CrowMan

Absolutely, brutal display for a fish that can't be retained...but even more blatant is that the fish is out of season (December 15th) and out of slot (54" + for retention)...which both call for IMMEDIATE RELEASE...no photos (certainly not posed ones) and no measurements.

Wow !!! I wouldn't know where to start...eating that is..

Sure is..you got that right.

His twin brother also caught a Musky in the harbour in October 2022. It was larger at 43 ", so there's at least 2 of them.. The Sampson boys seem to have it dialed in for Esox in sight of the CN Tower...plenty of 40" + Pike from the harbour too.. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/muskie-toronto-harbour-1.6637077 Yes, my salty favourite too....the original "Silver Bullet"...Nothing, pound for pound, pulls drag like a Bonefish. Wet wading, then hunting/sight fishing in skinny water. A 10 lb is a trophy, but even 5 lb will pull 100 yds of drag in a single run..

Good to see.. meanwhile idiots like me drive 19 hours for a shot at one.. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6642147

Although Loomis and St Croix produce some awesome sticks, like most mfgrs, they also make some lower end very mediocre products. The Triumph and E6X line-ups come to mind. Although you would think that the "halo" from a brand's top end products should extend down the line...sometimes it's a complete miss. Don't know if anyone remembers the Cadillac Cimarron from the 80's...it was a Chevy Cavalier with a few extra shiny chrome bits...but still the same bucket of rusty bolts..

Actually a lot of their rods are mfgr'd in Mexico.

I visited my Mom in Mississauga today, and I usually stop by the Fish & Seafood Market down the street from her. I picked up a fillet of BC Black Cod (Sablefish) for dinner tonight....one of my wife's favourites. I broil it after marinating it in miso, mirin and sake...a version of the famous Nobu recipe. Some Jasmine rice, and stir fried baby bok choy makes for a quick and easy dinner. In the store, a large can of chopped ocean clams on the shelf caught my attention...over 3lbs of drained weight for $19.99. Needless to say a lot of clam meat...so I thought I'd change things up for the Superbowl this year. I usually make a big pot of chili for game day. However, this Sunday I'm going to do Clam Chowder. My recipe is pretty basic...bacon, onion, garlic, celery, red potatoes, thyme, parsley, heavy cream, and of course the clams....go Eagles !!

Looks perfect for a cold winter day...but nothing wrong with a little fat instead of "very lean" when it comes to Cottage Rolls...😉

Expensive ?? It's only a couple of bucks more than a Cdn Tire 100ah lead-acid that has a 1 year warranty ...no brainer is right !

I would go with a 55lb motor, especially with a 16ft boat if you want to move with anything above a crawl to get back to port. With electric motors, like a lot of things, bigger is better than smaller. I would definitely invest in a lithium battery. A 100ah weighs 20lbs vs 60lbs for a lead-acid. I bought my third 100ah lithium just before Christmas. Tru Off Grid.com a local shop in Milton, ON. Always good to support a local retailer, rather than Amazon, etc AOLithium...8 year warranty, BMS, low temp protection, and Bluetooth monitoring. Being able to instantly see the state of charge on your phone is a real benefit. $249 CDN. At that price it's cheaper than a AGM battery. Not sure if he's still offering the same deal.

Back in the day, we used to do OK on Baptiste and Elephant Lakes for Walleye...that was over 20 years ago. Of course, back then there was also a healthy Muskie population in those lakes...the Pike invasion put an end to that.. The stocking lists don't show any lakes recently getting Walleye in the Bancroft District. https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/services/FishONLine/StockingList.aspx?json=true&fmz=18&stock=AllSpecies&diagnostics=false&lang=en

G Bay, Nippissing and the French are all Shield Muskies. A non-Shield Musky lake for example would be Lake St. Clair, Sturgeon, Rice, Scugog, the Ottawa River... No Muskies in Lake Nipigon...but more than a few 40"+ Pike....and, of course, monster Lake Trout, world class Brookies and even some Walleye. We drag a boat. Last few times in my buddy's Yukon towing an 19' Crestliner... cost us about $800 in gas. Split between 3 of us...worth every penny.. One piece of advice...avoid driving the Soo to Wawa portion at night...unless you're looking for a Moose as a hood ornament.

Going north from Barrie, you'll find Musky in (these are all Shield waters): Georgian Bay French River Lake Nippissing North Channel of Lake Huron And then nothing for a long time, until a small population in the Goulais River on Lake Superior And then nothing again, until a couple of 100k west of Thunder Bay. At that point, in North West Ontario, you're in Musky ground zero. Some noted lakes in NWO: Lake of the Woods Lac Seul Eagle Lake Wabigoon Lake (hello Limey Angler !) Indian Lake Chain Canyon Lake Crow Lake Cedar Lake And all kinds of others.. First map shows the Canadian Shield, second map is Musky distribution..however, imo this map is misleading...other than the Goulais, I'm not aware of any other Musky spots on Superior..

Yep....been going there for decades.. Two other must stops on that trip are: The Voyageur in Batchawana Bay for Smoked Whitefish and homemade Apple Fritters...road trip snacks. And The Hoito in T Bay for a breakfast of Finnish Pancakes..

Used to fish LOTW every September for close to 20 years...Sioux Narrows/Whitefish Bay area. Now we alternate between Lac Seul and Eagle Lake. It's a 2 week trip. First night we stay in the Soo. 2nd night we stay in Nipigon. The next morning we spend the day fishing Nipigon, either in the river launching at Alexander Dam, or the bottom end of the lake at Pine Portage. That evening we spend the night in Thunder Bay....and have a good steak dinner in town. Next day we arrive at the lake. Spend the next 9 days fishing, either Temple Bay at Eagle or Lac Seul Outposts. The way home is two days with an overnight in Wawa or the Soo. When my kids were younger, I took them on the same trip...although in late August before school started. I'm now looking forward to doing it with my grandkids in a year or two. As many of you probably know...the most beautiful drive this side of the Rockies is hwy 17 between the Soo and T Bay.

If as an angler, you want to make a conscious decision to support Canadian manufacturers, there is on-line retailer that offers only MADE IN CANADA products.. https://greatcanadianfishingstore.com/ Of course, there is also a lot of gear that comes from China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Europe if want to avoid US goods. The same for big box stores....Sail and Canadian Tire vs Bass Pro and Cabela's. Personally, for a number of reasons, I've always patronized the smaller local retailers...although I do miss LeBaron's.

I should clarify the amount of time spent actually fishing...with boys in the single digit age bracket, there was a lot of untangling of lines, pulling stray hooks out of clothing, playing with flopping fish, torturing of minnows, and a football game on the ice... But that's what made it fun...I'm sure a couple of "experienced and dedicated" anglers would've resulted in a fuller bucket or two. Fishing with kids and grandkids isn't always about catching.

Took my grandkids out on Simcoe today...PA day at school. Fishing for Perch was somewhat slow, but enough flurries of activity to keep the young lads from getting bored. Threw the whole tackle box at 'em...didn't like the bugs today...best success was jigging a Slab Grabber to call 'em in, then feeding them Pinhead Shiners on a drop shot in the adjacent hole. Tim Hale's operation made sure the little guys had a fun and safe day..

See ya there buddy...I'm pumped !

I have purchased beef tallow from a store out by my cottage called All Canada BBQ in Kingston. Not cheap...about $30 for 2lbs, but I strain and re-use several times. I've also found it in some independent butcher shops. Also, If you know someone in the food/restaurant business they can order it wholesale from Sysco. However, as Smitty says, it's relatively easy to make your own. Nothing beats fish & chips fried in beef tallow. The french fries are incomparable to using any other fat or oil.

A friend owns 3 McDonald's franchise's in Oakville. In Canada, McDonald's only uses Canadian potatoes. The insecticide "Montitor" is not approved in Canada. McDonald's certainly isn't "health food" but the ingredients they use aren't as bad as lot of these social media posts would have you believe.

I've been to Cozumel twice...both times fished a day with Nacho, and then DIY on the North Beach. March and April are good months to go anywhere in the Caribbean for fishing. Cold fronts (and wind) don't creep down that far south any longer, and temps aren't ridiculously steamy yet. Enjoyed Cozumel, however I keep getting drawn back to Belize...quantity and quality of fish, variety of species, and unlimited DIY. Probably the best place on the planet if Permit are on your bucket list. I also find the atmosphere a lot more chill (no big all-inclusive resorts) and the people super friendly... My nephew with nice Permit from last winter...

It's certainly sometimes mystifying what's "good" vs "bad" for you as the years go by. I remember when Canola and Sunflower oils were the "healthy" choice...now maybe not so much...oils from "fruit" are now supposedly more beneficial for your well being than the ones from "seed". Personally, I'm at the point in my life, if it tastes good..I'll eat it. My wife, on the other hand, is a little more concerned with the impact of her diet.. I opened the pantry, and we now have only two oils on hand...EVO for salads, etc and Avocado for frying, etc.. Geez....even butter isn't as terrible as it once was thought....hooray for that !

Did you fish with "Nacho" in Cozumel ? Awesome guide...