Mike01

I fish bass out of my 16' v all the time. There is no reason to let a "lower" casting deck stop you form catching fish.

I would think it might have to do with stability issues in rough conditions, especially on smaller boats.

If you get the opportunity, take a little drive up to North Bay. Lake Nipissing has some excellent fishing for almost anything that swims(except trout). It's only a 3.5 hour drive from you and there are numerous places to stay. Most of the lodges and cottages up here include a boat rental but you will need to get a pleasure craft operators card. There are several OFC members up this way so i doubt you'd have a problem finding a fishing buddy

does anyone know where I can get some lead ingots? How do I know what "household" items have to many impurities?

I'd like to start making my own jigs this year. I've looked around and everyone seems to like the do-it molds, they even make a starter kit that has everything you need except the lead. What do you guys use, do you buy lead ingots or just use stuff you find around the garage?

I would see if you can find a local bait shop and give them a call, explain your situation and I'm sure they'd help you out.

I've tried several fish and chip batters but haven't found one that I absolutely love, I'll have to give yours a try.

I'm not passing any judgement but was your buddy drinking? If it goes to court I'm sure something like that will be called into question. I would see what 'Dega has to say and go from there. It might not be a bad idea to contact in injury lawyer first to find out if there is any red tape being from another country. I always remember the Jim "the hammer" Shapiro commercials!

As of yesterday my dock was only a foot from being swallowed up by the lake and there is more rain the forcast.

Did you get the species info from the MNR website, if so it's not always that accurate. Most of those surveys were done back in the 70's.

I second that idea

I use a uni to uni, and since I started using braid with fluro leaders about 5 years ago I have never had a knot fail, I have straightened a few hooks though!

I'd rather see a week or two of high water than a summer of low water. I couldn't even get a 16' boat into my dock last year. Hopefully the flooding doesn't do that much damage, my mom lives right on the beach in NB.

There are endless opportunities when it comes to fishing in Florida. My first question would be is this going to be a family trip or is this something that you are gonna do with a couple of buddies. The Keys are the place to be if there are no kids involved, there are plenty of smaller "resorts" and fishing can be done literally off the beach! Bonefish, permit, barracuda, snapper...the list goes on for inshore species. Offshore there are dolphin, sailfish, tuna and even the odd marlin mixed in.

I don't know a whole lot about the West end, but the Islands of Callander bay and pretty much all if the Eastern shore of the lake will hold fish that time of year. Just look for shallower areas, say 10-25' with some rocks or gravel. Nipissing rigs works well, so do lindy rigs tipped with leeches or worms.

There are a couple of sanctuaries here on Nipissing that protect the main spawning areas. I'd have to agree that bass are way over protected, especially up North.

I thought about that but wasn't sure where the best place to launch would be, its such a wide area to cover and I've never been on the lakes before. Most of the lakes are open up here now anyway, so I think I'm going to just stick around here(North Bay).

The ice was off late this year so I suspect the fish will still be in shallower water. What part of the lake are you planning to fish?

I've been using power pro of various strengths for a few years now, and doubt that I will use anything else. I've yet to have a problem with it, and I fish on a very regular basis.

It's always nice to get out with the kids. Love the spots on those fish too

I guess I'm just not on here enough to be completly in the know.

Haha, guess I should pay more attention. Posted from my iPhone lol!

Just wondering if the idea has ever been tossed around. I'm not sure what the cost would be or if there is enough interest, but I know I would use it on a very regular basis.

I'm sure i'll get jammed up for commenting on this but I'm going to anyway. No, the house isn't my cup of tea, but with that said the man worked hard to build a very successful company over 25 years, and even battled cancer in the process. I'm not sure how you can give him such a hard time.

So I've fished Lake of Bays for the last couple of years with some success, but I was thinking of trying something different. I live in North Bay and don't want to drive any more than 1.5-2 hours. I know there are plenty of great lakes around here but they are still covered with a good layer of ice. Anyone have some suggestions, I have a 16' boat so I can get into most lakes without a problem. Thanks Mike