MJL

I've ordered a bunch of discontinued lures/colours from Fishandsave - including Kwikfish, Brad's wigglers and Hot Shots. Always had a great experience with them - Normally they send an e-mail asking how you want it shipped to Canada (I always just ask for the cheapest method). After conversion (with our weaker dollar) and shipping, it normally comes to about the same price as buying at a tackle shop in Canada for even the heavily discounted items. With that said, all the stuff I've bought from them couldn't be found anywhere else. I remember watching an episode of Mark Romanack from 411 Fishing, washing his lures with liquid soap after landing a fish. I think he said he wanted to remove the fish slime off the lures to avoid having any negative odors on them.

What's a Kwikfish Not sure about colours, but I've seen them at GagnonSports, J&S Tackle in the past. Angling Specialties usually carries Flatfish.

I figured it was bound to happen. Looking at the OFAH list of closures, a number of popular spots on other rivers are closed to. I actually enjoy opener, not so much for the fishing, but more so for the social aspect of it. There's a couple of anglers from Ottawa who come down once a year (definitely don’t want to do that this year). We sometimes swap flies, spinners and steelhead crankbaits that are hard to get in our own local tackle shops. Looks like a few of my local rivers are still open but I know 100% they’ll be super packed with anglers. At this point, I’m just looking forward to hitting bright, chrome salmon off some of the piers in early Aug when things settle down. Got my dad a pretty sweet pier chucking combo for his birthday last month to test out.LOL

Most farm feed stores in just about any rural area should have sacks of maize (aka cow corn). You can buy an 80lb bag for about $10-12. Trout pellets in any real quantities aren't that readily available in most places unless you buy them from an aquaculture farm. They're also usually expensive when you find them, and they're generally not that instant of a bait when it comes to feeding carp. If you're in the Kawarthas, just find any form of water and you're bound to hook into carp. All of the locks usually hold resident fish throughout the summer - I'd recommend rigging up with some heavy braided mainline to combat the zebra mussels (like 65-80lb PowerPro).

Daiwa Whisker SS? At school, our teacher told us that’s what the dinosaurs used to fish with before they went extinct. You must be ancient. ?

I fish for trout in some areas that are insanely infested with large mosquitoes (ie. The ones that can bite through most clothing). As some people mentioned, DEET will melt through a lot of things (Like expensive camera equipment and Synthetic clothing). Here are some things that I use as an alternative to DEET (because I do have camera equipment): For clothing: When things get really bad, I wear a bug jacket (I have an older version of the Elite edition bug shirt): https://www.bugshirt.com/ Pros – It works well as advertised. Cons – If you have skin right next to the ventilation mesh, they’ll still get you. If you’re the claustrophobic type, you may not like it. I spray a few shirts, a few pants, a few Buffs, socks and my hat with Sawyer’s Permethrin: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/sawyer-permethrin-insect-repellent-for-clothing Pros – It works pretty well. Bugs might land on you, but they don’t bite through the clothing. Minimizes the amount of repellent you need to spray on yourself. It’s supposed to last 6 weeks after applying (if hand washed). Cons – Doesn’t seem to be available in Canada (My sister picks it up from the States when she goes shopping). It’s relatively pricey for what you get. It is recommended that you always hand wash the clothing so the repellent stays on – nobody ever has time to hand wash clothing. I have a few factory shirts infused with Permethrin (Simms BugStopper shirts). https://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/bugstopper Pros – It actually works well (mine was supposed to last 52 washings which was pretty close to accurate). I believe newer shirts now can last 70 washings. When the repellent wears off, you’ll still have a decent shirt to wear in the sun. Cons – It’s expensive and you really can’t tell when the repellent has worn out till the bugs bite through your clothing. Repellents: The last 2 years I’ve been experimenting with 20% Picaridin (Non-DEET repellent which apparently is just as effective as DEET but doesn’t melt things). I’ve tried PiActive Mosquito shield Watkins 20% Icaridin spray. So far I haven’t seen a problem with either. They are reported to be non-greasy, however I would say they leave a film. They feel similar to DEET on your skin. If anything PiActive leaves a weird tacky feeling on your skin – It also has a funky smell for a few minutes. I prefer the Watkins spray (picked up at Sail Outdoors). I haven’t tested either sprays out on black flies. I would guess it’s less effective for black-flies based on the recommended times for re-application (at least compared to mosquitoes).

I am naturally left handed but grew up in a right handed world where left handed scissors, left handed can openers and left handed baseball gloves weren’t readily available. I also had to switch my writing hand in junior kindergarten because I smudged.LOL Spinning reel = cast right, reel left Baitcasting reel = Cast left, reel right (Although I’m comfortable casting or reeling with either hand) Float reel/centrepin = Cast right, reel left (although I'm comfortable casting or reeling with either hand) Fly reel = Cast right, reel left When it comes down to it, the hand that I cast or reel with is primarily based on the first rod combos that I had as a kid. I don’t switch hands after casting (that’s weird).

Great info Terry. I’m really on the fence about getting the combo you have (without livescope). Kind of disappointed reading it doesn’t work so great in deep water (I do fish K-bay), but I’m more interested in having the ability to see drop offs and various underwater structures without drilling a ton of holes every 10 feet. Even the Navionics maps are way off on some of the lakes that I ice fish. For soft water, I’d like to try using it off the pier for staging salmon, from shore for carp, around dams and locks for walleyes. Maybe stick the transducer onto a pole and probe deep pools on rivers for steelhead. There’s a bunch of applications I would love to try Panoptix on.

Hi all, I hope everyone has been doing well. It's been a while since I've last logged on here - Work has been intense the last while. On that note, I recently was awarded a free trip at work to Palm Springs, California for April 2019. I realize that this part of the world is pretty much desert and cactus grow in people's front yards. Are there any fishing opportunities nearby worth trying (even an hour or two away)? Thanks for the help! Mike

This must be Florida...I've never seen gators that big.Haha Nice Bill! Totally agree with you on the photography aspect of hero shots. Big fish don't need help looking big

That would be true Bill. But considering that I do that ice fishing, I wouldn’t feel so bad.LOL Main issues to consider using it off a pier: There’s a high probability that it will be stepped on or kicked off a crowded pier. If you hook a Chinook and it runs around the corner of the pier, do you chase it and leave a $2300 unit behind unattended? Anyone remember the time when a guy at Bronte pier was having a heart attack and some guy decided to steal his 13’ Loomis GL2 and Islander combo? You become the ‘guy’ who knows what’s up. You will have neighbours, and quick! I’m patient and I can wait till the price comes down. Maybe.LOL

I don't own a Panoptix unit (or a Garmin sonar), but I would love to try using it off a pier for staging salmon and trout from shore.

I've only fished in Winnipeg for one evening in August of 2014. My dad and I were driving from Toronto to Vancouver. I believe we tried fishing around St Vital Park on the Red River. Didn't catch anything, but did see 1 massive dead channel cat on the bank. If I had to guess, it was around 15-20lbs. Definitely bigger than any channel cat I've caught in Ontario (my PB is 13lbs 8oz). One day I would love to go back with my carp gear and a bunch of worms to try for the channel cats. Bring insect repellent...The mosquito is Manitoba's provincial bird for a reason.LOL

I had a lot of great memories fishing that stretch as a kid during March break. I wiped out on that muddy path so many times – mud, ice and felt soles do not mix.LOL It’s been a good while since I last fished there. Can’t imagine what the crowds are like now. They were horrible even 20yrs ago. But at least a few times a year, you’d see a rainbow over 20lbs get caught. It might be time to finally break out the float gear for a drift or two. Great fish!

When I fish the Muskokas (which has been almost every weekend so far this year), I normally bring 4-5 rods with me. I've got 2 rods spooled with 8lb mono for tubes, swimbaits and other chase baits. 1 rod spooled with 6lb mono for fishing live minnows (rigged on a slip sinker or split shot rig). 1 UL outfit spooled with 4lb mono for fishing small panfish type jigs (this can sometimes save the trip when the fish are keying on plankton blooms). And 1 spooled with braid + mono leader when I need to pound big spoons on bottom in deep water. I fish outside almost all the time, and prefer a medium to medium heavy rod in the 32-36" range. If I was in a hut, I might opt for a shorter 28-30" med/med heavy rod.

When the action lit up again, I hooked fish on everything except the roe... I will sell you one of my magic spinners and kwikfish for $1 million each...It's a price you can't afford to pass up!

When I do use eggs for rainbows, 95% of the time, it's chinook salmon skein. I either get it from my friends, the trash can at cleaning stations, or from fish I give to my neighbours from late July/Early Aug while they're still chrome. I mostly scrape the eggs out with the back end of a table spoon. I then lay the eggs out on a bunch of paper towels to dry. Once the eggs are tacky, I bag them with zip-lock freezer bags into daily portions and freeze. I thaw them out slowly in the fridge, a day or two before I plan to head out. This weekend, I thawed out some eggs from over 3yrs ago and they look and smell great (too bad I forgot them at home when I hit the river.LOL). When I do decide to cure skeins (for steelhead fishing in winter or fast water), plain borax is pretty hard to beat for skein. Considering that you already have skein that is cured, just cut it to size and use.

Now they're owned by Industrial Alliance - Formally by Dundee, then Scotiabank, now by IA.

Brian, it is clearly obvious that the more you spend on tackle, the more and bigger fish you catch. That is why I always out-fish you

It is always worth it. I've been going since 2010 and can definitely say that many hands make light work. Some years, it does take a little longer to hit that 200 fish mark and every little bit of help does count. Bring a net, a set of waders/boots and perhaps leave a set of spare clothes in the car in the event that your son takes a spill in the drink. There really isn't a time you have to stay till - You can pretty much leave if you need to. Some pics my dad and I have taken over the years: Brian Morrison fisheries biologist with GRCA Spring Buck by MJLeung, on Flickr Cheers Mike

My dad and I did Toronto to Vancouver in 2014...The moment you cross the Ontario border, it's a pretty long and uneventful grassy drive till you hit Calgary. And yes, there are cops in the prairies...We were advised to keep it 119 and under (Speed limit is 110 km/hr)...My dad got pulled over just outside of Medicine hat with only a warning.LOL Some tips: - Bring more than 1 CD in the car (I won't make that mistake again.LOL) - Gas stations in Northern Ontario can be long distances away from each other. If a sign says you should gas up now, you probably should. - I would avoid driving at night in the rural areas. We saw a few flipped over cars on our journey because people swerved into the ditch to avoid hitting deer and other animals. The truckers in SK warned us about the Pronghorn antelope. If I was in Edmonton and had to go to Calgary, I would take the more scenic (but longer route) through Jasper and Banff before hitting Calgary. It's an amazingly beautiful drive. You need a National parks fishing license on top of the Alberta fishing license if you plan to fish in Banff or Jasper - It's $9 per day on top of the regular Alberta fishing license. I only caught a few small rainbows and the odd mountain whitefish when I fished the road side creeks and rivers. Sault Ste Marie is a city made for fisherman. Perhaps my 2nd favourite fishing spot on our trip. Aside from the walleyes, there are steelhead in the rapids all year long. The city seems so welcoming to anglers. The biting insects are pretty vicious though.LOL It's a trip I would love to do again!

My heart sinks a little every time I see someone else diagnosed with cancer. It is never an easy journey. I went through it a few times from 2010 to 2013 and have been in remission for the past 3yrs (hopefully 4yrs this year). You are part of an amazing community here at OFC that is extremely supportive and caring (I know first hand). You are already ahead of the game with a positive attitude. As the saying goes, going through cancer is 90% mental and 10% physical. Take it one day at a time. If you need any chemo tips and tricks, feel free to shoot me a PM. Feel free to PM me anytime Mike

I would definitely get in contact with Spiel. Out of the 12 or 13 float rods I own, Spiel has fully built 2 float rods (CTS, Sage One), did the bottom end of 1 float rod (Rainshadow XST) and supplied me with a couple reel seats for my own builds when I had time. Definitely recommended. Keep in mind he is busy with orders. Backwoods rods used to do a lot of promoting on this forum back in the day. I believe Dan Sturges is the guy behind the company.

There are definitely pike in Rice Lake. I caught one last summer. I also caught a tiger musky on the next cast... http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=82526&hl=%2Besox+%2Bsoul

Of course Yellowknife wind chill warnings would be rated at lower temperatures than in Southern Ontario. You shouldn't need to be warned on a daily basis that your average everyday temperatures are much colder in Yellowknife than in Toronto. I'm sure if Toronto got as cold as Yellowknife on average, you'd see more people wearing jackets made out of seal and polar bear skin too.LOL With that said, I do agree with your sentiments for the most part. I'm certainly not that old but I do remember what winters used to be like back in the 80's and 90's in Southern Ontario. My dad and I had a conversation about this yesterday morning. I remember playing outside at lunch and recess in elementary school up until it got to -25 to -30. Most people actually knew how to drive when it snowed more than 5cm. There were times where I had to help my dad shovel the roof of our house because we got so much snow. My schools didn't have snow days until it snowed about 2ft and even then, it was hit or miss. The people of southern Ontario have gotten used to mild winters and no snow. The climate is changing. To me, a snow storm meant that about 2-3ft of snow was coming. Nowadays, anything over 5cm is considered severe. The only things that remained the same are: 1. There's always a problem with the TTC when it snows 2. There's an hour and a half delay (minimum on top of your normal 45min trip) on the DVP if you decide to drive downtown in the morning. 3. You see at least a dozen cars in the ditch on the way to work