Old Ironmaker

You down there too Pics? I've been out close to 15 years, gotta love Ironmaking's 25 and see ya. That 25 wasn't much of a cake walk though.

I thought there were recent changes in legislation making texting much heavier a fine, careless and points?

Install side bunks on each side or verticle alignment posts. Can't remember the proper name. Can get them as an after market add on. I have side bumpers at the back of my trailer easy peesy for 1 person to get the boat on. I make sure I can see the center roller and line up the keel on it. Once centered the side bunks get the boat lined up perfectly. Once hooked on, depending how the angle of the ramp is, I might back up a foot and let the water below the boat take the weight then crank the winch with 1 hand.

Has to be Maverick. I was a kid running around in all black playing Cowboys and Indians when Maverick was on. He was a great actor and his comedic timing was bang on. As the article said he was one of the first, maybe the first " movie star " to cross over to TV. Something frowned upon then and sometimes even today for a "film star". One cool guy. Punched out his step mother because she had it coming, try that today. RIP James Garner.

Happy B Day Roy, my wife and you share a birthday hers today as well. Moon landing day, July 20th 1969. I think 69'.

I self imposed no devices while driving for myself long before it became law, drove my office nuts. The only time I would have a close call driving was while I was talking or finding a number on the cell phone. I see it all the time in the city, mostly by young females. If I remind them about texting etc. when stopped at the light, man some of the language. One didn't recognize me until I pulled up behind her at her house. The daughter of an old pal of mine. Had her in tears and made ME feel bad. Tears seem to work well. Cliff 2 wrongs don't make a right, you could have hurt someone else pulling around her. Ketchinany I don't think you are an idiot just not the thing to do at the time.

Caught a slab smallie this week trolling Erie on 5 colours in 85' of water looking for Walleye on a harness. They will chase the same baitballs. Nice catch and surprise fishboy from Hamilton.

Don't see any out here but they sure look like fun. I probably waste 1 to 1.5 hours just hooking up my trailer, prepping the boat, electronics, fenders, taking of the mooring cover etc. Then putting her in and talking her out and parking it, cover back on etc. Big boats have there advantages and vise versa. Never have to wax an inflatable anything.

I know why you are called fish farmer, just herd em in like cattle. That King looks like a big cow. We are hitting Nanticoke Monday Dave, looks good for wind so far. Come along we'll team fish. Richards at 07:00. If I miss you call me on 6-8. Might have an MT seat, I'll PM you Sunday if that happens if you wish.

If the guy doesn't fish he wouldn't know the difference between a $500.00 saltwater Penn and a 20 buck Zebco. If he does and he stole it he has to be the worst thief around. They steal stuff to sell not to take back and show the guy who he stole it from, think about it. I don't get the my daughter bought it part. He may be stupid too and forgot he stole it from you. I personally would tell him it looks just like the one you misplaced, not was stolen, years ago. Take it, turn the reel over look at it like you are looking for something and say "yep just like mine, you wouldn't have mixed this up the last time I was with you or one of the kids maybe". Watch carefully at his reaction. I was golfing with a lifelong old friend for the first time in years, I saw in his son's bag an old Taylor Made Burner Bubble I paid big for identical to the one I lost. I said where did you get that club Mark? Dad bought it for me Johnny. I was ready to kill someone. For the next 18 holes that's all I did was think of how I was going to beat this guy senseless but not in front of his 14 year old. After golf he said "I know why your pissed. I told the kid I bought it for him and you know I didn't. Yea because you put the gleep on it. He replied are you smoking stupid stick? You gave it too me the last time I was at your cottage". Then I remembered I did just that. What if I accused him of stealing it in front of the kid and made a scene. It was bad enough accusing him of stealing my club. a 50 year friendship was never the same afterwards. I'm a jackass. Could it be something similar, tread lightly or just let it go.

That's the way it's done. It is getting hot out here. It has been feast or famine. # man limits being reported and then a heavy rain and wind and it seems to take a few days to settle back down. Good on you, we are happy to share them, plenty here for everyone. Tackle is no big secret nor is location here on Erie so I ask. What did you get them on and how deep. My go to this year are reef runners and Ripplin Redfins on leadcore down 25 to 30 feet anywhere from 55 to 85 feet of water. As the water warms they are going out farther in the lake.

As my cousin in Brooklyn says " Ferged aboud it". Can't beat times like that, to be cherished for life. All I ever wished for in my life was a little cottage on a lake, a few wives and a few McMansions latter I finally did it. The smartest thing I ever did. We loved coming here so much we moved in full time. It's cold in the winter, hot and muggy sometimes in the summer, clothes get damp and musty, it's crazy windy, 20 foot drifts last winter, it takes 25 minutes to get groceries. But,,,,,,,, I've quadrupled my investment over 15 years. No way I could afford it then, 2 mortages???? said I shouldn't and couldn't do it. My record for smallmouth out front is 30 casts and 24 fish landed. How much is that worth? As the Nike commercial says,"Just do it".

I think what everyone is saying and I concur, that river is not the place for anything like you have. I was out there when I was a kid out of North Tonawanda with my cousin in a 14 footer and a 9.9. When it stalled and wouldn't start we both freaked. Someone saw us and towed us in, and he gave us sh#t. There are heavy fines for fishing on the US side without all the required licences for a Canadian vessel, and they don't care how small it is. They patrol that river everyday waiting for you to cross the unmarked line. I know you can't wait to use that beauty outfit you have, why not take the ride to Scugog, your rig would be nice there. Be smart. I don't think you will ever have the same luck fishing from shore for Musky as in a boat. We used to fish the shoreline of Strawberry Island for musky or Beaver Island from shore though, but never saw one. Both are in US water.

The only place to get a room is at the OPP station. Kidding, there are a few Mom and Pop motels but don't expect 5 stars, actually 3 stars maybe. It's only 40 minutes to Hamilton.

Cougar jokes, love it. We did see one about 15 years ago here at the cottage on Erie. Early morning my wife yelled that there was a dog behind the cottage. Her cat hightailed it under the deck. I came outside to see a very large and very beautiful Cougar saunter down the rocks to the beach as calmly as it could be. Walked calmly along the beach and stopped to paw a dead Sheepshead. As cool and calm as it came it walked back up the hill and back into the woods. I wasn't so cool. A call to the ministry did bring someone out latter in the day. They didn't seem to be too amazed that a Cougar was here. Not common but not unheard of. No sleeping on the deck that summer or walks in the woods behind us. Very isolated area, woods and farms and a few cottages then. Not much more now except wind turbines. We are blessed to have seen one here.

The lower Grand River below the Dunnville dam is the BIG Cat capital of Ontario if you ask me. Still getting some big girls there, not like early spring. Park your butt on any bank and drop a circle hook with an uncooked shrimp on it. Hold on. Medium tackle is fun but I've seen nice 6 foot spinning rods snap like raw spaghetti. PM me if you wish for a few go to spots. Actually can call Steve Hardcastle and he will set you up If you buy his bait and launch there, both are good as well. Google Charlie Wrays Fishful Thinking, with Fishmasters Steve Hardcastle. Or go to Fishmasters Charters website.

It should be Mesi 2 Germany 1, but it's 0-0, that's football.

Very well done, including the skin on Bro's face. I miss Nippissing, it's been 20 years now. Need to fight that traffic and get up there. Great trip, great report. You 2 guys look like a before and after makeover on Steven and Chris. Cool how 2 guys can be so different and be so much alike at the same time.

Sorry Shad from Hamilton no pics. Sounds like a good time fishing was had. I grew up, lived and worked in the Hammer until my first retirement, what area are you?

That sir is one big sow. Being on Lake Erie and being spoiled with some of the craziest big smallies anywhere and I have seen some, actually many 6 pound fish, that is nowhere close to 6 sorry to say and I hate to break your bubble. That fish is closer to 7 plus a few ounces. 7 minimum. She's a trophy fish in any lake, including Erie, in Ontario. You were the Bassassin that day. I bow to you mi Lord.

If you can get anything over a grand take it. A buddy who is a car dealer once showed me the formula for used cars and heck if I can remember it. Something like the vehicle new then X dollars reduced for every 10K up to 200K, then it drops like mad. Anything over 300K and it's scrap price. Any vehicle/ As fo Haldimand motors which is in Cayuga our closest town with more than 1 stoplight we have bought 6 vehicles there including family members. Yes they have ex rentals as well as fleet cars from a lease. Nary a problem. Wife bought a 2007 Altima there that was a one person owner, 35K on it. They went through that car like a fine tooth comb. New brakes, tires, battery. It had some highway paint chips on the hood and a few door dings from shopping mall idiots. They called the day before the car was to be ready and asked for a few days more because they decided to paint and clear coat the entire car. Make your own judgement. I bought a brand spanking new Silverado from John Bear and they basically wouldn't give me the time of day after they cashed the cheque, never again. Kick myself for not buying used from Haldimand. They offered me 5K less than what I paid before goof taxes as a trade (got a great deal then) a few weeks back as it only has 40K on it and smells new. I might take them up on it.

We used to get all of our topographical maps for Nippissing when we had the cottage at Bear Creek. We bought them at The Canada Center for Inland Waters. They are right below the James Allen Skyway Bridge in Hamilton. I need to find out because apparently every time I leave the dock here I'm in violation of Marine law not having a hard copy of the east end of Erie. I can I.D. landmarks like the hydro stacks and US Steel here but now with all the wind turbines everywhere else looks the same. The online maps I've seen aren't very good. Anyone have a site for good maps of Ontario and Erie? Sorry for the thread hi-jack. Thanks for the reminder.

You are right Bill. I might not be able to bite through braid but the rocks out here fray the good braid and don't really effect the fluorocarbon much. I wasn't into the super lines until well after they came out but am sure glad I did. It wasn't unusual to go through 3 or more spools of Trilene and Zero (still my favorite mono) a season on each spool. I've yet to have a fish bite off leadcore.

All good suggestions. I looked at what the same rig was new, what the same model was going for. I wouldn't compare a Lund to the brand they sell out of Bass Pro shop. No comparison. Yes I know there is someone here that's going to argue with me that has one and paid 30K less than the Lund brand new, please I'm too tired Aftermarket products such as electronics add value but estimate 30% of that unit when new, no more. How much would you pay for a used battery without a warranty? Some guys want to get back what they put into a boat, not happening. If used get her on the water and check everything, pull the plug while on an angle on the ramp, best thing I did when shopping. A great looking Lund from a dealer was cracked stem to stern. If a dealer is offering a warranty on the engine insist on a warranty for leakage. My dealer said "why do you think it will leak?" well if you are sure it doesn't prove it and give me a 1 month leak warranty, I'll know by then for sure, he did, the boat had a crack stem to stern. He wasn't trying to burn me, he didn't know. I believe him and still deal with them, Proctors in Simcoe, check them out as well. If the person was serious about maintenance they kept every bill for everything. I keep the receipts for fogging spray and gear oil to prove I winterized it properly. I've seen cottage boats that look used run like a clock, and a 2 year old 4 use a year boat that was never properly maintained. The guy didn't know what a fuel stabilizer was, never knew to add it, first time boat owner. Something to beware of also, a first time boat owner selling unless it has been dealer maintained with proof. It's easy to say well maintained, show me. Shop till you drop. Good luck.

My 2 cents is that if someone is doing a fly-in it's usually an opportunity for a personal best or a trophy fish, something us mere mortals don't do regularly (insert M. Borger here). That's not the time for me to start experimenting with something I'm not accustomed to. Wire leaders sure did the job when we ventured 17 hours north of Hamilton years ago before colour TV's were on the market, OK PC's. One personal best Pike after the last when they are on the bite. Talk about lure action we used whole frozen smelts and Herring. Being exclusively on crystal clear Erie now nothing while longlining is used without a invisible length of flouro on it, at least 25 feet. A 10 pound Walleye has long sharp pearlies that will rival any Northern. Also flouro on any other type of line for Smallies. I don't usually use any leader specific fluorocarbon like Seagar, but have if available from someone else's bag. I just tie on about 18" of flouro and cut it back if niks or kinks develop. The first time bit off was only a few weeks back while tossing a topwater for smallies when a very large Gar took it. I want as little terminal tackle on anything. Even downrigging etc. I want to take the time to tie directly to a plug. Spoons to a barrel swivel, no snaps. I don't want to pull a bait up and find I've been pulling the thing hooked onto the gap in the snap for 20 minutes. I guess that 3 cents not 2. I must add the flourocarbon of choice is the one on sale. 25 pound for trolling 10 pound for smallies.