KraTToR

Well for starters, your lawn mower is about as basic as a 4 stroke can get. No fuel injection, no electronics, no pollution control. Outboards are fine tuned machines, designed with the best engineering available. They have to run for extended periods at full throttle, under full load, all while being fuel efficient and reliable. One area of concern is that with a boat, you may get stranded somewhere and now you have a costly repair and recovery fee. If you gum up your mower's carb, its $30 for a new on off amazon. BWT, you should still treat your lawnmower better than that!! LOL.

Loved the xbox quip, similar to mine

This is a sensitive issue with boaters, kind of like oil change frequency with muscle car owners. Shell gold, no ethanol, 2-3 years should be ok under near perfect conditions. Was the tank full? This prevents condensation. Was the fuel 100% E free? Makes a difference. I'd drain it and try it in the lawnmower. If it works, put it in your car/truck, just mix it with new gas. No need to dispose of it if it works in a small engine.

I"m thinking about trying Percy Boom this year. Those of you who don't know it, its the stretch of the Trent River below lock 8 south of Campbellford. Of course, Pigeon is always an option but I haven't done the opener there since 2015. I won't do Quinte again, just really poor results year after year. Thoughts? Recommendations? Honey holes?? Cheers! P.

agreed, one of my favs as well. Lots of options but you'll have to paddle a while to get to the good stuff. "eyes are there but not in numbers and if you do catch one, watch the regs (slot size) if your going to keep it. Lots of back country camp sites so with a bit of planning, you can settle in for a few days and really enjoy your surroundings.

Does anyone know if LOB is safe for ice fishing yet? TIA< P.

Thanks everyone! I've always found bigger fish in the eastern basin.. Nice one! How many did you boat that day?

Barely used - condition is 9/10. $99 at C-Tire. $50 takes it. Located in KW.

The better ones are spray foam insulated (no voids). Styro leaves voids and the steel panel conducts the cold which makes the insulation somewhat ineffective. Then again, your solution would work if the OP doesn't have living space above the garage which can get quite cold if you don't have decent doors.

I'm assuming things are pretty hot down at the west end. Waiting for the hot bite to move east to Leamington... Every day was a limit day last year.

Thanks for the report. Where is "here" BTW? Sounds like the Kawartha's? Smaller fair this time of year is very typical, match the hatch..lol

I've had my 250 G2 HO for 5 seasons now, going on its 6th. Tons of torque and decent on fuel with no issues. Mind you I don't run everywhere at WOT. Most of my running is at 60% throttle which pushes my boat 45mph. Plenty good enough for me and it came with a 5 yr warranty. Lets face it, tournament guys are the hardest on their gear. WOT to a dead stop then off. No time to stabilize temp or lubrication. Then over and over again. IMHO, BRP isn't dropping OBs because of failed tournament (ever watch F1??) , its all about profitability. Maybe they can't make any money in that market. Its a picture of poor management, not product reliability. Case and point, I know of a dealer in ontario that puts etecs on Lunds. I talked to the owner and as someone who sees this stuff every day, he likes the etecs better than the others. Has a G2 on his Tyee...hmmm.

Agreed, this would be an easy thing to do with the modern motor's ECU. Most new 2 strokes (powersports) add extra oil during a 2 phase break-in period.

I'm getting mine done right now and really the sky's the limit. IE. insulated glass can run $600 or more per door for example. I'm in for approx $8k for 3 high quality 8' doors w/insulated glass installed. Using existing openers. I recommend that you pick the style(s) you like and get different quotes. Then you can make an informed decision. Good luck p.

If its walleye, perch, crappie, or a small trout, I don't use a batter at all. These fillets need little more than a bit of S&P IMHO. I shallow fry them in a mixture of butter and oil and let them speak for themselves. Just like a premium steak or heritage breed pork chop, nuthin more than S&P. The salt enhances the flavour and that's it. Ok, maybe a bit of fresh lemon, never the pre-bottled junk..

How did this turn into a tournament thing??? lol It seems that largies are ok because they spawn in warm shallow bays, not so much for the smallies, especially on the great lakes. If you fish the opener at long point you'll notice that the SM population isn't what it used to be, quite possibly the hundreds of boats pulling them off their nest before the eggs have hatched or the fry haven't reached the freedom stage?

The Ministry is seeking public input on proposed changes to the bass angling season in Fisheries Management Zone 20 (FMZ20) including separate open season dates for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass and options for early season bass angling. Fisheries Management Concern The Ministry is concerned about the future of the Smallmouth Bass (SMB) bass fishery in FMZ20. Recent science indicates the current open season date (3rd Saturday in June) provides little protection to spawning fish which could result in a long-term population decline and reduced social and economic benefits. The current open season date for Largemouth Bass (LMB) provides sufficient protection. Fishing Seasons – Bass Management Typically, bass angling season is closed during spawning time to improve reproductive success. Bass are especially vulnerable during spawning because they guard their nest against predators and can be easily caught by anglers. Nest predation by Round Gobies and other species following the removal of the parent, even for short periods of time, has been well documented. Bass Spawning Time in Lake Ontario In southern Ontario, the timing and duration of bass spawning is closely related to water temperature and generally occurs from mid-May to mid-July. In Lake Ontario, LMB and SMB are typically found in different habitats which warm up at different rates in the spring. SMB that occupy deeper cold-water habitats in the main Lake and in the St. Lawrence River have been observed spawning much later than LMB in the warmer near shore areas. Changes to the FMZ20 Bass Season in 2013 In 2013 the opening of bass season was made earlier by one week to open on the 3 rd Saturday in June. At the time, it was believed that the earlier date aligned well with LMB spawning activity but there were concerns from stakeholders that SMB may not be sufficiently protected. MNRF acknowledged the potential risk to SMB and agreed to monitor the fishery and make adjustments if necessary. New Science - FMZ20 Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass spawning Queens University researchers, led by Dr. Bruce Tufts , conducted a three year study from 2014-2017 to evaluate the amount of protection provided by the current closed season for bass angling. The study examined the timing of spawning and development from egg to the swim-up fry stage (free swimming juvenile fish) for both LMB and SMB in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Reaching the swim –up fry stage (free swimming juvenile fish) is considered a nest protection threshold. Once “swim-up” is attained the nest is considered to be successful. The researchers conclude that there are important differences in the timing of spawning between the two species in Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River and that the current dates for the open season provide minimal protection to Smallmouth Bass. Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass can be distinguished by several anatomical features. They also prefer different habitats that impact spawning duration and the rate of juvenile development. Proposed Bass Fishing Season Change Fisheries Management Zone 20 Keys findings from the Queens University Study: • By the 3rd Saturday in June (June 19 during the 3 year study) on average: • 58% of LMB nests had reached the swim-up developmental stage when parental guarding is complete. • 8% of SMB nests reached the swim-up development stage. • The difference between the bass species largely reflects the habitat preference for each species. • Nest observations were modelled using average seasonal temperature data to estimate the additional time required to improve spawning success. The data from the study indicates that on average 50% of SMB nests should reach swim-up stage by July 1st (Figure 1) Fisheries management perspective: achieving 50% nest success (nests with swim-up fry) should be considered a safe long-term management goal, while striving for 80% success is unrealistic and doesn’t typically occur in nature. Figure 1: By Bass season opening weekend (June 19 during 3- year study) only 8% of Smallmouth Bass nests have swim-up fry. An opening date of July 1st would offer protection for 50% of Smallmouth Bass nests. Management Options Considered: The Ministry, with the support of the FMZ20 Fisheries Advisory Council, considered the new research and evaluated a range of management options to improve protection of SMB including: 1) maintaining status quo - keeping bass opener the 3rd weekend in June; 2) change the opening date to July 1st for both LMB and SMB; 3) dividing the Zone into smaller sub-zones with a mid June opening date for warm areas (embayments) and July 1st for cold areas (open water areas) and 4) split the open season date for LMB (mid June) and SMB (July 1). The Ministry and the FMZ20 Council also considered and developed options for early season (pre-spawn) bass angling opportunities. Similar early season angling opportunities exist in several US States and in North Western Ontario. Proposed FMZ20 Regular Season For Bass Different opening season dates for Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass: • Largemouth Bass – 3rd Saturday in June to December 31 • Smallmouth Bass – open 1st Saturday in July to December 31 Maintain the aggregate catch and possession limits - Sport (6) and Conservation (2) for LMB and SMB combined. Rationale: This option provides sufficient protection for Smallmouth Bass, maintains and enhances angling and social and economic opportunities and is not overly complicated. Proposed Early Season Angling Options 1. Early season angling for LMB and SMB (January 1 to May ) with catch and release (no harvest). 10 2. (January season SMB Early for LMB and 1 to May 10) Conservation with reduced daily catch limit - Sport (2) (1) (catch and - exception: no early season harvest release only) in small waterbodies in FMZ20 such as: Lake Consecon, East and West Roblin Lake, Fish Lake, Lake, Lake on the Mountain Wellers Bay, Pleasant Bay, Hamilton Harbour 3. Maintain status quo – no early season In both early season options (1 & 2) the season is closed between May 10 and the proposed opening date. (No bass angling would be allowed when the majority of bass are staging and spawning.) Provide Feedback The public is encouraged to provided feedback on the proposal changes to the regular season and the early season angling options. Please indicate by March 31, 2020 whether you support the proposed regular season and which early season option you prefer. Send your comments to Lake Ontario Management Unit 41 Fish Hatchery Lane, RR#4 Picton, ON K0K 2T0 email: [email protected]

Bay of Quinte - PM me if interested.

Heading to the wood lot today to see what I can find. Stay tuned

yea I just looked, forecast is crap!

BTW, you can order direct from Ranger but I don't think there's any difference in pricing. Check with the folks on Walleye Central, I've seem some pretty cool custom work on that site.

Thanks for all the input everyone We'll we've had enough rain I figure, once the temps go up a bit things should start happening. Neat picture Smitty! Pine plantations? There are a few around (went through some on the snowmobile). Thanks, I'll keep a lookout. misfish, patience bud,

BOQ yesterday, 51 deg inner bay, 48 deg out on the reach. Fishing totally sucked, only heard of 4 'eyes being caught. There were a fair amount of boats out as a lot of waterfront properties have their own launch. OPP stopped us 2x, once in Hay Bay, 2nd time in the reach.

NNW of frankford. My wood lot runs up one of the ridges in the area.

Thank you!. Well I have pines and poplars..lol. There's also a hydro easement going through the property so I'll check along the edges of that. Could be turkeys, ive seen them around before. Stay tuned