kickingfrog

My walleye fishing on Nipissing (ice and soft) has been getting better over the last 15 years or so, although I haven't fished it this winter. Only time will tell if this is a blip or a down turn. Arctic char for bait???

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1446712 ICE RESCUE Persistent problems with pressure cracks Posted By STAFF Posted 6 hours ago Emergency crews were called to Johnson's Beach early yesterday evening after a van became lodged on a pressure crack. Fire and emergency services Capt. Brent Wilson said the van, which had been driven across the lake on the ice from Line 6 of Innisfil, did not go under the ice at any time. The driver and two young passengers were uninjured and dry. Barrie firefighters returned them safely to shore. "There are so many pressure cracks out there and the snow can hide them. It's not a good idea to take a vehicle out there," Wilson said. "People should remember there is no insurance for their vehicle when they're on the ice." An incident on Saturday saw another van go through the ice of Cook's Bay. According to South Simcoe Police, a 20-year-old man had his mother's van out on the lake near Snake Island when it went into the water after hitting a pressure crack. Neither the driver or the passenger were injured-- they also didn't get wet -- but the van eventually became completely submerged. The Ministry of the Environment was advised of the incident. No charges were laid. Police are reminding the public that operating vehicles on any part of Lake Simcoe is not recommended. The ice is not safe in all areas and those who venture out onto the ice must be aware of pressure cracks and open water.

Ah. Steelhead season

True sterile fish do not produce eggs or sperm. There may be the a few eggs or a cc or two of sperm in a few of a "batch", that's why it can be a crap shoot when these fish are added to a body of water. Whether or not this particular lake had sterile fish added to it. Stocked fish are not always sterile (actualy rarely) but the waters they are being added to for one or a dozen reasons won't support natural regeneration.

One built in excuse, can I get another?

Unplanned trip to North Bay this week. What's the Lake been like? Besides frozen smart

Sorry, meant to post this earlier but things have been a little hectic. This was in Thursday's paper. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...uery=polar+bear In battle over man's best friend, it's Man 1, Bear 0 When a polar bear attacked 72-year-old Ed Dyson's dog Foot, he reached for the first weapon at hand - his shovel OLIVER MOORE February 19, 2009 People who say they would do anything for their pets could learn a lesson from Ed Dyson, a 72-year-old Labrador man who took his shovel to a polar bear that was going after his dog. The dog weighs in at less than 10 kilograms, a mutt his owner described as "part beagle and part something else." But Foot is not lacking in bravado and did not hesitate when the bear approached him Tuesday. "The dog went right towards him," said Mr. Dyson, who saw the encounter unfold just outside his house in the tiny coastal community of Black Tickle. "He just grabbed the dog and threw him up in the air." That was enough for Foot, who retreated under a patio-like structure. As the bear tried to get at the dog again, Mr. Dyson realized he had to act. No slouch himself when it comes to guts, he grabbed the nearest weapon at hand. Print Edition - Section Front Enlarge Image "I rushed over with the shovel and had a smack at him, I hit him in the head," Mr. Dyson said yesterday. "He just looked at me, he looked at me very serious. I threw the shovel in his face and went inside to get the gun." He took one shot with his .22 rifle, hitting the bear just behind the shoulder. The bear, which Mr. Dyson estimated at 350 to 450 kilograms, fled and has not been seen in the community since. Andrew Derocher, a leading polar bear expert and professor at the University of Alberta, has no illusions about the potential dangers the animals can pose. "You wouldn't find me chasing after a polar bear with a shovel," he said. "I think that he's incredibly lucky." That said, he also knows that polar bears, who are accustomed to food that doesn't fight back, can sometimes be startled into flight if they are in a curious rather than predatory mood. Fatal attacks by polar bears are extremely rare, he said, in part because few people share their range, but also because many of those who do carry firearms. But they still happen occasionally. A polar bear found at a family's tent south of Rankin Inlet in 2000 killed a woman after someone tried to frighten it away by throwing stones. Dr. Derocher said that changing ice patterns may force increased co-existence between humans and polar bears, requiring people to take new precautions with food, garbage and pets. "Polar bears are happy to eat dogs," he noted. "Bears are quite adept at catching them and they'll just gobble them up." In Black Tickle, an island community in which the winter ice allows easy access from the mainland, signs of polar bears are not unusual. But residents say they typically don't turn up until March. "It's not too often you see them, you see their footprints but you never see them," Mr. Dyson said. "I think this is [going to be] a bad year because they don't usually roam this early." ***** The latest on bear defence Deadly bear attacks are extremely rare and, luckily, the more common type of aggression is also the least dangerous. Experts have moved away from advice tailored for encounters with the various species of bear. The current wisdom is to consider whether the bear's behaviour is defensive or predatory. Encounters with defensive bears are more common and suggest the bear views the person as a threat. In these situations, the bear tends to posture and make a lot of noise, which one expert said is the bear's way of saying "you're too close." "It's supposed to look threatening, it usually intimidates the opponent into going away," said Sylvia Dolsen, executive director of the Get Bear Smart Society, a B.C. group which tries to prevent human-bear conflict. "If the bear is making all kinds of blustering behaviour, this is your chance to back away." Predatory attacks, in which the human is hunted actively, are more rare and much more dangerous. Parks Canada warns that people in this situation have to do "whatever it takes to let the bear know you are not easy prey." Although rare, either type of attack can turn deadly. At least 16 deaths caused by bears have been reported in Canada this decade. Ten were caused by black bears, nearly half in Quebec. The bulk of the five deaths caused by grizzlies were in Alberta, and the lone fatality by a polar bear was in Nunavut.Oliver Moore **** Man vs. beast Ed Dyson fought off a bear estimated at 350 to 450 kgs. Male polar bears stand between 2 and 3 metres high and weigh up to 500 kg or more. TRISH McALASTER/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

I have that model in the portable version. I have only used it for ice fishing so far. I like it, but I haven't used many other units. Good luck.

Good luck fishin'.

Fish!!!

Come on now, we all know that fish was caught in Europe, and shows up every couple of months.... Oh?! Sorry wrong post. Nice Fish.

Could be some eggs that didn't get "laid", could be a fish that didn't spawn. Sterile fish are not supposed to produce sperm or eggs, hence they usually grow bigger, faster.

Thanks for the heads up. With a bit of fresh snow it can be extra scary out there.

I just noticed that The Facts of Fishing web site has an option to be facebook friends with Dave.

I did not know that.

Ya, every time I watch them I see something different.

This may have already been said, but how about: Lures that catch fish and lures that catch fishermen.

Me thinks someones washin' dishes.

Great stuff! I've been a father for 7 weeks, oh the stories I can tell... and many that I won't.

Background: ASL is short for American Sign Language and it is used by many people to communicate, often because of an inability to speak and/or hear, although there are other sign languages. Often for songs the person signing will interpret the meaning or feeling of the song to "get the point across". Sometimes this can be very funny. Don't worry, you don't need to understand ASL to be entertained. Badonkadonk Baby Got Back

While I have nothing to hide and do use facebook, I am glad facebook and digital everything was not available when I was younger. Nothing like having every foolish youthful indiscretion posted for the world to see.

The innocent do not fear the truth.

Come on now, how many of us have been there? Hands up.