singingdog

I feel the need to defend the PC guys; I really don't know what they could have done differently. They have had all the dams shut down since the thaw started, trying to hold water back. It seems like a low snowpack, combined with virtually no runoff, has led to the present conditions. Lots of warm, windy days, and very little rain, have meant the snow disappeared without causing much runoff at all.

They will still take whatever water they can. The lakes up here - the ones on the TW system - were dammed years ago to create a reservoir for the TW navigation system. TW sees that as the primary use of those lakes, all other uses are secondary. I don't see what they could have done about it. There just hasn't been water to hold back. The Gull system has been pretty much shutdown - all dams holding water - since the thaw started. It can all change with a few days of rain, as long as it happens before the leaves are out.

Nope, very little water north of you. Check my post in the other lake level thread.

I have been monitoring and posting river levels, including much of the TS system, for 15+ years. This is indeed a low-water year. Lower than normal snowpack up this way, in combination with a melt that mostly evaporated instead of running off seems to be the culprit. 2 days of rain can change all of that, but it doesn't seem to be in the forecast. Sturgeon is below average, but not below the historic low, Scugog is very close to average, Buckhorn is at an historic low, well below navigation range. Those levels are bad news for the Kawarthas, really bad news for the Haliburton Highlands because they will just drain our lakes to get the Kawartha lakes up to navigable levels. Most of the larger lakes in the northern part of the system are right around the historic low, with very little snow left to run off. Really, really bad news for the Pan Am games that want to use that water to host a whitewater event in Minden.

I just got a message that the ice on Opeongo is solid 24".....should be okay on Gull, unless there is current.

Power Team lures has good alternatives to both the Slammer and the Swammer, at much better prices.

Not at all. One of the most successful summer laker fisherman I know - fairly young guy - jigs for them with musky tubes....and catches tanks.

Jig. As 4x4 said, lakers are not difficult to find in the summer, and and can be very aggressive. Trolling for them, once the water has warmed up, is a great way to cover a lot of unproductive water.

Thanks all. I figured that, but wanted to get first-hand info.

For those of you that spend time in the park; any guesses on the black fly conditions in early June. Friend is planning a trip (front country) and wonders what it will be like.

There are lots of waterproof breathables on the market, all based on the same principle as gore-tex (pore size that allows tiny vapor particles to get through, but keeps huge water droplets out). IMHO, some of them are just as good as Gore-tex. I have been using the Patagonia shells for years and find them just as good as much pricier gore-tex based shells. Outerware companies figured out pretty quickly that the membrane (which is different than the fabric it is attached to) was only as good as the water resistant coating on the outside of the garment; if rain/spray doesn't "bead up" on the outside of the garment, then the garment can't breathe. That is one of the reasons for keeping waterproof/breathables clean and conditioned. High-end companies put a lot of research into selecting the fabrics that the membrane is bonded to, often getting a fabric custom made for a specific garment. Lower priced companies have a tendency to buy "off the shelf" fabrics that may or may not function well as a waterproof/breathable.

That clackin rap is worth keeping for sure. IMHO lipless cranks are one of the most versatile smallie lures available.

Don't think of deeper running cranks as only a deep-water tool. Fishing a 15' crank in 7-8 FOW can be deadly. It will bang across the bottom, dredging up sediment and triggering some awesome strikes. If you shore fish where there is rip-rap, or rocky banks, it can be a great presentation.

Yes, they are a species at risk; does seem odd that it's still legal to harvest them. Picking large ones up by the tail can damage their spine. I move dozens of them every year, and have found the best way is to grab the top shell, above the hind legs, and drag them backwards. Lots of folks up here carry a shovel in the spring to scoop them off the road.

Bass, walleye, lakers, brookies, pike, early season musky. Hair jigs are one of the most versatile lures around, and can save you a pile of $ on plastics. Here are some that I tie

I also think that thinner jigs, when in the water, give that translucent quality that a small baitfish has. I make an exception with bear-hair jigs for cold water smallies; I tie those fairly thick.

Nice bucktails! IMHO, you can go even sparser than that, especially for clear water fishing. Nice to see someone using good hooks on bucktails. So many of the jigs I see in tackle shops have crappy hooks.

A jerkbait that shimmys on the pause, and can turn 180 on a good snap?....congrats to Rapala for producing a LC Pointer copy 10 years after the fact

Stuffed for the day, or several days, will not affect it's long-term insulation. I have a 30 yr old down sleeping bag that has been on many multi-week trips (stuffed every day, all day), and is till as warm as I remember it being new (insert disclaimer for old brain). As Chris said, store sy it uncompressed when you get home. I cannot say the same for any synthetic insulation I have owned....all have lost significant loft over the course of just a few years.

That shot of the Red belly is beautiful: really nice composition.

Hardly any snow left up here.

I spoke with one guy that claims 4" on small, sheltered lakes, but I can't confirm that.

Just re-read your original post. If the UA gloves are working for you, try a pair of dishwashing gloves over them. Definitely waterproof, and you shouldn't sacrifice much in dexterity. I would buy them one size bigger than normal to accommodate the UA gloves.

As a cold water kayaker, I have tried every glove combo I can think of to keep my hands warm. Thin knit gloves under dishwashing gloves is the best high-dexterity combo I have ever found. Ultimately, I think it's all about the fit. If the gloves are constricting or too tight anywhere, then blood flow is constricted and it's game over.

Interesting question. I think that the internet has drastically changed how a world-record fish catching angler would be treated. IF they were specifically targeting large fish of a desirable species (bass, trout, walleye, musky), and had a compelling story to tell, then I think the benefits would be big and long lasting (IF the angler wanted to live that kind of life). An angler that had worked on developing the knowledge and techniques to specifically catch large fish would have a lot to share, and consequently benefit from. IF they caught it "incidentally" (after targetting musky for the past couple of years, I am convinced I will catch my first really big 'ski on a 4" tube while bass fishing), then I think that the benefits would be far less: the story would be far less compelling. "Yea, I was trolling a crawler harness when "wham" my rod bends right over". Each species has it's "tribe" of big fish chasers who are not easily impressed by an incidental big fish catch. I think that the industry knows that and would respond accordingly.