kickingfrog

Most companies now have their reel manuals available on-line.

That's a great tip, providing I remember to: bring my phone, turn it on and have coverage.

I know that most, if not all, of us are aware of the dangers of lightning. But it can't hurt to put it out there again. We, and our families, are more apt than the general public to be in situations where we are in danger. Be safe. Have fun. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home Cut and pasted Globe and Mail article: Enlightened advice for lightning strikes PETER CHENEY From Tuesday's Globe and Mail June 17, 2008 at 3:17 AM EDT TORONTO — Like a shark attack, getting hit by lightning is a matter of luck - the worst kind. Last weekend, a 29-year-old man became the latest victim when a bolt zapped him as he helped his parents build a deck near North Battleford, Sask. Ironically, the sky was clear - a storm had passed, and the heavens were silent. But like the finger of Zeus, a giant column of electrical energy shot down and killed the man and left his mother seriously injured. "It can be unpredictable," says David Phillips of Environment Canada. "You're dealing with huge forces." At the moment, Canada is in the middle of thunderstorm season, which runs from May until September. And this year is proving to be intense. In Toronto, which receives an average of 11,136 lightning strikes a year, the first half of June has produced more than twice as many thunderstorms as usual. Enlarge Image (Ninian Carter/The Globe And Mail) Related Articles Recent Son helping parents build deck killed by lightning "It's been very volatile," says Mr. Phillips. "Lots of activity." On average, 10 Canadians are killed by lightning each year, and about 125 more are seriously injured. Getting hit may involve bad planning (like standing on a golf course with an upraised steel as thunder rolls overhead) or plain bad luck. And no one has ever had it worse than U.S. park ranger Roy Sullivan, who became known as The Human Lightning Rod after being hit by lightning seven times between 1942 and 1977. (Mr. Sullivan committed suicide in 1983, apparently distraught over the loss of a woman.) Given Mr. Sullivan's history, relationship problems were not unexpected. Experts say that more than half of married people who survive a lightning strike are divorced soon afterward. Getting hit by lightning can produce a host of physical and mental issues that include everything from heart problems to deafness to memory loss. (There are support groups for survivors.) "You're not the same person afterward," says Mr. Phillips. "It can really change people." If you want to get hit by lightning, the best place in Canada to do it is Southern Ontario, the heart of Canada's thunderstorm alley. (The southern prairies are also considered lightning hot spots.) The most-hit city in Canada is Windsor, which experiences 251 lightning flashes per 100 square kilometres each year. The least likely place to experience lightning is the north - Inuvik experiences only one lightning flash per year, and thunderstorms are unheard of in the Arctic circle region. Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, is also a good choice for those who dislike lightning; thanks to the area's stable marine climate, it experiences only two days of thunderstorms a year. (Windsor, by comparison, has an average of 33 days of thunderstorms per year, and Toronto has 28.) Over the past decade or so, there have been great advances in the monitoring of thunderstorms. In 1998, Environment Canada set up the Canadian Lightning Detection Network - 81 automatic sensors across the country can detect lightning and send instant reports to a satellite orbiting overhead. Thanks to this, weather forecasters can tell exactly where lightning is occurring. This information has proven valuable in some unexpected ways. A few years ago it helped foil the plans of an Ontario man who thought he had come up with a foolproof way to get his insurance company to pay for the replacement of an expensive refrigerator. After learning that parts for the refrigerator were no longer available, the owner connected the fridge to an arc welder, which sent a massive jolt of electricity through it, destroying its major components. He then filed an insurance claim, saying that the fridge had been zapped by lightning. Unfortunately, the new lightning sensors proved that the weather in the area had been perfect at the time. The claim was denied. Experts say there are countless misconceptions about lightning, and how to avoid it. Take the sneaker myth - many people believe they will be safe if they wear rubber-soled shoes, which would not conduct the electricity into the earth. Wrong. If a lightning bolt strikes you, millions of volts will run through your body, then arc through your Converse into the ground. (Depending on the size of the hit, your body makeup and other variables, the electrical energy may boil your blood, as if you were being executed in a nuclear-powered electric chair.) Instinct often leads to danger. Although you may be drawn to a lone tree because it seems to offer shelter, for example, it actually serves as a natural lightning rod, since it's the highest point around. You are better off staying in an open field, crouching to lower your profile - but don't lie flat, because it makes you more likely to be zapped by a bolt that hits the ground and fans outward. But there are no hard and fast rules. "Lightning is hard to predict," says Mr. Phillips. "No two bolts are the same." ***** Savage, unpredictable nature The thunderstorm season is upon us and Toronto alone gets more than 11,000 lightning strikes a year. LIGHTNING STRIKE INJURIES -Brain damage -Eye damage -Deafness, ringing ears -Central nervous system: coma, seizures, amnesia, paralysis -Respiratory system damage -Heart Attack ***** BE PREPARED Lighting can conduct through power lines, tall objects, high places, water; golf clubs; fishing poles, bicycles and metal cleats in shoes. KEEP SAFE Listen to weather forecasts, have a lightning safety plan, seek shelter in substantial structure (keep away from windows) or vehicle (lightning moves on the outer surface of metal objects - do not touch metal inside vehicle). SOURCE: ENVIRONMENT CANADA

Hey, was that directed at me???

Can't beat fishing with your dad.

Just got my 7 free lures in the mail. I'll be trying them all this weekend at Lakair. Anybody else got theirs?

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi...Y+KELLY+MCSHANE Barrie Examiner article: Kids get hooked on fishing fun KIDS FISHING DAY Posted By BY KELLY MCSHANE Posted 2 hours ago Children across the region grabbed their fishing pole and headed to the lake to join in the Rotary Club of Barrie- Kempenfelt's fourth annual kids' fishing day. "My dad took me out fishing when I was a kid, so it's nice to bring my son out to teach him (to fish)," said Jeff Millan of Barrie, while fishing with his son, Liam, who turned 10 yesterday. The rotary club offered the event free of charge to kids aged 13 or under at the Heritage Park shoreline from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. All the little guys and gals needed were a fishing rod, weather-appropriate clothing and a guardian. The club supplied the bait, as well as oodles of entertainment, including crafts, games and a kids' fun park. "They gave him a little fishing kit with everything he needed. We just had to bring a rod. It's a pretty good deal," Millan said, adding the wonderful weather made the day even better. The goal of the event is to offer children the opportunity to experience fishing and learn about conservation. "We liked that they included the younger kids with all of the toys and bouncy rides," Walter Seibt, of Barrie, said. Seibt and his wife, Judy, brought their 21-month old son, Noah, to the waterfront for some fishing. "He was more interested in the snow cones and face painting. We'll be back next year when he's a little older," Judy said. Last year, approximately 1,600 children participated in the big day, and this year looked just as successful. The waterfront was overflowing with grinning kids carrying their own catch of the day. Those without a fishing rod weren't excluded. The first 200 registrants were given a free fishing rod and some rods and tackle were available on a loan basis by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. "We'll definitely be back next year," agreed Millan and his son, Liam. They said they had a blast all day.

I'll be there early-ish on Friday morning. I've never been before and have only met a few of you so be gentle.

Now that the little guy has the trophy pose down, all he needs is the grin/shake hands/ accept the cheque pose. Nice fish.

So that's how a simple thread about free down-rigger balls has thirty odd replies and over six hundred views... I really should have known and used that five minutes to better myself. Thanks for the laugh.

It was like I was there. Now my next musky will be my second of the year.

Just havin' fun.

Nice job Mike, I've never caught a gar.

Sounds like that smallmouth was getting some on the side.

And the legend grows.

Sounds like bait.

Who says that??? And why don't they like Mehta???

For the past year I thought WGSF stood for wussy girl's small fish... Sorry Rich, I just thought you had a good sense of humour about getting rock bass.

NICE fish. BTW: You and GCD can can compare tans/ fish as the summer goes on.

I thought that this was going to have something to do with the forum?

The only cannon balls might be from a down-rigger fishing too deep. It's really deep, dark and cold down where that ship must be. Too bad because that would be some nice structure.

So much to buy, so little to spend.

I like the idea of the slide action but since I haven't lost or broken my other ones I don't need to buy a new one... yet.

The actual paper has some photos as well as a diagram of the ship. A search for HMS Ontario may produce some? Or here? www.shipwreckworld.com

For me the Swiss Army knives lack of locking blades is an issue (Need all my digits for spherin'). I've never thought wave as "cheap feeling", but that's me, and a difference of opinion makes a horse race. Of course I own a better "pocket" knife, better pliers and better screw drivers, but I'm not bringing all of them on a canoe trip or carrying them in my tackle box.