craigdritchie

Kinda figured it would prove to be a fake (hence my use of the word "apparently") but what the hey ... it's still good entertainment. Love the marshmallow pic!

This picture was apparently taken in Puerto Rico as they begin cleaning up after Hurricane Irene flooded out half the island. Lots of people are finding fish and sea turtles miles from the ocean. And this one guy found a shark swimming up his street. That's the difference between Ontario and Puerto Rico. There, they take its picture. Here, by now it would already have about 20 treble hooks stuck in it.

Short answer - it depends. What is the weather, and what was the weather over the previous few days? What time of day is it? How much fishing pressure is there? What month in the year are we talking? Are you in a tournament, or can you use live bait? Assuming we're fishing for bass ...... If the fish are really active I'll use something on top, like a Slug-Go or a Moss Boss, just because I love to watch those surface hits. If the fish are neutral, I'll maybe use a weedless spoon or a weedless swimbait. If the fishing is tough or the conditions are horrible, I probably won't fish pads at all. But if I had to, I would go deep into the junk and fish in the heaviest cover with a jig or a small worm - something small and subtle, yet heavy enough to penetrate the weeds. Or use live bait - a leech on a weedless hook would be first choice.

Holy wedgie, Batman! Just looking at that picture hurts!

Josh, Where insurance is concerned, pay the small extra and demand full replacement cost coverage for everything. It will cost you a tiny bit more, but save you tons of headaches. The problem with actual cash value coverage is that everything is depreciated. So let's say you hit a rock and need to replace the lower unit and fix some internal damage to the engine. And, just for example, the required parts (new parts) cost $1,800. If you have full replacement cost coverage, the insurance company pays to fix the engine and you're back in business. But with actual cash value coverage it's different. The actual cash value of the parts you broke will not be as high as the value of brand new replacement parts. Why? The ones you broke are used - and depreciated. So their value might be calculated as .... say .... $600. So the insurance company gives you a cheque for $600, and you get stuck paying the $1,200 difference. Some guys would say they got screwed by the insurance company, but that's not true. The insurance company held up its end - it paid out the actual cash value of the parts you needed to replace. The problem is that your mechanic will never be able to source the exact parts you need used. He'll have to get new parts to fix your engine, and you'll have to pay the difference in value between those new parts and the depreciated, used ones you were insured for. The difference can be huge. The problem with agreed value insurance is that the insurance company may agree with you on a valuation - at least till a claim comes in. Then, all sorts of little things will pop up that somehow were never discussed before. Once again, you'll be left holding the bag. Full replacement cost insurance does not cost a whole lot more money, and it relieves all these problems. Strongly suggest you go that route. Can't help you with storage in Toronto - I escaped Hogtown almost 20 years ago. Craig

Sweet coho!

That's incorrect. 1. Rainbows spawn in the spring. Salmon spawn in the fall. There is no competition for redds. Rainbow eggs hatch months before the salmon even show up. 2. Chinook salmon fry don't eat smaller rainbows when they're in the stream. They're way too small! Most go directly to the lake right after hatching, some when they're still absorbing the yolk sack. Remember, rainbows and chinooks have got along perfectly well in Pacific coast streams for tens of thousands of years. If what you say is true, chinooks (and coho and pinks and sockeye and chum) would have completely wiped out Pacific steelhead back when humans still lived in caves.

I guess that's what a steady diet of salmon eggs will do for you! Beauty fish.

You may have a hard time finding anyone who rents bass boats in southern Ontario. They're awfully expensive toys and it's difficult for anyone to earn enough money back on rentals to justify the expense of buying them in the first place. It's even harder when the boat will be in storage for several months each winter, not earning any income. There's also the cost of liability insurance liability. I shudder to think what the premium would be for anyone who wants to rent high-powered boats with no guarantee the driver has the requisite skill to operate it safely. There used to be one or two places on Nipissing that used to rent 16 aluminums with a 40 hp and a casting deck. Not sure if they still do though - perhaps someone from that area could confirm. Not aware of anyone who currently does in the Kawarthas.

There was an article about this in Field & Stream back in the early 80s. Some researchers in Texas kept a bunch of bass in a huge tank, and observed how changing barometric pressure affected their feeding behaviour. In a nutshell, the researchers found that barometric pressure didn't have any affect at all - their fish fed the same way regardless of whether the pressure was up or down. But what they did notice was that barometric pressure had a major impact on how close the fish sat to cover. Rapid changes in pressure (either up or down) drew the fish way out of the cover, where they would theoretically be more likely to see a lure and therefore be easier to catch. This totally agrees with Sinclair's observation, and with my own personal experiences as well.

Just remember, the down side to putting a rider on your house policy is that any claims you make on the boat (like getting a new lower unit after you hit a rock) count as a claim on your house policy, and can result in a rate increase. It's worth asking about a separate policy altogether.

It's been a good week. On Tuesday I got to test drive a prototype of a brand new outboard that will be introduced to the public next February at the Miami International Boat Show. The first ones will be available for purchase next spring. It's an awesome outboard, but I can't say a whole lot about it - to get the test drive, I had to agree to a gag order. Most of the manufacturer's dealers haven't even seen it yet. What I can tell you is that it's a four-stroke, and it's spectacular. There is a little more info on my blog, and a photoshopped teaser pic. Full details will come toward the end of next month, when the gag order expires.

Never gave the man my vote, but always respected him as a strong leader and as a true patriot who devoted his life to public service. I feel for his family. But the truth is, we all lost something today. Rest in peace, Jack. We need more like you.

They're pretty much all the same once you look past the window dressing. Within the same price range, there isn't a huge difference from one hotel to the next (meaning one hotel's $150 room is not much different than another hotel's $150 room). Differences are in the lobby, casino and restaurants. You can figure out what best floats your boat from each one's website. Location can be a factor. Mirage, Caesar's, Treasure Island and the Flamingo are all located midway along the strip, while MGM, Luxor and Tropicana are all clustered toward one end along with New York New York, Paris Las Vegas and the Hard Rock. Wynn and Encore are located toward the other end of the strip, with Circus Circus, the Riviera and a few others. Where to stay depends on who has the best deal at the moment, then what you want to do and where you want to go once you get there. If you want to golf, suck up the extra cost and stay at Wynn, since it's right on a good course. If you want to casino-hop, then any of the hotels clustered around the MGM or Mirage will work. All the hotels have pretty big casinos. People tend to hop from one to the next, rather than staying the whole night at their own hotel. Once you pair it down to to or three possible hotels, look them up on Trip Advisor and read what other people had to say about them. That's a great site for checking out restaurants, too. There's a monorail that runs long most of the strip, sort of behind the hotels on the MGM / Flamingo side of Las Vegas Blvd. If you're just going up and down the strip, it's cheaper and faster than a taxi. Most people just walk everywhere. If you want to see shows, do a Google search on what's playing during your trip and buy the tickets now. The good shows often sell out weeks (or months) ahead of time. I've seen some amazing shows in Vegas, including Rodney Dangerfield doing standup, and David Lee Roth with a bluegrass band. If you have time, you can take a side trip to fish Lake Powell. You can find guides on Google. Largie fishing is pretty good.

Definitely a slow news day.

Rizzo - the study I mention is based on surveying real people. It is not tied to license sales at all. Yet, it shows a steady decline, just as multiple other studies also show.

Absolutely bang-on. If you think fishing has zero clout in Ottawa and Queens Park now, give it another 10 years when there are even fewer of us out there. Fish and wildlife management budgets will be even easier to cut if they impact fewer people. Operating jar hatcheries and cleaning up creeks is important, but unless we all get out there are start introducing new people to fishing, none of it will really matter.

A new study, jointly released today by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and The Outdoor Foundation, says the number of anglers in the United States is still declining, even though more people are getting into fishing each year. The number of anglers in the US is now pegged at 45.3 million, down from 47.9 million in 2010. There are no figures for Canada, since it's an American study, but the 10 percent rule likely applies here as well. License sales in our country have also been declining steadily for years. Click here to read more, and download a full copy of this 75-page bad boy. It's very interesting reading. For instance, did you know that in the US over 30 percent of all anglers are now female?

The Hamilton Spectator reports that a group of environmentalists has begun posting signs around Binbrook Conservation Area warning people to not eat any fish they catch there, including all bass, pike, carp, crappie and catfish. According to the Spectator story, Lake Niapenco and the Welland River was found to be contaminated with a substance called perfluorooctane sulfonate in 2009. The chemical is used in foam fire retardants used at the Hamilton airport’s fire practice pad. The environmentalists are upset that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, which operates Binbrook, hasn't posted warning signs of their own. Further, they're concerned the chemical has leeched into the groundwater, since so many people in that area get their drinking water from wells. Click to read more ....

I previously mentioned that Stratos has introduced a new multi-species fishing boat (326XF) for 2012. Now it looks like Ranger also has a pair of new boats for 2012. The all-new Z520 and Z522 each get a higher front casting deck for better accuracy when pitching and flipping, which also results in more in-deck storage and rod locker storage as well. Further, the two new models will each get a recessed foot pedal in the front deck. Both new models take a 20-inch shaft outboard, and have all the standard Ranger Comanche features. Ranger will offer a Touring Package on these two models that adds a keel protector, deluxe traveling boat cover, water line stripe, oxygenator, trailer parking brake and aluminum wheels from American Racing. The trailer parking brake, in particular, is a stellar feature. I have no idea what they cost. They're Rangers. They won't be cheap. Click here for pictures. EDIT - fixed broken link

When you're fishing from shore, most of the fish you catch will be the salt water equivalent of panfish: blue runners, Spanish mackerel, pinfish, ladyfish, snappers, sheephead, flounder, pompano, maybe some small snook or grouper. Most of these fish will weigh from one to five pounds, and will fight like absolute crazy. They will be a real blast with a medium-action rod. You may also hook larger fish, including barracuda, cobia, large snook, tarpon, or different types of sharks. There's no worry about breaking your rod providing the drag is properly set. Getting spooled, however, is another matter altogether. I strongly suggest you bring extra line (it's not always easy to find in Cuba) and remember to rinse your stuff off in fresh water after fishing. Have fun! White jigs or gold-coloured spoons work well for just about everything.

Couple things to watch for with boats brought up from the States: 1) Was it used in salt water? Corrosion is a legitimate problem, and that should affect its value. 2) Was it a "hurricane" boat, meaning one that was damaged in a storm and subsequently repaired? That also affects resale value. 3) Was it a salt water boat that was also damaged in a storm? Hmmmm. Don't get me wrong - there are some great deals to be had in the US, you just have to make sure you know what you're getting.

Thanks Live2Fish, I really do appreciate the kind words, and I'm glad you enjoy it. Cuzza - prosecuted? He should be given a lobotomy!

D'oh! 32 gallons. Thanks for pointing out the typo HTHM, which is now fixed.

See Spot run. Run, Spot, run! Run! Run! Run!