smitty55

More is better I would think. Better too much than barely enough, it will keep the battery from getting too far discharged. It's never good to let any battery get completely drained. Plus you never know if you will go on a weekend camping trip where recharging won't be an option.

All this talk got me thinking of Sunny Hill Resort again. We always went up there in March. As I recall they ended up subcontracting out their ice fishing to someone to supply the shacks, bait, transport etc. So I checked their website and the only thing mentioned is one little item for shacks available at $35 per day/person. If I recall when we rented a cottage for the long weekend the shacks were part of the price. They have lots of cottages so I'll have to look into availability for this winter. We also stayed at High Country Snoasis for a couple of years and learned of a spot on the lake called The Piers 4 miles away from Sunny Hill where we fished for Lakers and Whitefish in an old river current in clear 15ft deep sandy bottom water in mid March. Never fished for Lakers like that anywhere else. The smelt would run those current areas on the way to spawning, that's what attracted the Lakers and Whities to the shallow water. Some years late March/April people could actually access the old river shoreline across ice and "shore" fish the moving water while the main lake was still frozen over. Those were some great times with the boys. https://sunnyhillresort.com/index/on-the-lake.html

Very first time I ever saw and learned how to use a real actual tip up for Whitefish like that using salted minnows and a three way spreader on the bottom was that first trip to Bark lake. Now folks call any sort of pivoting balanced system a tip up when they all tip down lol. By the end of the weekend fingertips were all split from all that salt.

Most of my life ice fishing was spent out in the open, for some trout lakes for brookies we were close enough to shore to have a fire but that was the exception. We just dressed for the conditions with down parkas, long johns and lined pants, Sorel pac boots, down mitts and those solid fuel stick hand warmers. If you got chilled you went for a walk to warm up. It wasn't until we went to Sunny Hill Resort on Bark lake for a weekend back in the 90's that we ever got the luxury of a shack. Areas like Shirley's Bay on the Ottawa used to have up to 100 permanent shacks each year, now there might be a dozen as most people now use portable pop ups or flip overs.

I doubt you'll get many people agreeing with that, Just the fact that snow tires stop much better in winter conditions is enough reason to have them. Just because you don't think you need them doesn't mean they shouldn't be used. I wouldn't even get up my driveway without snow tires on my car.

Right, their outpost cabin is in dead bear bay, I remember when they upgraded it.

What lodge was that at? I know Kipawa Lodge has a solar set up.

Anyone knowingly driving with faulty brakes show have their license taken away. When it comes to the safety of yourself, your passengers and the lives of other drivers there is no choice.

First I've heard of that type tourney. Think of all the money anglers could save if most of them were like that. So my question then would be if this waterway was one that those anglers were familiar with or was it completely strange water?

It's almost getting to that point now, there's hardly any learning about actual fishing anymore, just about how to use the tech. Tournaments are already limiting what tech can be used, I'd love to see it become even more stringent or even to the point where in certain tourneys none can be used and then you'd really see who the best anglers are.

Yea I downloaded it in torrents but haven't watched it yet, tks for the reminder.

That was wonderful Lew, big kudos to Sheri. I lost my wife over two years ago and I can relate to a lot of what she wrote. I just finished reading the book You are not Alone by Debbie Augenthaler and it helped. She lost her husband suddenly in her 30's and over time went from a securities trader to an award winning psychotherapist dealing with grief and healing.

Yea that's what I was basically referring to, deep snow, bush roads into back lakes, on lakes in the winter, unplowed roads during or after a storm. I'll take my truck anytime over any awd SUV for those conditions. I still carry a pail of wood ashes in both vehicles though for dealing with ice, nothing beats that for traction when you need it to get unstuck or pulling someone else out. My driveway and walkways get a good dose of ashes anytime we get freezing rain, makes it like walking on pavement.

That's strange, it's generally accepted that a dedicated 4x4 is better than any AWD in the winter. Maybe it's those tires compared to your truck's snows or lack of weight in the box?

They are legal in northern Ontario but not in southern with their thinking that they are too hard on the road surfaces.