CrowMan

Very nice...looks yummy. I'm big fan of Shishito peppers...I grow them in my garden. Is that a typo...60 hours ?? Certainly would've been very tender after soaking in that marinade for 5 days ! I just finished building a small "deer proof " vegetable garden at the cottage. Now that I'm spending more time there, I got tired of fattening up Bambi...

All 3 (Garmin, Lowrance and Hummingbird) make very similar units. It's like the GM, Ford, Ram debate. Garmin pioneered the "live" forward-facing technology, but the other 2 make very good products too. The Garmin has a slight image advantage in shallow water, the Lowrance in deep water. So your choice might depend if you're a Bass fisherman, or Walleye,/Lake Trout guy (or do a lot of ice fishing). The Hummingbird has the advantage of being able to connect to Minnkota trolling motors and anchors (if that's what you have). For me, the decision would come down to what electronics you already have on the boat....if you have Lowrance finders, then the learning curve with something new from Lowrance will be less steep. Also, unless you're investing in an all brand new set of electronics, you may want to stick with the same brand so you can network with your existing gear...you really can't mix and match brands. Is it worth it ? Absolutely...I don't often use the phrase "game changer", but this is one of those technologies that will change the way you fish, and you will be a lot more successful at it..

I haven't fished there in years, but the Gull River below the dam used to have decent fishing for Rainbow Trout. Mostly small, but occasionally, we would get a 20 incher. Best fishing was when they did a dam release to raise the river levels for kayak/canoe competitions. Although I'm not sure if the OMNR still stocks Rainbows there. However, there used to be plenty of Smallmouth in the river too. They were pretty easy to catch just bouncing a jig with a soft plastic along the bottom in the deeper pools.

Beans comments still hold true today. Most of the rivers in the GTA have estuaries where they flow into Lake Ontario...Bronte, 16 Mile, Credit, Etobicoke, Mimico, Humber, Highland, Rouge, Frenchman's...they all produce a wide variety of species depending on the time of the year. Watch what other anglers are doing, engage them in a friendly chat, and you' ll start to figure things out in no time...

Yeah, not sure why there's no retailer worth going out of the way to north of the GTA....I guess the rich folks with their McMansions in Muskoka just dont fish much.. However, west of the GTA, Fishing World in Hamilton and Natural Sports in Kitchener are always worth a stop. With a home in Oakville and a cottage in Frontenac, I'm pretty fortunate as Pro J, Gagnons and PPT can all be en route. JB's is also not bad. And that CT store in Kingston gets a lot of my money too.. As for shops south of the border, If you ever make it out to Phoenix, visit Hook Up Tackle...between the inventory and the knowledge of the sales staff...all I can say is WOW !

The big box retailers have become so out of touch with current enthusiast trends...that it's to the point that the Crappy Tire in the west end of Kingston has a better selection of (in store) baits than BPS. Whoever the purchasing manager is at this particular CT store, they really know their stuff. This store is no regular CT...3 full aisles of soft plastics alone...including brands like MegaBass, Keiteck and JackAll...also LuckyCraft, Duo and EverGreen hard baits...even an aquarium with game fish in the middle of the store. This is one location that ain't that crappy..

Peterborough Pro Tackle

What is it about Walleye in Ohio that brings out the worst in human beings... https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/fish-processors-steal-walleye-from-charity/

If you're nose hooking your plastics, I really like the Decoy Shot Rig hooks...nice wide gap for solid hook-ups..

My uncle had a place there for many years. It's been a while since I've fished Baptiste, but we always had better success going up through the channel (watch for stumps) at the west end and fishing Elephant Lake. Drift and cast the large weed flats and the edges in the main basin for Bass. There used to be decent Walleye too, and some shots at Musky...but I hear the Pike have invaded and things have changed. On Baptiste itself, most rocky points hold Smallies...we always had good luck with black hair jigs and craw imitating soft plastics. Didn't fish Ned Rigs back then, but those should work well in that water too.

https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/mandatory-safety-equipment

As far as I know, even though there is a fire ban you can still use a camp stove...gas or liquid fuel. I think the rule is ...as long as what you use has a valve to turn it off

I had a seamless transaction with them...delivery in 3 days as promised. Did you order through .com or .ca site or Amazon ? I would just call your CC company and have them cancel the charges due to non-delivery of goods.

Yeah...not often you see that inland sea look like a mill pond. Looks like good times and nice fish ! Thanks for posting.

Yes...Bass, Pike and Crappie. Clean water. Don't know how easy your boat is to carry but you can launch for free at the dam if you don't want to pay at the Conservation Area. Guelph Lake is good too. 3 ramps, only electrics allowed

I got to agree...Fairy Lake is a sewer

Can't say I've personally experienced that with the Palomar. Usuallly if the knot fails, the remaining tag end will be slightely deformed or there'll be a little curly-cue. Pike and Musky teeth can be like razors...a very clean slice. Even a hammer-handle can leave you "piked". Any knot can fail, but If you don't cross the line and you lubricate the knot, the Palomar is as bulletproof as it gets. Your partner may be crossing the line, that's really the only way it can cut itself: https://www.wired2fish.com/fishing-knots/2-tips-to-avoid-palomar-knot-failure-with-fluorocarbon/ I can't imagine between the give of the rod and the drag on the reel of breaking a properly tied knot on the hook set...although with chemically sharpened hooks these days my hook sets are more of a flick of the wrist, than an over the head reef. Anyway, there's 100's of knots out there, all with proponents as the best...for me at my age it comes down to muscle memory...my fingers just go into automatic mode, so I just stick with the old fav's.

Again, never had an Alberto fail. Most tests I've seen rank the breaking of the Alberto much stronger than a Double Uni. I find the Double Uni can be problematic if the braid and leader are of very different diameters...like making a Pike leader of 15lb braid to 60lb FC...or if you're using a slick fused braid like NanoFil (oh I miss you). Can't say I've had any experience with the Eugene...90% of the time I'm tying a Palomar...it's just so quick, easy and fool-proof. It's what I use for the drop shot tòo...I find that the double loops of line through the hook eye help support the hook in an upright position...and yes, I always run the tag end down through the eye again If you can tie the Eugene, the Alberto should be a piece of cake..basically the same thing..pinch and wrap

Don't bring your own beer....ours is much better !

For me the Alberto is easier than the double uni...once you pinch the looped leader in one hand, you're just wrapping the braid around it...no switching hands. The Alberto slides pretty easily through your guides...if you ever fish Spybaits, you'll appreciate having a very long (20 to 30ft) FC leader. For the record, I can honestly say I've never had an FG knot fail, but I'm pretty meticulous about tying my knots...must be my experience as a Queen Scout some 50 years ago...lol

https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/poachers-backpacks-bass/

I like at least a 6 to 7 ft FC leader in clear water....actually even longer...I like the knot to be on the reel when landing the fish. I use the FG most of the time. It's the slimmest and strongest connection by far. A little tricky to learn...but I now use a "FG Knot Assist Tool"...I posted about it on here a while back. Other knots that a lot of folks use are "Back to Back Uni" knots or the "Alberto".

Regardless of the conservation or science aspect....as a consumer/viewer/fan, I just don't find it entertaining. You could throw virtually anything at a bedding Bass and it'll get bit...and then they do it to the same fish again and again. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the sponsors are doing themselves any favors if they're trying to attract eyeballs...there's little drama and frankly it's a non-event for me

I don't know whether to laugh or cry..

Personally, I have a problem with these tournaments that are held during the spawn, and where the winning strategy is to fish beds. This is a C&R tournament...watching the same guys catch the same fish multiple days in a row....and sometimes the same day...well, is that what a competition should be ? The same guy will keep catching and releasing the exact same fish to the point that it's exhausted and can no longer defend the nest. The fish aren't even eating...how much skill or talent is there in pulling fish off the beds, or the knowledge required in bait selection or presentation... And don't get me started on the floggers...specifically used to find fish on the beds. 1000's of $$$ of electronics on the boat and it comes down to a plastic cone with a piece of glass in it....please. Anyway, like I said personally I just don't get it, and frankly I think it does the "sport" a big disservice. It certainly doesn't meet my definition of "angling".