kemper

I don't mind foam one bit. I also really enjoy cork.

 

Buy a st Croix avid or shimano cumara

Not looking to buy, I haven't purchased a factory rod since I started building my own 3 years ago.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm thinking the bait casters are going to be full cork with one micro guides and one traditional guides. I'm also gonna do two spinning rods, split grip with cork instead of foam.

Pretty common, the new test was not well thought out.

Some manufacturers are even having trouble with brand new cars.

All systems need to be in ready-mode, regardless of what is actually coming out the pipe (which, for most cars on the road isn't even tested anymore)

Awesome!

After having three Okuma reels explode on me all with under a week fishing time on them ill never buy another product.

Unfair maybe, but when you pay $200 for a reel its supposed to last more than a week.

I can't speak for their rods, as I've only ever owned an older Okuma float rod. It was an awful, horrible thing but I've heard they have improved since.

No comment on blank choice Kemp but I'll state straight up, foam grips, way wrong! Split grips, again way wrong!

 

Custom means not having to shave off a few dollars and cents to make it look like factory produced crap!

Agreed Chris - just wanted to ask the jury what they thought of the foam. Personally, I can't stand it!

I've purchased a whole lot of cork lately, and I can see why rod companies have moved away from it.

Even low grade cork is insanely expensive - unless you are ordering mass quantities you can expect anywhere between $0.85 and $2.00 per ring (thats half an inch worth of handle).

Any thoughts on microguides guys?

Looks wicked, too bad I tip pretty much every canoe I step foot in.

Apparently my centre of gravity isn't great...must be the tall/lanky thing

All great suggestions, I'm glad I'm not the only one who still wants a full cork grip.

That whole "lighter and better feel" thing is just rod company speak for it costs a whole lot less than cork.

Hey OFC,

I'm looking to restock my bass rod selection for this summer. I'll be building the rods myself, but I'm looking for features that are "must haves" on your rods.

I've been so caught up in the steelhead thing for the past few years I haven't really kept up with the new innovations in bassin'.

I'm going to start with a flipping stick, and a 7' utility stick for spinnerbaits/cranks etc.

Split grip/no split grip?

Micro guides?

Cork or EVA?

Specific actions you like?

Reel seat style?

I'm open to any and all suggestions - slate is blank right now.

Thanks!

I have a whole box of spooks in various sizes, none of them are rusted at all and I don't do anything special with them. They get used hard and chucked back into the box after use with no special treatment.

I guess I should expand my answer - while I think most spots are not really "secret", I don't think spilling the beans on any media outlet is a good idea.

Those of us who fish the East lake O tribs (though I haven't in a while...) know that pressure has increased lately.

There was a small creek that I used to go to with my old man, and on a busy weekend we might run into 3 other guys - the same three guys. It was a well kept secret for a long time, until I assume the use of google earth made it easy for all to find.

One report on this board, by a member who will remain unnamed (I don't think he's active here any longer) that included backgrounds and the next weekend I pulled up to see over 20 cars.

Those who know what I'm talking about, know what I'm talking about. I did make the mistake of introducing a couple friends to the creek, and I can only hope that they didn't contribute to the madness.

Now you are lucky to fish it with less than 20 others, and on such a small system with so many bagged fish I don't imagine it will be around for too long.

When I opened this thread a memory popped into my head of a day prefishing for a T with my late Dad. We were in an area that had big fish written all over it... I flipped in and I saw her turn on the jig. I would of shook her off but I knew my Dad would of loved to see a nice fish.

 

He took this pic with an old 35mm a few years ago...probably 12 or so now. Funny how I used to remember the day for the size of fish that were caught, now I could careless about that.

 

Scugog

 

Never to early to think BASS!

Great story!

Most of my best fishin' memories are with the old man as well. The bass in the picture I posted was taken on the last day of a very tough week.

On the water for 5 days in the worst weather imaginable, catching small bass here and there and freezing to the bone. The last day the weather finally broke, and that one took a white spinnerbait crashed into the shore in about 1FOW.

It was on my line, but I think my old man might have been more excited than I was...

Very cool, I'm going to have a coffee and a peek. I see a blog coming down the pipe...

Luc, you disapoint me I think there's a half million dollar two bedroom bungalow in Vaughn calling your name.

 

Buck up boys, lots of ice and time left. Use your imagination...and I'm not talking about switching from a white to a chartreuse spinnerbait.

Something about staring down a small hole in the ice doesn't do much for me.

That said, I'm going to entertain myself with some perch on Sunday and Simcoe lakers on monday

kemper did you just buy a fishing license or an Outdoors Card at the same time?

If no Outdoors card was bought (already had a valid one) carrying you computer printout is how the system works. No sticker will be mailed.

If you bought a card at the same time it should be mailed out inprinted with the licenses you bought.

My card needed renewal too.

Last time I renewed online I got a yellow paper tag in the mail, you are saying they are expecting us to carry the actual computer printout around all year? I can't imagine that's the case...

Sorry ice guys, this weather is killing me.

Anyone else dying for bass season...

Let's see 'em.

Nothing like Lady Buckhorn in the evening

I've seen some reels with an angled foot, specific for ice fishing. Can't seem to remember the brand...

Well I guess I'll have to start calling around and see what's up.

Or photocopy the paper one a thousand times and put each one in a baggy in something that I take fishing...

Seen those a few times, REALLY cool.

I want one, big time.

Cool work, but I have to be honest...I can't imagine any reason I would want a bear rug on my floor.

Unless you fish some lake that you need to hike through 30km of snake infested marsh are anyone's spots really secret?

Most of my best producing spots in the Kawarthas are well-known, and I won't even start on the river situation...

Thanks for the quick feedback, I'll explore all those suggestions.

We can both hold our own when it comes to bass fishing, but having never done it "under the gun" who knows what might happen.

At the very least an exciting new challenge.

Hey guys,

A fishin' buddy and I are looking for some smaller or local bass tournaments to enter this year.

Will be fishing from a 17' boat (50hp) so for the most part lake size isn't a huge issue, but a long run to prime grounds might be pushing it.

Does anyone have input on good/bad tournaments?

I should mention this is simply for fun & entertainment - max awesomeness is the goal.

Thanks,

Jumping in here...

 

The only thing that bothers me about gas prices.... is they seem to come up with a reason for the price to spike. Hurricane Katrina sticks in my head..... Gas prices almost doubled at that time. But once everything was brought back online.... They only fell 20-30 cents ? Why ??

 

I dont know much about how the economics work... But it doesn't make sense to me.

 

ALSO.... I agree with you on having to pay our prices compared to the rest of the world.

My family in England pay close to $2.50 + / PER LITER !!!! When I was there 5 years ago, at the price it costs them .... It would have cost me over $150 to fill my Pontiac Grand Am ... Ill take $1.30 in that instance.

 

At the same time.... I can drive 20 minutes away, cross an imaginary line ( the Border ) and pay $.90-1.00 a liter.

The gas tax in NYS in ~$0.18/L, and we pay double that at around $0.36/L. Assuming the USD/CAD at par this accounts for a lot of the difference in price.

Today's price in Niagara, NY is on average about $3.90/gal or somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1.03/L.

In Guelph right now the price is $1.27/L - a $0.24 per litre difference.

By my math, that's only $0.06 difference that's not explained by the taxes.

Sure, it's not quite that simple but considering we pay more for almost everything here and we have much higher taxes it does make sense.

As for the volatile prices, well that's just plain annoying (and probably bordering on illegal)

Does anyone fish carp from a boat?

About the only time I fish for carp is in the spring when there isn't much open and the bows aren't co-operation.

Fun on the fly and the 'pin, but even then I get bored with the bulldog battle pretty quickly...