CrowMan

I'm not so sure...the Kings from the Dixon Entrance are pretty darn tasty. So are the Halibut and Lingcod.. You're lucky to have some left...I need to get back and re-fill the freezer.

+15C forecast for Wednesday 😲 I think I'm going to start getting the boat ready...

"boil their whitefish in water" I don't know if anyone has ever tried a "Wisconsin Fish Boil". Sometimes called a "Mid-West Fish Boil" or a "Door County Fish Boil". It's typically made with Whitefish, but Lake Trout also works. I first came across this method on a Steelhead trip to the Betsie River in Michigan back in the early '90's. Guys at the "camp" we were staying at would make it over an open fire in a big old cast iron pot that looked liked it once belonged to a witch. It's simple but produces delicious results...the Whitefish ends up with the taste and texture of something more akin to Shrimp or Lobster than fish. It uses an insane amount of salt to raise the boiling point of the water...so it becomes like "deep frying" with water. The flavour of the fish becomes very mild, the texture is firm, and the result doesn't taste salty at all. I make it at least once a year...great for feeding a big crowd, just multiply the recipe accordingly....but it's important to maintain the ratio of a total of one cup of salt to 4 quarts of water...and the bigger tbe pot, the better. Recipe for 2 to 4 people: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling add half a cup of kosher, pickling or sea salt (not iodized), a couple of handfuls of small redskin potatoes (skin on), and a couple of handfuls of pearl onions. Boil at a simmer until the potatoes are just barely fork tender (about 15 minutes depending on the size of potatoes). At that point, turn up the heat again to a roiling boil. Add the fish (2 lbs or so of skinless fillets cut into 2 inch chunks) and another half a cup of salt. Keep on high heat. When the fish is just starting to get flakey (but not falling apart)...about 7 to 10 minutes...drain the whole pot and divide on plates. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, and serve with lots of melted butter and lemon. Tartar sauce not required.

First time I was there was 2007.

"Welcome to the thread where you can complain about the ice conditions on your local water hole" OK.. I'm at the cottage this week hoping to get a few Whitefish, Crappie or Walleye for dinner. As of today, there's about 6 inches of standing water on the lake. Glass is definitely half empty here...lol Think I'll go back to chasing Chrome in the creek.

Check out the OMNR on-line tool: https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/fishonline/Index.html?viewer=FishONLine.FishONLine&locale=en-CA Looks like there's a bit of everything in there including Pike, both Bass, Whitefish, Cisco and Smelt. What caught my attention is that it's been stocked with Walleye in the past...most recently in 2017 with almost 20,000 fry. They or their progeny may still be swimming around. You'll also see the depth contours...looks like a couple of long points leading in to deep water...probably a good starting point. FYI, if you have Navionics there's a chart there too. Best of luck !

"Something isn’t adding up on this one what the heck!" I get the impression that this dude had some mushrooms for dessert... went for an after-dinner walk and followed the white carpet in to the bay.

It wasn't too fine for somebody last night...not even sure what he was doing out there...he heard some cracking so he panicked ?? https://www.orilliamatters.com/police-beat/drone-hovercraft-used-to-rescue-man-from-lake-simcoe-ice-6507876

We always stayed at Alwaki...gonna miss the place. Funny...we never did that well with the Lakers, but killed it with the Walleye...quantity and quality. We also managed on every trip to also bring a few 40"+ Pike to the boat. Kipiwa always reminds me of Temagami (the X shape and terrain..it's like a twin just the other side of the border)...the difference being it still has a lot of fish in it..

Yeah...the ice conditions definitely suck this year. On the other hand, the glass is half full. The mild temps and liquid precip have kept the tribs open, and the migratories coming in at a steady pace. Much prefer to play with chrome on 13 ft of graphite rather than a 2 ft stick through a hole. Trout can't do cartwheels through the ice. Best winter Steelheading in 20 years.

"but extremes like what they are doing in California for example seem ridiculous" I was in LA in the late '80's on a business trip. During the week I was there, there was a temperature inversion trapping all the smog in the LA basin. This was before the stricter emissions regulations had kicked in. I was hacking up brown crud for the next week after...and I was a smoker then, so my lungs were already "broken in". The air there was literally killing 1000's of people a year...they had to do something. Yes..even small steps help. Countries like China are still building coal-fired generating plants daily, but does that mean we just throw our hands up in the air ? To me, that's the same mentality as...I'll just throw that Tim's cup out the window, because the roadside is already full of trash. It's apparent that we can't just continue on the path we're on and ignore the science. At some point, we have to do something. Do we just keep kicking the can down the road, or start to do at least something. I've got four grandkids...do I just toss the problem in their lap ?

Yes, some of the stuff in lithium batteries is toxic...but all the components are 100% recyclable. So long as we don't throw them in to landfills it's all good. Just like lead acid batteries, I assume there will be some financial incentive to trade them in, rather than just throw them in the dump. Keep in mind, that with our reliance on oil that we are dependent on a relatively small number of non-local producers (Alberta, Middle East, Russia, etc). The suppliers influence the price on the supply side through organizations like OPEC (I never understood how that is even legal). With electrification, we can produce energy locally (nuclear, hydro, solar) so we're not hostage to the whim of some Sheiks...blue eyed or not. In fact, you can make your own electricity and not be reliant on anyone...I dont think you can make your own gasoline. Electrical production fosters a lot more competitive market as it can be created in a number of ways on a macro and micro level. At this point, I think the debate is over...whether you like it not...in 30 years ICEs will be niche products limited to few small market segments.

If it's mainly Walleye at that time of year, then two places come to mind that fit your criteria.. Mouth of the Spanish R. on the North Channel of Lake Huron...aka Whalesback Channel. Lac Kipiwa...just across the border in Quebec. 90 minutes from North Bay. Both are Walleye factories...as good as a lot of fly-ins. Both have good ramps and a variety of accommodation options.

Thank you Brian for volunteering. It's a necessary but under-appreciated role...and I'm sure the pay is great 😜

The hunts are crazy expensive...the amount you pay the gov't for a "tag" is astronomical. Though, the guides tell me success is absolutely guaranteed. The concessions we were at do allow some hunting...they are set up like the ZEC system in Quebec. It's a different story in the National Parks.

Yeah...every time I hit the shutter button on my camera, I'd imagine it was a trigger. Though with the amount of game in Botswana, I would think the hunting would almost be too easy to be fun and challenging. The guides do harvest a Kudu (see photo) a couple of times a month...to put on the menu for dinner at camp...and also to make Billtong (like beef jerky) as a snack for the daily "sundowner" cocktail time. Kudu is absolutely by far the best game meat of any kind that I have ever tasted...would love to have a freezer full. Interestingly, the guides in camp and on the game drives do carry a .375 H&H just in case one of the pussies get too frisky. I talked one of them into letting me fire off a round at a tin can (just to make sure it was sighted in...hehe). Jeez...it felt like a stick of dynamite went off on my shoulder. Believe it or not, the most dangerous animal in Africa is the Hippo. They kill more humans every year than all other animals combined. If you get between a Hippo and its trail back to the water, it will just blindly charge you and trample you to death.

Haven't been there in at least 20 years. Let me know how you make out. One of the fond memories I have is the sweet smell of fresh Smelts in a bucket...reminds me of fresh cut cucumbers of all things. Best of luck !

Yep, back in the day we would ice fish at night for Smelt at Ramey's Bend in Port Colborne. The other spot we'd go to in Welland was Dain City. A lantern would attract them to the hole...and we'd use a hook with a little yarn that would get caught in their teeth...just shake them off. Haven't been there in many years. These days, one of the few places where you can still catch Smelt through the ice in good numbers is Muskrat Lake up by Ottawa.

Yeah, those were the glory days. As a kid in the 60's and 70's, I used to go down to the Bronte pier on a warm April night with my Dad and Uncles. It was a real party atmosphere. Some of the contraptions that folks made to net them...like mini cranes..were real feats of engineering. On the right night, with a half dozen dips of our net we could fill a bushel. We would fill the bathtub with them to clean them with scissors, and then a big fry up in the wee hours of the night. These days, the only place I consistently see them caught in big numbers are the tribs of Lake Superior. Most of creeks and rivers north of the Soo along Hwy 17 still get substantial runs...Harmony, Chippewa, Pancake, Speckled Trout, etc. Our group heads up there for Steelhead the week after the Trout opener down south...so last week of April / first week of May. We usually have no problem getting our fill of Smelt in the evening...a little smaller than the ones we used to get on Lake O years ago...but just as sweet. Some of the local restaurants along 17 even feature them as a special that time of year.

Same conditions on my lake...can't run my Pioneer more than a few feet without getting bogged down. The Walleye, Whitefish and Crappies are catching a break this winter..

I didn't want to turn this thread into a commentary on investing advice. My remarks about "Minit Lube" were strictly an attempt at humour based on the trend of increasing electrification of the economy. I will say, when I hear the words ..."most are saying " when it comes to investing, I stay away. I've always found the words of the Sage of Omaha to be good advice.. "Be fearful when others greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful." I also live by..."don't invest in a business you don't understand". That's why I would never touch bitcoin or crypto.

I love the growl of a V8 as much as the next guy. My ride in the 70's was a Duster 340 with a 6 pack...leaded gas and no catalytic. Also had a Kawi 750 triple 2 stroke. But, the writing is on the wall. I wouldn't be investing in a Jiffy or Minit Lube franchise any time soon...

It is my understanding that every single component of a lithium battery can be recycled.

Nuclear power (despite the fear mongering in some media) has proven to be very safe. In the over 65 years that we've had 100's of nuclear power plants around the globe...there have only been three incidents. 1. Three Mile Island...failed due to human error. Basically the equivalent of the Koebel Brothers from Walkerton were running the plant at the time. 2. Chernobyl....constructed and operated by the Russians... see their track record with commercial aircraft...I think enough said.. 3. Fukushima...impacted by a tsunami. The likelihood of that kind of event in Ontario is nil.