tonyb

Biteme, did you see the Varadero report? Check it out, when are you going? Tony

Slowpoke, It does look like a dogs head with floppy ears even! I see it too! Maybe we're both nuts lol Tony

Wow I had no idea. It was a great resource. Thanks for the heads up, until something takes places, we can talk Simcoe here Cheers, Tony

Does anyone know the new home of the message board? It appears that the domain has lapsed or something, and it's now just a sponsored ad website Thanks, Tony

Fin Bore III all the way Wayne. I've used both, and the 8" Fin Bore III is a dream. For guys talking about tag-teaming using a swede-bore with the flat top handle, that just makes my laugh. You hardly need any down-pressure with the curved blades on the Fin Bore, let the blades do the cutting. The offset handle does take a bit of getting used to, but you get way more efficiency being able to get the spin going with both arms. Cheers, Tony P.S. Both my old swede-bores are now collecting dust lol damn things.

Run a scan to fix... http://housecall.trendmicro.com Tony

I packed needle-nosed pliers to save my fingers Kemper, Guatemala is the place for you if you want sailfish. World renowned. I've also heard Costa Rica and Panama have some great sails. jeffw, thanks I do believe that is the fish I hooked into. Crevalle Jack Interesting thing about this fish is that 3-5lbs is common, the one I hooked had to be between 14-16lbs. Cheers, Tony

I packed needle-nosed pliers to save my fingers Kemper, Guatemala is the place for you if you want sailfish. World renowned. I've also heard Costa Rica and Panama have some great sails. jeffw, thanks I do believe that is the fish I hooked into. Crevalle Jack Interesting thing about this fish is that 3-5lbs is common, the one I hooked had to be between 14-16lbs. Cheers, Tony

The Hip - Great in concert Pearl Jam - Awesome in concert (ear-ringing!) Pretty much everything except twangy country music and that elevator music crap. Tony

Saw several of them coming off the ice last year. Guys caught them on teardrops with perch minnows What next?! That's an awesome fish, I can only imagine the fight he had on his hands lol. Tony

Insane fight on that fish Nippissing, 2 cartwheel style jumps turning the water into a froth, several screaming runs and the fish even tried to rub my lure off on the bottom. It fought like it was twice the size, simply amazing. I consider myself lucky since that spot was shallow enough for me to hop down off the breakwall and into the water to land it. Plan B in other deeper areas was 55lb Flouro and a 3/0 Treble to try to hook the lure in the fish's mouth and then hoist it up. Tony

Setomonkey, the water was anywhere from 6-15ft. I couldn't believe the teeth on a Barracuda, much more aggresive than a Pike or even Musky. The lure is going into a shadow box with a photo of the fish, big teeth marks in the hard plastic Skitterwalk now I saw some Puffers, needlefish, various small reef fish, and small yellowtails chasing bait, all my lures were too big for them, seemed to be the story all week. I also had a Permit-looking fish (estimated around 15lbs) inhale my 3" Gulp! shrimp and as soon as I set the hook it spazzed and started peeling off a big run, then the braid must have cut into itself on the spool of the reel tightening up the line and the 30lb flouro leader detonated making a cracking whip sound lol. Saltwater fish are faster and more powerful than anything I have caught in freshwater. It's really awesome actually. Tony

Well I'll keep this short and sweet. Had an awesome time at Sandals Royal Hicacos near Varadero, Cuba. I picked up a 3-piece travel rod from St. Croix to do some fishing from shore while I was there. I caught onto a pattern for Barracuda using a Rapala Skitterwalk using a turbo-charged retrieve/hyper walk-the-dog combination I named the 'Cuda Dance Here are some spots I tried and my first and new personal best Barracuda! I also learned that the off-shore fishing is not really worth the money on N. Shore of Cuba (local angler advice) as they severly net all species with reckless abandon. Most of the other 30+ hits I had on the Skitterwalk were small cuda's < 5lbs and I couldn't get the hooks into em with my fast-paced topwater retrieve. I also tried a lot of other baits and while I had many follows, I could only trigger strikes on the ultra-fast presentation of the Skitterwalk. Berkley Gulp! 3" shrimp are a decent option for targetting smaller fish. I just rigged it on a 2/0 hook with no weight and had some hits on that as well. Cohiba's, Havana Club, beautiful beach (Among Top 10 worldwide), and Barracuda what else could you ask for? Cheers, Tony

Holy crap 47 Spiel?! Who did you rent from? Sounds like a blast. With 15KM winds and -5 temps it might be nicer in the shelter of a hut for the day. Tony

Does anyone know? Simcoe? Quinte? Thanks, Tony

Works in IE 7 no problems. I see the refresh set as a minimum of 30 mins. I think 5 or 10 mins might be a bit better. Feed the addiction Tony

Hey Mr. Twister, great report. I was wondering if you could share some information about the bait situation? Were you able to get live minnows up there? I know with the bait ban now in effect I have been warned by the operator we booked with in Temagami that they have no access to live minnows?!! Thanks in advance. Tony

I plan on attending. I will get a solid answer on getting some food for the bbq as well as possible deserts. Maybe even something for the prize table Hopefully I can drag along some buddies as well to help support the cause. Tony

Simply awesome! Tony

Hmm the link doesn't work for me. I doubt many people would pay for a fishing show online when there are freebies. Tony

Team Daiwa advantage reels aren't too shabby.

Good stuff Simcoebob, I have a bunch of stuff I plan on giving away. Sandals, hats, mini hotel toiletries that I saved up over the year, fishing line, my old polarized sunglasses, tons of candies for the kids from costco, fishing hooks and sinkers and some old spoons, etc. I was there before and they really don't have access to all the commodities that we do so we try to do what we can. I've got some fishing spots in mind thanks to google earth Can this day go any slower? Tony

rayfish2005, we are staying at Sandals Royal Hicacos. They include FREE diving for their guests. Since I am PADI certified I think I will heed your advice. Find out where the fish are underwater then go catch 'em! I am bringing my snorkelling gear too, so I can get out with the group This is my 2nd time to Cuba, it is unlike any other Carribbean destination, I love it there. Tony

Well I have 2 more sleeps until headed for the turqoise waters and warm breezes of Varadero, Cuba. In addition to the R&R my brother in-law is getting married there so it should be a great trip I have amassed a bunch of tackle to take with me. Everything from bottom fishing jigs and live bait rigs to slip floats, circle hooks, saltwater gulp, spoons, cranks, spinners and some notable lures that I'm hoping will tag me something big. Check these out: 18" Williamson Live Ribbonfish Rapala Sliver - The blueish one mimics a needlefish perfectly (I've got the top 3 colours) This silly looking thing is supposed to work well on 'Cuda's...we'll see. I hope to have a full fishing report when I return I am pretty pumped considering the hardwater season is toast right now. Later, Tony

Can you troll from the cruise ship proboat? Tony