akaShag

This thread deserves to come back from the dead...............what a hoot! Doug

That is a very nice package indeed, and with the kicker is a multi-species fishing machine. No problem waiting, there is no open water anyways!

I have owned several thousand firearms, of which a couple hundred have been shotguns. I know a thing or two about them. The best shotgun will be one that FITS you; nothing can make a gun shoot properly for the shooter if the gun does not fit. So for example I have fairly short arms. The Browning BPS is a darned good pump action shotgun, and is much loved by left-handed shooters because the design ejects the spent shells out through the bottom of the receiver. BUT part of the "ejection port" is cut into the forestock, and when the action is cycled to eject the spent casing that spot in the forestock must be clear of obstructions including, in my case, my left hand. So a BPS in my hands is a single shot. Winchester shotguns tend to have longer frames, which once again in my own case means I don't get a good fit. Mossberg shotguns have a bakelite "twit" (see PS) in the trigger group that can shear if one fires a lot of magnum loads (as in goose shells for example). Once that piece shears off, the shotgun can slam-fire on closing (which can be a spiritual experience) and also will not lock up any more. The tang safety can also be a bit of a pain to use. But for light use, an older Mossberg 500 is a decent gun and can be purchased for not much money. Anybody having issues with a Remington 870 is probably experiencing user error or fit issues. The 870 is probably the most dependable shotgun ever made and there are millions of them in use world-wide. Yes the Wingmaster guns are nicer than the Express models, but they are all reliable guns that are honest working guns. If an 870 FITS you, then that might be your best bet. As somebody has mentioned, you can generally buy a good used gun on www.canadiangunnutz.com but you have to register to use the equipment exchange forums. If you do go there, you will find me there as Doug. If you have any gun questions, feel free to send me a pm. And don't buy a gun of any kind without trying it out for fit. (Did I already say that?) Doug PS) I did not say twit for that bakelite part, I spelled that without a w. And that word best describes the part.....

The Line-X spray-on bed liner is excellent. For small items, there is a product called a DUHA that goes underneath the back seat and it holds a pile of stuff that you might not want to leave in the box - tools, guns, etc. I ordered mine through a small independent here in Kingston, but I am thinking a Van and Truck World kind of chain would have them also. Here is a link: www.du-ha.com Doug

I'm a new kid on the block here as well, and this is a good place. Welcome aboard! Just don't start threads about Lake Nipissing, or game wardens, both topics seem to bring out a certain amount of heated rhetoric....... Yes that is enough boat for Lake Ontario if you know how to drive and keep an eye on the weather. I have no personal experience with that particular hull and motor, but I am guessing you will need a kicker motor to get slow enough to run your riggers. Doug

VERY interesting thread. I had to get my trailer tongue made into a swing-away so it would fit into my new garage. The machinist who did the work used seriously large bits and pieces and had to put a lot of effort into making everything work. The kit was one from Fulton. But yes my chains are forward of the pivot, and reading all of this makes me think I should get that re-jigged, even if it is a secondary chain from the primary set back to the main trailer body. And as Fisherman knows, I am highly assiduous in ensuring a weekly check of everything mechanical.............. Doug

A good cook stove like a Findlay Oval costs an arm and a leg, and yes the firebox is pretty small and has to be fed pretty regularly, with smallish pieces of wood or the fire goes out. I suggest your best bet is to buy a used air-tight stove, with a good sized firebox, to hunt the camp and go with a propane stove/oven. You might also ask your cook(s) to do more on the stove top and less in the oven (and I have been a camp cook at MANY camps!!!) Another option, and this is not off the wall, we actually did this, is to move the cook stove outside and use the oven outside only. Heat the camp with an air-tight that is ULC approved and the installation WETT certified, and do stove-top cooking on propane inside and oven cooking on the outside stove. Hope this helps. Doug

I was on Loughborough today, there is still at least thirty inches of ice. A little bit punky on top, and close to shore there is a skim over maybe five inches of water, but still lots of ice.............. Doug

I agree with jimmer. Chris Bowyer is a master taxidermist, does fabulous work, and is a nice guy to deal with. He did have quite a backlog of work last time I saw him, which was a few years back. But if you are going to pay for taxidermy, you might as well get quality work done. Doug

About 30" on a back lake here yesterday but getting punky on top, and the bikes went through getting back to shore. Last time for that lake this hard water season - unless somebody can find a helicopter.......... Doug

I used to fish with a guy who is a jeweller and modern-day goldsmith. He had feeling in his fingers that most mortals can only dream about, and routinely would outfish me many fish to one. It was a VERY humbling experience............... Doug

I ordered a boodle of the Fin-S minnows from Bass Pro. First time I did a mail order with them, imagine my surprise when I found out they are shipping from the USA and I paid in US DOLLARS! Doug

Thanks for the info on Bass Pro Shops, order has been sent................ Now how about those Lunker City jigheads? Doug

Neither Wholesale Sports, Bass Pro Shops, nor Cabela's shows them in their on-line catalogues, so any steer as to where to buy will be appreciated........... Doug

Maybe I missed this, but is there a Canadian distributor for Lunker City jigheads and Fin-S minnows? They look very sweet indeed.......... Doug

I sense cabin fever setting in here.............. .............and everybody keen as mustard to get out for the crappies! (ME TOO!) Thanks to all for some new ideas. I do use a lot of different artificials for crappies, usually some kind of twister tail type grub. Last spring for me the hot bait was a 2" Berkley Power Grub in a garish pink/orange colour on a 1/16 oz plain round jig head. Doug

Hello Crosshairs, and thanks very much for your factual information, I surely do appreciate it. Doug

I am reminded of a day in probably late May/early June in Petawawa, out in my twelve foot tinny, and the crap Fairy struck me, quite forcibly, on the soft spot on top of my head and said "crap NOW!" For those of you who do not suffer from IBS or any other bowel-vacating-right-now situations, the crap Fairy is something one ignores at one's peril. I was anchored and catching decent fish, but twenty feet either way of my anchor spot was a blackout zone, nada, and it had taken me quite a while to find this honey hole. No matter, the crap Fairy must be obeyed, and up anchor and quickly to shore, haul the boat up and find a level spot, down go the drawers, and within a very few seconds I had FUR, as in MOVING fur, all over my arse, balls, face, and every other square millimeter of exposed flesh. We are talking ZILLIONS of blood-thirsty black flies, well past the swarming time and well into the blood-sucking time. I hauled my pants back up and ran for my boat, far better to crap myself without the bugs than to feed them where I was. True story.............. Doug

and what general area are you thinking of? or, where is your start point and how far do you wish to drive, MAXIMUM? Doug

I have owned a lot of boats, all but one smaller rigs. When I was finally going to buy a brand new boat because I had saved up enough money, I asked a professor of mechanical engineering if I should buy a boat with a fiberglass or aluminum hull. Well, to distill his advice down to its basics, if you EVER pull your boat up on sand or a rock, or if you EVER leave it out in the sun, you might not want to have a fiberglass hull. I thought that was very valuable advice and bought a Sylvan with an aluminum hull, and have never looked back. That was fifteen years ago, many days on the water, and I am a VERY happy camper. Sylvan boat, Honda outboard, for my fishing I have a perfect outfit. For Caribou, you might find that a twelve footer is just not enough boat if you do want to fish three people. It can be done, I did for years, but there is not much space and an excited passenger can give you some pretty spiritual experiences. Doug

More great footage, Justin............. I have been surrounded by coyotes many times when bow-hunting from tree stands. Sometimes it seems they are just out of my range of view. YES it is unnerving, to say the least. Get attacked by a pack of coyotes, armed with a bow, you might get one shot............ There have been very few coyote attacks on people, but I am not jonesing to be one of the lucky lottery winners. You might want to bring a baseball bat with you into that ground blind...............even the NCC anti-hunters have not banned baseball in the "green belt." Doug

Back to knuguy...............that must have been quite the club and its annual awards night..........I can see the MC: "Gentlemen, the three finalists for Onanist of the Year are..........." to wild if somewhat sticky applause.............

PS to limeyangler) That was why, in reply #5, I referred to Miss Thumb and her four little hand maidens..............

back to Fisherman, guilty as charged. Although the time that BOTH wheel bearings blew out, and molten bits of bearings shredded BOTH my tires, I had loaned my big boat to Marcel for the open water season. Seems he was fond of launching "Watchdog" and leaving the trailer in the water at the ramp while he got rigged etc........ And Marcel is harder on equipment than I will ever be................. The fact remains that a trailer is another thing that can go wrong, especially if a person is technically inept like me............. Doug

back to limeyangler.............on the contrary, a wanker is what the guy will be.................