craigdritchie

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!

How come we don't see that in a Grey Power insurance commercial?

sailboat vs oil tanker

Pretty fishies. Love the cutts in particular.

carp ... salmon ..... there's a difference?

Stratos has introduced a new 20-foot multi-species fishing boat specifically designed for walleye, pike and muskie fishing. I have not driven it yet (working on that today) but in a nutshell it's a 20-footer rated to 225 hp, with a big double windshield, deep V hull, mountains of interior storage and comes from the factory all rigged and ready to go. It's available with a bunch of engine options, and is intended to be sold as a lower-priced boat that doesn't give up on key features. In the US, they're going to sell it for under $27,000 bundled with a Merc 115 Opti. It will be a bit more in Canada, and frankly I would want more power than a 115 so that's kind of irrelevant anyway. Point is, it won't be a $65,000 boat. Expect it to start showing up at dealerships by the end of October. Click here to read more and see a picture.

According to a report in today's Toronto Star, a Michigan State University (MSU) study has found that sea lamprey in the Great Lakes could be controlled by the smell of ..... dead sea lampreys. No foolin. Click to read more and see a video of lamprey going nuts.

Basically what Mike Pike said. I haven't been on the pier in a while, but when I drove over the Skyway bridge the other day it looked like their equipment was all gone.

Tunas are a riot. There are tons of them around Cuba as well (most of the beach hotels can fix you up with a charter). Love the "tips are appreciated" sign on the seat back. Real subtle!

Quite honestly, the best thing you can do for a five year old is go catch some perch or sunfish. Bring a five-gallon pail and keep one or two fish swimming in the pail so he can play with them. Then let the fish go when you pack up, and go grab some ice cream. After a half-hour most kids will become bored and want to go do something else anyway. Make fishing fun for the kid - don't sentence him to hours in a charter boat where he will likely become bored out of his skull before you even set lines. Or worse yet - seasick. If you're taking a young kid fishing, you have to make it all about the kid and what he or she wants to do. It has to be fun all the way, or the kid will quickly turn off fishing and never want to try it again. If you have to drug the kid ahead of time by making them take Gravol, then what's the point? Where's the fun in that? Just go catch some pannies and have a picnic and make it enjoyable. Hopefully you'll also find a garter snake or a frog or a turtle. Keep it simple and the kid will be bugging you to go fishing all the time. By age 9 or 10 you can think about a salmon charter.

Looking at the girth on that guy, I'd say that is one very successful coho. Reminds me of the ones we used to catch in the late 70s. They were shaped more like smallmouth than salmon.

Ottawa River has lots, if you just want to catch one to say that you've done it. Most sauger are smallish fish ..... two pounds, tops.

Best way is to not hold it at all - leave it in the water while you reach down with needlenose pliers to pop the hook loose. Fingers in the gills can easily result in a dead fish, so I would not recommend that approach for fish to be released. Even if you are very careful, one ill-timed flip or wriggle on the fish's part is all it takes to do inadvertently do some major damage. As Frankie notes, lipping a rainbow of any size is not a great idea, especially if you like your skin. Their teeth are more pronounced than those of a bass - and sharp as needles. ChrisK - I love that photo! Gorgeous fish too.

Zero beer in the boat, regardless of what it's content is supposed to be. It's kind of like if your teenage daughter came home to tell you she's pregnant .... but it's okay, she's only a tiny weeny bit pregnant. The amount doesn't really matter. You might get lucky and face an officer who gives you a break (because he agrees no one will ever get drunk on this stuff) but officially, the OPP has zero tolerance.

Every dog has its day. Sometimes live baits work really, really well. Sometimes artificials work really, really well. You need to understand when each one has its place and make your decision accordingly. Read everything you can about fishing. TV shows can be helpful, but you'll find better information in books. See if you can find the old Hunting & Fishing LIbrary series of hardcovers, which were published by Cy Decosse in the 1990s (click here to see some of them). They were outstanding. This one is pretty good too.

Any single-cylinder engine will vibrate more than a twin, but the vibration on new engines isn't bad at all (and nothing like it used to be). I've run Yamaha's current 6 hp and did not find it objectionable in the least. But to give yourself peace of mind, why not buy the motor from a dealer that's on the water, and ask if you can give it a test drive first. Since it's a portable motor, they shouldn't have an issue clamping it to something and letting you take it for a five minute spin. Yamaha's old 6 hp twin was the same block as the 8 hp, but tuned down for lower hp ... hence the weight being the same. The current 6 shares the same block with the 4 hp, so it is much lighter.

Five Classic Lures That Should Be In Every Tackle Box

Silver Lake is not terribly big, so if you work your way along the shorelines with spinnerbaits or Husky Jerks, you should find a few bass and the occasional pike. The west end of the lake has the most shallow weed cover. There are stocked lake trout as well, which average about four pounds and top out at 10 to 12. It's okay fishing, not great. Troll deep with big spoons (big Williams Whitefish tipped with a minnow head works great), or vertically jig with ice fishing lures. There are some good deep ridges toward the middle of the lake, heading toward the east end. There are a few islands off the boat launch (accessed via Hwy 7), which continue underwater as a series of small humps. That seems to be the community hotspot. Not too sure about boat rentals. There used to be a gas bar and restaurant on the south side of Hwy 7, near the east end of the lake that sold bait and such ... you could ask there.

As Drifter notes, lakers are comparatively oily fish, so they are best when grilled, broiled, smoked or prepared any other way that allows the grease to run off. They're not the best choice for frying or deep frying. Ever try them on the BBQ on a cedar plank? Go buy a cedar plank at the grocery store (or use a one-eighth to one-quarter inch thick red cedar plank) that's been pre-soaked in water for several hours. Set the BBQ to medium heat (400 degrees), rub a little olive oil on the top side of the plank, and lay the fillet on it skin side down. Put it on the grill, then baste with this glaze: one-half cup of pure maple syrup (not Aunt Jemima or synthetic junk like that) mixed with three tablespoons of Soy Sauce and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Pour it on and give the fish approx 15 minutes. Test for doneness by twisting a fork in it - if it flakes easily, it's done. It's really a salmon recipe, but it works great with lake trout as well. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and some steamed green beans or carrots. Beer works, or a chilled white wine (Riesling, in particular) is even better. You can also prepare this in the oven, but be advised it's pretty messy.

When I worked with Real Fishing we used to tow with Astro vans all the time. It would usually be a Lund in the 17 to 20 foot range, with a 75 to 200 hp outboard. Gross weight for the boat, engine, gear etc would range up to about 2,500 pounds. We'd pull these all over Ontario, and occasionally much farther afield, never with any problems at all. We also towed Rangers up to 20 feet/225 hp (not sure of weight, I would guess 3,500 = 4,000 pound range) with the vans every now and then. It would work fine, but when you also had company Suburbans and Tahoes available for use, you would usually take one of those instead when pulling the heavier boats. The Astro vans would pull the Rangers no problem, but didn't stop them as well as the Suburban or Tahoe would. As long as you drove accordingly, it was no problem. I think the key with the van is to ensure the hitch and trailer are set up properly. Most aren't - even bought new right from the dealer. If you're nor sure how to do this, go see a good RV dealer and pay them the $200 or so. Those guys pull huge, heavy trailers all the time and can do a whole lot to make your towing much easier and safer. It's totally worth the fee for a one-time set-up, and over time you'll likely get your money back in what you'll save on fuel, brakes and tires.

Bob' still da man!