DanD

As Forest would say; it happens. Most of the electronics in the car should be OK; they’re likely high enough not to have got wet; plus the powertrain control module (computer) that's inside the right front inner fender is supposedly sealed. Supposedly LOL If it’s running ok; it’ll likely be alright. But the air bag module is located under the carpeting, under the passenger’s front seat and it’s not sealed; not against that much water, anyway. Water and electronics can make for some strange things to happen and I would hate to hear that one or both bags blew off while you’re driving down the road. Even if it does dry out without any issues now; I’d still be concerned about the rust and corrosion that will begin forming inside the module. I would be disabling the system, by unplugging the module or better yet replacing the module to make sure its going to work; if it were needed. It would be one heck of a wakeup call if the bags decided to blow on their own or just as bad, if not worse; they didn't during an accident. Air bags come out of their package with about a 500 pound punch; which will destroy the steering wheel, dash, possibly the windshield and your face, if it hits you. I’m not saying this will happen but it could and I just thought I would give you something to think about. Dan.

I wouldn’t be too quick to run out and get a new line; you said that the engine will keep running, if to pump the primer. That tells me that fuel can get too and through it; my thinking is possibly a partly plugged fuel filter or a weak fuel pump, like fisherman said. You can create much more pressure when you’re pumping the bulb then what a “good” fuel pump can produce; so if the filters plugged you could be forcing the fuel through its restriction? Also it’s not abnormal for a primer bulb to feel soft after the engine has ran for a bit; it’s on the suction side of the fuel pump; vacuum is a negative pressure.. Now if you said that the primer bulb was being sucked flat (collapsed) I would agree the check valve is sticking shut in the primer or there is a restriction somewhere between the tank and fuel pump. So maybe check the filter first; by removing it, draining the fuel from it and then try blowing through it. It shouldn’t take a lot of effort; kind of like blowing through a folded up towel. Hope that made sense? Dan.

Well I dive like a shovel and swim like a brick; do I wear my jacket all the time, no and I know I should; but for some reason its the last thing I think of as we're heading out, on a nice sunny day. Like a lot of people have already said; be aware of what’s happening around you. If it’s rough out or I’m in a boat with a cowboy showing me his stunts; the PFD is the first thing I look for; then I rake the guy over the coals for being an idiot. As for the analogy of being bonked on the head as you’re falling out of a boat; well with a PFD you’re still out of luck; only a true lifejacket will right you face up. Can you imagine trying to cast all day with one of those on? I really like the idea of the inflatable vests; but like someone else here has already mentioned; how do you know for sure it will work? Is there an expiry date or some form of pressure gauge on them? Dan.

Billy Bob Memquisit has kind of done this on their “new” web site. Hopefully this link is ok to post but it made finding places a whole lot easier. http://www.memquisitlodge.net/fishing.html I actually printed off all the maps and the text that went with the maps; had them laminated and put them all into a binder. This binder stayed with us the whole time out on the water in the boat (Water proof) and it acted as a road map for us. In combination with the GPS and the laminated maps; we always new exactly where we were and where we wanted to go. Dan.

Hey; my pictures are back up. I know what you mean Fish4Eyes; about it being a tough fish. But with the barometer going up and down like a toilet seat; it’s kind of expected; isn’t it? As for the different vegetation; it’s probably due to this summer’s crazy weather as well. Plants that thrive in the shade have had a lot more of it this year and the kind that needs sunshine, well we all know there hasn’t been a lot of that. Like I said in my first post; Alex (the guide we hired); told us not too just look for weed beds but what type of weeds they were. If it was a grassy type of weeds; not to bother trying for pickerel, but if it was leafy; give it a try, if the water depth was good. He had us fishing in the 6-8 foot range and as soon as the drift went into the 10 foot or better, he would start the drift over again. Right or wrong; he got us into some nice fish? Dan.

Makes sense; I was beginning to think that they were Kamikaze fish making a suicide attack? Thanks for a feasible explanation. Dan.

Leechman Your right that the host is up and it does say that I’ve exceed my band width, I’m a moderator at Carjunky’s message board and 90% of the images I post are automotive diagrams. I’ve contacted the sites administrator and he’s supposedly increasing the band width for me? So I guess I’ll give it a little time and see if he comes through for me and gets my pictures back up. Thanks for looking into this. GCD No disrespect meant; it’s just that a lot of people think that an automotive engineer is a glorified mechanic. No offence to the mechanics out there because that is what I am; worked the trade for the last 30+ years and I’m quite proud of it. Sorry to here your wife was laid off from Ford but that’s what I also meant that he’s (Andy) not looking at any of the internships that the “big three” have approached him with. Europe or Australia seem to be very attractive for him; the manufactures there have figured out to give the people what they want rather then the manufacturer telling people this is what you get. OK back to fishing. LOL I still can’t believe that a 2-3 inch perch will hit on a 3-4 inch spoon? Instinct that strong; that they have to hit on anything that might be food? But then you present a big juicy worm or leech on a jig, to a Pickerel and they turn their nose up at it. I guess that’s why I like to fish; I never fully understand what or why things happen the way they do. Dan.

Not sure what's happened with the pictures maybe my host went down? I’ll wait for a bit and see if it comes back up? Dan.

I really enjoy the area as well and know exactly where Lakair is; we pass by it on the way to a couple of little coves we like to fish. GCD You’re 100% right about the lay offs at the assembly plants and that level of the automotive industry right now; but that’s not where he’ll be working. As an engineer he’ll be in the design and fabrication division of a manufacturer. If by chance you don’t know what an Automotive Engineer does; they basically take the blue prints of a designer and the engineers tell them if its conceivable to build or not. Plus who said that he’ll be working for any of the X big three here in North America or in North America at all. So as far as little Andy needing a minor to fall back on; I don’t think he’ll have any problems; unless you and everyone else decides to start walking to where they want to go. Thanks for your concern but it’s unwarranted. Dan.

Well here’s a bit of my son Andy’s and my trip last week to the West Arm/West bay of Lake Nipissing; we stayed at Memquisit lodge. The lodge is located across the channel form the North East end of Squaw Island. There’s nothing really special about the place; it’s clean; the owners and staff are friendly, what they advertized was there. We chose it because of the location; kind of in the middle of the areas we fish. Here’s a few pic’s of the place and the cabin. The fist thing you see after turning into there parking lot. We were in cabin #1 up on top of a large rock. Same cabin taken form the water. We spent a lot of time in our rain suits the first couple of days. The rain and cooler weather didn’t stop these guys from hitting. Which was a good thing because after a cool damp day; it was nice to sit down for a supper of this. Here’s our boat, just waiting for us; all gassed up and ready to go. We named it after the two people that spend the most time in it; me and my son Andy. After three days of fishing; we were only able to hook into one pickerel. We hit up all of our old way points that always seemed to produce for us, but this year all that came out of those places were finger sized perch or spoon sized sunfish. What are these fish thinking; our bait was the same size as they were? Blaming the weather of course (LOL) for the slow fishing; we decided to hire Alex, one of the guides at the lodge. Well wouldn’t you know it; the first place he takes us, is one of our “go to” spots. With a small difference; maybe 500-800 feet away form our GPS marks. Places we were a little afraid of, due to the rocks. With this small difference in location and Alex showing us what drift to take through those rocks, made all the difference. The look on my sons face here made the trip, for me. One of the things I’ve learned this year is, never stop changing things up. What works one time doesn’t work all the time; don’t get stuck in a rut. Hiring a guide (first time ever) showed me that you shouldn’t always rely on electronics. Check the wind for the best drift, have a look as to whether there is a weed bed and what kind of vegetation it is. Some of you more experienced fishers may disagree but the half day with Alex; was money well spent. Even though the weather was off and we had to work for every fish (other then perch and sunfish LOL) that we brought in; it was great spending the time with my son. He’s starting his last year of his Automotive Engineering degree and all of the manufacturers are scrambling for fresh blood. So I’m not sure; when we’ll be doing another summer fishing week together. He was 8 years old the fist time taking him “up North”; he now shows me how to fish. LOL We just got home yesterday after noon and he’s off again to a buddies place around Walkerton. Some small lake supposedly loaded with pike and pickerel. It’s all for our kids; regardless of how old they are; love them and teach them. Here’s Andy releasing an in slot pickerel. Yes we’re meat eaters but we also respect the MNR. The slot seems to be working though because when you find them, they're a lot heavier ones to pull in. For my son and his future kids. Dan.

Talk about launch etiquette; even the ducks wait their turn. (sorry couldn’t resist) Great report and pictures. Dan.

There are all kinds of different theft deterrents that can be bought or made; but like any other type of lock, they’re only good for stopping a normally honest person from being tempted in sealing something. So I would just wrap a chain or whatever on the motor’s mount; attach a pad lock and make it look secure; because if a thief wants your motor, they’re going to take it regardless. I get a kick out of a few of my customers that leave their vehicle here at the shop over night and have one of those “clubs” attached to the steering wheel. The club does everything the manufacturer says it will; you can’t cut it with a hacksaw or pick the lock. What they don’t tell people is that the vehicle’s steering wheel’s frame is made out of mild steel and it would only take seconds to cut the wheel with a hacksaw and slip the club off. All most locks are (as far as I’m concerned), is a pacifier for the owner; thinking that they have done something to secure their property. I like that feel good feeling too and lock my doors; but again that's all they're good for. Dan.

There is a fairly easy way of confirming whether the hall effect generator in the passlock ignition switch is a fault. Passlock is the trade name for this years anti theft system in GM’s. Have the techs install a bypass resistor to the wiring harness’s white and yellow wires of the hall effect generator that is in the ignition switch. This is the same resistor that they have to install for auto start systems. Nobody will tell people that’s what they have to do to fool the module; allowing the vehicle to run without the ignition key being turned in the lock assembly. The anti theft module is looking for a specific voltage drop coming out of the ignition switch as its being turned; if it (the module) doesn’t see this voltage drop; it may shut down the starter but usually it just shuts down fuel; so I'm not sure this is your problem? All they have to do is measure the resistance value with an ohmmeter across the white and yellow wire during a good start. The anti theft portion of the lock assembly has its own three wire wiring harness coming out of the ignition switch; white, yellow and black wires. Then go to almost any electronic store and buy a resistor that has the same resistance value; connect it to the white and yellow wires at the ignition switch or the module; this will by pass the switch’s portion of the anti theft. If the problem disappears you know the lock if at fault; if so leave the 50cent resistor connected and forget the anti theft. Now no body give me any crap by posting this; because any thieves worth a grain of salt already knows this. LOL I have a lot of customers that have these older vehicles and when given the choice of a 2 or 3 hundred dollar switch or a 50 cent resistor; guess which one they want. Dan.

Thanks for the reply guys; it was just a thought I had last night when I couldn’t sleep. Kind of planing what I needed to get ready for this year’s trip to the West Arm and that’s when I thought of warren Bay and my riggers. I guess it doesn’t make much sense in bringing them; it is a relatively small area and the only thing I’d likely catch is a snag and lose a cannon ball. I’ll take your advice and try jigging that area again; maybe I’ll get lucky and find out what’s down there. Only three more weeks before we go; I’m almost 50 and I feel like a kid filled with anticipation of doing something new. Well it’s kind of new; I’ve only been going up north for the last 15 or so years; that qualifies right? LOL Thanks again for the advice. Dan.

I’m heading up to the West arm of Nipissing (Memquisit lodge) and was wondering; would it be a waist of time bringing up my down riggers? I know that most of the West Bay and arm is on average only 15- 20 feet deep; but there is a section of Warren Bay that drops down to more then 50-60 feet deep. The last few times up there, I always mark fish suspended down at ¾’s the way too the bottom. I’ve tried jigging, trolling with deep diving body baits and weighted spoon and never had a hit. Am I still not deep enough, is it a waste of time and what do you think is down there; lakers? I know it would be a lot of work setting up and then lifting gear because of the small area but if it meant another avenue of landing something, I wouldn’t mind trying. Dan.

I have one of the Old Timer 9” knife and I think it’s been one of the best knives I’ve used. Like what Jocko said the rubber handle fits my hand very comfortable and it’s not slippery. Even with the rubber handle, the blade is sensitive enough that you can feel every bone as the tip of the knife runs over them. The steel that the blade is made of could be a little harder; because it does loose its edge, if you’re rough with it. A few passes of the knife over a steel and the edge comes right back. I only have to actually sharpen it a couple of times a year and I use the Lansky sharpener to do that. As for cutting myself; well I’m famous for it; give me a butter knife and I’ll find a way to draw blood. A friend of mine is a butcher and he gave me one of those stainless steel gloves; now it's just the bystanders that have to watch out. LOL The other thing about using the butcher’s glove is that no matter how slimy that pike is you can keep a good hold of it and not shoot it across the cleaning shack; as it squirts out of your hand. Dan.

A highway tractor trailer is designed to work as an assembly; with braking being shared between the tractor and the trailer. Most of which also use some form of anti lock braking system, on both the tractor and trailer. As for the Dodge trucks that are rated for the 16000; you’re right they can pull all that weight and likely more. But as soon as the combined weight of the tow vehicle and loaded trailer exceeds 10500Lbs (4800Klg); the trailer is required to have some form of functioning brakes (electric or surge); plus both the tow vehicle and trailer must go through a yearly safety inspection. All we’re talking about is you, me or anyone trying to pull a weekend boat trailer, with an undersized tow vehicle; there’s no comparison. As for this Highlander being able to pull this boat? I bet it could and probably not do a bad job of it, with the proper weight distribution hitch. But now let’s see if it can stop or make an emergency maneuver with 5000Lbs pushing it and not loose control. That’s the legal aspect that I mentioned in my last post. Even if this trailer in question has surge brakes; the brake actuator should also be matched to the tow vehicle. That’s so the trailer brakes start applying, before the trailer starts pushing the tow vehicle. There are so many reasons not to do this and I really do understand why Ziki would want to try; it is only 5 Klm; but that’s where most accidents happen; close to home. Dan.

I would be looking at the legal aspects of towing this boat rather then whether the Highlander physically could or not. If the MTO spots you, or even a cop; that knows what he’s looking at; you’re not going fishing that day. The MTO cannot normally pull over a passenger vehicle; unless it’s an authorized safety blitz from the Minister of transportation. But as soon as you hang a trailer on the back of that passenger vehicle; you’re fair game to them. If you’ve ever been pulled over by a cop and they decide to do a tire kicking safety; that aint nothing compared to what the MTO is going to put you through. Borrow, rent or buy a proper tow vehicle; your wallet will thank you. Dan.

I know you where asking about Port Stanley; but Long Point has some real good bass & perch fishing. Kociuk Fishing charter 519-718-2637 This guy is out of Port Rowan; on Long point Bay, which is a little better then an hour from London. Not sure if he runs a first come first serve business or not; but give him a call. If he doesn’t he’ll know who or if someone does in the area. I’ve never been out in one of these charter/party boats with the large group of people; but we always see a few (different companies) of them out there. I can’t remember the name of the one boat; but it looks like a large converted fishing tug and there at least 20 or more people fishing off of it. These boats usually stay in the bay (inner & outer) and fish for bass and perch. You could also call Rotten Ronnie’s Bait and Tackle 519-586-7990; they’re very helpful people there and they’ll know who and where to call. They run a charter business as well (private charters) but I think that they are mostly rigging out at the point in the deeper waters, going for the bigger stuff. Dan.

It doesn’t really matter how they got their boater’s card because you can’t teach common sense. We all must have a few friends that can sit down at almost any written test and walk away acing it; but put that same person out in the field to apply what they (test wise) should know and they turn into the biggest dough head ever. The part that scares me is that these same people will be loading their boats on trailers and then driving the tow vehicle home. How much common sense have we seen being used on any of the 400 series highways? Yes I agree that the Boater’s card is another money grab; but even if they made it a real test with a practical exam at the end, would it improve things? Look what graduated driver’s licenses have done; not a frigging thing to improve common sense. Dan.

Whichever tach you decide on; make sure it is compatible with your ignition system; as in will it operate with multiple coils; if this motor has multiple coils. Or if you connect it to the ECM’s (computer) tach terminal; that it will not affect the ECM. Believe me the ECM is not cheap; the factory tach that came with my BF40hp Honda, shorted and took out the ECM, $800.00 before the motor was running again. But what is the point of knowing exactly what RPM it stalls at? All you’re going to do is bump the idle up when you reach that point; which will defeat your goal of going slower. Maybe a prop change would accomplish what you’re after; but that will also cause your top end to suffer? Dan.

Sunset Cove Lodge really isn’t in/on Callander Bay; it’s more or less at the top of South Bay. Which isn’t a bad thing other then you’ll likely be fishing more of the main lake. Haven’t fished that area in the summer for a long time; but with a good graph you’ll be able to find the humps & bumps along with the Walleye. The lodge owners and the staff treated us great every time we’ve been there during ice fishing; so I doudt the summer attitude would be any different? The one thing about the main lake is that it can turn rough pretty quick, when the wind picks up. The one year; when we stayed at Bear creek cottages (just down the road from sunset); the wind just wouldn’t stop. To the point that the lodge owner loaded up a bunch of his boats and his gests and drove us down into Callander; so we could fish the bay. It was just too rough out on the main lake, too go out with the cedar strips, let alone get to Callander by small boat. It was still a good time, just a little extra driving back and forth from the lodge and Callander. Dan.

Canada 411 http://canada411.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/hitch/Vaughan

The fuel can be tested with the use of a reid vapor pressure test kit; a lot of shops that are involved in the Drive Clean emissions testing & repair program will have this kit. They will likely want to charge something like 25 or 30 bucks to run the test; so for your small amount of fuel; I don’t think it would be worth it for you? The garages use this test while looking for strange/hard to find drivability issues; ensuring that the issue isn’t contaminated fuel. As for dumping stale/tarnished fuel into your vehicle; I not so sure that would be a good idea either. Depending on your vehicle it could cause damage to the fuel delivery system (fuel pumps & injectors); as in plugging them up or cause injectors to stick or leak, if this tarnish gets trapped at the nozzle of the injector. O2 sensors could also become damaged; due to the contamination of the stale fuel. If this happens to be a newer vehicle it could have anywhere from 2 to 6 O2 sensors. If they happen to be wide band O2’s; they could run anywhere from 2-6 hundred buck each. Most communities have a waist collection depot; where you can take this fuel for proper disposal or recycling. If I were unsure of this fuels condition that’s where I would be taking it. Dan.

I’ve seen a lot of systems wired with cranking and accessory batteries in series parallel configuration; like the diagram below. It does away with having a third battery or a converter/transformer for 12 volts, to crank the engine or run other 12 volt devices. Maybe this guy was doing the same thing by only connecting to the one battery of a 24 volt battery pack and didn’t feel like or couldn’t go into an explanation. When using one of the batteries to power a 12 volt device it will not drain the other battery. The only time both batteries are being drained by one device is if the device is connected to the 24 volt circuit. As for connecting a 12 volt trolling motor too 24; man do they ever spin fast for a short period of time and it’s amazing how much heat & smoke can come out of such a small unit. It’s not a complete lost though; on that ONE colder day, he’ll have a place to warm his hands; in mosquito season he can fog the bushes in that back bay. Just thought of another good reason to try this; he’ll get an upper body workout; as he’s paddling the boat out of that bay. Sorry my attempt at humor. LOL I do agree with Tybo that the total amount of available voltage depends on the condition and state of charge of both batteries. Dan.