KraTToR

I do both depending on the situation but I'd say I let the bail close automatically most of the time, especially in a cast then retrieve situation (opposed to letting line out for a drop shot, bottom bounce, float, etc). If the reel is of decent quality and in good working condition either shouldn't pose a problem.. its what they are designed to do.

Hey you snuck a bass in there!! Some nice eating Dore you had there... Its been a while since I've had a nice feed of walleye...

I planning on 3 days of muskie, pike, and maybe bass fishing early next week (based on the current weather forecast). My 3 destinations include Balsam lake, Lake St. Clair, and Long Point Bay. I have a buddy joining me for Balsam so SW Ont. is open. Based on the current forecast it will be LSC on Monday and LP on Tuesday. I simply ask that you bring the appropriate Musky specific equipment (I have the net!), pay half the gas (boat and tow), and a winning attitude! Also, I don't allow alcohol on the boat. All the best! Patrick.

I figure another 4 weeks for me, 6 if I'm lucky :0 :0 :0

Picked up some Lucas Synthetic 10w30 marine (4 stroke) oil for about $4 off a litre (just under $13). The 10w40 was about $6 off. Also, all the Seafoam products are on sale as well. Good time to stock up before you winterize your OB.

Years ago my dad had a furnace that used 2 types of fuel, NG and Wood (dual fuel). When the temp of the wood fire died down (say in the middle of the night) the NG would take over and keep the house at temp. I'm sure there's Propane models as well. Because wood burns hotter than gas, it requires an A vent which is higher quality and more expensive than a B vent. From memory, an A vent is an insulated stainless steel vent, a b vent can be aluminum or galvanized or something like that.

Member mikeh ended up joining me and I have to say what a nice fishing partner! Very respectful, generous,and a keen fisherman for sure. Launched out of Jeannettes creek- we showed up around 8 am to a line up at the launch and the pop - pop of nearby shotguns going off..lol After launching and niggling out one of the last parking spots we headed out towards the lake only to find an armada of fisherman (in boats and on shore) near the mouth of the Thames. I will tell you that I've never seen so many Muskie nets and red/orange Bulldogs getting flung through the air in my life!! As we made our way to the open water my nav track looked like a sewing pattern of a crazy person as we zigged and zagged our way through the channel as huge lures flew through the air all around us. We headed out to my favorite muskie fishing grounds the Belle River Hump, about 20kms through some pretty rough water.but as the morning went on the sun came out and the wind died down and it was as smooth as LSC really ever gets. A beautiful afternoon in October. Alternating between trolling and casting, Mike landed the first fish, a nice pike on a chartreuse flat bait (Jake?). About an hour later we were casting and as I was making a comment on how clear the water was, a big greeny/gold torpedo went straight at the Double 10 I was casting off the bow. The water was so clear that the fish was at least 15 feet from the front of the boat and even Mike, on the stern casting platform, saw it come in. Well I tried everything to entice it to bite as it followed me right to the boat. The fish seemed oblivious to the boat and our jaw dropping stares as it slowly followed and went under the bow. Mike yells over "Figure 8" and I snap out of it and drive my rod into the water. Well nothing worked and I guess the fish finally left but it was a pretty cool rush all the same. It also gave us the confidence that there's still big fish out in the middle of the lake. We continued to pound the area, casting until tiring out from slinging a variety of huge baits and trolling when I picked up a nice pike (34") on a 10" perch Jake. When it hit I was really hoping for a 'ski but nice fish all the same. After another hour or so with no action whatsoever, we decided to head back to the Thames. By now the wind had died and the water about as smooth as LSC gets. We made it back in good time to witness several large fishing boats (Charters?) with planer boards circling the area just north of the Thames river channel. The water in this part of the lake was quite stained as well, no doubt from all the recent rain. We dropped our favorite lures and trolled amount with the big boys for about an hour with nothing to show for it except constantly picking up floating and suspended green matter. At this point we decided that we needed a bit more stimulation and headed back to the river, through the armada we left behind several hours prior. Again, flying bulldogs everywhere until we made it through - a couple of times I thought a lure might land in my boat!. The water in the river was very stained but there was a ton of bass structure along the north shore so we spent the next couple of hours flipping and pitching the shoreline for bass. I picked up a large sheephead which was an un-natural silver colour (no pic, boatside release) and Mike snagged himself a chunky little LM. We decided to stay in the river because the wind really picked up until about 5:30 when it appeared to die down and we were itching to get back to the hump. Well after a 30 minute bumpy and wet boat-ride we arrived mid lake and had just enough time to circle our area of interest one last time. Unfortunately we came up empty handed but satisfied that we gave it all we could. Again, I would like to thank mikeh for joining me and I hope he has as many fond memories of the day as I do. And yes, I have to learn how to hold a fish properly for a photo op... :wallbash: [/url]">http:// [/url]">http:// [/url]">http://

Some good deals to be had. TEKOTA 700 for 200. W line counter 250. And more. Check out their website.

Thanks for the interest! member mikeh has taken me up on the offer. Wish us luck!

Wax will work but for a limited time. Bird shi!t is really acidic so it will burn through the best wax in no time. Its great for the person who is proactive with removing the debris but if you're stuck in the office all day it may be too late. With that being said, I would recommend a car cover. They are washable and after a bit of practice, take only a minute to install. I picked on up off of ebay for less than 100 bucks. Came from PQ so no tax either..

Planning a day trip to LSC this Saturday, October 10th. Leaving from KW around 5:30am. I would prefer if you provide your own "musky appropriate" rod/reel and tackle, lunch, and split the fuel costs which usually run about $100 per trip ($50 each). Also, no beer or alcohol in the boat please. A beer during shore lunch is totally cool!. I have a Frabill Power Catch net (Big Game) and other release tools. PM me if interested.

Fantastic, nice work!

Wowza!, and a matching suit to boot!

Booster cables? My maiden voyage in my new boat put me stranded 10 miles from god knows where on the upper ottawa river.. Not fun times. Turns out it was the started but I drained the battery trying to get her going. Booster cables would have helped when help arrived (they had to go back to camp to get another battery). All good stuff here although its easy to get carried away. Make sure your cell is charged and someone knows where you are. If there's no cell service, then look at renting a Sat phone. My contingency plans is... Compressor (came with the SUV) Tire iron for the trailer, my SUV jack will work. Trailer spare tire. Adjustable Wrench, Multi Tool, multi purp. screw driver. Prop and Prop Wrench First Aid kit and all the req'd safety gear in the boat Chargers and ext. batts for the cell phone Rain Suit and a warm jacket Insulated Rubber Boots Bottled water and protein bars Knowledge and experience AK-47.. Just Kidding And whatever you do, don't panic.

Can't wait for the OP to come back with his report so we can back on topic again...lol

I didn't really need to know this......

I meant the model/size. 0 or 1.. Agreed, I see little reason to not have it pull away from the boat.

This seems to be a major problem all over now. Although you need a boater's card very few personal watercraft operators follow the rules of right away, not to mention the other rules meant to keep everyone safe. Last weekend I was leaving the big marina in Port Dover to go go out and do some fishing. I was following a big cruiser (+40ft) and as we were exiting the "no - wake" area at the end of the breakwall some a$$hat in a 35' cruiser decided he was going to come into port on full plane, then dumping the throttle at the very last second. Well this had little effect on the big boy in front of me but it sure tossed me around a bit and the operator looks at me with this big sh!t eatin' grin cuz he thinks he's so cool. Of course his kids are watching so now he's providing a good example for the generations to come. Sigh...

Could you share your experience with this product? I figure that the Med rods would be the best but wondering if the #1 dipsy would pull to hard.. I'm looking for what model you use with which diver (#0, #1). I want to try this out on Erie for walleye and steelhead. TIA!. Patrick.d

Yes they make quite the racket. I have several in and around my back yard. My favorite frog for sure..

Being from KW if find it a lot easier to get to the north shore of Erie when I'm out bass fishing. Like Simcoe, these waters hold an abundance of big smallmouth bass. I was out yesterday afternoon drifting over a large shoal about 4 kms off shore and picked up 3-4 fish with every drift. I tried a Carolina rig (which boated me a 20lb catfish!) and a drop shot rig with a pumpkin sharp shooter by Yum. The drift was about .7mph so I had to use 3/4 oz drop shot weight. The biggest came from the deepest water

Sprayed a little WD-40 lithium on the ratchet mechanism, careful not to get any on the strap. They work better than new now.. Thanks everyone!

THese are the ratchet type, not the regular cam-lock tie downs. Fulton gives them a 5 yr warranty. I will check into the Boat Buckles tho. Cheers!

I've been accessing Long Point Bay from the Provincial Park launch but Port Ryerse is quite a bit closer to my home. Does anyone know if they have a boat launch? If they do can you comment on condition, private, public, etc. TIA.