craigdritchie

jds63 - why don't you just vertically jig for lakers? It's a lot less fuss and works great.

Retail stores like BPS get permits for live game fish because their fish exhibit serves an educational purpose. The idea behind not being allowed to transport live fish is (1) to prevent fish from being introduced to new waters (i.e. illegal stocking), and (2) to prevent the same for diseases like VHS. At various times I have kept bass, walleye and a small pike in fish tanks. To cover my butt, I wrote to the MNR district office beforehand asking about the legality of this, and kept their written reply which said any fish in the tank counted against my daily bag limit. This was in the 1980s .... things may be different now. In any case, I would want some form of written confirmation as insurance. The largemouth, the walleye and the pike that I kept were all pretty boring, to be honest. They just laid on bottom most of the time, and didn't move much. The smallmouth was more active, but you can't keep anything in the tank with it as it will kill pretty much anything else, including other smallmouth. I guess they need more personal space than a 90 gallon tank provides. These fish were all in the eight- to 10-inch range, so you think that would have been a big enough tank. Frankly, the most entertaining wild fish I've ever kept was a rock bass. It was very active and a whole lot of fun to watch. I used to love tossing grasshoppers into the tank and watching it come up to drill them on the surface. All I can say is I'm glad rockies don't grow any bigger than they do - it would be unsafe to swim otherwise!

I don't agree with Mr. Layton's politics, but no one can argue he is a fighter. I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

Did they not have that on some version of the Pocket Fisherman? I seem to remember it.

What Roy said. If you build the same thing as everyone else, then you are always facing competition on price. If you build something that's a bit different and unique, then you can charge whatever you want because people won't have much to compare it to.

I'd rather have a barbed wire enema than be forced to go ice fishing.

They probably will survive - there are already hundreds, if not thousands, of goldfish in the Great Lakes. Problem is, nothing will ever come if it because MNR or NYDEC will look at the cost of tracking these idiots down and prosecuting them, and know full well they'll get a maximum fine of about $100. It's just not worth the expense.

First, get a StealShield (click here for a web link). It's sort of like a steel enclosure that locks over the trailer coupler, making it impossible to hook up. Simple idea, and it works very well. You can buy these at many marine supply stores. Second, run a very thick chain through the wheel spokes and around the trailer frame, making it impossible/difficult to tow. Secure the chain with a very high quality, tamper-resistant padlock. Finally, lock your outboard to the transom. If it uses clamps, have them replaced with through-bolts, and cover those with some McGuard wheel nut locks (click here) ... the same ones you use to protect high-end rims on your car. You can't stop a pro thief - if someone wants the boat badly enough, they will find a way. But at the very least you can make it so difficult to steal it that they give up and go looking for easier prey. Further, by documenting that you took these steps, you will have an easier time with your insurance company if it ever did go missing.

Not exactly the best flying weather right now. Hot, humid air and flat water makes for some very long takeoff runs, especially on floats.

GBW - Sorry man, I can't find anything on Northstar.

Punk!

GBW - sorry, I don't know exactly what happened to Northstar. I'll dig around a bit and see what I can find. In the meantime, Misfish - no word on pricing. They don't even have a factory building finalized at this point. The new owners only got the company in the last week or so. I never got to drive one, but I've seen a few of these Warrior boats and they were pretty nice looking rigs. They seem to have been very solidly built.

Muskie Mike ... you do realize that every single person you ask or take out will have a different answer for this, right?

I've fished with a LOT of guides, and all around the world. One thing I can't emphasize enough is how important it is for the guide to have extraordinary people skills. Every customer will show up with different expectations, and the challenge for the guide is to figure out what those expectations really are (often completely different from what the customer tells you) and then do whatever you can to meet them. Some of your customers will arrive with expectations that are completely unrealistic, and you need to deal with that too. You will meet people who will be disappointed that they didn't catch a half-dozen 50-inch muskies in an afternoon. You will meet people who say they are lifelong fishermen, then they break your gear or don't know how to cast. You will have customers from "out of town" who steal your spots, and and from that moment on you see them out there every weekend in their own boat pounding the spots you showed them. Some of them may even wind up advertising as guides and competing against you! Get used to it, because that's going to be part of your everyday reality. Most customers, however, will be just fine. I've always enjoyed when the guide could tell me all about the area we're fishing in, the history of the place, unique stuff about it, that sort of thing. For example, a guy on the St. Lawrence could talk about the history of the place as a muskie fishery, with all the world records that came from there, the way that fishery is different from others, how things like the Seaway and exotic species have affected it, etc etc. Make it more than a day on the water - make it an experience. It goes without saying - many customers will show up unprepared, so you better make sure you have extra rain suits, sunscreen, hats, bug spray, snacks and drinks in the boat. Oh yes - guides in your area may fish while they guide, but no one will pay money to watch the guide have all the fun. Your job is to put customers on fish so that they can catch them, and to do that properly, you'll need to stow your own rod.

The Warrior brand of fibreglass multi-species fishing boats has been pulled from the fire, thanks to four Minnesota businessmen who have announced a relaunch of the company. The new owners, led by pro walleye angler Dave Anderson and former Warrior dealer Joe Hellerman, announced they have purchased all rights to the Warrior name and trademark, along with all molds and tooling. The new company is now searching for a factory location with the intention of having new Warrior boats available for sale by the end of this year (December). The new company will employ about 10 people, including key staff from Warrior’s previous ownership. In short press release, the new owners state they plan to sell the six most popular Warrior models (sorry, they didn't specify which ones) with all others available on a special-order basis. The group is now looking for prospective dealers in Canada and the US. At its peak, Warrior was producing about 300 boats per year, targeting the professional walleye market.

The 171 Millentia is a very nice boat. Personally, I would buy that over the Tracker every time.

That's because they do not remain hidden gems once you advertise them to the world.

I've driven a number of G3 boats, and they're quite solid. Main reason you don't hear much about them is that they've only been imported into Canada in a big way in the last 8 to 10 years (compared against companies like Lund, Starcraft, Crestliner etc that have been sold in Canada for decades). Since it is Yamaha that imports them into Canada (and owns them, plant is in the US) I expect G3 is here to stay. Misfish - what sort of problems are you referring to? Mercman - Chine lock? Do you mean chink walk? If so, that often indicates a set-up problem with the engine.

Assuming the flight was booked with a credit card, try calling the credit card company. Many cards provide automatic insurance against this sort of thing.

I've heard of fishing the weeds before, but man .... that's thick cover.

Excellent! Timber rattlers?

If you can't find the 3M product Splashhopper recommended, Canadian Tire sells an aluminum sealer called Aluminox. It's kind of like putty - smear it on the outside of the boat, let it fully dry, then you can sand it smooth and paint it, if you like. Like the 3M stuff, it's cheap, and it works great.

I've toured that very brewery. Don't remember too much but there are photos to prove I was there (and they will definitely stay off the internet!!). Never met Mr. Oland but wow - talk about a grisly way to go.

Yup, South Bend has a grand old name in the tackle business. Some interesting info on the company here. Roy - my thoughts exactly. Doesn't this remind you of the Rhino Rod??

The Toronto Star reports that Dick Oland, of the Moosehead Beer family, was axe-murdered at his desk last week. From the story: “He was killed with an axe. He was bludgeoned to death,” the source told the Star, adding that while police remain tight lipped about the details, they do have a “number one” suspect, whose story is full of inconsistencies. "Oland's body was found in his Canterbury Street office in Saint John on Thursday, at which point police described his death as suspicious." Suspicious? Ya think? Click here to read the full story.