CrowMan

Maybe I'm just a full blown addict and need to mainline the feel of the tug (no matter how slight)...but what fish aren't FUN to catch. Even catching chubs for bait in my backyard creek puts a smile on my face...😁 I have no problem with re-naming the fish and ducks...it is pretty derogatory term. After all, I don't call Brazil Nuts by the name I called them as a kid.

Two reasons why I still prefer the FG to Shin's "Lazy Alberto" knot. 1. The FG is much slimmer...so it flies through the guides easier and quieter. With Shin's knot you still double over the leader which is always the thicker line...not so important with lighter lines, but more noticeable in heavier diameters. 2. With Shin's knot, the tag end of the leader (again the thicker and stiffer of the two lines you're connecting) faces the bait...so it "catches" the guides when you cast...again especially noticeable in heavier pound tests. Not so with the FG. With the FG tool...even with my old arthritic hands, it's easy peasy. For $30 it's well worth it.

Besides all the environmental hullabaloo around oil, I do think it's prudent that we in Ontario create and control our own energy sources. That's why building five new nuke plants in this Province and the electrification of our economy should be a priority. Yes, we are all Canadians...and we should all be caring and sharing. I don't have anything against the hard working people of Alberta...however, their politicians...well, let's just say I'm old enough to remember Klein telling us..."let those eastern bas**rds freeze in the dark".

I hate windmills...they're ugly and for the amount of juice they create I don't think they're worth the disruption to the environment. They ruined the Kingston waterfront. Ontario Power Workers Union took out a full page ad today in the major papers, calling for the construction of 5 more nuke plants the size of Darlington in the next 27 years. Until fusion is available on a commercial scale...I'm onboard with that.. Also in today's news, I see that Suncor and Cenovus (the major oilsands extractors) want a piece of the $15 billion Canada Growth Fund unveiled in the last federal budget. Imo, this is not wise way to invest the taxpayer's money. About 20 years ago, I spent 6 months in Fort Mac selling equipment. The environmental devastation of trying to extract oil from tar embedded in sand made me literally and figuratively sick. BTW...I myself (a single driver among millions) burn close to 2000 gallons of gasoline a year...so the oil for the windmill gearbox is really inconsequential....not that I like windmills...lol

https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/make-money-catching-invasive-fish/ That's $95k CDN for 4 months "work"...if I was younger, I might be looking for a way to get a Green Card

"I thought natural reproduction was significant with Kings and Cohos on the Canadian side. Poor on the American side. That’s why they are stocking more" True. A lot of the tributaries on our side of Lake O allow better access to cold and clean nursery waters. However, the fact that the annual budget for the OMNRF is $640 million CDN, and the budget for NYSDEC is $1.8 billion USD just might have something to do with it... For context...Ontario has a population of 14.5 million, NY State has 18.3 million...not a big gap, but they spend almost 4 times more than us on fish & wildlife...and, of course, our land mass is 8 times larger.. And NY State sales tax is only 4%...

These changes will come sooner than you think...and just like the Model T, mass production will lower prices dramatically. Just think about all the components (and machining) that go in to an internal combustion engine vs. an electric motor. I'm a big believer in technology and the capacity of the human mind to innovate solutions. We are the only animal that makes tools, and we have become very good at it. The total volume of human knowledge doubles every year. Since the late 1980's, I have invested almost exclusively in tech stocks. Yes, there have been winners and losers...up and downs...bubbles bursting. But overall that strategy has served me very well. Quick example...if you invested $5000 in Exxon Mobil (for a long time the largest capitalized corporation on the planet) back in 1986, your investment would now be worth $520,000. Not bad...eh ? If in the same year, if you had invested $5000 in Microsoft, today the value would be $10.5 million. Unfortunately, in this country (and frankly around the globe) there's a lot of political pressure to support sunset industries like the oil sands...in my opinion that's money not well spent. Yes, gasoline will never go away completely for some applications, and we still need oil to manufacture plastics...but there is more than enough " clean" oil around to satisfy those needs. BTW...average starting cost of an EV is $100k ??? You can buy a Hyundai Ioniq 5 for $48k and get $5K back in gov't rebates. My brother bought one last summer...fantastic vehicle, with great range, quick charge capability and super acceleration...and yes, you have to charge it every 400km, but you have to gas up with a ICE vehicle too. In fact, in some ways it's less time out of your day...you can charge at home rather stopping at the gas station.

We're at the same inflection point...fortunes need to be invested. Just like then...it will be money well spent. That spending on roads still serves us today. Build it and they will come...in 1908 Henry churned out the first Model T. Within in 20 years he spit out 15 million of them...a staggering number by today's standards. I'm an old fart myself, but I recognize it's time to either get on board or get out of the way.

Back at the turn of the previous century the common complaint was..."I can't go very far with these new Horseless Carriages, there's not many places I can get fuel, and they're not strong enough to plough my fields...I'll keep my money invested in that buggy whip company..."

Sounds like you had a great sales experience. In my 40+ year career in sales, in one capacity or another, my philosophy has always been..."customers love to buy, but hate being sold to". Hyundai has sure come a long way. They're now near the top of a lot of lists for build quality and reliability. Not always the case...back in the early '80's, my buddy bought a brand new Pony...it lasted about 6 months before it literally fell apart..

Totally agree Akrisoner... My wife just got the BMW iX in December. 520 km range and 0 to 100k in 4.8 seconds. When you need to pass someone on a single lane highway, the instant acceleration is incredible. It has the same interior space as the mid-size X5 SUV. With the low center of gravity (batteries are in the floor pan) it handles like a go kart. She gets to our cottage north of Kingston (we live in Oakville) on $9 of juice. We installed Level 2 chargers at home and at the cottage, and every service centre on the 401 has quick charge facilities. Takes 18 minutes from 20 to 80%...just enough time to pee and get a coffee. I'm still a dinosaur and sticking with my pick up for now. It's useful for hauling wood and going to the dump...and I also need to tow my boat as I usually make a September fishing trip to NW Ontario every year. As of now, not many charging stations north of Superior...but it's coming I'm sure. Who knows my next truck may be a Lightning or a Rivian.

My wife and I left Boxing Day and spent the last three weeks traveling the southern hemisphere. The first few days in Capetown and the wine country around Stellenbosch. Fantastic food and wine, and an awesome New Years celebration in Capetown. Then a flight to Botswana, where we spent 10 days at two fly-in tented bush camps. One in the Okavango Delta and one in the Central Kalahari. Flights were on a puddle jumper Cessna Caravan...amazing on how short and rough runways these workhorses land and take-off from. This was our third safari trip to Africa in the last 15 years...and I'm always blown away by the sheer numbers of wildlife. The depth and breadth of the biodiversity in that part of the world never gets old. After 10 days in the bush, we flew to Mauritius for a few days to chill on the beach and wash off the dust. I took over 800 photos...the following is a 3 minute condensed overview of the mammals..lots of other shots of birds, reptiles, flowers and insects that remind me it's the little things that are special too..

"can't see any source of power right now that will save it" Nuclear Fusion. Big break through last month in California. Clean, endless, safe energy (it shuts down immediately when power input is turned off) and no radioactive waste to deal with.. Yes, it may sound far off...but remember we split the first atom (nuclear fission) in 1942...the first large scale nuclear reactor was supplying electricity to cities by 1958.. As for batteries...Sodium Ion and NanoTube technology are on their way...almost instant recharging, small and lightweight and no lithium required...

If we can do it with aircraft... https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a41453056/eviation-electric-aircraft/

I do believe that within a decade or two, we will see the end of fossil fuel powered transportation. We humans have an incredible capacity for innovation when we commit intellectual and monetary resources to a solution. Within a lifetime (66 years), we went from the Wright brothers first powered flight (they got 3 ft off the ground) to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.

"find something similar from a well known manufacturer" Unfortunately none of the " big guys" (Shimano, Daiwa, etc) are making in-line ice reels (yet). I do like this style for ice fishing...simple and effective (less stuff to freeze up), also easy to control the free-fall rate. Easy to use with heavy mitts or gloves. Back in the day, I used to use a Martin Multiplier fly reel on the ice for the same reasons. I have found the higher end 13 Fishing in-line reels to be pretty bullet proof....so far. Not a lot of mileage on them to see if they hold up over time. These days my hours fishing open water vs hard water are probably 12 to 1. Now that I'm mortgage and kids free, I try to get in at least one trip down south each winter. Much prefer to be wading the flats in Belize, than standing out in -20 with a 40k north wind. The older I get, the less appealing the ice gets...but that's me. Even so, I still get out trying to turn the lake into Swiss cheese at least 10 times a winter. I grew up at my Grandmother's cottage on Long Point filling up a bucket with Perch. There's just something about staring down a hole waiting for a tug that never gets old...

My buddy bought one last season from Amazon. Within an hour of it being on the ice, it sounded like it was grinding gravel. At the end of the day, it's a $50 reel from China (yeah I know, every thing comes fron China). As the old adage says...you get what you pay for. I've paid more than that just for a set of bearings (ABEC 7 mind you) for a centre-pin reel. Same buddy (cheap bugger) also bought a Picsifun spinning reel from Amazon last spring...didn't last the day before he took it off his rod and tossed it in the lake... lol... I've been using a couple of the 13 Fishing BlackBetty Freefall in-line reels (not that I'm a big fan of most of the stuff from 13 Fishing) ...but they spin nicely even in sub-zero F temps, and the drag is pretty decent. There's also a Pflueger in-line reel that another friend uses...haven't heard him swear at it yet..

A few folks have recommended the Fireline Ice. Does anyone know the difference between Fireline Crystal Ice and Fireline Micro Ice ? Yeah, NanoFil is definitely my favourite line on a spinning reel the rest of the year. I'll keep switching it front to back between reels...just keep on putting on more backing. I did try Sunline XPlasma this past year...so far I'm really liking it, especially in finnesse applications. However, just like NanoFil you have to be very careful with the knots you use.

I'm re-loading some reels for the hard water season. Most of the lakes I fish are quite clear, so I prefer to use FluoroCarbon line....4 or 6lb for Crappie/Perch and 8lb for Walleye. If I'm going deep for Whitefish/Lakers, then it's 10lb braid with a 6 or 8lb. FC leader. I like the no-stretch qualities of braid for the sensitivity when deeper than 25 ft. Last couple of seasons I used Sufix Ice FC and Sufix 832 Ice Braid....however both these lines can get stiff and springy when cold and wet...and don't necessarily shed water as advertised, they'll get sticky on the spool. I know there's a bunch of ice fishing specific lines on the market now...any experiences and recommendations to share ?

Yeah, Pike is actually perfect for this...like you stated in your video...the secret is to only add the fish at the very end for no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a simmer. Otherwise, it will fall apart and you'll end up with a bowl of fish mush..

Great recipe ! Thanks for sharing. I do something very similar...in a white wine and tomato based broth. I throw in whatever different combinations of fish/seafood and veggies I have available...fresh mussels and/or clams really takes it up a notch...scallops and crab too, but almost any firm fish works. It's a good way to use Pike...because after I'm done trying to get boneless fillets, there's only small pieces left...lol The French call it Bouillbaisse, and the Italians call it Cioppino...but to me it's simply Fisherman's Stew. Perfect on a cold winter night. Thanks again...always enjoy your videos !

Striped Bass season closed on October 15th in NB. Ive spent some time there myself. I'm not sure what's in the river in Moncton, but it looks like chocolate milk all the time. For future reference, a short drive will take you to Shediac (home of the Giant Lobster !). The Shediac River gets a good run of Stripers. Further afield, that entire coastline of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is Striper central, especially the Miramichi. Miscou Island probably has the best Striper fishing on the planet.

Hey Doug... I don't mind the heat as long as there is: a. a swimming pool or lake or ocean nearby b. a cold beverage in my hand c. an air-conditioned room to sleep in Yep...Crow has been known to cough up some tasty fish through the ice and some ugly ones too...🤞 for some early hard water ! Rick

I have several watercraft...stand up paddle boards, canoes, paddle boat, kayaks, rubber dinghy, SeaDoos, aluminum outboard, fiberglass stern drive...all of them at some point have been used for fishing. I have a cottage and a big family...everyone wants to be entertained

If there's a good stiff north-east wind blowing...you can get a similar effect at the mouth of the Niagara. Launch in Queenston, nice flat run to NOTL, and then try to get to the bar or the green can.. it's big tight swells over your head, with a cross chop. Good wet fun when you're in Miami and the water is 83f. A little different on Lake O in April when the water is 45f....hehehe