Fishnwire

I'll have almost two years in this August. I tried and failed more times than I could count before it finally stuck. Sometimes I calculate the number of cigarettes I would have smoked but haven't because I quit. It's up around 15000. Also, I make the payments on my quad with the money I used to spend on butts.

Where exactly are you getting that figure? Did you just make it up? Come on, be honest. And what do you mean by "markets"? Are you speaking of the "free market"?, because by definition, any venue in which goods or services are exchanged is a "market". So...if what you meant to say was that a lot of economists agree that an unfettered free market is the best way to ensure that the relationship between supply and demand remain natural, you are correct. That does not in any way change the fact the many economists do not subscribe to that theory. Also, the oil and gas companies form an oligopoly. As such, they are not affected by certain free market factors, it could be argued that they in fact exist outside the free market. We've all noticed that unlike just about any other industry, the gas companies do not compete with each other on price. The "rules" simply don't apply when it comes to these guys. They know its not possible for some "little guy" to come along to undercut their outrageous prices, so they are free all get fat and happy together. It's called collusion, and although very hard to prove, completely illegal. If the oil and gas giants actually competed with each other, and consumers benefited in the form of getting the lowest possible price for the best quality product available, then I'd be all for leaving things as the are. That's obviously not the case though. They can't be counted on to stop screwing us on their own, someone has to step in and (sadly) our only hope is our own government. As far as the LCBO goes, like most things, alcohol is more expensive in Canada than in the US. That is true, no doubt about it. But that has more to do with things like higher taxes (which the LCBO merely collects, not levies) and not really anything to do with the fair and reasonable mark-up that the LCBO applies. Have you noticed that wine at the grocery store costs almost exactly the same as at the LCBO? Hey...maybe I'm wrong. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, right? The only thing we ALL agree on is that it's fun to fish. By that fact alone, any one of you are welcome in my shed any time.

Actually, the very definition of economics the study of how scarce resources are allocated. Look it up if you like. The free market being the best tool for doing this is an merely economic THEORY, to which many economists do not subscribe. Rofl indeed.

Here, here! The profits generated by the oil and gas industry are sick. Imagine if the government ran them, along with the banks and insurance companies. We'd pay about half what we do now and get a better product and/or service. Don't believe me? Look at the LCBO...it's run brilliantly. Some things are too important to be left in the hands of people whose prime motivation is ever increasing profits.

That re-spooling from one rod to another is a good idea! I'm gonna do that. I think I may also try adding a fluor leader to my more finesse presentations too. What brand should I look for? Also, I've only used spiderwire and fireline. (I liked fireline better than spiderwire) I notice a lot of guys are using PowerPro...how does that compare to fireline?

Greatest show ever! I didn't watch a single episode until the first season came out on DVD. I picked it up at Future Shop and my wife and I watched all 22 episodes in three days...we've been hopelessly addicted since. That new character, the scientist dude, I forget his name...the actor who plays him is brilliant. Where to download? Install a bit torrent client such as Azureus and you can get torrents for just about every show/movie/song ever recorded at mininova.

Extra $3? Fireline is $10-$15 more expensive than most monos. I have a couple crappy rods and reels I keep at camp that doubled in value when I put a spool of Fireline on them. Mainly I'm fishing smallies at my camp north of Sudbury. The water is stained redish-brown. If there's a place deeper than 20 feet on that lake, I haven't found it. I throw everything from slip floats to top waters, and use a lot of jigs & power grubs. I troll, I drift, I cast. For the last few years I've been using Fireline (FL Crystal last year) but have never used a leader. There are big pike and walleye there too, so I like knowing that if I happen to tie into a toothy beast on light tackle, he'll have a hard time chewing through my line. With Fireline, I know I'm good. How does fluorocarbon stack up in that situation? Thanks for your input.

There was a thread on here a while back about what kind of line guys prefer. I noticed a lot of anglers seem to be using a braided line (such as fireline) with a 2-8 foot leader of fluorocarbon. I understand the advantage of the fluorocarbon leader, the whole disappearing line trick, but what I don't understand is if your going to use the fluoro, why bother with the expense of a high strength braid? The overall breaking strength is going to be whatever is the weakest point in the rig, (obviously one of the knots on the fluoro leader) your paying for braided line, but not getting it's greatest benefit...high breaking strength. There are cheaper options that have just as little stretch. What am I missing? Help me out here.

A single blow to the top of the head is hardly "beating to a bloody pulp". Besides, there's no need to get defensive anyway partner. We are all free to handle our catch in the method each of us prefers. In fairness though, in that picture it was not evident that those crappie were about to start a healthy swim any time soon. Icing my catch is generally not an option. I fish mainly at my camp and have to bring everything in the final 3.5 km on the back of my quad. I can barely bring enough ice in just for food and beer! I'm actually a little surprised how many of you guys always have a cooler full of ice ready in case you catch something you decide to keep. Considering all the other things we require for a successful outing, an extra cooler full of ice (which you can't put anything into that you don't want covered in fish slime) just seems like a bit of a luxury to me. It definitely sounds like the best method, but maybe not practical for everyone. Also, I'm not convinced that slowly dying of anything, including freezing, would be preferably to a quick death from a well placed whack to the melon. However, personal preference is obviously the way to go.

YES! Now that you mention it, the method I was shown (years ago) yielded five separate fillets. All of which were completely boneless. Anyone know where I can find step-by-step instructions online? *EDIT* Thanks Prairieboy....that looks good.

That's what my Father-in-law does, but the result is not BONELESS fish. Perhaps he's doing something wrong...he claims that the bones that are left are easily picked out once cooked. I hate bones in fish though. I try to explain to him that the word "fillet" means ALL BONES REMOVED but he's 75 and stubborn as an old goat. Also, when I clean a bass or walleye, I cut around the rib cage, leaving it still attached to the fish, not the fillet. Can I do that with a pike?

Congrats. I'm totally jealous. When I lost my wire-haired fox terrier, I thought I'd never care for another dog again. Then I got my Lakeland terrier (which as you probably know looks a little like a mini Airedale) and although he never replaced my first dog, was a very important part of my life for many years. He's gone now too, but I know there's going to be other dogs in my future, no doubt about it.

I was once shown, but have forgotten how to clean pike boneless. Can someone direct me to a site with step by step photos which I can print off? Also, any thoughts on what size pike make the best table fare? Thanks.

Nobody owns the ice, brother. Go have a good time. Like the others have said, try to avoid crowding in on another group, and you will need something like a spud or axe to bust through the old holes. The one thing I'll add is hold on tight to whatever tool you use, because you wouldn't be the first guy to lose it to the bottom of the lake when the hole pops open.

The whole point of having regs is because we can't count on all fisherman making "ethical" decisions as far as possession limits go. A limit is just that...a limit. All of us are able to keep less than the limit anytime we go fishing. ..you are correct in saying it is unfortunate that more of us don't limit our limits...but aside from starting posts on the OFC, there's really nothing we can do about it. I personally think that if you have fillets in your freezer, you have no business killing any more fish until you've eaten the old ones. Also, it's not up to you to supply your whole neighbourhood and/or place of work with fresh fish. We've all known fishermen who keep way more than they themselves plan on eating, just so they can give fillets away to friends and co-workers. Unless they're elderly or not able-bodied, let them catch their own! It's unfortunate, but it seems some anglers don't have the mental ability to even consider throwing a legal catch back. Some guys just automatically kill their catch, never even bothering to think about whether or not they have any actual need to harvest the fish. I've witnessed guys get more than just a little upset when they've seen me release a good eater. "I can't believe you did that! What's the matter with you?" they ask. As though there's no point to fishing unless you get to kill something.

What do you guys do with fish you intend on keeping for the table? Kill 'em right away with a "bonker" or some such club, leave 'em on a chain or in the well, or just let it die in a bucket? Any hunter or farmer will tell you that meat tastes best taken from an animal that had a quick, stress-free death. It has something to do with the way oxygen is metabolized in living tissue I think. One might think the same would be true about fish meat. The longer the fish is allowed to struggle and be stressed, ie, on a chain or in a cramped live well, perhaps slowly dying of oxygen deprivation, the poorer the quality of the fillets. I don't know for sure that this is the case, but it makes sense. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone have any input? Secondary from what's best for the pan, I can't help but think a quick, humane death is less cruel. I love fish. I don't want to prolong one's suffering, if possible. We all try to minimize the suffering of fish we intend to release, what about those who are "giving their lives" to keep us feed. Any thoughts?

My neighbour used to put my smelt heads and guts in her garden. She was a pretty good gardener, so she must have known what she was doing. Letting fish die on the shore and not eating them just seems wrong to me. The fact that some species are invasive and destructive is a compelling argument though...........So I guess I'm adding nothing to this discussion.

I seriously doubt that we are really harming fish the we catch and release properly. I'm almost positive we're not doing any favours to all those minnows, frogs, and crawfish though.

You are correct in your statement that I don't know you at all. Nor do you know me, as your incorrect assumption that I don't have a family that I care about proves. However, if you allow anyone to invade your privacy or violate your rights just because they're wearing a uniform, you are rolling over. No doubt about it. That's what rolling over means. All I'm saying is that citizens don't have to obey the police when they are overstepping their power and authority, which they occasionally do. Am I wrong?

When did I ever suggest "being confrontational" with the police is wise? If you bothered to read what I wrote, you'd know I said just the opposite. I agree it's best to treat all people with respect...cops too, no more and no less then any other person trying to do their job. My point is that if some law abiding person chooses, for whatever reason, to be rude or disrespectful to a cop, part of that cop's job is to suck it up, be an adult, and take it. As far as letting the police, or anyone else, overstep their authority and deny someone their rights...if you want to be a scared little punk who falls in line anytime some little fascist tries to push you around, go ahead. I guess unlike some people, I'm not the kind of guy who just rolls over when someone tries to bully me. I'm 36 and an electrician. What does that have to do with anything?

I wasn't talking about plain view. Obviously if you have a handgun and bag of weed on the seat next to you, you're screwed. But if the cop wants to get in the vehicle and route around under the seats, open the glovebox or trunk, or have you empty your pockets, what I said earlier is entirely true, and you know it...despite how much you hate to admit it. Don't try to distort the truth so you can continue to subvert the rights of law obeying citizens who happen to be unaware of them. Admit it...we don't always have to do what a police officers asks of us, do we? What you said earlier would make your life a lot easier, but in fact is not true.

Like Heck! So if I am told by a cop that I have to allow him do to something that he has no right to do, I should let him? Nonsense! Cops often ask (demand) citizens to do things they have no right to ask. They're trained to do so, and the cops on this thread can (but probably won't) back me up. It makes their job easier by taking these kind of short-cuts. They are counting on the public being ignorant to their rights and being able to intimidate them. For example, I've been minding my own business at a public gathering and been asked to show my ID to a cop. Since I didn't have to in that situation, I didn't. Another example. If you are asked to commit to a search of your property (including your car) the officer must tell you exactly what he's looking for, and exactly what you've done to give him reason to believe he's going to find it. If he says he'd just like to take a look, tell him "have a nice day, now" and be on your way. Wow! In what world of privilege do you exist that you think the average parent has the financial means to relocate or buy land so that their kids can have somewhere to play? Do you really think that is an option for any more than about 3% of the population? Is that how you had it when you were a kid? BTW, it's a fact that the burden of taxation falls mainly on working people, not business and industry...but that's a whole other thread.

I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks a cop has the right to beat on some kid if he's "disrespectful" is a moron, plain and simple. I'm not talking about people who initiate a physical confrontation with a police officer, if someone's stupid enough to do that, they can expect a beat-down. I'm talking about people who are "mouthy". There is no law that says a citizen has to refer to a cop as "officer", that kid could call the cop "dude" all day, and there really isn't a thing the cop can do about it. It would be nice if we lived in a world where all 14 year old kids were never mouthy, but we don't and we never will. 14 year old kids are often mouthy by nature, I'm not saying that's OK, but it's a fact of life. If you are the type of person who flies off the handle when some little punk runs his mouth off, instead of being an adult and ignoring the little turd, then you have no business being a police officer. Unfortunately, part of a policeman's job is taking crap from morons, and not blowing their lid over it. That's what the good ones do every day. Any of them that can't handle that should be permanently relieved of duty...WITHOUT pay! A cop has no more right to smack someone around just for being disrespectful anymore than a mailman, garbageman or waiter does. It's obviously preferable not to go around being a hole to people. That's good advice not just when dealing with cops, but anybody you find yourself interacting with in the course of your day. As we all know, sometimes people we deal with are not pleasant, occasionally downright abrasive. But none of us, including cops, have the right to assault anyone based solely on them being "disrespectful." If a cop put my kid in his car and brought him home to me, saying the only reason was that my kid called him "Dude", I would tell the cop he's not a dude, he's a hotheaded bully. I'd demand he left my property immediately, then I'd file a formal complaint.

Check out this vid....it's not very long, watch the whole thing. http://www.leenks.com/link101235.html What do you think? Hothead cop or mouthy punk?

An hour or two after work DEFINITELY counts. Think about it this way; A day in which you fish for five minutes is better than a day in which you don't fish at all. Whether or not you catch fish is also irrelevant, as far as I'm concerned...what do you guys think?