craigdritchie

As you said Mike, all manufacturers have their pros and cons ... people who love them and people who hate them. At the end of the day, it's a vehicle ... which means it will only depreciate and lose value. Unless you can think of a legitimate reason to do otherwise, spend the least you can get away with, and save your cash for things that will actually hold their value or appreciate.

Hard to go wrong with a nice merlot. Californian merlots from 2007 or 2010 are drinking very well right now, but I still prefer merlot-cab blends from Bordeau. A nice 2007 Château Mouton Rothschild would be absolutely delightful, if you have two grand to spend on a bottle of grape juice. If , like me, you don't ... then a nice Philippe de Rothschild Merlot VdP ($12) also works just fine ... or splurge on a nice 2010 or 2012 Château des Charmes cab-merlot ($30) from Niagara :-)

I feel badly for this guy's family ... really do .... but it was only a matter of time till a story like this appeared in the paper. It's cold today, but it was above freezing for most of last week and through most of the weekend. How thick did he really think the ice was? I'm amazed that people will happily risk their life for a couple of perch and some weiner-sized walleyes. You know, fish you generally wouldn't even bother with in open water. I guess I will just never get ice fishing.

Nice vids, Mike. And good to see some Bitburger made the trip to the Sutton! I hope the bugs didn't get too much of it. As much as I love big brookies, what I really enjoy are fish that jump. So for a big trip, I'd personally lean to the Pacific coast for rainbows, steelhead and coho, or northern Quebec for Ouananiche and/or sea-run Atlantics. Neither are cheap trips, but life is far too short. You go while you can.

I agree she should serve her time graciously. And I will concede that stopping on a highway was very much a rookie mistake. But at the end of the day, the guy on the bike must bear some responsibility too. He has to be in control of his vehicle, and clearly, that was not the case. Otherwise, he would not have hit her vehicle. Sorry Chris, you and I may need to agree to disagree on this one. I do believe both parties share responsibility for this accident.

I think it's completely inappropriate. If traffic had been stopped because of an accident, the guy on the bike would still have hit and would have still killed his daughter. The accident is the result of the motorcyclist not being in control of his vehicle, simple as that.

Chicago is one of my favourite cities in the world. Go eat some real deep dish pizza, then spend the night listening to live blues at Buddy Guy's Legends. It's unbeatable.

Nothing changed when they bought Mako, and that was what, 10 or 12 years ago? So why would anything change for Ranger and Stratos?

Go fish salt water - you get spooled all the time.

Back in the early summer I bougth this Briggs & Stratton snowblower from Sears brand new for $850, delivered to my door with full warranty. Regular price was almost $1,900. You always get the best deals when you buy stuff at the end of the season when they're clearing it out. It's great - power drive (6 speeds forward, 2 speeds in reverse), power steering, rocker switches to change the direction and height of the chute (throws snow up to 35 feet!!), lights, heated grips, electric start, the works. They were 2013/14 models that were left over and Sears was clearing them out. I've come to avoid Kijiji and eBay because to Fisherman's point, when you buy something that way you never really know how it was maintained or used / misused. You could get a good deal, or you could get a real headache. But if you shop for off-season bargains, you get the same kind of savings with no problems whatsoever. Looking at new lawn mowers as I type this :-)

Don't confuse "patent" with "copyright." They are totally different things that serve completely different purposes. If you're serious about this, then spend a couple hundred bucks and go talk to a good patent lawyer. They will advise you if it's really worth going all the way submitting a full patent application, which is a long and expensive process. Think "thousands," not "hundreds." Understand one thing though - even if your invention is protected to the eyeballs, should someone rip you off it's still up to you to go after them, and that is always an expensive proposition. It's even worse if the knock-off is being manufactured overseas. At the end of the day, unless your invention truly becomes a household item (like a zipper or Velcro) it's probably not worth worrying about a patent. The reality is, if someone rips off your idea there's a very good chance you'll spend far more in legal fees than you actually get back in the way of a settlement. Of course you can sue them for costs too, but that's another lawsuit, and yes, more fees.

If you're going to travel to Florida, why on earth would you spend your time fishing for buckets when there is such incredible saltwater fishing there? Search some other threads on this board, there's absolutely amazing saltwater fishing that you'll remember for the rest of your life.You can catch bass here. Try something different, and make the most of your time away.

I used to do 70 - 80 nights a year in various hotels while traveling for work. Always check the bill, and don't be afraid to question anything that isn't exactly right.

I would be lost without my iPad mini. Fits in a coat pocket, and does everything really, really well. Amazing device.

I'd suggest you call Scepter Marine in Scarborough, Ontario. They make a ton of stuff beyond what you see on their website, including OEM tanks for many boat manufacturers. Phone is (416) 883-0777 and email for customer service is [email protected]. They won't sell directly to you, but if it is an oddball item that's not part of the normal inventory they can arrange for you to order it from a nearby dealer. Can't hurt to ask. Scepter makes the best tanks going, by far.

Big Cliff - there's your answer ... ccmt put it as clearly and as sensibly as it comes. Since we're not producing enough future tax payers of our own, someone has to drive the economy. We need people to work and earn a living, pay taxes, and keep the machine running. With our birthrates not able to keep up, these bodies have to come from somewhere. Yes, a few immigrants will turn out to be undesirable idiots. But can't we say exactly the same thing for people who are born here? The reality is that the vast majority of immigrants - just like the vast majority of people born here - go on to have successful lives, and positively contribute to our economy and our society. Remember, most of these people choose to live here because they recognize what an amazing country Canada really is. What saddens me is the number of people who are born here who fail to appreciate that.

steelhead. No question.

If you're fishing from shore it's best if you have two rods - a regular seven-foot spinning rod with a 2500-series reel and maybe 12-pound mono, and the biggest, heaviest stick you own with the largest reel you cast with (Ambassadeur 7000 or a big Shimano Triton is ideal). Bring some largish hooks, big split shot and big slip floats. Keep it simple so you don't have too much stuff to carry around. When you get there, buy a bucket of live shrimp for bait, and use the light rod to fish a shrimp under a slip float. On this outfit, you'll catch the saltwater equivalent of panfish - blue runners, pompano, jacks, spanish mackerel, mangrove snappers, baby snook and grouper, pinfish, ladyfish and the like. These fish range from 10 inches to maybe five pounds, and will generally fight hard enough you'll think they were twice that size. It's the most fun you'll ever have with a standard walleye rod. So what's the second rod for? You can use some of those smaller species, like pinfish, as bait (check seasons, slot limits etc first). Hook it right through the back on a big hook with a long wire leader, slice the fish a few times with a fillet knife so it's bleeding, then huck it out there and leave the reel in free spool, with just the clicker on. You generally don't have to wait long till something picks it up and swims off with it. Put the reel in gear, set the hook, and hold on for as long as you can. You may land the fish (adult snook, redfish, rays, small sharks) or you may not (hook a 10-foot hammerhead and just watch how fast you get spooled). Couple of tips learned from many Florida trips over the past 20 years: One - get out of Miami, it's an over-priced, crime-infested dump. I can't even imagine how much worse it will be during Superbowl week, when it will be loaded with every hooker, drug dealer and pickpocket for miles. Seriously - the best part of Miami is seeing it in the rear view mirror. Get out of there ASAP, and spend your entire week in the Keys. Two - look into flying out of Buffalo rather than Toronto. It isn't always the case, but at times you can find flights for half of what it costs to go out of YYZ. That applies to any destinations in the US, by the way. Best rates are always if you book way in advance. You're a little late now, to be honest, but you may still be able to find deals if you hunt around. Three - the overhead bins where your carry-ons go will be stuffed to the gills because everyone is trying to beat that $25 checked bag fee (which all airlines now charge). Don't try to stick rods in the overhead bin with everyone else's stuff unless they're in a strong rod tube (and you'll have to check with the airline to see if it meets their carry-on limits). If so, then as soon as you step aboard the plane, when the flight attendant greets you, politely ask if she can put the rod tube in a closet for you. If you're lucky, she will tuck it into the crew closet by the front door, where they hang their coats (they sometimes do this for musical instruments, expensive broadcast TV cameras and such). Four - as you drive to the Keys stop at a Walmart and buy a ton of extra line, some wire to make leaders with, and a tide chart. If you're on shore, you fish when the tide is moving. It doesn't matter if it's flowing in or out, you just need current. It's best for about an hour either side of the times indicated on the chart. When it's slack tide (i.e. there is no current), you may as well pack up and go do something else, because that’s normally when fishing sucks. Five - make certain you thoroughly rinse your rods and reels off in the shower each night after use. Same goes for anything else metal, like pliers, knives, even your sunglasses. Salt water corrodes like crazy. Maybe you're better off to just buy a cheap throw-away rod down there, with no intention of bringing it home? Six - forget the Powerpro. Buy inexpensive, heavy mono in bulk spools while you're at Walmart. You're going to go through a ton of line, so don't waste the expensive stuff. If the barnacles don't shred your line to bits, you'll just lose it anyway when big fish spool you. Get some leader material too, either wire or 60 pound mono, and make sure you have pliers to finish the knots. Seven - never, ever, tie the line directly to the reel spool. Use a piece of masking tape to secure it, then wind on the rest. That way, when you get spooled (note I said when, not if) the end of the line just goes up through the guides and waves buh-bye to you, without subjecting the reel spool to massive shock when the knot breaks, or risking you losing the whole rig when it gets pulled right out of your hands. Saltwater fish aren't just stronger than freshwater fish, they're also much, much faster. Hook a big tarpon from shore and you will say goodbye to all your line in about 14 seconds. Those YouTube videos showing smoking reels are completely legit. Eight - be aware that many types of saltwater fish have teeth like a Doberman. I don’t suggest you try lipping anything, except perhaps snook. Nine - sometimes peak tide is at night. That's when it can be really good to fish under bridges that have overhead lights. Caution - do not even think about attempting this in Miami. Unless, of course, you really like the idea of being knifed by drug dealers. Ten – bring some hardware. Gold coloured Cleos work really well at times, as do gold and black Husky Jerks. Have fun! It beats yanking perch through a hole in the ice any day!

Even if the fish is found dead, the guy will still need a valid fishing license to be in posession of it.

In a small boat I almost always prefer to backtroll, just to have greater control, so low speed has never been an issue.

If you're looking to save a few bucks buy a Tohatsu outboard. They're identical to the Merc (Tohatsu makes small outboards for Merc, including both the 8 and 9.9 hp models) and may be a bit less expensive. That said, there are a lot more Merc dealers out there. Totally agree with Porkpie - between the two I would take the 9.9 over the 8 every time. They're the exact same engine ... the 8 hp is simply de-tuned down to 8 hp. The 2014 model year 9.9 is 84 pounds. Merc also offers a "Bigfoot" 9.9 with a larger gearcase and four-blade prop. It's heavier (96 pounds) but gives more grunt if you'll often have heavier loads in the boat.

Mike that's probably the most enjoyable post I've seen in the past couple of years. It looks like you had a fantastic trip. That's awesome ... thanks for sharing it :-)

Not really. I've made my annual prediction, so that's it for me in this thread. Come April, I guess we'll see if I was right or wrong. Between now and then, there are too many other things to focus on, including slippery things with scales.

Uh huh. To truly hate the Leafs, I would have to care.