Snidley

Bottom line this has been Quantums reputation in the past. They have tried to restore their reputation in the last few years BUT clearly that particular reel and it seems other reels in the same batch have regressed to the "old ways" I agree that a call to Rockey would be prudent he might even be prepared to ship it back as part of his warranty returns. Still this customer service is the kind of run around that is off putting, to the customer and now to others reading this thread. I have had a similar situation that might be usefull to you. I owned 5 Pflueger Supremes and I love them BUT they have a problem with the clicker mechanisim on the spin reel's spool. In effect they failed on every reel I owned. On the first one the problem happened right away and I called customer service in the USA and they immadiatly mailed off a new spool to me. Problem solved until there were failures in further reels AND Pflueger opened a Canadian service depot (in Brantford I believe and it's a Pure Fishing depot not just Pflueger)I tried to get replacement spoools from them (by this time even the one replacement spool's clicker had failed). The service rep., a girl and new to the job at that, could not help me and really did not even comprehend what was the problem. Eventually I contacted the Canadian president of Pflueger and after a time I recieved multiple new spools for all of my reels. Clearly there is a problem with these reel's clicker (my reels were way out of warrenty)and I am pleased that my reels all work properly now BUT I'm not buying any more Pflueger and probably Pure Fishing product as a result of this poor customer service. The irony is that in the past Pure Fishing out of Manitoba had by far the BEST customer service in the fishing industry and having made multiple warranty claims on Fenwick and Berkley products I got faboulous customer service, from a female (one that fished herself and knew very well details of their products). The result was that I own or have owned about 10 Fenwick Technas, 4 Abu baitcast reels, 5 Penn reels among other Pure Fishing products. NOT ANYMORE. My suggestion Long is to try and findout who is in charge and the higher the better. Talk on the phone to him and insist that they make it good and entirely to your satisfaction (at the minimum free shipping or product to compensate for expense and trouble or even better a free reel). One further issue about inspecting goods prior to leaving the store. I heartily agree as it is not just a Quantum problem. I visited multiple tackle shops in the GTA area with a buddy intent on buying a high end rod. We looked at Daiwa Steeze's first and they were beautiful rods but buddy could not find one that fit his fishing style. I suggested Loomis GLX's so we looked them over. I really liked them and buddy who is finikey, like them too, until he looked at the rods lenghtwise and discovered that the guides were tied on crooked. Not on one or two rods either. On ALL of the GLX rods we looked at at 5 different stores(about 40 rods). We looked at some Daiwa Zillions as well and out of 4 we looked at 2 were tied with crooked guides. When I pointed this guide situation out to a friend that works at a popular fishing store he was suprised and dismayed since GLX's are expensive inventory for independant tackle shops...they SHOULD look top end product over very carefully before puting it on sale for $400+ but they don't. The only high end rods that we looked at that had straight ties, a bare minimum in performance criteria, were St Croix Legend Elites. It was a shock to me since even my cheap Chinese made sub $100 Airrus rods have the guides on straight. So clearly ALL companies have quality problems (Loomis is a Shimano firm) and a smart consumer should inspect high dollar purchases before leaving the store if possible but in the end it is up to the company to solve their issues to the satisfaction of the customer or face the inevitable backlash of disatisfaction from formerly loyal customers. I know at one toime I wads a loyal and profitable customer for Pure Fishing but this blip in their service has soured me on their product line.

I never go anymore but when I did go i found that there is free parking at Ontario Place just acros the Lakeshore Rd. . A short hike up and over the bridge for sure but I like walking and $15 to park and $19 to get in is a no go for me. Come to think of it $19 is a no go period.

Clearly Double Digits likes common lures. Thank goodness after all there's always live bait. For the rest of the guys here, there's a reason top anglers use Japanese lures when money is involved or they want to max out their success. Bottom line is if you are satisfied with Rapalas or any other "domestic" lures you are missing LOTS of fish virtually antwhere you fish around the GTA or even southern Ontario. Same goes for quality spinnerbaits over the 3 for $10 ones you see on bait store racks. Quality lures take research and execution to manufacture, just like cars, boats, clothes etc. Even in remote locations where the fish are not conditioned quality Japanese lures will consitently out fish Rapalas and the other American hardbait products (except Hildebandts of course) This is somthing virtually all dedicated high profile anglers know (but frequently do not tell to the general public)

Heavy shot patterns or weighted floats are a key to long casts with baitcasters and pins. Drennan Pikers and huge Thill balsa floats do the job but the best float of all is the handle from an aquarium net. Just remove the handle from the net (Duhhh) paint the top orange or red so you can see it wayyyyyy down drift and Bobs your uncle. The key is that the handle is heavy in it's own right but it's made of hi float foam so even with pencil lead it will float. This allows you to get out and down at places, like the Whirlpool, where the big sivler fish are out 30-40 yards and down 25 feet, near bottom.

Rattle traps are like any other hardbait, there's a time and place. With that consideration I personally never use anything but hardbaits for all species and still do well virtually every time out and in heavily pressured waters. I think that for many anglers their lack of success is rooted in throwing baits that the fish are conditioned too. Cordel spots and Rattlin Rapalas have been around for 25 years. Same goes with Bill Lewis rattlers. They were good a decade ago. Try Lucky Craft LV300/500, LVRs, Evergreen Buzzerbeaters, Yozuri Hardcore Drums, Jackal TN 50,60,70. First thing you will notice is that these baits look much different (ultra realistic)and are offered in loud rattle, soft rattle and silent as well as 3 or 4 sizes. They are designed to fall with a shimmey and some will rest on bottom without falling over (for jigging). If you really want to catch fish go to the absolute king of this style of bait and bag yourself some Viper Design Risebackers. They are configured so as to come through weeds like no other hardbait and in early season they will load your boat. Like all artificial presentations fish will become conditioned to lures they get caught on or see their fellows get caught on and if you rely on the same lures that thousands of other anglers use, like Rapalas, Cordels etc. then you should expect to do poorly. I'm constantly amazed that this basic fact of fishing eludes so many anglers. I guess it comes down the $$$ but the same guys trying to catch fish on inexpensive lures will own a $50K truck towing a $40K boat burning through large amounts of $1.35/ltr gas just to get there. Then they tie on a cheap unrealistic looking lure that the fish have seen a thousand times and wonder why no luck. Bottom line is that rattlers work, for all species but not all the time. This means you have to have backup plans for when they don't want a fast moving, or loud, or big, or small or bright, or ghost etc. Finding out what they want IS the fun.

I used to use a Daiwa Millionaire CVZ and a 1263 Loomis baitcast float rod set up with a twist. Sold it to a buddy and he broke it . It was a little too stout for Ontario bows but perfect for salmon.The CVZ is the best baitcaster for this technique because the line guide is similar to an old Abu Garcia C series. The bars don't ice up as badly as the small line guide on Shimanos and most other baitcasters. I could really get the cast out there which is helpful at the Niagara. The ideal setup for rainbows in my opinion would be a Loomis 1261 or 1262 and the CVZ. Hard to find here in the east but common out west.

I still have my mom to look after but once she is gone (she's 96 now)I'm heading to Uraguay. Cost of living is a fraction of what it is here and they encourage foreign business people with lots of incentives. Fishing and hunting are great as well. They want us!!!and here, they use us. I predict that Canada and, even moreso, the USA will devolve into anarchy and violence as the monetary buffer that has kept the idiots that abound in both societies in line over the years, evaporates. It is happening in many overseas locations today and it is coming here...soon. Your concerns about the costs of going fishing are going to pale in comparison to the threats posed by all the tattoed, pierced, uneducated deperadoes that will be running wild seeking victims while the authorities protect only themselves. Again somthing that is already happening here and the USA but will ramp up as the welfare $$ dry up..

I own Supremes and Supreme XT's and I like the biggest size. They are all good reels but the larger spools on the largest size 40 means never, and I mean NEVER having line handling issues. Even the 35 size does occasionally have some line fall off the spool causing a tangle. In the Supremes the 40 size only weighs in the 9 oz range so weight is not a factor. The big size casts further as well, an important issue when throwing super small lures for Steelhead and Smallies. The drags are excellent in the Supremes and I use them for everything including Salmon. The only issues I've had with mine are that on all 4 the line out clicker died on at least one of the spools supplied with the reels some on both spools. Pflueger did replace the spools free of charge BUT I did need to talk directly to the top guy in Canada to get it done. I'm sure they know that the clicker is an issue with both types of Supremes and that's why the free replacements but beware if you are spending $250 for the Patriarch. Pure Fishing, owner of Pflueger among many other big name brands, used to be the best no questions asked warranty claims outdoor company out there. Not so much now however. Let us know how you like the Patriarch if you get one as they look very promising (but $250 for a spin reel is lots especially when Tackle Warehouse has Daiwa Certate Vintage Customs for $299. IMO these reels are the best freshwater reels out there, better even than regular Certates, Steezes or even Shimano Stellas. They look very cool as well since they feature a toned down appearance that is the opposite of the rapper inspired bling of many fishing reels offered today.

AVOID at all costs BassPro reels. They are awful. Their rods on the other hand are very good as are their lures. For some reason they really produce terrible reels. There are many better, cheaper reels to purchase.

I don't stream fish much anymore with the exception of the Niagara Whirlpool where hiking is a big part of the experience. I have found that wading boots of all types are A) reletively heavy and B)fairly expensive with very poor orthotics. Over the years I have become a devotee of using lightweight running shoes instead of wading boots (combined with stockingfoot waders). You do need to look for decent quality running/hiking shoes and they do wear out but the experience is much better imo. The latest type of running shoes that I now use, with great satisfaction I might add, are Asics GeL-Artics (a Chinese mispelling of Arctic I'm sure). These are extremely lightweight jogging shoes specifically for winter use. They are light and come equiped with metal cleats moulded into the outsole of the shoe, for traction on ice for the runner. For anglers the cleats grip exceptionally well on algae covered rocks while also gripping the intended ice and snow. They are MUCH better than any boot I have ever seen, including my buddies Simms studded boots. I have only seen them at The Running Room Outlet in Mississauga (near the 427/QEW) My first pair was $29.95 but I bought 2 more pairs further discounted to $19.95. Don't know if they still have any but when I bought the last 2 pairs a few months ago there were still lots left.I highly recommend these shoes or similar offerings from other manufacturers.

I know that the host of the TV program Fishfull Thinking, Charlie Wray(who is sponsored by Seagar)calls for a uni knot for connecting fluro to a split ring. The Palomar is ok for snap, snap swivels and other single strand connectors but the uni is best for o rings. Personally i have gotten into the habit of using the uni knot on all connectors and I'm very pleased with the obvious(to me) strength and ease of tying a perfect knot every time when using the uni.

I'm conflicted on Global warming or Climate Change and how it is caused. It may be fossil fuels it may not. What i do know for sure is that the reliance on a specific fossil fuel oil in huge quantity has cost our neighbor to the south an immense fortune that has and will impact the quality of life there for decades. Back in the early 1980's I was involved in a propane conversion business and although we got lip service from the government encouraging propane alternatives there was also lots of impediments to the implimentation of propane as a large scale fuel for vehicles. Had Canada and the USA gone full bore into the use of propane as a motor fuel a lot of our current problems would not be nearly as acute. Propane is still a fossil fuel but it is cleaner burning and more importantly it's feed stock,natural gas, is from here (both Canada and the USA). That alone makes it worth prioritizing. As far as cap and trade or carbon limits i believe those are crazy schemes that will never be put in place due to the $$$$$. at least I hope they are not put in to place.

Fishing with eggs would be illegal. How is that complicated? Truth is i'd be happy with complete C&R only. That way anyone carrying out a fish is breaking the law...at anytime. It would remove the main motivation of the idiots that use limited natural resources as a free grocery store. Another part of the solution is to post obvious areas with proper signs as well. The best example I know of is Montsberg reservoir. It's illegal to fish on the train levee but lots of people do (with wives, kids and pets wandering around on very active train tracks). The current fine there for trespass only is now $525 per person plus whatever other infraction (no license, over the limit etc) and it is occasionally enforced by CO's and more frequently by CPR Police and occasionally by an outright taskforce of those 2 plus OPP. If they really wanted to stop the trespassing they should post a sign that explains not only is it illegal to fish there but the significant fine that is involved. most of the people I observe on the levee are of the poor variety and $525 would be a definite motivator. Currently there are some small discreet signs saying no trespassing but they are easy to ignore. It's almost like they would prefer people to trespass (and risk their lives) rather than get people to stop fishing there. Maybe they are seeking the fine money to finance something else.

The reasons most frequently given by the local police for not enforcing fisheries laws is their complexity and consequent low conviction rate. They allocate resources as well you know. Give them clear rules and possibly point them in the right direction as to where offences are occuring and they will enforce the law. Simplify the law by making the use of eggs, possession of any salmonoids and fishing at all before opener and you have an easily understood and therefore easily applied law that the cops and more importantly the police management will enforce. It would be simpler for anglers as well because I frequently catch experienced anglers here in Oakville breaking laws they don't even know exhist. Laws like party fishing, sharing stringers, stream limits vs lake limits for trout, culling from stringers, and the one virtually all the floaters ignore limits as it pertains to roe (ie it IS part of your limit even though it is seldom enforced) Snidley

I'm an ex bailiff who has worked with the cops in the past and it should be understood that cops work well when a) the laws being enforced are clear and understandable to the cops, there is a high likely hood of conviction c) where there is executive direction leading the way. Fish and Game laws are complex, there is very likely little executive direction to enforce fish and game from police bosses and conviction rates are likely to be spotty because the cops probably are not very familiar with the actual statutes. I'm known on other fishing sites particularly ones concerned with Steelheading to be a very strong advocate of local GTA tribs becoming roe free and C&R only ALL THE TIME. My reason for believing this is that after decades of fishing local tribs for Bows/salmon/Browns I have observed that most of the bad behavior on our tribs here in the GTA is attributable to roe and its collection by traditional anglers, poachers and all round hillbillies that don't seem to recognize that they are killing the Golden Goose, so to speak, by utilizing the future of the fishery as bait. This is very unpopular with many anglers especially the type that uses extra long rods, floats but there you go. IF these rules were introduced one of the major spinoff benifits would be a dramatic simplification of fisheries regs locally. If an angler was fishing with roe, he would be breaking the law. If he had a stringer of even one salmonoid, he would be breaking the law. If he was fishing prior to the Trout opener he would be breaking the law. Easy to understand and easy to enforce which could result in local police enforcement (because right now there is little to no MNR enforcement).

You may want to check out www.tackletour.com and ask there. Kistler has had lots of possitive AND negative coverage on that site. The guy who runs the business Trey Kistler is a religious guy who wears it on his sleeve (which is often not well recieved and would be even less well recieved her in Canada) and they play very fast and loose with the Made in the USA marketing approach(one of the reasons the religiousity is criticized). From what I can discern they assemble Chinese components in the USA and the end result is an expensive rod that is really a chinese import. Some guys really like the higher end rods but I've never seen much about their cheaper offerings. The cost of these rods up here would be prohibitive IMO and right now there are a ton of rods coming out from Gary Dobyns ($225 to $300 USD for Korean imports), Daiwa signiture rods from Korea and China, cheap Shimano's from China, E-21 rods ($150 to $250 USD from China) etc. To me the biggest problem for you is that Rapala is coming out with a huge line of Canadian only rods called the R series. They are Bass, walleye, Salmon, steelhead, musky etc line of rods These rods are about $80 and I'm told by someone who is inside Rapala that they are very high quality rods using very good components that sell for very little $$$$. They are using Rapalas size, strength and expertize to build a strong offering that will be sold for Berkley Lightning Rod type money.It sounds like introducing an obscure line of expensive rods will be a tough sell to me. They have lost lots of cache since Ken Whiting left for E 21 rods but Airrus Rods still make some very good, innovative rods for less $ than some of the new guys. You may want to inquire with them at www.rodsbyairrus.com. I'm also thinking that for Canada St Croix sells very high quality rods from a long term family run manufacturer for excellent prices here in Canada. When i look at it you can buy a St Croix Ledgend Tournament rod for a little over $200 CDN and an Avid from $140 to $180 and the similar quality Dobyns, E 21, Daiwa, Loomis, and Kistler would be closer to $300-$450 Cdn. Sounds like a no brainer to me Snidley

I'm with Cram post on Musky Hunter as Jim Saric uses the Salmo stickbait (great show BTW). It could be that Canada is served by an agent, like Loomis used to be, and because of this the agent sets the return rules. It is still a bad policy but agents are frequently small, under capitalized operations. Snidley

Nice Pike there Monty. I fish Montsberg and Valens in my kickboat. It can be very good there but catch and keep fishing, LOTS of poaching by "Canadians" as well as foreign types and it's hurting the fishing somewhat. Valens seems to be way off the good old days and there seems to be somthing that negatively effects the vegetation there even when we have lots of water like this year. The veg gets all brown and looks sick to me. Valens is also perhaps the worst case of mismanagement of a resource you can imagine. There are big Bass in there but the management insists not only in selling live bait but they run "tournaments" on a lake measured in acres where the boats are not permited to have motors so no livewells and so it's essentially a catch and kill "Tournament". I had a guy press me to fish with him as a partner in this tournament and I just about ripped his head off (figuatively). If I ever got hold of the management of that operation I bet the figuatively would go out the window. Over all even though it's weedy by now Montsberg is the way to go. But if you go be aware that fishing anywhere on the CP property where the train runs will get you a $525 fine for trespassing this year, plus the fine for not having a licence that would inevitably follow for that ilk of idiot. When I see guys doing it I tell them but you would not believe the justifiction I get for their poaching. Often it's family poaching, with mom, dad and little ones fishing and in the kids case, playing on very live traintracks with 15 to 20 trains going by daily. And all to fish from shore which is essentially not very productive anyway . snidley

Sheephead (Freshwater Drum)are excellent tasting fish. They taste like ocean fish since they are a close relative of Redfish (Red Drum) as well as Black and Stripped Drum as found in the ocean. They fight as well or better than Bass or Pike and they can get huge (my best was about 15lb and I've seen 20lb. I believe the biggest caught in Canada was about 30lb and was caught in Manitoba). If you eat them be aware that large ones are in the not to be consumed at all catagory in the eating guide and if you do get some small ones be sure to get a fair number of them as the fish is boney and has red flesh along the lateral line that must be trimmed out before eating. There are lots in Hamilton Harbour but i would not be eating ANY of those fish at any size. this time of year Steelhead are the choice of anglers in Oakville but it's either floatfishing or lake trolling to get them.