lew

WTG boyz, lots of very impressive fish in this thread !!

Hey Norm, that's pretty nice seeing those deer right on your front lawn like that. One of the joys of country living, eh !!!!

Merry Christmas to you & yours too Sam and all the best with your fish'n business in 2008

Hmmmmm, were up here slippin & slidin in the snow & ice and your out fishing in a sweater. ........life seems so unfair sometimes Always enjoy your softwater reports thru the winter months, Dawg

I don't do it myself either Gerritt, but I think the idea is that it makes it easier to steer the boat more precisely while going backwards, plus it would also give you the slowest speed possible without an electric motor....at least that's my understanding.

Happy B-Day my friend & all the best in your old(er) age

Toronto is criss crossed by a massive valley system that winds across town in all directions and it's really nice cause you can spend hours in some areas and never see a building or hear a car. I was out walking with my dog this morning in an area close to home and came across the fresh tracks of 2 deer in the snow. I've heard of deer in the area before but have never seen any signs till today. This area is heavily populated and when I took these pics a city bus was passing behind me not 150' away. Close-up of the larger track in the soft mud under the snow. This was right beside a stream where one of them stopped for a drink Looks like they bedded down here for the night under a pine tree Here's how close they were to some apartment buildings Not really a big deal, but I just thought it interesting to see them so close to a very busy urban neighborhood. I also came a cross this odd shaped tree Anyways, that's how us retired folks spend our time once musky season has closed

Here ya go Jim

I've been a HUGE fan of Seinfeld since day 1 and have seen every episode 1000 times and still laff like a kid everytime I watch it, but that's the FIRST time I knew the restaurant where the gang hangs out was called Monk's Cafe. Sheeesh, the things you can learn here on OFC

I don't watch hockey and have no idea who this guy is, but from reading yesterdays hockey post on this board, there appears to be alot of interest in him, so I thought some may find this article from this mornings paper somewhat interesting........or maybe not http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/...4735394-sun.php

Oh yeah, I always enjoy listening to Roger & the Fishguts Great band & great song !! And who'll ever forget the expression on Rogers face with that musky....a real classic !!

Merry Christmas to you too Bill & all the best in the new Year !! Have a great vacation.

Ain't that the truth, and one of the most genuine people on this board......a true friend !!

I wasn't going to mention it, but now maybe I will, and that was the post last May when my brother & OFNer, Eddyk died. I reported it here and there were nearly 200 replies, plus countless PM's and every one seemed to be truly sincere in offereing condolances to me & my family and that helped imeasurably in a very stressful time. That was then followed up by some members throwing in some money and having a painting done of Ed and I...see my signature for those that are new to this forum. It showed what this board is REALLY all about and that fishing is actually in 2nd place. We've got a great group here !!

Absolutely Puckhead, and I can attest to that fact all the way back into the 50's when I was playing house league hockey. Kids are kids and hockey has always had fights in the little leagues, at least in any that I played in, it's just that every parent wasn't holding a video cam and recording everything for the world to see. I know 2 young fathers today that refuse to allow their 9 year sons to play hockey because they feel it's too violent and I think that's pretty sad. I haven't seen an NHL game in 40 years so I have no real opinion on it, but I think violence is part of the game until it goes overboard and players are deliberately trying to mame others, then it's time to step in and come down hard on them.

I'm still wondering why a hockey player earns more money than a brain surgeon ??

Congratulations to you & your wife, you've just recieved the greatest gift of all !!

We've had a lot of excellent posts on this board in the past year and I'd have a problem narrowing it down to a single one, but my vote would go to the entire collection of posts from Moosebunk rolled into one. The man lives in a part of the country that most of us will never see and can only imagine visiting, and reading his tales, along with the incredible photographs is like watching an episode of National Geographic. I've said it before Moose, your collections of writings & photography skills would make a book that many people would pay $$$$ for.....you've got a definate talent for that sorta thing !!

When I made this post initially it wasn't meant to infer that the fire fighters would necessarily be the rescuers, as it could be anyone in the vicinity who could become involved. I just mentioned it because that particular rescue involved my brother who was a fireman at the time. Sorry for any confusion

Congratulations on reaching the 20th anniversay on your job Paul, I would assume your obviously doing something you truly enjoy and that makes a huge difference when heading into work every day. Enjoy your bonus, you've earned it !!

They have them if their in a township that has the $$$$ to afford them but many small outfits don't have the funds.

It's still early in the winter season and many of the lakes aren't safely frozen over yet, but all you ice fishermen are itching to get out there, and understandably so. Just take into consideration though, that if you break thru the ice and can't get out, others are going to have to endanger their own lives in order to try & rescue you. My brother was a volunteer fireman for many years and they were called out late one night early in the ice fishing season when someone heard screaming coming from far out on the lake. My brother & 3 other firemen who responded to the call for help had to walk out about 1/4 mile on very thin ice to try & help the fishermen. He said in many places the ice was cracking under their feet and water was seeping thru in spots, but they couldn't ignore the calls and had to continue on. Eventually, after following the screams they found the spot where the men had broken thru the thin ice, and crawled the last 50 feet or so till they were able to get hold of them and pull then out. One of the fishermen was dead when they got him out of the water, but the 2nd man survived although he was in very serious shape. Eventually they were able to get the 2 back into shore and the awaiting ambulance and off to the hospital. The one man was lucky and survived the ordeal, although his dear friend didn't make it. One man made it, and one died, but it could have been MUCH worse had things gone terribly wrong and the 4 rescuers went into the frigid waters too, and died also. I just thought I'd pass this story on to everyone incase you decide to take a chance with your own life on the ice before it's thick enough. Please just remember that if you go thru the ice and get in serious trouble, others will have to risk their own lives on the thin ice in order to save yours. Just something to think about.

Hey Wayne, I talked with Lowrance on Matheson just this morning and he assured me their still in full operation as always and rumors of them leaving Toronto are just that.....false rumors. Their still the repair / warranty center for Lowrance / Eagle as always, but for any accessories, they only carry a very limited supply and most things would need to be ordered from a Lowrance dealer.......again, as always. They do answer the phone now as Navico though, but then again, who can tell anymore who owns what these days ??

Absolutely Raf, and even the odd little bass that THINKS he's a musky will hit those 10" Believers cranked on top of the water. As you say, their also one of the best topwater baits around that alot of folks don't take advantage of.

I've never used the Jackpot but have a couple other similar large baits that I use alot. Walk-the-Dog baits are excellent for attracting muskies & you'll get some fish with it, but you'll also miss alot with them too as the fish is moving so much water in front of him that he'll often knock the bait outta the way before he gets hold of it. It's a fun way to fish though, and top water strikes are an excellent way to get the ole heart pumping when things are slow Funny story from this past summer.......I was casting a Doc (similar to a Jackpot) and my daughter was using a Topraider (surface prop bait) and I was explaining to her how the musky will hit topwaters alot but often miss them. I no sooner told her this when the water exploded and a nice musky flies outta the water, knocks my bait about 3 feet in the air and disappears underwater again...... I said to Sheri, "see, that's exactly what I'm talkin about" while she continued to crank her Topraider. Not 2 seconds later, the water explodes again but this time its on HER bait. She waits till she feels the weight of the fish, sets the hook hard and lands MY fish The worst part was, she then looked at me, smiled, and said "what's hard about that, Dad ??" Doncha just hate it when the kids show off