CrowMan

BTW Barry, congrats on the new boat ! Speaking of old farts...you may want to make the boat a little more senior friendly. Cut a couple of pieces of plywood to fit in the bottom of the hull in the bow and between the middle seats (where the V of the hull is more prominent). You can make a pattern with cardboard, and then trace it on to the plywood to cut the profile with a jigsaw. Cover the plywood with outdoor carpet or marine flooring vinyl (glued on). That way you have a nice flat stable platform if you stand to cast, or just getting in and out. I twisted an ankle once or twice on an old tinner I had before making this simple and cheap modification...the sloped sides of wet slippery aluminum didn't get along with old legs...

Ahh...I think I know what happened... I "liked" your post about the new boat. You probably got an email saying that I "reacted to your post". Doesn't mean that I actually posted something. It just means that little "blue heart" symbol appears at the bottom of your post. No worries about being computer literate...I'm an old fart too..

Hi Barry...not sure what you mean, or what you're looking for ? If you have a specific question, I'd be happy to help you out.

"Any known issues with these engines?" 3 cylinder 2-stoke Merc's have a history of the top cylinder not getting enough cooling, and therefore the head cracking around the sparkplug. I blew one up myself back in the early '90's.

The price is atmospheric, but the Simms Pro-Dry outfit is the best of the best. I've had the jacket and bibs for 4 years now and there isn't a single negative to say that I've come across. I'm sure it'll be the last rain gear I'll ever own. It's kept me bone dry bombing down the lake at 45mph in a tropical deluge. Any gear can be made water-proof, but its the breathability that sets it apart. You only get that with 3-ply GoreTex, nothing else compares. Simms also has a lot of great features that are specifically designed for fisherman...like a micro-fiber cloth for cleaning your glasses built into the chest pocket, and neoprene cuffs that keep the water from rolling down your sleeve when casting. Over the years I've had Patagonia, Cabela's, BPS, Bare, Gill, and Peter Storm...all either failed me or wore out. The Simms Challenger line comes in at a friendlier price point...a lot of the same great features and quality construction, just a slightly less breathable fabric. Considering how much $$$ I spend on other aspects of fishing, and the value of spending every possible minute being comfortable on the water....rain gear is one item I've learned not to skimp on..

A little twist on his strategy at the end...on the final afternoon when Gussy only had 2 fish in the well, he decided to switch horses and started pitchin' docks for Buckets like most of the rest of the field...not that he got anything.. "I've been 'moping' smallies for years and didn't even know it " Same here...vertically jigging for suspended fish is certainly not revolutionary. In fishing, there is never really anything " new", other than the label they put on it. I've always been a big fan of the Z-Man finnesse stuff...I even bought the hat...lol

Actually, most of the other competitors were pitchin' and flippin' shallow cover for Largies. This system has four species of Bass...Smallies, Largies, Spotted, and "Meanmouth" (a Smallie/Spot cross). Gussy's strategy of fishing deep for the smaller species, but potentially more of them, paid off in the end. That's what made this tourney so interesting.

Interesting stat... In a sport dominated by "southerners" ....guys from south of Virginia who eat grits with red-eye gravy for breakfast...Gussy is not only the first Canadian to win the Classic, but the first angler from north of the Mason-Dixon Line to win in 13 years. The last "northerner" to win the Classic was Kevin Van Dam...KVD hails from Michigan.

One of the all time worst was Penny's Motel in Thornbury, back in the day. Mice running across my bed all night long, and enough mold in the shower to start a mushroom farm. The place was flea bag central...but a cheap place to pass out after a day of chasing Steelies. Of course, now it's hipster central...some urban refugees bought it, did a complete reno with pastel colours....and now as per their website... it "evokes a laid back 70's vibe" with "complimentary S'mores around the fire pit" and "bespoke cocktails at the reclaimed wood bar".... Quadruple the price...and I don't think anyone's stomping in there with their muddy waders anymore...oh well

When you said "east" Hollywood, I knew exactly where this was going...lol

It's a vertical jig/fluke presentation basically like ice fishing....fitting technique for a Canadian with the nickname "the Snow Leopard" Gussy's "go to" is a Z-Man Jerkz Shad on a guppy style jig head. https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/gussys-guide-to-moping/461264

He was definitely in an aluminum Pro-V. At the end of the day, these tournaments are about marketing...it's the sponsors (ie. manufacturers) that pay the bills and keep everyone "employed". And marketing is all about branding. Gussy's brand is the "northern angler"....hence, the tin boat, finnesse presentations on spinning gear more often than not...right down to the plaid Kenora Dinner Jacket. There are plenty of good ol' boys from Texas, Alabama and the Carolinas on the tour...power fishing with baitcasters in metal-flake glass rockets. That leaves Jeff (and a few others) with a certain subset of sponsors that tend to specialize in " north country " gear to himself...Lund, Northland Tackle etc.. so he doesn't have to directly compete for those sponsorship $$$ from the majority of guys that are mostly south of the Mason-Dixon Line. So far that branding strategy has served him well. However, now that he has reached an altitude where he's at the pinnacle of the sport...that very well may change. We'll see what the future brings.

I know it's all about the sponsorship $$$, his long time ties to Lund, and his rep as a "northern angler"...but he seems to actually prefer aluminum. Obviously, he's going to pitch that angle because of who butters his bread...but he seems pretty genuine about the choice.. https://www.wired2fish.com/boats-maintenance/aluminum-bass-boat-machine-gussys-full-2020-setup

I went to Ancaster too. Bought some Keitech swimbaits and tungsten drop shop weights for a good price...but as LAO said, a lot of "didn't work for me, so you try it" stuff on the tables.

I don't know about rougher, but definitely slower. That Lund Pro-V hull nearly cost him the win...when Gussy got to his first spot this morning, Benton had already been there for 10 minutes...and promptly landed a 4 lb. Smallie as Gussy left in search of other water. Benton's more hydrodynamic glass hull was that much faster over the 45+ minute run from the launch.. Anyway, it didnt matter in the end, and he hung on for a historic win !!

Yeah, I guess growing up on LOTW is also why you see a spinning rod in his hands more often than not...and of course he completes the look with his "dinner jacket"...

I always find it interesting that Gussy is one of the few on the tour that runs an aluminum boat in a sea of glass..

Good to see the "Snow Leopard" on the prowl...killin' the brown fish with his signature "moping" presentation. That kicker Meanmouth Bass was a beauty..

https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/2-newmarket-residents-fined-by-ministry-for-illegal-fishing-6753626

I don't have any first hand knowledge of this brand (all I know is their anchoring gear)...but when it comes to electric motors, ECM (brushless) is definitely the way to go. ECM's are better in almost every way except initial cost. Lowrance and Garmin both also offer brushless/ECM trolling motors, with the advantage of being able to seamlessly combine it with their respective sonar/scanning/GPS systems. Don't think Power Pole is in the "fish finder" business as far as I know..

I've always found the freshest fish & seafood and best prices (based on quality) at St. Lawrence Market on Front St in Toronto. There are 3 different vendors that all have been there for a very long time...they all compete with each to keep prices low and bring in the best quality product. One of my favourites are the Crab Cakes from the Seafront Store. I've also often bought large size Malapeque oysters from PEI (the best on the planet) for 75 cents each.. The only headache is downtown traffic and parking....but it's also an excuse to get the best peameal bacon sandwich in town from Carousel Bakery.

This is their current Canadian flyer. Not sure if they're doing it again, but last year the "Spring Classic Sale" was April 7 to 29.

Killbear, Kawartha Highlands, Sandbanks (West and East Lakes) and Charleston all have good fishing.

I assume this is a I/O sterndrive motor, not an outboard ? Just curious if you can seperate it out for tax purposes ?

Take a look at Tumblehome Lodge on Crotch Lake. Even though it's not "way up north", the lake feels quite remote as the shoreline is over 95% crown land, with only a couple of cottages on the entire lake. Rugged granite topography with lots of islands and structure. Excellent Smallmouth fishing, and there's a couple of really good year classes of slot-size Walleye in the lake right now. There's Pike, Largemouth and Perch too. The lodge just got some brand new Bennington pontoons with Yamahas and fishfinders last year. The lodge owners runs a top notch operation. http://www.tumblehomelodge.com/