope to drain surface water, I like 1/8 inch per foot. I can get it like concrete before laying the brick. The laying of the interlock is the easy part. In the old days they insisted, whoever they were, to lay thick plastic over the substrate. All that does is to give a place for water to collect and freeze thus lifting the brick. The idea was weeds wouldn't grow in the joints. Weeds grow between the bricks on top of the joints, not from below. If I do help someone to do an interlocking anything and they insist they put down a membrane and I told them not to I ask why am I here then? To finish I would use a mixture of powder like limestone fines with a touch of cement fines mixed in. Do this over a few days at least. Sweep in, blow dust off, water, let dry over night, blow clean and repeat until the joints are full. Power tamping now help the fines work their way too the full thickness of the brick. Watering helps the fines work all the way down to the tamped substrate. If you just sweep them in and put the tools away the fines go down an inch maybe, probably less, over time this will work down and the space left fill with dirt, then you will get weeds growing on the soil between courses of brick. Big Cliff, please don't put down any plastic, they will lift and you will get more experience next year re laying them. If you don't prepare the substrate properly you will regret it. This isn't something you learn in a day Big Cliff. If you don't get the right depth of packed screenings over your packed 4" of crusher run limestone the area may be too high or too low once interlocking stones are laid. I think Albert should supervise this job. I'm only a phone call away. Insert smiley face and laugh out load here.

I'll check them out thanks guys. I bet I have driven up 41 to a cabin in Westmeath dozens of times. Always drove by Mazinaw but never stopped, a gorgeous place indeed.

I wouldn't put all of the kids in one basket. As an employer I found the young girls willing to do almost anything for minimum wage. Now why would a kid need to go to work when he can hang with his buds all night playing video games until dawn, hit the sack until 1 PM, get up and his single Mom working 2 jobs has a meal ready for him to put in the microwave and 30 bucks on the table for his beer and cigarettes and the other crap they smoke? I know a slew of these kids, they are my nephews and friends as well as some friends boys. One kid of a pal is 35, living in the basement and only comes upstairs to grab his food then slither back down to his nest. Makes me want to slap him and strangle his mother and father. So who is at fault, the lazy kid or the idiot parent(s)? Then I come to find out this year most are collecting a disability pension from you and I. They have issues you know and have to deal with things we didn't. Like what working for a living? A nuclear holocaust, maybe being sent to Vietnam, I was a kid in the states in the 60's, too young but. I need to go clean my car, truck and boat I earned. The home is another story, my wife owns it, what a freeloader I am.

Thanks Dave but the links won't open the pages. I'll Google them. Nope not working from the link directly to their address on Google. The lake is flat here this AM, if you hurry you might get a few passes in before the next hurricane.

I'm glad to hear you have it covered. When they are done there send them down here I have a few things I need done. I'm at that time in life where all my pals are the same age as me and just can't do the heavy lifting. Locally there are a few young bucks that we would pay $15.00/hr for general labour plus lunch and a pop after putting away the tools. Plus picking them up and driving them back home, kids without an education can forget about having a car today. Called one kid this spring and he informs me they want $25.00/hr. cash. "Good luck on your job hunting kid" I told him. The other kid called me and said 20 was fine, no way, now I'm a little put off. Like you said it's tough to get good help today.

I think I understand, unless we are fishing Ontario I wouldn't worry about a 30 pounder here. If I did get into a big King, my entry level reel with probably catch fire first. Thanks DaveyBouy. Go get em!!

I took a look Regan, very, very nice. And reasonable rates. I just looked at the area where we were near Callender, wow, I don't want to put a down payment on one just rent it for a few days. What sticker shock. I better shut up before you raise the rates. Looking at rentals most of the night Nip has to be one of the most expensive I see. I saw a 3 bedroom for 350 beans at a place we iced fished 15 years back so I know the place, nice but nothing special. I'll show my wife in the AM, she would love it, she likes hiking trails, perfect. I'll PM you if we decide to head that way rather then Kaladar area. A stupid question maybe but is there a Golf course within 45 minutes? Johnny D

Thanks Regan but as I said Kaladar area. You are 4 hours or so from there. Maybe another trip. I've been trying to get family from Western NY up to Nip for a few years now. Guess why they don't want to go? They are meat hunters. They once said a small lake we used to go to is all fished out, more like all eaten out. They would eat a gobie if they tasted like chicken wings. If I don't find anything at Kaladar I would love to go back to Nippissing. The in laws owned a place west of Callender Bay, Bear Creek, just off 651 o 654 if I remember right, over 30 years ago. I love the west arm. Maybe. Thanks I'll take a peek. edit, you might want to change the name to West Arm Resort or something, that is one tough handle to Google. Or just supply the web address.

Buying anything off season is a good point FranktheRabbit where warranty's apply. Buddy bought a new GPS combo because he saved a few bucks in October. By the time he got around to hooking it up it was July for Walleye here on Erie. So really he only has 6 weeks left on it. Something to think about.

While on the subject why are snubbers used? I've seen them but none of the guys that I longline with use them.

Where are you located Cliff, I'll see what I can do here.

See Big Cliffs thread " I hate to ask but." I'm sure there are 10 guys with good backs to help this man that has a heart of gold. You all know he would be there for us if asked in a minute. My body isn't up to laying interlock but I will be there to do what I can if we can get 10 or so more volunteers. Everyone loves Big Cliff here, he needs help, what do you say folks? I'm in, what about you guys? A great excuse to have a OFC get together too! Johnny D

I would gladly just come and help you but my brain says "yes" and the body says "no way stupid". Is there not a labour agency somewhere nearby? I have used them for 1 or 2 day jobs before but I'm guessing there is nothing nearby. This is really short notice Big guy. If next week I'd come and do what I can. I know you don't need another Foreman, machinery I can handle, maybe a power tamper for a short time. I've laid many 1000's of square feet of the stuff. Can't we not find 10 willing OFC members for Cliff to volunteer for a day? This is a guy that will give you the shirt off his back. I'm in if 9 others are in this Saturday. The challenge has been made.

That over an hour from Kaladar, a bit too far. The Sister in Law has a place off of 41 near Kaladar and we want to be close by but thank you for your consideration regardless.

That's a good fish here on big Erie, heck a 30" plus Walleye is a world class fish anywhere. Kawartha's, never heard of a Pic that size. 10 lbs easy if her girth was filled out. My personal best in the area is 4 pounds at Burley Falls many, many Octobers ago. Even for a guide you must have been very exited. Way to go Sir, well done.

Looking to rent for a few days on a lake, not necessarily on a weekend, for this fall in the Kaladar area. Highway 7 and 41. A good dock for my 19 foot StarCraft and somewhere I can launch from. We will need 2 bedrooms, nothing fancy, but not a dump either. I would say the budget would be around $100.00 a night. It's been years since renting a cottage in Ontario, maybe $100.00 is ridiculous, I don't know the price of potato's these days for a cabin. Some fish in the lake would be a bonus. My wife would be happy just going for a boat ride without loading up on Gravol, we live on Erie and it's wind. She asked what I wanted for my 60th birthday, I said rent a cottage on a small lake. She thinks I'm nuts, we live in a cottage on a lake and I can fish everyday if I want. I know I don't have to cut the grass or, or, or at a rental. Plus there is good chance there isn't a Waterspout warning up there. A good launch is important nearby. Drove 5 hours plus to Upper NY State a few years ago to find the launch was where the lawn stopped and the lake started. The owner said they had a great launch, yea right. Staring at my fishing boat for a week and having to rent a flat bottom tinny that killed my back drove me bonkers. Thanks all. JD

If there is reincarnation I want to return to this Earth as Shirley Shirley. I will have a chance of travelling to the most beautiful places on this planet and fish. And I can hit from the ladies "T's"......... Truly a cornucopia of some strange looking critters. When will it air, next year most likely?

Time to reconsider when shopping, that warranty was big for me. I have 2 with the tips gone, never took them back. If I close a trunk on it I'm not asking for another. Too late now regardless.

Beauty Bronzie my man. I find all the big mamas are dark. I can tell if it's going to be 20" on her first jump by the colour alone. I have been on Erie going on 20 years. l exclusively fished smallmouth and perch up to last year, now I'm spending money and get frustrated chasing big Walleye 10 miles out, if the wind will let us. Perch are who knows where this summer. If you guys are serious about getting your lifetime best Smallmouth you need to get out here. If you want to PM me for some great go to action spots and techniques that if you work at it with get you a personal best PM me. Lots of fish out here for everyone. I can tell you here that we find the depth around 20 to 25 feet with this water temp of 71 F, and use crank baits to cover water, even troll a minnow bait or spoon or use a slashbait/jerkbait or the always dependable tubes marinated in rock salt and find a school. Then once they are located the best thing I find is to drift over the area or work the electric and hammer them with a dropshop rig with livebait, big shinners or leaches. If it's all hardware you use then go to scented imitators. Leeches have worked for me, big, go big. I would also try a Senko, always wanted to, never have, I bet that would be a "fish in the pan" bait. It's no big secret so a PM isn't nessesary really. Launch from Mohawk east of Lowbanks go to the lighthouse and shoals in the area, or Pt. Maitalnds free launch and head west to the same area. Further west there aren't many launches at all. One is at Austins trailer park, head straight out, east or west to 25 feet and find structure and work it. Not many reports coming out of Nanticoke for Bass, I haven't been asking either. I will start Bass fishing after labour day if and when the Walleye shut down. It has been one of the hottest years for Walleye in over 20 years. The only problem is getting out due to high winds. We have had more severe wind and waterspout warnings this summer than the last 10 combined. Want a trophy smallie, get your butts down here to big Neighbour landed a true 7 pounder a few weeks ago just out drifting for anything in a tinny not 300 yards from shore. There is a reef 5 miles from shore here that holds fish but no launch to get to them in anything bigger than a 15 or 16 footer. Launch from the south end of Kohler Rd, really not a ramp, where the road ends and the lake starts. I can't launch my 19'er there, have seen many stuck up past the exhaust pipe, not good. Also make sure you get all the weather reports for Erie you can before coming down. I find Windfinder.com very accurate. If you do decide to head down here feel free to PM me the night before or morning of and I will tell you what I see looking out the window. Those wind turbines are at least good to have if only to tell the actual wind direction.

And I keep 2 cigarettes beside the bed. Seriously though when I tell someone we went out all day fishing. They think it's a relaxing day in a boat. Yea right, fish for 6 hours in 3 foot chop fight the wind, waves and a few 10 pound walleye on Erie, load the boat back onto the trailer, clean it out of fresh fish guts, clean a few and cook them and tell me that's not a real workout. Relaxing in a different way. I can't do it 2 days in a row anymore, no way.

And here I always thought it meant " too much sex" or something like that in Latin. Off topic but a few of those 2011 threads show the OFC tourney banners for 2014 ?????? Keep them coming, very interesting stuff, and funny. twocoda was asked if he was musically talented and the reply was " Can't even play a radio" now that's a keeper. Going to steal it for sure. Royal Air Force, someone buzzed the cottage Sunday, I thought that was you.

I love some of the names folks come up with, some don't make a lick of sense to me but must mean something to the person that made it up. Mine is Old Ironmaker here simply because that's what I did for most of my life and I'm close to 60. I have other handles on other forums, like Southern Canuck. It's a US site and tells who I am and from where sort of. How did you come up with yours? I think I know how Joey came up with hers. Right Joanne, maybe.

Gotcha. I wouldn't hesitate to go out on a charter, compared to prices here they are free. If you are in the Halifax area and you want the name of a few good restaurants PM me. Have a good time and go slam dem dere Cod buy.

ÉÉÉÉééééééééééÉÉÉéé////////?????????""""'''''':::::????"' '''', whoor raaah!! All fixed, you guys are the best. It was the shift control key that fixed it. and you were right Walleye72, it took a few tries. Thank you to the folks that PM'd me and Roy as well for helping. Again, you are the best. Johnny D As far as the Dipsy's go there is also a screw on the underside that puts tension on the setting wheel. One was too loose and it wouldn't hold the setting where I wanted it. Time for me to try those mini planner boards maybe, I haven't had the best of luck with Dipsy Divers but they do work for a few bucks as long as a Bass doesn't make a mess of things. Should be fine for Lakers where you are heading.

Personally Dipsys have been more trouble than I want here on Erie. Takes 1 silver Bass to take an outside Dipsy and run straight across into the other lines. I lost an entire spool of leadcore and 3 colours on another. And had to cut a trip short and the Pics were on fire that day. We only had one rod left of 4 we could fish with. Peed me off. For line types and depth go to the Luhr Jenson website, it has all the depths with different line. Bring a screwdriver and a piece of sandpaper to tune the Dipsy for releasing it when you want. They are not set up out of the package. This should be done in the swimming pool, a waste of good fishing time on the water. Donèt even bother to bring a #1 out on the water. Try reeling in that baby that is out 200 feet. A workout. I have 2 you can have. There is a difference ring on or off. I super glue the rings on, they have a tendency to come off that will screw the lure action up. I donèt know how many times I reeled in a line to find the ring spinning around. Glue them on. Make a copy of the chart and enlarge it. I tape mine on the inside of my clear box of plugs so I can read it easily. No way you can remember all the depths and settings. Why is it every time I use the shift key I get an e with the French highlight show up like this one ÉÉÉ. Itès something to do with the blue items on the keysÉÉÉ. Oh man.