craigdritchie

The problem with ice fishing is that it takes so long to make a hole big enough to fit the boat in.

You don't need a steel leader. Salmon have teeth, but they're cone shaped. They may break your line, but they won't slice it.

I don't think anyone will flame you. You're right, a good quality rod will outcast a lower quality rod every single time. But compare any seven-foot rod against a 10-foot rod of equal quality and it's no contest - the long rod will always cast farther and put more pressure on a hooked fish. You can't overcome the laws of physics. Get a long, good quality rod and you can fling lures for an incredibly long distance. To get maximum range, it's also important to use a larger reel (4000 series or bigger). Larger reels have a larger spool diameter, which means less friction from the line as it peels off the spool.

The real prize in there is that blue and silver Tadpolly (far left, fourth from bottom). Those things are just murder on salmon staging off river mouths.

I'm another Slammer fan. They were designed specifically for drop shotting. They're excellent baits.

All I know is that I will enjoy spending some time at my new favourite spot next week. Won't say precisely where it is, but fish are definitely in and, because it won't be crowded, fishing will be spectacular! :-)

Sounds like a white bass. The Grand gets a decent run of them below Dunnville every May. They're a blast with an ultralight and some tiny spinners.

All else being equal, a longer rod will give more casting distance. It's all about leverage, which a longer rod has in spades. It will also be more efficient at fighting a fish, for the same reason. Definitely agree that pier fishing is the way to go. River fishing for salmon has become a complete circus. Yes, it is possible to catch them in rivers, most easily by using little crankbaits, Flatfish, Kwikfish, etc. But in the past 20 years the crowds of hooligans that show up on local rivers once the salmon come in have grown completely out of control. It is basically impossible to fish in a lot of places, and definitely impossible to catch salmon legitimately after they've been snagged in the back and chased down the rapids by some idiot with a landing net. Far better to camp out on a pier and enjoy yourself while casting with spoons, Flatfish, or what have you. The fish will be in better condition, and you won't have to worry about getting into fist fights with morons.

Mustang makes a terrific product, and it's good to see them trying to get word out ASAP. They clearly stand behind what they sell. I understand it's actually a small number of PFDs that are involved, but still ... better to check and be sure.

Copied and pasted from a press release sent out today: Mustang Survival Issues HIT Inflatable PFD Safety Alert Mustang Survival has issued a safety advisory concerning specific Hydrostatic inflatable PFDs manufactured in Canada during April and May of 2012. According to the company, some of these PFDs may be subject to delayed or non-inflations. The company advises consumers to check their PFD to see if it is included in the advisory. The model number, manufacturing location and date of manufacture is printed on the white approval label on the back of the PFD. Affected products include: Canadian Products MA7214 HIT inflatable re-arm kit MD3153 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT MD3154 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (with harness) MD3157 Inflatable Work Vest with HIT US Products MA7214 HIT inflatable re-arm kit MA7218 HIT inflatable re-arm kit for LIFT MD0450 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT MD0451 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT (no harness) MD3183 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT MD3184 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (with harness) MD3188 Inflatable Work Vest with HIT If your PFD falls into this category please visit www.mustangsurvival.com/HIT or call 1-800-526-0532 for further information. No other Mustang Survival inflatable PFD products are part of the advisory.

Nice colour on the 'ski. Pretty fishie.

X2 !! I really do hate winter, and have absolutely no use for freezing my tail off on some frozen lake trying to catch fish I wouldn't even bother with in open water, when there's such great fishing available just a few hours away. I no longer have as much time to fish as I once did, so it's very much a question of quality over quantity. I'll take three or four magnificent days chasing five pound smallmouth, pot-bellied southern muskies, stripers on topwater or salt water tarpon, snook and redfish over jigging up some half-thawed, wiener-sized perch every Sunday morning. Not that there's anything wrong with that .... I just prefer casting in open water. Doing so in flip-flops with a cold beer in hand doesn't hurt either.

Dammit, there goes my best spot. Thanks, man.

Shut down? What's that? I can't stand ice fishing, so once everything freezes tight I head south. Tennessee is only a 10 hour drive, and the best bass fishing of the year is in January and February. It's off season, so a decent motel is only about $49 a night. Smallies average 3 to 4 pounds, with the odd one over 6. It's a good jig bite. I've never tried drop-shotting them, but I would bet a Slammer would just crush big fish there. Maybe I'll give it a go this winter. Or you can drive 9 hours south to Kentucky and fish open water for muskie and striped bass. It's awesome. Average for muskie fishing in January is 6 - 8 fish per day, mainly by casting Super Shad Raps. Or you can fish topwaters for the stripers. They love Zara Spooks, average about 15 pounds, and can peel line off your reel like a chinook. It beats standing on some frozen lake fishing for perch any day. Or you can go to Florida for a couple of days of salt water action. Juvenile tarpon up to 30 pounds live under almost every dock, and are an absolute hoot on the same 9-weight fly rod I use for pike. The ones in those two photos above are babies (10 - 12 pounds) .... this is right in downtown Miami, about a dozen steps from the hotel door. People feed them French fries. Florida is a long drive, but you can always find cheap flights out of Buffalo and just rent a car when you get there. It's a great, cheap way to enjoy some awesome winter fishing. If you want to extend your steelhead season, go to BC. The flight is admittedly pricey, but it's off season so motels and everything else is super-cheap. You can fly to Victoria then rent a car and go fish the Island streams. It's a mind-blowing experience, and February is prime time. There's no need to shut down fishing over the winter when there are so many amazing options.

I don't buy a lot of tackle any more. I don't fish near as much as I once did, and I have more than enough gear as it is. That said, I still make a point of visiting Burns Fishing, on Plains Road in Burlington, every now and then, just to talk with owner Steve Burns, and I always wind up buying some more stuff I really don't need. Steve is one of those rare gems who is a truly professional retailer. By professional, I mean he has stuff in stock when you need it, and is someone who realizes that long-term relationships are what keeps his business afloat. Many times I've seen him talk customers into buying less expensive equipment that was actually better suited to what they needed. People appreciate his honesty, and when the time to upgrade comes, they always return. Beyond that, Steve really knows his stuff, and he's a gentleman to deal with. Always. Burns Fishing is not the cheapest store in town, but his pricing is fair, and he treats every customer like they were a member of his own family. You can certainly pay more elsewhere, but you cannot get better service. When you find a dealer like that, you have won the lottery. They make up for the idiots that are all too common in the fishing business.

Safe to say Mensa won't be sending them membership applications any time soon.

Home Depot?

And I always thought CFL referred to football. Duh!

Wow, I hadn't seen the video. Thanks for posting that Roy. I bet the video guy grew a few grey hairs over that incident.

No need - strong cord tied to the arrow lets you hand-bomb them into the boat. I hear they make spectacular fertilizer. Crickhopper isn't a popper, so much as a shallow-running mini bait. Fish the same as the Bumblebug, just cast out and reel in. The little hooks are fine, they handle coho and steelhead no problem. Interesting thread. I've caught carp on jigs, but if I ever wanted to catch one on purpose I'd use bait, not hardware.

Guys do spend a LOT of money on hunting. But it's a short season, especially in the west, where fishing is year-round. Over a 12-month span, I don't think there's that much of gap any more between what anglers spend and what hunters do. Of course, I could be wrong ....

It happens more often than you might think. That's the main reason you don't fool around when releasing a marlin (which this fish is, by the way). Same with tarpon - big hammerheads absolutely love them.

It really is true. I think many people living in the GTA would be astounded by the kind of cash being spent in Alberta and Saskatchewan these days. Walking through the Calgary or Edmonton Sortsmen's Shows is an incredible experience. I saw one boat dealer at the Calgary show this year with 32 ski boats in their booth, and more than half of them were priced north of $100,000. They told me sales were "great" - to the point their biggest problem was just getting enough inventory. The walleye boats are also on a whole other level. We're talking all top-line Rangers, Tritons, Lunds and Starcrafts ... probably the majority selling in the $50,000 range, some over $70,000. Some guy gets into fishing, goes out to buy his first boat, and takes home a $60,000 Stratos with a 225 on the back. I won't even go into the crazy amount of money being spent on electronics and tackle. It's just mind-blowing. So yeah, I can see Cabela's focusing on that part of the country for now. The GTA has a huge population, but the money is being spent in western Canada - not here.

This is a copied and pasted press release from the New York Sea Grant, which has just published a helpful ID guide to Great Lakes trout and salmon. There's a link at the end where you can download a PDF copy. New York Sea Grant’s new first-ever full-color visual identification guide for the salmon and trout species found in Lake Ontario is now available. “Salmon and Trout of Lake Ontario: A Visual Identification Guide” illustrates the differences among the species, improving correct identification by anglers. New York Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary E. Penney says, “This project was designed to improve the correct identification of Lake Ontario’s trout and salmon, and encourage ecologically-responsible angling and fish conservation.” The guide’s 23 illustrations by artist Peter Thompson are anatomically accurate for fish that are often commonly misidentified species. For example, says New York Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist David B. MacNeill, “There are fine physical differences between species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout and steelhead and the female Coho salmon. This new guide allows viewers to more carefully distinguish between these species and follow the various angling regulations prescribed for them.” The guide clearly identifies distinct fin, tail and mouth features for Atlantic, Chinook, Coho and the rarely seen pink salmon; and brown, brook, lake and steelhead/rainbow trout. The different life stages of the fish are also illustrated. The guide is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper and folds to store easily in a typical tackle box. New York Sea Grant collaborated with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to produce the guide with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program. The authors include Sea Grant’s MacNeill and Penney with NYSDEC Region 7 National Resources Supervisor Dan Bishop, NYSDEC Salmon River Coordinator Fran Verdoliva, and USGS Ecologist and Eastern Basin Ecosystems Branch Chief Jim Johnson. Great Lakes Fishery Commission Lake Ontario Sport Fishery Advisor Charles D. Blaas, retired Morrisville State College Provost, provided technical review. “Lake Ontario experts partnered to produce this new fisheries resource for New York’s resident and visiting anglers. Use of the guide will promote wiser use of Lake Ontario fisheries and empower the public to play a more active role in maintaining sustainable salmonine recreational fisheries,” says Dr. Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Assistant Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension Coastal Programs, Ithaca, NY. The guide will be available at New York Sea Grant Aquatic Invasive Species and Watercraft Inspection Educators programs and other educational events along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The guide is also online at www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/glsportfish/pdfs/SalmonTrout-LakeOntario2012.pdf.

Catch and release is the responsible thing to do. But sometimes it doesn't work out as planned ........ Oh dear .....