CrowMan

A must watch documentary on Netflix...

Nevermind all the political bullshyte ...it's still the best country on the planet. Yes, times have changed, but I have just one question... Where else in this world would you rather live ? Please let me know.

Wish I had some turkey left in the freezer, you guys are making me salivate. I'll have to wait until spring. One thing I do with wild turkey, regardless if I'm doing schnitzel, sauteing, smoking or roasting, is to brine it first. Overnight in the fridge in 2 litres of water with 1/2 a cup of Kosher salt. Makes it tender, plump and juicey.

We have 2 Nipigon trips planned next year. One in June, launching at Alexander Dam and fishing rhe lower river. Then in September out of Pine Portage launch fishing the upper river. The June trip includes stops enroute at the Soo for Atlantics and Steelhead, the Steel River, and Rossport for Coasters. The September trip is a stop on the way to our annual pilgrimage to Eagle Lake (Dryden) to chase Musky. There's something magical about the Nip that keeps calling my name !

You don't even have to bring a lunch....several operators on Simcoe will have hot pizza delivered to the door of your hut..

Winterize ? What's that ? I'll run a boat on the Niagara right through till spring..

Never fished Freeport. In the Bahamas, I've fished only Andros and Eleuthera Islands. In the Bahamas on the flats, it's all Bonefish....other flats species like Permit, Tarpon and Snook are pretty rare. A medium action spinning outfit and 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs in shrimp and crab patterns should cover most situations.

The latest installment of fishing with my pup (she's now 11). My buddy came up to my cottage yesterday for some late season fishing. As usual, my pup Zoe had to be by his side at the front of my boat, point out to him (she is a Pointer, afterall) where to cast....and then make sure she got credit in any photos. We had a good day considering the conditions...8c with a brisk north wind. Water temp was 51f...soft plastics on drop shots and ned rigs in emerald shiner colours got bit between 25 to 30 fow. Ended up with 5 Walleye in the slot, released another 3 that were too big, and hammered Smallmouth with over 25 to the boat. Ended up with a nice fish fry before the ball game....and of course, Zoe also enjoyed some mixed in with her kibble.

Depends what you're looking for. If you want a "fishing lodge" type experience in the Bahamas, that includes everything along with daily trips with a guide, I'd highly recommend Andros Island Bonefish Club. My son took me there for my 60th b-day...had an awesome time..the guides are great, plenty of fish, and it's a perfect place for beginners to flats fishing.. https://share.google/lRncVbFo4EarobpjJ If you want DIY fishing (walk and wade) with perhaps a golf cart or rental car to get around, and maybe just a day or two with a guide to get zeroed in on the fishing...then look at Eleuthera or Abaco Islands in the Bahamas...or San Pedro in Belize...or Xcalak in Mexico. I've been to all of them...glad to help you out once you find something that fits your budget. Margaritaville Beach Resort in Belize is one place I'd take a look at, if you want something that's more of a "beach vacation" but with excellent fishing too....it's an all inclusive resort with great fishing on the beach right in front of the hotel....miles of empty beach to walk and wade...rent a golf cart to extend your range...

I still had some BC Chinook in the freezer from our June trip to Duncanby Lodge, so decided to smoke some up. This is my "Sweet & Spicy Salmon Candy" recipe. Started with 16 hours in the fridge submerged in a dry brine of 4 cups brown sugar, 1 cup Kosher salt, 2 tbs garlic powder, 2 tbs onion powder and 2 tbs Chipotle pepper powder. After a few hours, the dry brine turns into a syrupy liquid, as the moisture is pulled out of the fish. Then a quick rinse and 24 hours on a wire rack in the fridge to dry and form a glossy pellicle. Next 5 hours in the smoker at 130f, and then a final hour at 165f to reach an internal temp of 140f. Smoked with a mixture of alder and apple, basted the last hour with a mixture of maple syrup, 15 yr old Wiser's Rye, and a little Sriracha sauce. Couldn't resist eating some still warm off the smoker, put aside a couple of pieces for a Thanksgiving appetizer (smoked salmon & cream cheese dip), and the rest vacuum packed to hopefully accompany some cold Pilseners for a long run by the Jays through to the World Series. Go Jays Go !!

Are you looking to do just fishing, or a family vacation with spouse and/or kids ? Do you prefer an all-inclusive resort ?

Get some of Hot Head Buggs in natural shrimp colours. Work great for Bones..

I've been to Cayo Coco twice. Stayed both times at the Melia Cayo Coco...which is billed as a 5 star resort, but keep in mind a 5 star in Cuba is a 3 star (at most) anywhere else. Beautiful beaches, and the flats fishing for Bonefish, Permit, juvenile Tarpon was fantastic. I went out with Mikel Ceballos...you can find him on Facebook. Great guy, personable, funny and one of the hardest working guides I've fished with. Gets more excited about catching fish than his clients. Last time I was there, the Cuban gov't was in the process of eliminating private independent fishing guides. They want them all to work for "Avalon Fishing" which is a gov't agency...since it's a cash business, I imagine the idea is to make sure the gov't gets their cut. Not sure what the current situation is with Mikel, but reach out and see if you can make arrangements directly with him. There is good DIY fishing on a flat a short walk to the east down the beach from the resort. Wet wading and sight fishing for Bones. Bring your own gear...a medium spinning outfit will cover most situations for Bonefish (maybe something heavier for Barracuda and juvie Tarpon)..get a 3 pc travel rod that you can stash in your luggage. Grab some Bonefish jigs...I get them on-line from Buggs Fishing. 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs with twistertail plastics work too. Anyway, unfortunately I won't be returning to Cuba again unless the gov't changes. It's an absolutely beautiful country with super friendly people, but their system of gov't is running it into the ground. There are constant shortages of everyday products, regular power outages, and frankly most of the food at the resorts is sub-par. Last trip there, they were rationing toilet paper and bottled water at the hotel... Yeah, Cuba is a lot less expensive of a destination than other spots in the Caribbean, and the rum and cigars can't be beat, but if I'm on vacation, I don't want to have to worry what I'm going to wipe my a$$ with... Bahamas, Mexico, and Belize (my favourite) all have great fishing, and they aren't third world communist dumpster fires.... Bring big poppers and wire leaders for the Cuda..

Named after Wayne MacDonald ? A fitting tribute with a build that honours the original's legacy. Hopefully he's resting in peace on a river where the water is always green and the fish are always chrome...

Once the weeds die off and water temps cool off in autumn, Pike move out of the back bays and go deeper. Look for drop-offs or any remaining deep green weed edges adjacent deeper basins where they'll spend the winter. Great time to fish for them, as they're hungry, and (if present) looking to intercept Ciscoes and Whitefish in deeper water. Lake Nippissing and the north channel of Lake Huron (mouth of the Spanish River and Whalesback Channel) are good bets for big Pike. I personally like Memquisit Lodge on the west arm of Nippissing, or Brennan Harbour Resort on Huron.

You can always chuck spoons in Port Credit off the rocks on the west side. Lots of free parking ... and frankly more fish and elbow room than Bronte.

Nicely done ! One of the greatest pleasures in life is fishing with my grandkids. My grandson with a Smallie, that tested his tackle and his mettle, this past weekend. My pup (as usual) photo bombing the pic..

I've discovered that (like a lot of things) you can never have a big enough deck. When we re-built the deck this spring, we doubled the size. However, it's still too small. My wife and I both agreed we wanted a big table to feed the kids and grandkids, but she also wanted a lounge area. I personally would've preferred to move up some more of the "culinary equipment". After 41 years of marriage, I've learned the art of compromise...so I still have to go up and down a flight stairs to get to the patio and the Komodo Charcoal Grill, Traeger Smoker, and wood-fired pizza oven. Oh well....life is good !

This spring, I added a Weber 36" FlatTop Griddle to my deck....don't know how I got by without one before. Great for smash burgers or Philly CheeseSteaks, and I can fry 2 dozen eggs or pancakes at once (with room for bacon and home fries) to feed the whole crew. What I didn't know is how great it is for fish...seared Salmon or "blackened" Lingcod (and Walleye) as I posted above. Best of all....clean up is effortless...just scrape it clean.

I agree, the "regular" Rockfish we caught have been "OK"....and it's hard to compare anything with Yellow Perch...but the Lingcod and the Kelp Greenling are in a class of their own.

On my trip to Rivers Inlet with Doug (aka Shag) and a couple of other buddies in June, besides fishing for Salmon and Halibut, we also spent a little time chasing "Rock Fish"...assorted species that live in the shallower tidal water. One my favourite eating fish of all time is Lingcod. Although we didn't get many "Bucketheads", we still managed to hook a couple of small ones. I defrosted a couple of fillets yesterday and did them Cajun style using "K-Paul's Blackened Redfish Magic". Served with green beans and a new potato salad....all veggies from my garden... Reaffirmed my belief about Lingcod...yum...one of the tastiest fish that swims..

My bride of 41 years and I are going to see Neil Young tonight at the Budweiser Stage. The first time we saw him was at ML Gardens in 1983, when we were still dating. "Harvest Moon" was the song for the father/daughter dance when my daughter got married 10 years ago. Always makes me warm and fuzzy...

I agree, the pricing/rental plans for propane and tanks is all over the place. Every company has its own pricing plans. Some offer inexpensive or free tank rental, but the price of the propane is higher. Others offer a higher fixed tank rental cost, but the propane is less expensive. Best to shop around and find one that fits your particular needs. However, the difference between filling your car with gasoline, and having your propane tank filled is...with gasoline you go to them, with propane they come to you. There is a cost to delivering the product to your home...yes, it's often built-in to the price....but the frequency and volume of the delivery is definitely a factor in their operating costs. So yes, if I was having a half tank of gasoline delivered to my house, I would expect the unit cost to be higher than having a full tank delivered.

Great when smoked...but what fish isn't.. the Mennonites would come down to the Port Burwell pier to catch Sheepshead for the smoker...I'm not sure of the recipe but they were quite tasty. Best tasting Steelhead in the Great Lakes are from Superior....Huron/G'Bay is a close second.

Nice cat ! When something peels drag on Erie, I'm usually thinking Steelhead..