OhioFisherman

We have some sand and gravel pits, sandstone and limestone quarries in this area. All seem to have fish in them, bass and panfish. Just my guess someone put them in there. My experience is crappie have a tough time growing in them, most seem to be stunted, not enough food-too much competition for it. Most of the ones I have fished could use a good stocking of bait fish, of a type that would grow large enough for all but the biggest of some species to eat them, like golden shiners. Just ensures a breeding population of bait fish. Bass or good sized catfish can help reduce the number of stunted fish, Bluegill-sunfish seem to have trouble with stunting also, just breed too quickly and over populate. Never caught a trout in a quarry here, some seem deep enough(40+feet) to hold them, not a ready supply near by for people to throw them in? Bass can and will eat small trout, throwing small ones in might not be worth the effort, get them 8-12 inches at least. The fish in some of the quarries have seemed really spooky, some have some serious drops from the walls to the water 20-30 feet or more. In some I have had much better success using live bait over lures, no real good explanation for it. In some it takes a big chub or shiner to discourage the smaller bass from attempting to eat it. Some of the ones here seem to have a pretty sterile enviroment, not much on shore, to much rock, too deep at the shoreline to hard a bottom for weed beds to grow. But some big shapes in the water lurking, and spooky about foreign objects entering the water.

Next door to Lew? at the cottage not T-town! Moving is a big issue, especially if you expect it to be your last move. Big cities seem to be magnets for crime, and the taxes tend to be higher. Retirement issues, will you need to continue working? Family support network? Just to give an example, one of my buddies parents moved to South Carolina about 10 years ago, no family down there, illness forced them back. Family had trouble dropping everything and going down there to care for them. The older you get the less mistakes you want to make moving.

Just wondered Wayne, never used a tube that big, and never put a trailer hook on a bass sized tube. I have used the surgical tubing to add a rattle quickly and have hung a spinner off the hook to give more of a flash. Just like to be able to remove them easily.

Wayne could you accomplish the same deal with a ball bearing swivel snap on a treble hook and a piece of surgical tubing to hold it onto the main hook? Like a trailer hook on a spinner bait?

Nice Glenn, that dam is your hot spot?

Gerritt, we used to catch them by accident on tubes, grubs, sonars this time of year fishing for smallies on Lake Erie. Trolling does give you a shot at putting the lure in front of more fishes faces. A good depth finder makes it easier to locate them. Just my opinion the walleye roam more following bait fish, and tend to suspend off the bottom. Had some real good days drifting with a swimming jig tipped with a big minnow or small sucker.

Nice fish! Congrats Don!

Never fished simcoe, just seen pictures. Another issue would be will they be protected long enough to become established? Will they affect the population of other game fish? Eg. walleye, smallies?

Hooked it depends on the reel, my older Abus wouldn`t work well with less than 12 pound test, some times on a cast the line would get between the spool and the housing with 10 pound test, my preference for the open waters of lake erie. Never had any problem using 10 on my shimanos, a different spool shape closer tolerances. You can probably tell by looking at the spool and housing, if you have it adjusted for a normal use see the size of the gap if one is visable. Maybe try and see if the line test you want to use will slip into it. I haven`t really looked at any reels lately to see spool shapes and designs, it was the only problem I had and I never used less than 10 # on a baitcaster, no particular reason to.

I have had bad luck with out a steel leader on if there is fish with teeth around, and the quality of some of them is also suspect. I haven`t tried any of the fluorocarbon ones and the stringease snaps look to be the best ones. I have hooked a lot of bigger fish on bass tackle with no steel leader, not a lot of luck landing them. Just me but if I am intentionally fishing for a big pike or ski? Best to be prepared.

Darn things are a lot easier to catch when there isn`t a weigh in near by! Nice fish Brian.

A boat that sits higher in the water catches more wind, makes boat control more of a problem on windy days, bass boats are low to the water because of this. Higher sides on big water probably safer. It helps some to have a motor big enough to get you around a lake in a reasonable amount of time. Do you need the biggest or fastest? More important to have the skills to locate fish and catch them once you get there.

November, December, January, February, March on a lake in Florida trying for a 10+ bass on my own. Bass opener until the snow on the Georgian(Pointe Au Baril) and Scotty to beam me south quickly! A Lakeair swill? Er, I mean fishing trip! eh?

Great pictures! You gotta feel lost, a Canadian with out snow?

Not my little one, the Searay was AGITATOR.

Gary the concern here is for a recession, it has already hit the home market. Property values dropping in some areas, some of it has to do with people over extending themselves and not being able to make payments when the a.r.m.s reset. Another part is some of the people that got loans would have never qualified for one 20 or 30 years ago. A lot of the major players in the mortgage markets are reporting some serious losses. Speculation on fuel, the reasoning is oil should be selling for around 62 dollars a barrel based on the supply. USA spending, estimated 2 1/2 Trillion dollars, to fix the mess in the middle east. Canadian dollar over valued? I don`t think your country has anywhere near the debt load we have, and ours just keeps going up.

If your planning a trip through northern Ohio e-mail me and I will give you my number. I know a little about repairs, and don`t work so usually I am available. Can`t do much except guide you through what you might need to do. I have tools and stuff around to help. AAA is a good idea. Canadian auto club? My plan will tow my car like 100 miles. If your vehicle can`t be fixed quickly I a room to leave it.

Don`t get caught up in the "gotta have it" crap a lot of people here do. A mortgage crisis of sorts, people buy a home no down payment two a.r.m. loans that are now resetting at a higher interest rate and they can`t afford the higher payment. Foreclosing on mortgage loans here at an increasing rate. Gotta have it, and can I afford to keep it can be two different things. Expect the un-expected, and live with-in your means. Fed here is expected to lower interest rates at the next session, it won`t be enough to help some. I only have 72 payments left on the ranch, mortgage balance is 2,000, and haven`t worked since 2003. Gotta have it, and can I keep it, was a roof over my families head. Stuff happens!

You do have to be careful if you decide to remove the windshield and front deck, they add stiffness to the side, more modification might be needed?

Whatever it is,carp, buffalo, you look good holding it! I have caught carp on lake shiners here Glen, the vacuum thing, if it`s near their mouth they suck it up.

Great pictures and report Brian, nice when the fish you do catch average over 4 pounds.

Maybe good as an artificial reef project? An unusual sand box for kids? You need deep pockets and above normal talent for that project boat.

Reel weight, if your casting for bass why have the extra weight of a 400 size reel? Just a comfort factor for a day of throwing lures. 400 size reel makes sense if muskies or big pike are the target.

Erie has a huge supply of baitfish, Shiner,Shad, smaller fish of other species, makes for a good growth rate. They don`t have to use much energy to get food. Nice smallie! This is a good time of the year for them.

To you guys that are so critical of Al Gore..."What are you doing to help"? I cut my driving by 80 percent! Ya I don`t have much fun! I changed my light bulbs to CFL`s, I plant trees! LOL