SlowPoke

I'm glad to hear you're alright Cliff! I hope your insurance company treats you fairly and this isn't too much of an inconvenience for ya. -Brian

Hi Warren, we might be neighbours! Bradley & Millbank area for me, South London. I'm running an 18' Starcraft Center Console - riggers and mast - ready for muskie and salmon! I want to get out for some more bass and pike this year - casting arm is getting a little flabby! If you want to hook-up and tell lies, get in touch with me! -Brian ...at the helm...

I plan to catch more to keep my mind off the gas prices. To be honest, the boat gas doesn't bother me as much as the truck gas consumption. I'll probably be towing a little more often with my van this year which will save me about $20 per round trip to LSC or Lake Ontario. I may also consider more two day trips instead of running back home and out again the next day. -Brian

It might be your neighbours cat... try a topwater.

Any luck?

That thing is a joke. It's ugly, underpowered, shakes and rattles and is slapped together without continuity. We used to park at an International dealer and I drove one when the came out. It looks like some guy got a deal on a U-Haul truck, slapped a pick-up truck box on it and headed over to the Flying J for chrome. It's built for guys that still felt inferior in thier Hummers. -Brian

Scotty's are good as well. Where the Salty's excell are when you want the rod tip pointed toward or in the water. Not many rod holders can give you that piece of mind in those situations. -Brian

I had an idea for a similer contraption when plasma and lcd's first came out. Nothing near as slick as that!!! My idea was for a much smaller tv raised from a bed stool.

We've never had a problem in the winter. Never stuck, no close calls. My wife just got in with it from work driving in a foot of snow... "glad I had the van, not the Tahoe". (She doesn't like the limited slip diff in the Tahoe) We have the extended van which will make a difference and run good all-season rubber. I'll take a RWD anytime for winter driving!!

Hi Maureen, I'm sure I sent the transducer with the unit... boat shaped thing with a metal bracket and long cable with a plug end. Seats... many different sizes depending on the age/style of the bases. If you want to add rear seats, consider using what the front ones are on now and making boxes to replace them. They will feel more stable for driving and also add storage space by adding a hinged lid. Motor... I run with my motor up and locked with the tab. I wouldn't advise running it in the down position unless you have a transom saver (or make-shift equivelent). -Brian

Copy cat.

Cost to repair exceeds the value of the vehicle. Early Hyundai owners know this all too well... resale value was directly proportional to fuel level. -Brian

Best minvan for towing... Astro/Safari. Most of us agree to that but before you rush out looking for one.... -intermittent wipers circuit board issues (cracks, factory recall) -heater switch relay issues (not the rayostat in the dash, $35 from APC) -vent selector vacuum issues (vacuum hose breaks over the manifold, $1.00+2 hrs labour) -fuel pump/sending unit issues (pump is $600 dealer, $150 eBay) -idler arms wear fast ($300 ea. dealer, $120ea. APC+20 minutes labour) -pinion seal/bearing issues (not a DIY job... $300+) Those are the most commen issues that arrise prematurely. The good news is I made my way through all of them with a little help from the astro/safari forum online. They are a great van overall but very little creature comforts as mentioned. I would highly recommend it for a family towing but not for a famly that will never tow a trailer. On my '97 200,000 KM... -original plugs/wires, new cap and rotor -original headlights/brake lights/f&r signals, several rear marker lights. -original exhaust, just had the donut replaced a month ago -3rd set of tires two weeks ago -3rd set front brakes two weeks ago/still on 2nd set of rotors -2nd alternator 2 yrs ago -2nd waterpump 2 months ago -all shocks replaced (well overdue) 1 month ago ($13/pair on eBay!!) -all front end components replaced 1 month ago Overall this vehical has been our best yet for reliability and low maintnence. We were faced with replacing it or fixing it a couple months ago and I decided to spend nearly $2000 on it. Runs and drives like new now. Even with original plugs and wires, it runs smooth and fuel economy has yet to drop off. 80L tank gets me 650km highway IIRC.

Scientists might be bored but the engineers that came up with this puppy are on to something. Limos, handicapped vehicles... Imagine the exposure... pull up to the red carpet at the Acadamy Awards... roll down the door... Paris Hilton hikes up the skirt. Wait a sec... what would she be doing at an awards show? Nevermind. -Brian

A lot of it does right now but that is coming to an end. Michigan has been trying for several years to put a stop to it and introduced mini-bans on such things as plastic pop bottles etc. The Toronto-Michigan contract ends in 2010 and London will absorb the trash from that point on. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/200...onto-trash.html

Great report LadyWHITEFISH! He'd be wise to look you up for a productive day fishing the 'Lady' -Brian

Great news for Monetvillians but it'll just end up in someone elses backyard instead of finding a better solution. Gee, can't wait for Toronto's trash to arrive in London

Congrats Chris, time to retire! Good choice, Carol will enjoy those earings. Too bad they didn't have any transmissons! -Brian

I haven't been there either Bring back t-shirts for all of us! Enjoy your stay Joe. -Brian

I have a St. Croix Triumph 7' MH Casting Rod that is ideal for Pike. It'll chuck 1.5oz lure just fine and has a lot of backbone without losing sensitivity. I would imagine you could find a spinning equivelent in the Triumph line and it will be around $100. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. -Brian

Before undertaking a conversion... The trailer might be unstable due to front/rear balance. A longer wheelbase from tongue to axle will pull better than a short wheelbase. A tandem trailer will always pull nicer (less sway) because the two axles inherently want to travel in a straight line. The trick is getting equal weight on both axles to reduce pivot on one axle (heavy) and brake lock up on the other (lighter) axle. This requires you to mount leaf spings seperated by a "weight equalizer" in the middle. I think most parts would be available at Princess Auto but you might have a hard time adding an axle as opposed to replacing yours with a tandem setup. Probably a lot easier and maybe cheaper in the end. -Brian

What do you hope to gain by converting it to a tandem? The biggest factor weight distribution being equal over both axles. Knowing more about your intentions may help in answering the question. -Brian

He inspired so many musicians. A story comes to mind... A friend of mine met him at 'meet and greet' through his radio station's promotion. He and his wife (Janet) met Jeff, exchanged a few words and shook hands. About a week later they met him again after a show. They exchanged a few words and it wasn't until they shook hands he said "Janet?". He remembered her not by voice but by touch. Oddly, he didn't remember my buddy who has met him on numerous occasions. I wonder what that means? LOL -Brian

Good tip. Flicking the wrist adds to the curve in the rod and creates drag on the line against the guides. The line is slowing down due to the drag while the spool inertia is continuing to push the line through the guides. As Wayne stated, adjust spool drag for a slow free fall before casting. Make a slow straight arm cast and end with the rod tip pointing at the lure. Thumbing the spool takes practice for accuracy and distance but for starting out, let the spool drag control the cast and thumb the spool for the stop - just before the lure hits the water.

I can see it now.... (translated loosely) "Salut le miel, je suis à la maison. J'ai posé un nouveau compte aujourd'hui et je devrai probablement aller là deux ou trois fois par semaine."