CrowMan

I have a small raised deer-proof (6ft fence) vegetable garden, that considering its size, really cranks out a lot of food. I left my place for a 2 week fishing trip shortly Labour Day. Before I left, I gave my kids a bushelful of tomatoes, a couple of baskets of green beans, and cucumbers. I pretty well picked it clean, knowing I'd be away. Came back a couple of days ago, and picked another box full of tomatoes and a bag full of green beans. I grow several varieties of tomatoes, but my favourite are an Italian heirloom beefsteak type that I got seeds for over 35 years. I had a customer who lived in Little Italy (Toronto) that gave them to me..he called them "Firenze", after Florence where he came from. Nice sweet-tart flavour and can easily reach 2lbs +. Over the years, I have given away many of those same seeds...and everyone raves about them. The trick to making a small garden prolific is to go "vertical". With tomatoes, I'm like Smitty, religious in removing suckers and keeping just a single vine. I top them off at about 6 or 7t ft high, so all the energy can go to the fruit at that point. I grow Kentucky Wonder pole beans on tall racks...and they produce copious amounts from mid July until Thanksgiving. Same with Cucumbers (a Lebanese variety called Diva)...train the vines on tall teepees. Had pan-seared Walleye with fresh salsa, green beans and new red potatoes last night...nothing better.

Keep in mind that Musky baits are larger and have more resistance, so you may want to crank with your right hand...that's why most right handed people fish with a RH baitcasting reel. Hence, why the market mostly offers RH reels. Back in the day, it was often very difficult to even find a LH baitcaster in a lot of models.

Traditionally...for whatever reason...if you're right handed you fish a spinning outfit with the rod in your right hand, and reel with your left hand. With a baitcaster, right handers typically hold the rod with their left hand, and reel with their right hand. However, some folks will use their right hand to cast, and then switch the rod to the other hand to reel with their right hand. Then to make it even more confusing, some will cast with their left hand, but switch to their right hand to "figure 8" at the end of the retrieve. Bottom line...just fish the way that's most comfortable for you. Some guys like the rod in their dominant hand, and some prefer to reel with their dominant hand. I don't think there are any "rules".

The Abu might be a great reel...I just don't have any personal experience with it. I will say this...I just spent 10 days at a camp in NW Ontario known for trophy Musky. 90% of the other anglers were hard-core Musky guys mostly from the upper mid-west US. 80% of them were running Tranx 400's. If most of your Musky fishing is in the Kawarthas, then a 300 size reel with 65lb braid is perfectly fine. If you plan to hunt trophies on G Bay, the Ottawa, NW Ontario etc, a 400 size with 80lb is probably going to serve you better. I prefer low-profile reels because of the way I cast...wrapping my fingers around the reel. I also find them less fatiguing after a day of casting, as the center of gravity is closer to the reel seat...so you're not fighting to keep the reel upright. Just my opinion....one thing about Musky fishing, there's lots of opinions.

I like Tranx and Lexa..both have been problem free after several years of use and abuse. Don't know about the Abu....but I assume the "HS" model has a high speed gear ratio, which is usually best if you're primarily burning blades. Also, keep in mind, the handle length becomes a factor in terms of cranking power. If you're looking for an "all around" Musky reel, you may want to consider something with a lower gear ratio. My Tranx is 5.8:1, and my Lexa is 7.1:1...so they effectively cover most Musky presentations for me. A high ratio reel (some are as high as 8.1:1) with a short handle pulling a high-resistance bait is a recipe for saying "let's troll" after an hour of casting. I'd get something around 6:1 if you're only going to have one reel...I also prefer low-profile reels over the beer cans, if you're doing a lot of casting.

Just returning from a week at Eagle Lake....yes, plenty of Walleye, but we spent most of our time chasing big toothy critters. It's a no brainer to catch a couple of dozen eater Walleye on Eagle before lunch. Interestingly, the guides at the lodge on Eagle (Temple Bay) often take guests up to Lac Seul on a day trip for Walleye. Having fished both several times now, my take is...both are great Walleye lakes (with Seul having better numbers, but Eagle a better chance at a 30" +). The opposite for Musky...Eagle is definitely a better numbers lake, with Seul although fewer fish it has some true monsters. Having said that, there still are some big snakes in Eagle...

Considering a lot of the Bass boys are dropping close to $1k on a NRX+ or a JDM rod, I don't think the river rats have a monopoly on having a fetish for expensive tubes of carbon.. "didn't look cool but a hair scrunchie around the handle worked well for travelling between drifts" Even the best clickers are no match for a cedar branch...my wife quickly learned to buy a few more hair elastics than she needed, but a clicker certainly helps when rigging up...and fighting the fish with the clicker on.. you might as well be fishing with a spinning reel...definitely uncool.. Beauty looking rig Spiel...hope the rod gets a good bend and the reel takes a good spin !

Yeah, getting old is a b***h. But like I said...old school is the best school...that old IM6 blank was a little "noodley", but it's a legend. If you're not using it, I'll definitely buy it from you...lol

Jason, I certainly appreciate your efforts and dedication to the resource. I was involved for a long time in several conservation organizations. I know the work is often thankless and many times it feels like you're banging your head on a rock. I have mixed feelings about the Ganny closure. Yes, it was seemingly done in haste and without complete input from all the stakeholders, and it's never a good thing when we lose angling opportunities. However, I think the writing has been on the wall for sometime, and this decision was inevitable from a political perspective. Afterall, the mayor was democratically elected and I'm assuming carrying out the wishes of her constituents. That, and the OMNR simply doesn't have the budget or the manpower to effectively police the situation. The current Conservative gov't has no interest in increasing taxes or taking money from Education or Healthcare to pay for it...that's not what's going to get them elected again. The "steps" on the Ganny are just too tempting for casual "fishermen" to employ methods that were unlawful. For a lot of the people there, it was the only "fishing" they did all year. A few steps from the parking lot on a paved path...just makes it effortless for folks who couldn't be bothered to fish otherwise. A lot of them were new Canadians and teenagers who weren't fully invested in being ethical anglers. The Ganny is unique in its topography as the steps are shallow and congregate fish to make it a shooting gallery. Trying to enforce snagging and flossing is next to impossible, especially if the fish is released....and that's what a lot folks were doing...just having fun, and doing it by hook or crook. When you have that many fish in water a few inches deep, people just can't resist. Not a great example for younger folks, and frankly it just became an embarrassment for ethical anglers to have non-fishing people witness these hi-jinks. One could argue that the closure is in some manner just an extension of the existing reg's. I think most anglers have no argument with the current law where you can't fish within 75 ft of a dam. It might be a bit of a stretch, but you could interpret the steps to be an "obstruction" as defined in the reg's. Afterall, the intent of this reg is to prevent people from fishing where fish are stacked up and vulnerable...and they're certainly stacked up and vulnerable on the lower Ganny during the Salmon run. I think the additional opening of the river after mid October to the end of the year for fishing is a fair trade off, especially for us who have no interest in river Salmon, but like to chase Steelhead. One door closed, another one opened.

Very nice ! Old School is the best school. What rod blank are you using ?

Leaving tomorrow morning for Dryden...looking forward to some great fish fries. Crappie are right behind Walleye and Perch on the shore lunch list.

Geezus...that's definitely the biggest one I've ever seen. I like them simply grilled. I cut them into thick slices (approx 1"), then just brush with olive oil that has some minced garlic mixed in, salt and pepper. Just grill them right alongside the steaks on the BBQ. I've also done a meatless "parmagiana" with them. Same flour, egg wash and bread crumb schnitzel as you do...but then top with marinara/tomato sauce and then a mix of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. 20 minutes in the oven until the cheese is bubbly. We've also had a good crop of Boletes (sometimes called Porcini or Cepes) the last week or so. The ones we don't eat fresh, we dry for use in the winter. They make an awesome risotto.

Technological development only moves in one direction. At what point do we as anglers, or the agencies that write the regulations, draw the line. When do we say enough is enough, and fishing is no longer "the art of angling", but just a technology arms race. Don't get me wrong, I'm first in line for new tech...but something to think about.

It's much easier to enforce an outright sanctuary, than try to enforce whether people are snagging or flossing fish (and other illegal methods). You're near the river with a fishing rod...pretty simple, you get a ticket. Period. There's no grey area, where a CO would have to examine every fish to see if it was legally hooked, and observe the unlawful act in person. It should be effective in shutting it down, just like you never see anyone fishing there between January and April under the current reg's. OMNR's rationale for the closure is to protect the largest run of wild Chinook in Ontario. Although there are obviously social factors that were involved in making this decision, it's being done under the guise of conservation.

Here's the link.. The circus will have to find another town... http://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-notices-and-updates#section-0

I've been to that one...just absolutely crazy the way Americans create a retail shopping experience. The original BPS in Springfield, Missouri is another incredible store..

I have a Lund 1625 Fury XL with a standard Merc 60 4-stroke (not Bigfoot). By myself, on a flat lake, I've touched 36 mph at 5500 rpm. I'm not sure how the added drag of the larger and deeper lower unit on the Bigfoot will affect that number. Bigfoots are designed to provide greater torque at lower speeds with a larger diameter prop. With the higher gear ratio it may be difficult to find a prop that will give you top end speed without over-revving the motor.

Best drive-to Walleye (quantity & quality) fishing in NW Ontario is Lac Seul. Although the lake is huge, it fishes "small" due to the number of protected bays and myriads of islands. You can fish all day and not see another boat. Our group of 4 often catches over 100 Walleye a day, with lots of 26" to 30" fish in the mix. In fact, after a day or two, we get bored and just concentrate on the big toothy critters...world class Pike and Musky.. If you're looking for a "remote" experience, take a look at Lac Seul Outposts. It's a boat-in (bring your own, or they pick you up at the launch) camp with housekeeping cabins. If you want the full American plan with meals and an easy drive, look at Silver Wheels Lodge.

I was there in September too, a few years ago. The Denvic, Tube, Kecil chain where the lodge is located is good for Smallmouth. Walleye can be a challenge...but I understand they started a stocking program several years ago which should be showing results now. Most of the Pike are hammer-handles. Drop shot and Ned Rigs in natural colours for the Bass. The bigger Bass were on deeper structure. The Walleye we did get were deep too...most of them caught vertically on Jigging Raps and Hyper Rattles. Do the ATV trip to McCarthy Lake. Unbelievable numbers of Bass when we went there in September. Non-stop action.

Sounds like you were there...

Hmmm...several years ago we did a fly-in fishing trip with Amik in NW Ontario. They happen to have the exact same photo on their website. https://www.canadianflyinfishing.com/2007/08/more-new-pictures/

Where was that taken ?

Yes, cutting live trees on Crown Land is a no no. Take all the dead wood you want..

Generally under Ontario property law, "reserved timber rights" just means if you were to do a large scale harvest of timber, you have to pay the Province a "stumpage fee". Usually your lawyer informs you of the exact details of restrictions, etc. in the deed when you close the sale. As long as you're not clear cutting large swathes of land, I wouldn't worry at all.

Frenchman's Bay in Pickering is a good place to get started fishing from shore in Durham. Observe what other anglers are doing, and respectfully ask them questions. An opportunity to learn and perhaps make some friends. I wouldn't jump at buying a boat just yet, until you get your "feet wet" a bit, and decide what kind of fishing you like. You may also consider going out with a professional fishing guide for the day. There are a number that operate out of the Kawarthas area (not far from Ajax). You will certainly learn a lot, and you'll almost be guaranteed to catch some fish. https://fishingtoronto.ca/fishing-location/frenchmans-bay/