Fishnwire

REALLY?!? I knew it wouldn't be ready, but "wide open"?...that's not a good sign. Ice in Azilda is encouraging though. Thanks guys.

Since you mentioned it, the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) pays its first period apprentices 40% of what their journeymen make, and like COs, they can be sent anywhere in the province for any length of time. Its a few years before they can hope to make $65K. Besides, if you would have read what I said a little closer you'd have noticed I clearly said I don't advocate any kind of unpaid internship. I have no problem with seasoned COs making a good deal more than $65K...but for about the fifth time, if these positions are being filled by recent college graduates who are just entering the profession, they could offer far less than they are and still fill those vacancies. Period. I think its great for the individuals that land those jobs and earn decent money, I just wonder whether or not doing so is necessary and makes the most out of our limited resource management dollars. Another poster has implied that these are not entry level positions, but will in fact be filled by individuals who, by nature of their skills and experience, command such salaries. If that is the case, that's an entirely different story. One thing for certain is that its nice to see so many people defending the right of working people to make a good living. It's not something you see often enough.

An experienced CO with a few years on the job would certainly deserve $65k or more a year. I just think that's a little high for people entering the profession, considering the competetion for those very few openings is quite stiff. Having to travel is part of a lot of professions, and in the case of CO's it doesn't result in a shortage of applicants. As far as my profession goes, you are wrong to assume that the are "many people in my field who would take [my] job for less pay". Industrial electricians with experience in high-voltage construction and maintainence are in relatively high demand with respect to their availability and as such are able to command salaries in the range that I do. No one who is not dangerously unqualified to do so would take my job for half of what I make. They don't have to. The fact is that my argument about there being no shortage of people willing and able to fill entry level positions as COs is far from ridiculous...its a simple truth. I knew lots of guys who seriously looked into entering that profession in high school. Two of them even went to Sault College for whatever 3 year program it is that is geared to doing so alongside a hundred or more other students. Even with the proper schooling the chance of landing a full time job as a CO in Ontario is about as good as winning the lottery. All I am saying is that a high paying starting salary is not required to attract applicants. I'm not advocating doing so, but they could make it a one year unpaid internship, and still fill every opening position.

Has anyone around Sudbury checked out some local ice yet? What's it like?

Unfortunately, working people are not paid based on their needs, they're paid based on the relative marketability of their skills. Meaning if there are a lot of people able and willing to do a particular job, and very few such positions available, the compensation will reflect that. Since this appears to be an entry level position and you can be sure there will be no shortage of qualified candidates, the number seems a little high to me. Like I said before, I'm all for working people earning good salaries, and it's great for the individuals that land these jobs...I don't begrudge them in the least. It's just that there seems to be a shortage of COs (there's a lot less now than there were years ago) so maybe hiring more of them but paying them less would help alleviate that problem. In the mid '90s I lived on my own while making $13000 a year. It sucked but I didn't have to live with my parents.

I'm a licenced tradesman, I wouldn't get out of bed for $65000/yr...but I'm not attempting to get my foot in the door of a vocation that thousands of people would consider a dream job.

Hard to go wrong with a #3 Mepps Black Fury. I like burning it in fast enough to bulge the wake a bit like a top-water.

I've left power grubs and tubes in my ice fishing bag which I then left in my Jeep for days at a time. They seem OK. Come to think of it, I've left powerbait at camp over the winter, so I think you're OK. A closed tub of Gulp! might crack because of all the liquid though...I don't know.

$65000/yr to start!?! And that doesn't even include OT. Are you kidding me????? I'm all for working people making good salaries, but considering you could offer half that and still have no shortage of qualified applicants who would consider it their dream job, it's a little excessive. Also, with whom is the MNR competing with for these candidates? If there were numerous private natural resource management companies offering lucritive jobs to the men and women who are qualified to act as COs, that would be one thing, but there is not.

I was e-mailed this a while back. Most of us have seen it I think. Imagine hand cranking that.

This is a perfect example of how we only live under the illusion of democracy, but don't actually enjoy its benefits. Nobody but big business wanted or will benefit from this, there was a public outcry surrounding it, opposing political parties on two layers of government had to get on the same page to make it happen and very few people seem to be clear on the actual details, but "our" government rammed it through anyway. Why? Who asked for it? Who does it benefit? It makes me laugh that we are trying to foster democracy half-way across the globe when we don't even live under one ourselves.

If I had the money to buy a new sonar for ice fishing I would pick up the Aquaview Showdown. Some guys had them on the docks of my chum's marina a couple weeks back and they are amazing. Do yourself a favour and have a look at them. I think they are under $300.

I completely got away from live bait in favour of scented plastics. Worm hooks and texas-style rigging. Fluorocarbon leaders tied to the mainline with a good quality swivel. Top-waters, top-waters, top-waters. I looked for and found fish in areas I previously considered nothing-water. That's always fun and helped me see there were opportunities I was ignoring. I've always loved fishing, been crazy about it really. But this year aside from how my skills progressed, I took my enjoyment and appreciation for the whole sport to a new level. I just love doing it more than I ever have, and I didn't think that was possible.

My hand auger is fine up until around the end of February. By then up here we sometimes have close to two feet. That's not bad if you're just going to drill two holes for yourself, but if you're committed to doing your elderly partner's hole's too, or if you feel like moving around, the power auger would be nice. I have to admit there have been times when I was not catching fish and knew I should move but just didn't feel like popping four fresh holes with the hand crank, so I stayed put. I am used to a six inch hole, so I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with an eight inch. When I hear someone tell me that they lost a fish because they couldn't fit it through an eight inch hole, I'm always a little skeptical. I've seen some big fish come up through a six inch hole...it takes a bit of finesse, but it you can get a surprisingly big fish through that little hole. Any fish that just wouldn't fit through an eight inch hole would have to be really freakin' big. I'd like to think otherwise, but I don't have a realistic chance of jamming an eight inch hole where I'm going. Wow...I just realized there are lots of joke opportunities with all this talk of holes and how many inches is best.

What your saying is true. Before I found my spot, I would have considered what is now a slightly above average day as my dream day...I'd never give that up for a single excursion anywhere. I'm just saying if you were given a once in a lifetime chance to pursue anything anywhere...

Most of us have weighed in on the thread about one species for the rest of your life. What about if you could go anywhere in the world and fish for any species that swims? I guess we'll say fresh or salt. I'm pretty sure I'd go way up the Amazon for giant peacock bass. I hear they combine all the best fighting features of SMB and muskie. Every time they are mentioned on TV or a magazine the word "explosive" is used to describe them. They hammer top-waters and 20 pounders are a possibility. There are outfitters that take you up river where you stay on houseboats at night and fish from smaller craft during the day. That would be amazing. What do you guys dream about?

Maybe I should have done a poll. Too late now I guess. People seem to have a definite opinion either way, I appreciate the input but the difference in opinion is giving me second thoughts. I hadn't thought about the issue of a foot going through, that's something to think about. Does a 10 inch hole freeze over a lot slower than a 8 incher?

I use my summer reels. My ultra and micro lites work fine unless its fairly cold. Even then they usually just stiffen up a bit, but it has to be 20 below before they freeze up. If its that cold I usually go home. The advice about using a lubricating oil as apposed to grease sounds like a really good idea. I'm going to try that.

I can't think of any reason I should buy a 10 inch instead of just an 8 inch power auger. I suppose ten inch holes freeze over a little slower, but the 10" augers are more money, heavier, and more effort is required when drilling. Also, my thermal tip-ups are 10 inches in diameter, they won't work. Am I missing something? Does anyone have any input?

That's awesome. I'm totally stealling some of your ideas.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they are around. As far as scientific proof goes, I remember seeing a story about a biologist who was studying native badgers. He had been doing so for over seven years and said that in that time spent actually looking for badgers, he saw three. I know they are entirely different species, but I would think a big cat would be as good as anything else in the bush at keeping itself hid. I don't know about effecting the deer population. Wolves and coyotes would almost certainly kill more, and a friend I know who retired from the CN says engineers generally believe more moose are killed by trains each year than all other causes, natural and otherwise, put together. I imagine the numbers are somewhat simular with deer. The main reason that makes me think that there are very few if any out there though is because if they were around in any numbers, some yahoo would have shot one by now and bragged to the whole world about it.

I found this online. 4 inches 200 pounds (one person and gear) 5 inches 800 pounds (one snowmobile) 7 inches 1,500 pounds (group of people) 8 inches 2,000 pounds (one car) In all honsety, one winter in my youth I was the first guy to fish Ramsey Lake in Sudbury for the season. There was little more than 3 inches. There's a walking trail right where I went on the ice and was fishing and people who passed by were yelling at me to "get off the ice you crazy kid," I decided to get off when I noticed that my dog running on the ice was causing the ice to deflect, as evidenced by the raising and falling water line in my hole. Don't be stupid like me, be smart like you. You get a real sick feeling when you put the blades of your auger against the ice, push down, turn only four times and you're through.

That's kind of like how my wife thinks money magically appears in our bank account each week.

That says it all right there.

I thought species was a sub-catagory of genus, genus being more inclusive. It's been a long time since grade 8 biology, I could be wrong.