alexw

Hey Guys, We are having the in-laws visiting from abroad, and I would like to take them out boating and show off our beautify Ontario lakes. In your opinion, which one of the lakes around Toronto has the best scenic shorelines? I want to avoid the big lakes as my boat is only 17.5 ft, and preferably within 2hr distance from Richmond Hill. If the lake has good fishing, it is definitely a plus! Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the replies. I will give S.S.F.C Lindsay campus a call this week. Alex

Hi everyone, I caught a crappie this weekend with a tag on, and the tag has "S.S.F.C" and a number on it. Did a little bit googling, "S.S.F.C" stands for "Sir Sandford Fleming College". I understand that when a fish is caught with M.N.R tag, then I should report it to M.N.R. But, since this is a "S.S.F.C" tag, should I report it to "S.S.F.C"? Thanks, Alex

Thanks for all the great tips. I will keep that in mind.

Thanks a lot Lew. I will give it a try. Definitely need a special socket wrench to take the plugs off. Alex

Thanks for all your responses! That's definitely a relief. The only thing is the fogging part. I have a 90HP 4-stroke Mercury outboard. I never fogged the motor before since I have heard that it is not necessary to fog a 4-stroke. Is it true? If I do have to fog it, I am not sure how to do it. I used to own a 2-stroke and I just pull the spark plugs and fog into cylinders. But for this 4-stroke motor, I could not figure out how to fog it since the spark plugs seem to be deep inside and hard to access. Thanks again! Alex

Hi everyone, I used to store my boat/motor in a unheated garage every winter. This year, I can't find a garage and am thinking to leave the boat/motor outdoors. My question is: 1. Is it ok to leave it outdoors after winterization? 2. I am planning to cover the boat/motor up with tarps, is it sufficient? Is there anything else I should watch out for? Thanks, Alex

Thanks everyone for your responses! I will give it a try.

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am in the GTA area. So it would be great if the boat can be repaired near GTA or the Kawarthas, since my boat is docked there.

Hi everyone, I have a new Lund aluminum boat. The paint on one side was rubbed off in many spots by another boat which was not tied properly while docked on a lake. I called many places (Lund dealers / auto body shops) and none of them do the painting. Does anyone know a good place which does a good job in boat painting? Also the graphic sticker on the boat is damaged, I guess I will have to order it from Lund. Thanks in advance! Alex

Thanks for the quick responses. I am actually looking to buy a new boat since I am not much of a handy man and does not want problems that might comes with an used boat. I agree the one in our classified has a great price, but on the other hand, if I buy new now, and after 10 years of usage, I can still sell it at 7K price, which does not sound so bad. So my question still remains, comparing with other 08, 09 or 2010 new boats, is this a good deal? Thanks, Alex

Hi everyone, I am almost committing to buy a new 2007 Lund Mr. Pike 17ft boat. The boat has never been used and comes with a Merc 115hp 4-stroke, a 70Lb MinnKota trolling motor, Lowrace x102c fishfinder and 3 batteries. Upgraded trailer to single axle with brakes. The boat is in the U.S and the price is 21,000 US dollars. Before I commit with a deposit, I would like a second opinion from you guys. does this sound like a good deal? Thanks, Alex

Thanks Cliff. Yes my wife is a realestate agent, but she just started the profession. I feel I know more about cottages than she does, and besides the cottage is mainly for fishing. Therefore it's me who is doing the main research and making the decision. No matter what we decide to do in the end, I really appreciate all the great info given here. You guys are simply the best! Alex

Thanks Dutch for the link, and thanks Big Cliff for the offer to help. PM sent. Alex

Thanks everyone for your replies. While dalrymple / big & little bald have good fishing, they are a little too far than we like. If possible, we would like to stay at the south end of either Sturgeon / rice / tri-lakes. We like Sturgeon very much, just can't find a good cottage now in our price range. Pigeon is nearby, but not sure how the fishing is compared with Sturgeon. Thanks again. Alex

Hi everyone, We are considering to buy a cottage within 1.5hr from Toronto in the Kawartha area. The biggest thing for us is good fishing. Which lake do you guys think is best for walleye, bass fishing? We are eyeing on Sturgeon for now since we are familiar with that lake, but it does not have many cottages on the market between 300k to 400k price range. How does Pigeon / Chemong lake compare with Sturgeon in terms of fishing? Which lake would you pick? By the way, if you know someone selling a cottage that you like to recommand, please let me know. Thanks in advance for your input. Alex

Thanks guys for your inputs, looks like I should stick to aluminum then.

Hi everyone, I fish a lake with lots of underwater tree roots and I damage my aluminum propeller almost every year (1 or even 2 per season). I am wondering if it's a good idea for me to switch to stainless steel propeller. The motor is a 25HP Mercury (2 stroke). I checked the price for a SS propeller, it costs around $260 while an aluminum costs only about $60. My question is: 1. How good are those SS propellers when it hits underwater tree roots? Is it worth the money? 2. Where can you find good deals on SS propellers. Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Thanks again. I notice that Bass Pro currently has a Daiwa TD-Pro reel on sale for $89.94 (reg. $119.99). Has anyone used this reel? Is it any good?

Thanks everyone for you input so far. To Danial: I am really looking to buy new ones. But thanks a lot for your response and offer. Cheers, Alex

Hi everyone, I am planning to get myself a new spinning rod and reel mainly for bass and walleye fishing for under $200 total. If you are happy with one of yours, can you please share the following info: 1) Brand / model of rod 2) Brand / model of reel 3) Where did you buy them 4) Why do you like them 5) What not to buy Thanks in advance for your help! Alex

This is what I did for my 14ft Lund aluminum 2 years ago. Thanks to the inputs from the members of this forum. So far it has been working great for me. If you are a handy man, it should be pretty simple. Took me about 2 days.

Thanks for your inputs so far. Hope we can get some safe ice by Xmas. lunkerbasshunter, when you say nipissing "season does not open untill jan 1", is that based on the regulations or is it because ice hut operators choose not to open until jan 1?

Hi all, I am planning a Xmas get away for 2 or 3 families with kids. Once again I am turning to this great forum for help. It will be from Dec 23 to Dec 26. Preferred activities include: ice fishing and skiing although none of us has any experience in ice fishing or skiing. Questions: 1. Is Xmas too early for ice fishing? We live in Toronto and are willing to drive up to 5 hours. I called a hotel in North Bay and was told there is no ice in Nipissin yet. So when does the ice fishing normally start? 2. Does anyone have any good destinations / getaway packages to recommand? 3. What are the do's and don'ts when first time ice-fishing or skiiing? I know this is a lot to ask, any info / comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Alex