Rattletrap2

Momma said there would be days like this...... Well, Tuesday started out rough and only got worse as the day progressed. I am a detail oriented freak and things like this should not have happened, but they did! Trouble with the new trailer lights started the day and it took from 6 am till 10:35 before we got on the road. I had to totally replace brand new lights with new LED ones. Road construction through Gasoline Alley slowed us down and then ramp closures in Orillia forced us to go beyond our intended cut-off and work our way back through town and traffic. We got to the water around 12:35 and decided to check out the public launch across from Tudhope. Parking was full. We went on to McRae Point park. Seemed pretty good, only $14.50 to get in and launch! Not a soul in there besides us....figures, ramp, such as it was, sucked. Way too shallow. No dock, just two rows of very slippery submerged rocks on either side of ramp. It started out shallow and got shallower as you went in further! Struggled to get the boat off and finally headed out with the trolling motor. I wanted to check the depth of the crystal clear water. Front graph won't work at all! Yep, starting battery is dead as a door knob! I tried pulling the motor over with the rope. No dice. Struggled like hell to get the boat back on the trailer and admitted defeat! Other than some great sandwiches (Thanks to my Wife!) and a great day spent with one of my Daughters, the day was a total wash out. We decided to head for home before anything else happened! LOL Keep in mind....the boat trailer is brand new. It has only been used one time back in May before my accident. The starting battery was also brand new and fully charged back in May. I only used it once and there was nothing left on to drain it. For the life of me,I don't know why it was drained down to nothing. I had checked the trolling motor battery and charged it, but never gave the battery for starting and electronics a second thought! Since Tuesday, i have charged it up and performed a load test. All seems fine and I will check it over the next few days. Sigh...

Wow, glad everything turned out well in the end and everyone was safe. I can't imagine how you must have felt but it seems like you handled it well and kept your cool. The weather really has been poor this year all over.

Pikeslayer, I can't help with the manual, but I had to do pretty much a similar job on my 1987 90 HP Merc. about 10 years ago. My buddy had a boom for the PTO on his tractor. We were able to rig an eye bolt to the top of the motor, unbolt it from the transom, and lift the engine a few inches to gain clearance for removal of the trim motor. I then took it to a friend in Hamilton that had a starter and alternator shop. He cleaned it all up, put in new brushes, and it worked like new. At the time, I was told that parts for this particular system were no longer available. Good luck with yours!

Congrats and thanks for sharing the story with us! Awesome!

Dan, this is the old Tudhope Park? I didn't know they had a launch. Any idea about the public launch on Collins? You see it just as you round the bend onto Highway 12 on the right side heading East/South.

What does this mean??? Tire slashing and the like? lol

Hey guys, I'm thinking of heading up to Simcoe on Tuesday to give it a try. I would like to launch somewhere on the North end near the Narrows at Atherly. Anyone know of good spots to launch and park? If the winds kick up, I would probably switch to Cooks Bay. Any places you would recommend down there? The last time I owned a boat, I fished the same lake every week-end. I never had to deal with these issues, and I'm kind of new to it. Thanks, Brian

Nice, enjoy your time together. They grow up fast!

Cliff, thanks for your honest and candid report. I have never done a fly in trip or anything remotely close to it. When I do, it will probably be a one of and I will want it to be perfect. I will try to learn from this trip and hope to be able to make a good choice when the time comes. Like you said, the fishing was epic and time spent with your son is irreplaceable. the rest is just details in the past.

Awesome trip and report. You are blessed in so many, many ways!

Now that right there is some Bass fishing! Great job and report.

Very sad news. Like I said back in February, we never had an opportunity to meet, but this was certainly the last thing I wanted to read. RIP

Very nice! Sure looks like you guys did alright during daylight hours as well! That place is beautiful. Is it easy to launch your own boat on that lake?

I'm a believer in the lunar calendars. I had a Fishntime watch from Casio that showed the major and minor periods each day. I also remember an old Hank Parker Outdoors episode back in the '80's where he said to pay attention to wildlife around you when getting ready to launch your boat. If the chipmunks and squirrels were out running about and the birds were actively flying around, then this was a good indication that all creatures would be doing the same, including those under the water. This would mean that fish should be active and away from cover feeding and cruising around. If it was the opposite, they might be shut down close to cover. I would think this has a lot to do with the weather and barometer, but also the magnetic pull of the moon. Makes good sense to me to be aware of what is happening in nature while we are out enjoying it. Hank was also a hunter and he made a lot of sense of things.

Cliff, you are a real piece of work! lol I nearly spit my coffee out at that one!

2017 General Fishing regulations: Page 10 "Only Northern leopard frogs may be captured or used as bait" Limit is 12 Must have a valid recreational fishing license 2017 General Hunting regulations: Game Amphibians and Reptiles Bullfrogs may be taken under the authority of a valid sport or conservation fishing licence. No commercial harvest of bullfrogs is permitted. No firearm other than a bow (compound, recurve, long) or crossbow may be used to take bullfrogs. A person may take bullfrogs at night without a firearm and a person may shine a light for that purpose. See the Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary at ontario.ca/fishing for additional information about the capture and use of frogs for bait. NOTE: Generally, it is illegal to harvest frogs in provincial parks or Crown Game Preserves. Snapping Turtle as Special Concern Species The snapping turtle is listed as special concern under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007, and the federal Species at Risk Act, 2002. Species classified as Special Concern provincially and federally have management planning requirements. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the federal government will work toward meeting these requirements. To learn more, visit ontario.ca or contact your local MNRF office. NOTE: There is no open season for snapping turtle in Ontario. Snapping Turtle WMU(s) All of Ontario Residents and Non-Residents Closed Season Limit No Harvest Bullfrog WMU(s) 1 – 59, 72B, 76 - 95 60 – 72A, 73 – 75 84 Hunting Regulations 2017 • 2018 Residents and Non-Residents July 15 – Oct. 15 Closed Season Limit Daily: 10, Possession: 10 No Harvest Personally, I'm thinking chicken nuggets might be a better alternative! I have actually eaten many of frog legs and enjoyed them immensely! These were in the Southern United States where they are plentiful. I also enjoy Crawfish, but up here.....well, we have to make do with chicken and maybe imported shrimp!

Beans, I'm up for anything that will do that!

When it comes to Marine/Automotive batteries, there really are only a couple of factories that make them for all brands. I don't think you can go wrong with Walmart or CTC. They will stand behind their warranty, and the price is usually right. Glad a good cleaning an boost worked in this case. Might want to keep an eye on it over the summer before cold weather hits again.

Very Nice! I enjoyed that! Simon, do you think black twister tails might have worked? They match the leeches closer. Nice to see all those small Walleye, but would also be nice to see a couple of larger ones mixed in.

What is old Darryl up to these days? Been a long time since I have heard anything from him. He used to be very, very "Vocal"! lol Good luck on Colpoy Bay. I can't help you and have never been there.....but I would love to see a report (with photos, of course!).

I was with you Old Ironmaker! lol No pictures.....it never happened! Even I can type a fishing report.....just can't back it up with any proof! lol Alas, you redeemed yourself Smitty! Those are some beauties! Congrats!

I think I would rather eat their landing net!

I tried finding more info or coverage for this event, but could not find much. There is a link to Facebook, but only a couple of pics there. CAn you fill us in with more info? Thanks

Awesome! I love a black twister tail grub! There is not much that won't bite one.