Cookslav

Ya...and they eat your lawn as well LOL! Purple loosestrife is out of control down here along the Grand(K-Town) You don't even need to get out of your car to see it.... Just drive over the bridge at highway 8 by sports world next summer, and have a gander at our beautifull purple shore line. Not to jack this thread, but.... Here in K-town depending on the area you live, if you don't spray for white grub your lawn is toast. Thats thanks to the European Chafer beetle one of those beetles that was introduced to control...you guessed it the Purple loosestrife. I think I could learn to like the purple demon.... its better then paying for chemical treaments, or paying 3 times that amount for organic treatments.

Well said John, Gotta agree....Syd the Kids an obvious choice IMO. Beside possibly being the best "active" 2 way player, he's a competitor... He generaly hates to loose, and thats something a lot of these guys seemed to have lost. I can't stand complacency in a player.... When I was coaching, if I had a player who wasn't mad as heck about looseing....he wasn't playing much gaurenteed. I've seen from experience that guys who don't care, are a cancer to a teams moral. (That and they always seem to be the same guys who turn out to be all attitude, and who's play falls off right off the map after they get that big salary increase...Brian Mc Cabe I'm looking in your direction) Secondly, Syds a natural leader...he doesn't just yap, and muck it up, he walks the walk, and leads by exsample. A guy who can inspire his team mates will increase the entire teams play...thats a HUGE advantage. And if you want to delve into the business, and sports well being aspect... He's a marketing gold mine! He's young so he'll be around for a while, and he's well spoken. But best of all he's a true sports idol for the kids...A clean, effective, well presented player, and a model the league would love to clone. Thats my thoughts....take it or leave it

Better then sitting at home fore sure I figured Picton was done... When we left Sunday the Harbor was frozen shut, and I commented to Bigswede...one day of calm weather would shut the bay down. The water was certainly cold enough, and ther air temps are right, the only reason it was open at all on Sunday was that Dam wind IMO. Good on ya for trying....nice to hear you got one for your efforts.

Nice shoot'n Tex! Thats a fine Buck you got there, congrats.

My sympathies to you and your family... Its horrible and all to common time to loose a loved one. Take care,

Thanks for shareing in a laugh LOL... Not much else I can do but laugh it off right Oh, and lookin.... Thanks for kicking a guy when he's down LOL! (kidding) Your right, I "should" have had a spare. But to be honest the tires were in good shape. Plus I checked those tires before I left, and again at a service station out side of Trenton. getting a spare was on my list of items for the fall...just never got around to it. That being said, Its not really "irresponsible"....it was my own stupidity for sure, but not irresponsible. I didn't put anyone else at fault, in danger, or put anyone else out. I just incurred a $102 tow to myself. If anything Its safer to have a big old Tow truck lit up like a christmas tree in behind me, then jacking and changing a tire road side in crappy weather conditions right? Cheers.

First off let me start by saying the staff of Merlin Park were AWESOME! The grounds keeper in Particular (whom I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t catch his name) I’ll elaborate further later in the report…. Secondly this is a novel of a report… So if you bore easily, stop now. We left stinky O’l K-town at 5am in anticipation of catching some Quinte Bigguns like we had the year before, and otherwise looked forward to a great guys weekend away. The weather forecast Friday Morning was a bit frustrating but nothing we couldn’t handle… Some heavy winds were forecast for Friday evening, so we anticipated a short day on the water that day. but Saturday was looking ok with light winds, and a chilly high of 1 degree was forecast for the afternoon, While Sunday looked to be a write off with heavy Wind and snow in store… So we drove onwards planning to hit the water hard in the am on Friday, and then be on the water all day Saturday, and forget about Sunday. Boy did it turn out to be an adventure to say the least… We arrived at Merland Park and immediately launched the boat, into near perfect conditions…light chop, with some near calm spurts. We set up the Planners and headed out into Picton bay only to Mark Schools of baitfish, and fish stacked in 30’ of water right out in front of Merlands, Continuing steadily all the way along the south shore up to the conservation area. We were getting excited as we continued to mark massive schools of bait fish when Big Swedes Tattle flag went of and his planner board dragged back!!! Unfortunately the cause of our excitement soon revealed itself as a Seagull that had Dive bombed Bigswedes malfunctioning Dr. Death which should have been diving to 20’ Unfortunately After trying to bring the gull in, it managed to snap the line…she’s toast, and Big Swede is out a couple bucks already. We continued to troll the school for another hour when almost suddenly the waves grew to about 2’-3', and wind began to howl…this was at about 3pm which was considerably earlier then forecasted. This picture does not do the conditions justice at all.... But beleive me it got alot worse about an hour later. Luckily we were still in Picton bay so we crawled home to safety, and moored the boat to an inside docking slip for fear of getting swamped with ice over night….the forecast at this point was calling for wind gusts of 90km/hour, and over night lows of -9 (perfect conditions for building Ice) We then retired to our room and drank away our sorrows, and planned out our strategy for Saturday… We had to make the most of it being Friday we were forced off the water in only 2 hours, and Sunday Still appeared to be a write off. At about 8pm the power went off, so Big Swede and I played Foosball by the light of our head lamps LOL!!! (That is by far the best way to play that game by the way…to much fun!) The next morning we got up eager and ready to get the boat smelling fishy, but as soon as I saw my boat I realized that might be a problem…. The wind had changed a full 180 degrees, and had been battering my boat all night. (again….another unforecasted weather event) There was a clear 2 inches of ice coating my entire stern, and motor….in some spots the ice was an easy 4-5” thick! I wish I had taken Picture before we started chiping away the ice, but to be honest I was WAY more concerend with getting the boat out of danger. The Boat was riding dangerously low in the water under the weight of the ice and the Bilge pump was frozen to boot….we were in real trouble as we were continuing to take on water when the waves splashed the stern. Bigswede and I chipped at the ice feverishly to lighten the weight, and got the boat to ride a bit higher but in the end we decided to abandon ship, and haul her out with help of the Merland park staff and their jeep. We lost a few hours getting the boat out, and launching a rental for an extra incurred cost of $115…but we were finally out on the water. We were happy to be fishing but felt a bit blind, with no fish finder…. We trolled the areas we had marked fish the day before, which we believe was still marking a lot of fish as we were in line with 6 boats working the south shore of Picton Bay. We fished and we fished to no avail…we did have two bumps, but no takers. And I should mention we froze our arses off as well! The forecast of 1 degrees was off by 12 degrees as we never got above minus 11... (how on earth can the forecasts be THAT wrong???) On one of our last passes I spotted something a bit odd. I noticed a boat in the middle of the bay paddling…. I knew right away this vessel was in distress. What boggles my mind are the 4 boats that just passed these poor guys and didn‘t bother to help. I can’t name names as I don’t know who they were but I will mention this… Whom ever was driving the 17’ green Lund, at Merland park this past Saturday…. Shame on you! They drove by them twice…. Once on their way as they trolled by them, and once again as they headed back to Merland to pack up for the day. Bigswede and I were shorted on our angling time all weekend by unforseen issues, but... We knew it was the right thing to do So we towed them home (it’s the one thing I did all weekend that made me feel good LOL!) So at the end of the day we packed it in and drank to our frustration , and decided we were going to sleep in. Sleep is something we are in short supply of being we both have young children at home LOL! So we slept in, only to wake up and see near perfect/calm conditions on the water….doh!!!! Oh well, What done is done…. So we packed up to leave and went to settle the bill with Kevin, and get on the road. Well apparently we dinged up a new prop on our way out Saturday morning…. We did have a rough exit to from the dock Saturday Morning….that throttle is a bit touchy LOL! So we paid the extra $50 and decided to chalk it up to our Crap luck. We soon discovered we could not get up the hill to leave with the fresh fallen snow….so yet again we enlisted the help of the Merland Park staff to tow my frozen ice cube of a boat to the top of the hill for me. Honestly the grounds keeper earned every penny of his wage that weekend helping us out, and I appreciated it. Now the story gets funny…well, funny cause its not you! On the way home I blew a Trailer Tire on the 401 outside of k-town, and I had no spare yet (new boat) Tack on another $80 to the trip for a new tire… So I called Becker brothers, turned the 4 ways on, and the Van off as I was low on fuel, and didn’t know how long the tow truck would be. (it turned out to only be 20 minutes) While the tow truck was loading up my boat I decided to warm up the Van for our departure. My battery was dead….Tack on another $60 to the trip for a new battery. After the Becker brothers guy boosted me, I dropped Big Swede off, and headed home to meet the tow truck and pay my bill…Tack on another $102 to the trip for a tow After I paid the driver I headed to the gas station for some much needed fuel….I didn’t make it. So I walked about 2 miles to the station with my jerry can in hand, and begin to take the cap off my can when I hear a voice from behind me say “ we’re outta gas”….. After about a 5 minute barrage of expletives, and me explaining to the gas attendant that the closest gas station is another 15-20 minute walk etc…. The guy agreed to let me “try” and pump $5 worth of gas….I lucked out and was able to pump enough gas to get me to another station. Then as if I hadn’t had enough bad luck… I got the van stuck at the end of my own street (plows had not come through yet) After 10 minutes of rocking the van , and the help of a friendly neighbour pushing I finally made it home. I then promptly put a helmet on and went to bed… To summarize, The weather was COMPLETLEY inaccurate, and caused us to loose 80% of our allocated time on the water, and half froze us to death on Saturday We killed a seagull and lost a cherished lure My boat was almost sank, and rendered useless by sea ice(also an unforeseen weather related event) I ran out of gas, and got stuck in the snow I incurred an additional $407 to the trip when I A )Had to rent a boat B ) dinged a Prop C ) blew a trailer tire D ) needed a Tow E ) blew my battery And worst of all We caught zero fish… All in all it was a pretty horrible weekend, but the company was good, and At least I got a story to tell LOL!!! I just keep telling myself these are only inconveniences not issues… No one got hurt, and I guess it is kind of funny? Heck I’d laugh if it wasn’t me…ah who am I kidding I’m laughing any way. I guess the Moral of the story is, don’t every trust the weather forecast, and smile no matter what happens, because it could be worse. Cheers

Thanks for sharing! I'm headed that way soon...with a little luck I'll do half as well Cheers,

Yup, I'm Jealous... Just got back after a 5 day hunt...nuttin

Your crazy if you don't grab that deal... Infact if you decide against it...please PM me I Prefer the 2 Piece...Its way more comfortable to me but thats personal prefferance. The single suits can tend to be to warm on accasion, and feel a bit bulky to me? They will both keep you a float and save your life if you go through the Ice, or fall in the water. Most 2 peices are Actualy more expensive then the singles....not sure why that is but, they are? Like I said if you turn the deal down, shoot me a PM Bud.

Nice haul, I gotta get some Brownies yet.... I've had many a trip in the past were that brown roe is litteraly the only thing that works. Cheers,

Sorry Kyle... It ain't gonna get any better from here on till May, and even then you have the muck to deal with till June LOL! Get a Snow mobile, and get into winter bud....its the only way to stay sane out there! Cheers,

For me... If I could just get a decent Paying job in my feild round there.... I'd love a small place in Wiarton Sleepy little town, Colpoys Bay and the Surrouding areas are beautiful. Fishing/hunting opportunites with in a half hour in any directions are almost limitless....ammenities of the city can be found 20 minutes away in Owen Sound. They have "real" winters with snow and ice, hot summers, and soft sand beaches 30 minutes down the road at Sauble. And its only 2.5 hours from my family in Kitchener Like I said...just need to find a Job in my feild

Lew you have a way with words.... I spend a lot of time fishing with Family, and I cherish every trip...fish or no fish Thanks for putting things in perspective.

I guess it depends on how you want to fish? For me 50% of fishing is the fight....the other 50% is the actual hook up after locating them, and enticing the strike. Pickerel Fishing on open water can be as, or more challenging to locate fish then say Bass, or Salmon etc.... Just depends I guess? Heck I've caught Specs that feel like I'm pulling in a wet sock only to spaz at the boat but its to late by then... Then Last year Big Swede and I were fishing the BOQ and he nailed a 36" Pike that was Fatter then I've ever seen...an absolute tank. But it came in like a log....awesome fish, but disappointing fight for sure, it actually fought considerably less then the 31" pickerel I pulled in about an hour later, and that isn’t saying much LOL! But really it doesn't matter to me if they fight or not. The species I decide to Target is based on the season usually...we have such a variety of options here in Ontario, why not switch it up and keep it fresh right? A great fight is certainly revered, and I'd rather have an epic battle then walk the dog any day, but for me Targeting the Species, feeling out the Patterns, finding the colors, depths, speeds, running the Planners or riggers, playing the elements etc... That’s the challenge, and the enjoyment aspect of Pickerel fishing.

Nice fish, I love catching Splake when the opportunity arises. Good fight, and a pretty/tasty Fish for sure! Cheers,

This is one boat I will NEVER part with... This little Car topper gets me into areas only a canoe can do, but its stable enough to stand and cast. With her swivel seats, and Electric motor its incredibly easy to control how and were you fish even in flowing river situation. And Rocks/shallow water are merely speed bumps being it only rides about a foot in the water! Best $600 I ever spent by far, and Many decent fish caught in this peice of plastic LOL! Then I have old faithful who will also NEVER leave my side... Durable...bit heavy compared to most kevlar models, but she's got me in and out of Algonquin, and many back country tips with out incident (knock on wood...) Lot of memories in this Toy And my newest, yet oldest Toy (1969) Just got this one back in the summer from a fellow OFC'r I have only had her on the water a total of 2 times thus far LOL.... But I have one more Quinte trip in store yet and I just mounted my rigger plates, and rod holders, so I'm ready for next season! And I've officaly been told by the missus that I'm not allowed any more boats unless I sell atleast one of the 3 LOL!

I've spent my fair share of time in the bush IMHO It Makes ZERO difference when it comes to bears.... Just Think rationally about it for a few seconds. If you hang your food, all your really doing is keeping it away from him...he will still smell/track it the same way he would have if its on the ground or not. Infact… If you have it raised up in the breeze your actually spreading the scent more efficiently. Seriously, If you put it in the tree, your MORE likely to have a large furry visitor snooping around, although he'll prolly just leave once he gets it through his thick skull that the food is outta his reach (but that can sometimes take a while) On the flip side if your food is on the ground and he finds it he'll eat it and tear your gear to shreds in the process.... So take your pick, lower your odds of an encounter and increase your convenience by leaving it on the ground (away from your tent obviously) or Raise the odds of a visit, but Guarantee your food, and gears safety But for real... Its not the fricken bears you should worry about!!! I personally Hang it cause I like my gear the way it is…. Its the bloody coons, skunks, and Squirrels that mess with your gear more often then a bear will And to be honest I reeeeeely don't find it that hard anyway??? So I say Hang it…

I have unfortunately been through this.... My best friend died of cancer at the ripe old age of 21. Life’s just not fair sometimes plain and simple, and I definatly feel your pain. I am a religious man and I'll pray for you. Aside from preaching, here's My best advice... Spend time with him, talk alot, laugh alot, cry alot.... Do alot of anything you can with him, but be strong for him, and remember to listen....that’s what he'll need Be patient he's bound to be frustrated, and emotional. Aside from a miracle...At the end of the day all you can do is be his friend like you always have been. Lean hard on your mutual friends, and your family...they are hurting too, and will be more intune with how you feel then anyone else could be. Take care,

LOL swede! Bad weather was all that stood between them and us on Wednesday....it happens (Litterally couldn't work a spot with out getting blown off it in seconds.) Next time My friend the weather Gods have to be with us atleast once this year LOL!

Oh right.... forgot to mention I'm targeting the toothy critters

Nicely done! Congrats to you and the missus. These next few years will be a blur...enjoy the little moments

Very cool idea! I'm no photographer but I'd like to dable a bit more then I do.... Maybe this will help me out a bit...errr...maybe a lot LOL!

Never been to Stoney.... Been on several Kawartha lakes (Buckhorn, Chemong, & Pigeon) but not Stoney until now. I'm Gonna hit the water this week, and could use a little advice as far as colors, depths and bait recomendations if anyone is willing to share some experience with a fellow OFC'r We will be working the burleigh falls area primarily (Am through to the PM...got one day and plan to use it to the fullest!!!) Be it a post or a PM I'd be eternaly gratefull, and bound to repay the favor if/when I can. Cheers,

He's got my attention....