musky66

Completed survey- very good, but now I have to consider keeping the boat out of storage a month longer! Not a fan of Bass fishermen, but I voted to keep them out longer too- nice to have company on the lake so late in the year.

Can't believe they were strapped into the machine while ice riding- very stupid, and very, very sad.

I say throw what you are comfortable with. The wrong lure in the right spot will out-fish the right lure in the wrong spot. If you can cast a lot more with smaller baits it may pay off over fewer casts with a larger bait. But I am trying some larger blades this season- on spinnerbaits too. Don't forget trolling- easier on the arms.

My son and a few friends are at Haliburton Highlands for the weekend- he called yesterday to say a friends son of his girlfriends Uncle- ran off the trail and was killed by hitting a tree- air lifted out but to no avail. This is the second serious injury my son has witnessed this season- one on Simcoe- the Cook bay racetrack, where a fellow lost it on a Yamaha RX 1, and now this- Pretty sure it keeps him a better rider knowing how quickly a wonderful sport can turn deadly. My condolences to the family of the poor lad in Haliburton. Too many things to end sweet life out there.

Sorry, looked like shooting fish in a barrel to me. I wouldn't consider that 'fishing'

I called and they are all out, apparently a discontinued item and now gone.

96 Jeep GC with 5.2- great towing rig and daily driver- almost at 400,000 kms and still running strong. Poor mileage foe sure, especially when towing- but that is to be expected. Now running a 2001 Jeep GC with the 4.0 litre- little better mileage, but towing just naturally uses more gas- no matter what. Gas will always be expensive from now on- look at the pump price compared to crude now- if crude ever climbs to $100/barrel again ( when, not if) the pumps will be at $1.50 easy. If fishing is what you do- then we must put up with it.

Transmissions stink- $3000 for one in my old Jeep- good thing she's gone 400,000 kms and thats been the worst. $700 for a complete rebuild of the 727 in my old Charger- go figure!

Try the docks around Gravenhurst Bay in the spring. Plenty of space and I've pulled some good ones from there in the past. More pressure in the last few years but see many caught from shore every year.

Easy stuff, what they said ;bit I find it best to get in the water with the boat when loading. I beach, or tie the boat up, back the trailer in, then wearing my Crocs (summer) or rubber boots (fall) I wade in as necessary to push the boat out ( with rope in hand) and shove it out past the guide ons and then pull it up onto the bunks. Hook it up and crank it on. I find it safer to do it this way instead of walking the tongue! When launching- I tie the bow rope to my winch strap, back in until the boat floats clear and then drive forward ( without putting to much initial pressure on the rope) and gently beach the boat on the gravel launch I normally use. Then I get out, untie, make sure the boat is secure, and park my rig.

Water temps on Balsam today were 44-45 degrees or so. A breezy morning but a beauty afternoon. I managed a very thick fish in the high 40's which flipped me off at boat side.

I do as above ( already completed oil changes- will wait until after Musky season to fog cylinders) but also tarp up the prop to make sure no water gathers inside hub to possibly freeze. I also tape a large garbage bag over the entire motor- no shrink wrap, and punch a couple of holes in the bottom for drainage.

After I jack up the boat I pull the tires for safe storage inside- my boat is stored a little remotely! I spray the hubs with a rust preventative as well. No tires on trailer help to prevent boat theft.

Temps in the Kawarthas the past few weeks have been in the mid 60's and fishing has been slow ( for me!) A few under 36" but no big girls yet. I have been hearing that fishing has been tough or 'off' all season from a few people- hopefully things will turn around soon- I have vacation Thanksgiving week!

Pike are slowly working into the Kawarthas- may not be in Pigeon yet but Balsam has them. Troll large spinner baits at a moderately fast clip along weed lines and out over deeper areas.

My Yammy 115 four/fuelie has a small vibration at idle ( not really a shake), steering has some looseness but not much. Haven't seen a non-power steering boat with great steering yet- nature of the beast. Steering should be pretty effortless at normal speeds as long as boat is trimmed properly.

Anyplace closer to me than Aikmans for reel service- its a hell of a drive across the 401 when my season wraps up in November. Does Angling Specialties service reels? I am in Georgina and Newmarket area.

Never a huge AC/Dc fan- but have seen some great bands...KISS in the Gardens in '79 was my first. Seen Rush many times, and will forever remember the two Queen shows! Now my 16 year old son and I rock out to Canadian bands like April Wine whenever we can!

Good luck! I toasted a bearing Wednesday night- no fun. Called CAA but had to upgrade for trailer coverage. My trailer was the same width as the flatbed- one side jacked up (tire had come off) and the other tread just on the edge- I cringed at every bump on the ride home. Parked her on the road for the night- bought a cheap bearing kit at Princess Auto and managed to get her assembled enough to get her in the driveway. Turns out the spindle riding on the rim chewed up the threads and bearing surface so I ended up having a new axle, with hubs made by a local shop. Lost three days of planned fishing on this weeks vacation. plus the hassle of doing most of the work myself and the cost of a new axle assembly. I will never let this happen again due to my poor planning or lack of maintenance! Could have been a lot worse- I was pulling away from a red light when I noticed a vibration and could see the tire wobbling in my mirror; just finished a 45 minute run at almost 100 kph- if I had lost the wheel at speed- oh no!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I sure don't want any more experiences like this- I think it stems from my inexperience in re-greasing the bearings- they will be done properly from now on! Removed the complete axle and sure enough the threads and bearing surfaces were scored beyond repair on the underside- where the rim was supporting the weight after I lost the nut and outside bearing! Took the axle to a local trailer shop and had them make me a new one this afternoon- luckily my son was friends with one of the employees and I got a super cash deal. Just need to paint her up and bolt her in.

Coming back from Balsam the other night and I finally get to experience the joys of an overheated and disintegrating trailer bearing! Not to mention the joys of getting it home. Now I have replaced and rebuilt the hub only to find that the threads on the spindle are messed up and I can't get the nut to thread on. It doesn't appear that the stub axle can be removed from the drop tube. I am going to remove the entire axle and try to find a place to repair the threads(I hope) or I may need to replace entire axle. Anyone recommend a place in York Region (Georgina) for repair?

All of the above- but NOT in my tackle box. Several years back I started keeping all the stuff mentioned above in an inexpensive electricians tool bag. You can buy them at hardware stores, Home Depot, CTC, etc. I stuff it too the max and carry it in and out of my boat or friends- easy to pick up and take inside at end of the day as well. When it rains I stick it under my console. It has become indispensable. I keep only lures in my tackle box

I've ben to Guelph a few times to stay at the University and attend seminars by ORFA- always thought there was a lot of good looking water in Guelph and maybe the best tackle store I've ever been in- Hook. Line & Sinker- check it out.

If its not too much gas- you can probably add it to your vehicle- should be diluted enough for the engine to make good use of it. Or add it in small quantities to your lawnmower.

1973 Plymouth Cuda w/ 318 auto, followed by a 1966 Dodge Charger- still have the Charger- since '85, my 16 year old son and I are working it back to street shape! Check it out in pic to the left.