CrowMan

Im not sure what you mean ? I was referring to a big Musky we've moved a few times up in the Wapezi area of the lake. She likes to get a real good look at the lure on the figure 8, but doesn't like to bite... Last year, she grabbed my buddy's 16" Walleye, as he was reeling it in. She didn't want to let go at first, but once she saw the boat, she dropped it. She must've had it crossways in her mouth....the bite marks were at the gills and then again almost at the tail...big girl.

Nice fish. My favourite body of water in the Province....especially the NE end up by Chamberlain Narrows. We often don't see another boat all day. There's a 60 up there that I've locked eyes with on a few occasions. She's a real tease..definitely has a thing for gold and black Medusa's, just won't commit. My buddy jokes that one of these days we should just put a foot and half long live sucker on a quick strike rig...but I just can't bring myself to do that..

Exactly...the Pike have taken that lake over from the Muskies.

I've had a Tranx 400 for over 5 years...it's been flawless. If there is one negative, I do find my Lexa 400 has a slightly smoother drag...not a real issue, just an observation. But that's been the case for 30 years, Daiwa's have always had better drags than Shimano's imo...going back to the Whisker Tournament SS1300 which was the gold standard spinning reel back in the day. The Tranx 500 is just too big and heavy for casting all day...maybe for trolling....but I run a Tekota 600 for that. Not that it's necessary, but I like looking at the line counter.

My "go to" for off the shelf leaders are the "Huskie Muskie" brand fluorocarbon. However, I usually just make them myself...a spool of 100 or 130lb Seaguar Abrazx FC, double barrel crimps, ball bearing swivels, and coast lock snaps...18" long for casting, 36" for trolling. Very easy to do.

Salsa making day today. Grandkids are coming over for probably the last swim of the season. Grilling up steak and shrimp fajitas tonight for the crew.

For what application/presentation ? They have very limited use in my opinion. Some guys like them for finesse Bass presentations like a Ned rig...you sometimes can see the line "twitch" before you feel the bite (strike detection)...but in that situation you're always using a 5 to 10ft leader of fluorocarbon between the mainline and bait anyway. I would never tie hi-vis directly to the bait. They can also be useful if you're floatfishing for Steelhead in a crowd....easier to track your line...but then again you're using a fc leader between mainline and leader. And personally, I avoid crowds like the plague. So, to answer your question...I never use them. I'm all about stealth, even for Musky/Pike leader I mostly use 100lb+ fc rather than steel or titanium wire. The only exception is I'll sometimes use a stiff single strand wire leader on jerkbaits for Musky...helps prevent tangles when casting and provides better action on the retrieve. Just a confidence thing for me.

" Considering a Lexa 400WN paired with an Okuma EVX telescopic rod (8.5) for $350. Not bad for a starting rod/reel combo." My buddy has that combo. If it's in good shape, that's not a bad deal, and it will serve you well with a variety of presentations. If it's the rod rated for 2 to 8 oz and 30 to 65lb line, you don't need anything heavier for the Kawarthas.

I usually make salsa (Pico de Gallo) with my tomatoes. Simple recipe...chopped tomatoes, diced white onion, chopped jalapeños, minced cilantro, lime juice and salt. Everything but the lime and salt comes from my garden. Perfect for football and hockey season with a bowl of nacho chips, washed down with a cold cerveza.

Last season's from cold storage or fresh picked ? Extra fancy grade ? Plus, I'd rather support a farmer in my neighborhood, than Galen Weston and a supplier in Quebec.. I'm only pullin' your chain because my daughter's in-laws are 3rd generation apple farmers in Thornbury...and she didn't marry my son-in-law for the money...lol. It's a tough grind being a farmer in Ontario these days.

That's actually not a bad price, considering a bushel of apples weighs between 40 and 45 lbs. Fresh Honey Crisp (not last year's holdovers from cold storage) are in the supermarkets right now for about $4 a pound. Knowing that they're right from that orchard, and not shipped from California or somewhere, plus you're supporting a local farmer (and the local economy)...I'd say $2 a pound is fairly reasonable.. Shopping for the lowest price isn't always the best value...

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.