Old Ironmaker

We just buy cheap Pickerel rigs from CTC or the local Variety Stores. Throw away the 2 cheap hooks and the stiff mono they supply. Tie a good sharp Mizuno or similar #6 to # 10, #6 if the big girls are in on 10 pound limp fluorocarbon line about 6" long. That's it, done. I have spent a few bucks and time on drop shot set ups and a cheap Pic rig out fishes them all. Hook both minnows different, one by the dorsal fin, the head or tail. The one they hit hook the others the same. It differs day to day. Sometimes they want 1/2 a minnow, some days the whole thing. We use Emerald Shiner's here for Jumbo's on Erie. Nothing else works and I mean nothing else. I have yet to nab one on fake minnows like Berkley's Live Bait. Not a one, ever. Ice fishing yes but not on open water. I have no idea why. The best way I have found to store them without making a carbuncklement is wrapping them around a Pool Noodle. The same storage as Worm Harnesses.

There are fish sanctuaries out here on Erie at the east end of the lake and in Long Point I am familiar with. If you go by the regs. you had better know each and every county road, residential road and landmark and have a very good GPS to know when you are in them. Ridiculous if you ask me. Example, 200 meters SW from the old Marina at Butter Rd. to 400 meters due south from the Old Billingsly Farm which has the Red Barn with the green Cockatoo wind vane on it, in a direct line NE of the Conservation Area next to the Golf Course. OK I'm making it up but it doesn't sound that far fetched. Forgot to report a fishing morning on The Grand south of the Dunnville Dam. Nothing to report, got skunked, plenty of pictures of no fish, see below.

I called the MNR satellite office in Long Point and left a message. The reason I asked opinions here is to get feedback from others if they have had the same experience and what the results were. Cops have enough on their plates trying to get their heads around the Highway Traffic Act let alone Fishing and Hunting regs. Maybe a good task for By-Law enforcement.

Hay Bay is open already for Pics? It wasn't until the 2rd Saturday of May when we used to fish there in the 80's. It was the 1st place for Walleye opening in Ont. then and the first region to have a 4 fish limit if I'm right. I'll have to take a look.

I am struggling whether I should call to put a complaint concerning her stellar Police work. We have about 40 or so OPP here in Haldimand, not positive with that number, probably too high. Everyone knows everyone pretty well. I guarantee if I Rat on one I am getting pulled over for doing 84 in an 80 every day. Is the hassle to me worth it? I say no way no how. It's not like they are ever going to investigate the poaching anyway. If any of them wanted to do the task of a C.O. all they have to do is go down to the river or ramp at Pt. Maitland and look in some buckets. It makes me angry, very very angry.Even a call to the MNR is a waste of time but I am going to call them regardless tomorrow and report it. I can't complain unless I do my part. Off topic of course. We have been pricing new flooring for here for a few months. From Burlington to St. Catherines. I bet I have wasted 2 tanks of gas at least at $125.00 per with my dear Lady pricing stuff, need a good deal right? The best price I got is in Dunnville today, Coopers flooring about 25 minutes from our shack. And I used to bug my Dad for driving from store to store all day for the best price on toilet paper. Am I becoming my Father? I hope not but I think it is evident I surely am. Maybe not a bad thing as he just turned 91after laying brick for 38 years in a Steel Plant.

I make a mug of "Cappuccino latte con Caroline's Irish Cream" for about 5 cents a cup. Maybe. Espresso, then I warn milk in a small pot and hit it with an immersion blender until frothy. Scoop the magnificent froth into a large mug, add coffee and a drizzle of Caroline's. I could charge 12 bucks but my overhead isn't much.

My secret spot Brian may be a few hundred yards off. Not so secret what Charlie Wray films his annual Cat fishing show with Fishmaster, a member here on OFC. A few years ago Izumi filmed a Cat trip on a channel with in a small Lake Erie town that has a Friday the 13th Bike Rally every year as he explained. Complete with the background of the towns name if one looks close enough. You would have to be an idiot if you didn't figure out where his "Secret spot" was. I love the 25 minute Cooper Tire, Dodge Ram commercial called Fishin' Canada where Mr. Angelo Viola (Mom says he's a cousin) and his sidekick Pete Bowman gives exact GPS co ordinates and directions to the "Secret Spot" where they hammer them fish every Saturday morning. They only broadcast World wide. What da,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,? As far as the cousin thing, more than 1 person has asked me for tips and free tackle at the ramps when I have my sunglasses and hat on. I say Angelo who? I should say "Go away son your bothering me."

What a beauty of a day. I was in Dunnville doing some business. I went down to the Grand River to have a Tim's. There were a few folks fishing. I talked to a gent all hooked up Carp fishing. Next to them were a couple fishing. The gent gets a fish on, it's a small Smallmouth Bass. I watch him put it on a stringer and hang it over the dock wall, His wife gets one, repeat. Now I'm interested, they have 2 stringers full of small Smalies. What do I do? Start the conversation and get the "Me no speak English." Or let it go. Just about as I was about to leave an OPP cruiser pulls up so she can have her Timmy's. I walk over to her car and mention these folks are poaching. Her reply in a very sarcastic tone. "Do I look like an MNR employee.? " Conversation over, I walked away. I left pissed off, still am. I have her badge number. What would you do after that? Report her and look over my shoulder everyday? I dunno.

No our Silvers aren't Farm Animals. They are very nice mild flakey fish, day 1 and 2 they were great, if you waited to day 3 or froze then you wouldn't recognize the taste, they would go off. There were days we cleaned hundreds before we realized they were only good fresh. What we cal White Perch here are not the same fish. Very subtle difference.

I would walk that road just to see what happens, but prepared for it. Even if it is a private laneway that doesn't give them the right to sick dogs on you. If you were injured I would say they are liable unless, the road is clearly posted as No Trespassing, even then they can ask you to leave, not assault you. I'm not talking about an old dingy wooden sign it has to be clearly posted. We live on a private laneway, that doesn't mean we can run dogs off leash or drive 100KM/HR. We have talked about posting it for years as No Trespassing. A big issue is who will force it and who does it include? The OPP won't come out to enforce it anyway, they say they have better things to do, I get that. There are dozens of local private laneways here and they will only come out if a crime has been committed, a fire or a person requires assistance.

Interesting read. Ohio has a 4 fish Pic limit at certain times and only 30 Perch. And that conservation is without a commercial fishery. Or is there still commercial fishing in Ohio? What do you consider White Bass? I have been told they are Silver Bass and also told they are White Perch, not the same 2 fish. Black Bass up north and around here are Largemouth not Small mouth. 2 countries separated by a common language.

Thanks for the info G. Mech. We actually towed the boats to Burwell to get any fish last year, really not that far from Nanticoke. They were on fire every time we went out except 1 morning. For a joke I said to buddy reach into the bottom of your box and tie on the most ridiculous lure you would ever use for Walleye long lining. He tied on a little Fat Shad used for Largemouth and I tied a jig and a 6" rubber worm. We both got fish, left them on and got more fish. I tied on a tube and didn't get a one, no big surprise. What a summer here. I never thought I would ever say I was sick of eating Pics, I got close.

I'm no expert on Salmonids. I was told if it's lips aren't black it is a Trout. 2 guys in a speedboat trolling for fish on Lake Ontario. You don't see that everyday. But there was a time we fished out of a Speedboat with 300 horse strapped on the back on Erie for Smallmouth. We turned plenty of heads at the ramp for sure. One of those Bass Boats are nothing more than Speedboats with fisherman in them. I look at Sonar and GPS as a safety tool as much as I do a fish finder. Been caught more than once in pea soup without a compass heading. I don't even want to think what we would do if we didn't have GPS. Tell your buddy he has to invest 500 bucks in a combo Huzz. It's in your best interest to chip in towards it especially if you are going to go out on big water with him regularly. You guys are fishing blind. I don't know anyone with a boat that fishes that doesn't have at least Sonar today they are so inexpensive now. A buddy picked up a nice Humminbird colour combo at the Hamilton Swap meet for 200 bucks including an ice fishing set up.

For hanging and taping not a bad price. It was around a buck a board foot I paid guys 10 years ago, during the recession. The closer one gets to T.O. the higher the prices, for anything. It also depends how much drywall you want done, a few walls or an entire house. The charge for anything above 8' the price will be higher. Additional charges for ceilings and another price for vaulted ceilings.

Don't sell a good handyman short Huzz. Many are semi-retired builders or tradesmen that have forgotten more than some tradesman have learned. There is nothing more dangerous than someone with a little bit of knowledge. No I wouldn't want a family MD to do heart surgery on me but I don't need to pay a Mennonite custom cabinet craftsman to hang and tape a sheet of drywall either. I would never wire a home, but I can wire a outlet and be confident that a fire won't result. It ain't rocket science. As for plumbing water runs downhill at 1/4" drop per foot if vented by code. Like I said it ain't rocket science but building is a science. The very first nail I drove on my very first home on my very first project I drove than nail right into a water line. I never lived in a place that I didn't know exactly where the shut off valves were after that fiasco. If they weren't there the first thing I did was to install them. Experience is a lifetime of mistakes, wisdom is knowing not repeat them.

Water temps here have behind even after to mild winters, 2016 and 2017. The 2 previous terrible winters Erie didn't hit 70F until July if I can remember that long ago. Last year was the best Walleye fishing for a very long time. They were all small compared to the average Pic. 2.5 to 4 pounds. I don't know what that means, missed a few Marine Biology classes, actually missed them all. G. Mech maybe you can ask your in house expert about the abundant but smaller fish last year. We could limit out in a few hours if we wanted almost every time we went out. There were days we didn't go out because we had limits in the fridge. I have never eaten so much Walleye. We didn't catch a single Perch here all year, had to go to Simcoe for Perch.

Water levels are a factor greater than a single weather incident. Low levels are spawn killers for some fish but, water was so high last spring I didn't see a single SM bed out back here.

Yep, rural homeowners. You would think they were the ones that fought their way North to the safety of Upper Canada in 1776 and in 1812. The lady could have been charged because her dogs were not under her control. Actually come to think of it the dogs were in her total control by running them on you. We have many neighbours out here with dogs. There is a lovely couple, but a stupid lovely couple, that walks the laneway a few times a day with their big suck of a dog. The problem is the 80 pound dog is as stealth as a Ninga. He is constantly sneaking up on me then jumping me from behind to "play". They think it's cute. I asked them a few times after this happed to please leash the dog when they walk past our shack. Sounds crazy with all this land out here I know. Well the last time the dog got me on the outside of my left knee while I was standing on some ice in the driveway, blew out my Medial Collateral knee ligament and I had to have surgery. It still hurts and will for life. After I'm up and about who do I see walking down the lane with his dog off leash? Yep. If we were in the litigious US I would be up by 100K or 20 yrs younger I would be Judge and Jury. I should have sued his arse but that's not me. It would kill me to see the dog put down, I can't be the only one the dog plays with. The dog should train them better.

In my experience here in a rural area the cost would be reflective of the competition , if there is anyone that does it in the area. I am absolutely frustrated trying to get anyone qualified from basic framing, hanging gypboard, taping, and minor electrical, plumbing etc where we are, a basic handyman. We are doing a reno. I can't ask my friends as we are all in the same boat, or should I say physical therapist tables. The good ones are booked solid, the jobs are too big or too small or the guy's fully retired and the ones available can't read a tape measure and or don't have a body of work to get references from. The good guys that are semi-retired or even full time can drive to Hamilton/Niagara and write there own ticket as there is so much work today. I never begrudge a person demanding fair wages, people always want what they are worth but when it comes to homeowners some feel they can get someone good for 1/2 or 1/3 the trades going rate. There just isn't anyone around here to choose from. We only have a handful of building supply businesses and I have asked each and everyone of them to recommend someone and they just scratch their heads. I finally found someone that seems to be worth working with and paying well and he is booked solid until mid July. Be careful if you find someone readily available, there is a reason they aren't already on the job. I wish I could be more help, good luck. Johnny D.

I like it. Plus you can sit in them having Boat Drinks while the boat is parked o the driveway.

I Iike it. Plus you can sit in them while having Boat Drinks parked I the driveway!

If a man says he never pissed his drawers he is a liar. With this Diabetes and then a bout of Bladder Cancer I don't get a warning. I know every public washroom and hidden dumpster in the county. I always have a dry change of clothes, in the car, truck, boat and Golf bag. Including Charmin. Getting old sucks boys. Get older but don't get old. My 91 year old father has an excuse, I have a reason. I was in Florida this past winter, Catfish was going for 16 bucks a pound, USD!!!!! I'm keeping the next one if there is a next one. Solid spring Cats are as good as Walleye and Perch, believe me. I had Carp Cabobs from the BBQ a few years ago in Illinois, nothing wrong with it at all, absolutely nothing, mild, firm and sweet taste. We have to expand our tastes here. Lobsters were only fed to prisoners in the east coast prisons years ago, consider a garbage fish then only because of the way they looked.

I built mine with a ABS closet flange for the bottom base with a reducing coupling to go to 2", 3 or 4 feet of 2" ABS glued together then slid a pole into that that protrudes into a grommet on the cover. The toilet flange makes a nice stable base. Maybe 12 bucks each in materiaIs. I had the poles for the cover already but you can use anything like a broom handle. Even with the wind whipping off Erie they don't blow over. I don't tie the cover under the hull, I use Javex bottles filled with water hung on a few grommets on the sides with cordage and S hooks. Works fantastic in a slip too, no need to pull ties or mess with snaps.

Man that is so 70', plus cementa ainta to cheapa deeza days. Today just tie an OMC outdrive to der feets, that's about all they are good for anyway. Or a Force outboard works good to. For anyone here that has an OMC or a Force engine I feel your pain.

I said only accessible by boat, I didn't think about a Toon Brian Misfish. If you had a 9.9 you might get to the spot, that would be a lot of flippin' and a paddlin' with yer' footisies up river. Then you would need an old Johnson on a rope to hold you in place. Stick to the small waters up North. I still have those classic US Diver Fins for you. Still the choice of the Navy Seals. I'll keep a pair with the original mask as wall hangers to remind me of younger times, 40 years younger. I have pics when I came in 2nd in the Mr. Beansville Body Building Championship. I was the only contestant and came in 2nd!! Send a return Drone and I'll hook you up.