Old Ironmaker

Overly cautious, cautious or reckless white outs are killers. This is our 17th year on the shore of Lake Erie. What transpired today along the 400, 401 and 402 London was a result of whiteouts. On a clear sunny day with no snow in the forecast you can be driving along and the wind blows off the lake or from the northwest or both at the same time faster than your' re driving. You can not see 15 feet in front of your vehicle as the wind is picking up the snow that fell last month and throws it across a flat field, usually from west to east. Should I stop and wait for someone to plow into me from behind because he's doing 90 before he hits what I call the twilight zone. I can't pull over anyway because I can't tell where the road ends and the 10 foot ditch is. If I know exactly where I am I might choose the ditch. You can't believe how fast it comes up and will last for hours sometimes, a few minutes others. Some of the 80KPH north south roads out here have snow piled so high you are down to one lane. We love it when it rains and then freezes, then whiteouts only when it snows. Seldom are the roads closed. I'm amazed there are not more fatalities here. I know many of you guys live in north country and are waterside. But I have to tell you not much compares to the Great Lakes.

Bill to get your gross weight tow the rig to a quarry or scrap yard and put it on the scale and disconnect the tow vehicle. If they aren't busy they usually don't charge. Then you will know exactly what you have without gear and passengers. Don't overthink this thing. A pal tows a 22 foot Starcraft with a 90 loaded with gear and groceries etc.on short and long hauls with a GMC Canyon 5 cylinder with no problem. 2 wheel drive. Caution when towing anything goes a long way. Apply brakes early and do the speed limit, especially on ramps. 4X4 comes in handy on iffy wet and muddy ramps. Otherwise with that rig front wheel drive isn't a problem. I know we are talking far different vehicles but before the 80's not many 4X4's around and towed very large boats and trailers with station wagons and family cars with rear wheel drive only, no ABS and only drum brakes.

Moosebunk, yes I see your point. I hope you don't think I was correcting you, I thought you missed it. As far as interpretation of the regs. Loopholes has already been mentioned here. That's why I always point out in our sparsely inhabited county there are no less than an entire page of available Lawyers.

As far as the pics, talk about artificial lures!!!! I'm a natural bait kinda guy myself. One year I asked the woman I was with what she wanted for Christmas, anything she wanted, anything. She said new breasts, I asked how much? 4 grand she said. I said no problem sweetheart, only one thing, I can only afford one this year and one next year. Honest to God swear on my parents lives true story.

I think it's going to be tough controlling depth on leadcore. Looked at the specs of lead core and the 5 feet per colour thing is greatly effected by current speed. Could be 7 feet or more or 5 feet or less. Not as big a deal fishing in 80 feet of water but I would expect unexpected hang ups in shallow water. I would have to go with a lower test straight leader so I could break off my lure heaven forbid. I would stay with the 3 way Wolf River rig versus a dipsy. Dipsy's and I tend to not get along. Like mentioned try a snap weight. Snap weights never release or want to stay set when I want to release it like my Dipsy's. Easy to change when experimenting with depth unlike a dipsy. Snap on, snap off. I have a box of Dipsy's with leaders all tangled together. Next year 3 for a dollar Tupperware for me. How about Jet Divers? Lightest of all terminal depth rigs.

Bring medium action freshwater set up, it is a blast not knowing what you will hook. Expect many bite offs, many toothy critters, including sea trout. Bring as heavy that you have as well. Local bait shops will point you in the right direction. For real Key fishing charter a boat. They will take a single to fill their boat. It like many things down in Islamorada and the Keys ain't cheap. Islamorada is a world class fishing destination. I've met people from Japan to South Africa there fishing. As far as restaurants you can't swing a cat without hitting a good one for seafood, continental I don't know because I only ate fresh seafood there last time 5 years ago. I don't enjoy the Keys the way they were meant to be enjoyed 25 years ago. Commercial free and pristine. Not anymore since corporate America invaded The Conch Republic.

Does it come with a side or a dozen statins?

Scott said he has a nonresident Ontario conservation fishing license. According to Ontario fishing regulations, that allows him to catch and possess one lake trout. He had caught a roughly 4-pound lake trout early in the morning on Feb. 8, he said. That fish was on the ice when two Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers came by to check him, Scott said. He said he has the license.

His admitted " mistake " will cost him world record status if it was a record catch, no question. One reason many don't post large catches or apply for record status. Passing the litmus tests are arduous. HTHM, did you sell the boat? From what I've read may have traded it for a car?

On most websites, posting pictures involves incantations and black magic that I have not yet mastered, only having attended my first three years at Hogwarts before they threw me out. But I will endeavour to figure out how to post pictures here, if only to prove that I have actually caught some actual, real fish, not just the Internet variety.............. Doug When you learn how to post a pic larger than a few kb's and quote a portion of a post please teach me. You have posted a few pics already you're far ahead of me. No one believes you any longer without documentation today.

As a junior member here I know you won't be disappointed with the tone and membership here. No trollers and people acting like babies. There are disagreements here like everywhere and usually never get silly. I would love to read and see more about the cross country trek, sounds fantastic. Is there a book and eventually a movie in the works?. Grissley Adams could play you but he's too old and may not even be alive today. I lost my cat a few years back, take a look in your beard and let me know if you find it. I don't use acronyms or smiley faces, if I say something stupid I may be trying to be funny or are saying something stupid. Welcome.

Doug, Don King was the famous boxing promoter that had the vertical hair factor of 10. He was know for his poetry like diatribes that was usually utter nonsense to promote his prize fights and most importantly himself. Hunted and fished across the country, that is interesting. That's a bundle in tags and fishing licenses.

Yes hookless yarn for Gar too. A really dumb fish would swallow something pointed and sharp made of metal.

I would recognize that beautiful Gyotaku anywhere madam. Great work. Thanks for adding the names, nice to put a face to the stage names. Doug if I remember correctly when I first joined certain features were disabled until I had a certain number of posts. Like PM'ing. It was only fall of 2013 but it seems like years ago sometimes. Surprised I can remember that far back. Love the avatar, Don King and Grisly Adams all in one.

So I'm not the only one trying to picture this. Once he gets the canoe in the water where does the bike go? In the canoe? How else is he going to pedal not paddle back? I don't picture carrying the canoe back to the bike. I guess a light bike would go on the canoe with no problem. Probably lighter than my fishing partner who pretended to paddle. When I would turn around and look he'd say "what"? Your paddle isn't wet that's what.

Fantastico, bravisimo, magnifico, encore, encore!!!!!!!!!!!

Martin looks so thrilled he can hardly contain himself. Congrats to you all for putting on and attending this event. Like Beans said these bones aren't taking the cold like they used to. Too bad some names aren't put with the faces. I recognize Joey and Chris from their avatars. Now I know what Misfish looks like. It's the layering of clothes that makes us look like Jenny Craig is needed, not the TimBits by the pail Misfish.

Steve, a little off topic. In 98' my crew and I went to Oulu Finland to visit Rautoruuki Steel in December. At 07:00 (at -30C) in the AM as we were traveling to the plant I asked one of the Fins what the great lights in the distance was. That's all the school kids skating. They all, every one of them from 1st grade to 12, skate from 06:30 until 08:00. School from 9 until 12, skate from 12:30 to 1:30. Back to school until 4PM. Then hockey practice starts. I turned to one of the guys that coaches AA here and said " Robbie we're in trouble ". It's all paying of for the Fins, and the Latvians and, and, and. It's funny how the harder you work the luckier you get.

Now that's an idea. Just pretend you flew to Sochi, get off the plane in time for the game. I like the way you roll Steve.

I mounted the same exact combo last summer on the boat. Do you have a GPS card. Mine came with a simple Navionics Gold I think for $600.00 taxes in. Only need it for Erie and it's just fine for my needs. Good clear color screen and plenty of coverage. Hook it up to a 12 volt and use the demo mode for practice. Follow the instructions for mounting it on the boat. It's was simple, even for me. I really like the bayonet mount. To learn all you will ever need to know about it go to YouTube and enter the model of your Hummingbird and play along with the You tube video. There is some fairly simple instructions on how to use it. It's all I need for Walleye and Rainbows out here. Then of course there are the thousands of other fish it will help me catch. The most important feature for me is it keeps us safe knowing where we are and where we are heading. If you didn't hit a rock on the way out follow your path back in and you shouldn't hit one on the way back.

We could always train all our guys and gals in Cold Lake Alberta for all future coalition actions or further north. Then we will be prepared when Finland gives NATO a problem, or Norway.

We are close to the lower Grand here in Haldimand. Labignon did a show a few years back getting many nice smallies from a Kayac right in your area. Can't help with access, looks to be plenty as I drive along 24 from Brantford north. Nice area, good luck.

Tanks of beer my Buckeye friend. Invade away and bring the Budweiser girls and Rolling Rock. As for the test site, it's the same not in my backyard, if not mine then who's. P.S. Youngstown State Penguin here.

Man I was laughing at myself. I refuse to put the LOL behind some things I write. I always tell people in my emails I don't use acronyms and smiley faces, when I say something stupid sometimes I'm making a joke or I'm saying something stupid. I'm not in a knot, not at all. And I try to understand humor, like when my wife says I'm a joke sometimes. Relax man, all is good. I took your post the wrong way and that's all, it's over, done, finito. Let's just go beat those Russians Sunday by at least 2 touchdowns.

The flooding here on the shore of Lake Erie in Haldimand county has made the news on Hamilton Channel 11, it's just the beginning. I nearly killed myself walking 40 feet to the truck today. Dug an old pair of K2 ski poles from the 70's out and they sure are handy to negotiate this ice under 6" or more of water. I told my wife I might need them even though I haven't skied in 35 years. We are getting gusts of 60K tonight off the lake, can't wait.