BassMan11

Nice report. Always a bonus having nice accommodations. Thanks for sharing.

Looks like a great time. Some beauty fish. Thanks for sharing.

Hey all, At the begging of April my friend had asked me if I wanted to go up to his camp in Batchawana Bay north of the Sault to open it up for the year. Having been there before, I loved the area and it was a quick yes. We planned to head up the dates of April 28th to May 1st which is one of my most favorite times of the year to be north. Longer days, potential for nice weather, and no bugs! The drive up was eventful and arriving at camp was as well... everything was exactly how he had left it in November. He is right on the shore of the big lake and the last of the ice caves that form every winter were still there. About 10 feet of ice still formed on the break wall. We had also timed the smelt run perfectly so that was something we had to participate in. The weather was perfect... little wind and 15-18 degrees. All in all it was an excellent trip. The drive sure is long but the area is just spectacular. Can't wait to get up again. Cheers! BassMan

Thanks guys, A Yam is probably the next choice for me. F60 or F70 Tiller. 100lbs less than the 75.

This is exactly what I am thinking. I love the motor its light and has lots of power on my Pro Guide 1675. But if this is the headache I am going to go through for potentially more complex repairs.... A repower might be in the near future.

Hey everyone thanks for the responses, I have called several dealers and Evinrude does not make part for this particular style of piston. Mike Marine was one of the largest Etec dealers in Ontario and Mike told me that this particular assembly can not be rebuilt with OEM parts. Luckily I was able to find a used unit close by for 1/4 of the cost. Just a warning to everyone out there in case they have a similar issues. Also not hitting rocks on the French River will also keep you from having this issue.

Hey everyone, So I pulled my boat out of storage this year only to find hydraulic fluid on the ground from my tilt trim.. So I took it over to my buddy who services the motor (2008 Etec 75 tiller) and the seal was blown. Since there are no rebuilt kits from the dealer, a new Hydraulic would be needed. He warned me it could be expensive but when he got the price from Evinrude my jaw hit the floor. $3700 for the part. Are you kidding me? The motor is maybe worth 6K total. So I am reaching out to everyone to see if they know of anyone who rebuilds these things? I know it can be done but there are some special tools needed etc. My guy is looking into it on his side but thought I'd reach out here as well. Thanks in advance. BM

Another Beauty Bunk. Thanks for taking the time.

Thanks guys. Big Walleye by all accounts I think. I will say I am not sure I catch that fish without Panoptix to be honest. It was only a subtle change in my presentation that I feel changed the fishes mood into biting, which you could visibly see on the graph. I know everyone wants Livescope but I have the regular PS-22 transducer (cheaper) and actually like it better. The sonar returns are larger and better suited for deepwater lake trout jigging. I have learned more about fish and their behavior in the last year with that technology than in the last 10. Its truly a game changer when it comes to any jigging application. Cheers everyone.

Hey guys, Got out with an outfitter for a couple days on the south shore of Nipissing. Fishing was.... beyond slow. Having Panoptix and really seeing how fish are reacting, I don't know if I marked more than 2 walleye the entire 2 days. Lots of Cisco's around though. But that is fishing I guess. Anyway we moved out of our bungalow for a while to a day hut in a little deeper water and hooked up with this guy. My face says it all. Luckily there was a measuring tape on the wall. 31" and what i'd have to assume is over 10lbs. Not a lot of fish were caught but a memory of a lifetime for me and my Dad. Cheers BM11

Honestly the worst time of year to be looking for a sled lol. Plus COVID prices are banana's for any rec vehicle or boat. As others have stated a fan cooled utility sled are the most simple and don't need snow to run properly. But they are also the hardest to find at any sort of reasonable price. Some models to look for a starter sled: Tundra LT Skandic Touring SLE Bravo LT Vk540 Venture Enticer LT Bearcat XLT As for miles under 10K should be something to shoot for on average. Good luck with your search. I looked long and hard to finally find a 99 Skidoo Skandic WT in ok shape at a good price. It's tough out there! Also for parts... Royal Distributors BM

Yikes Dave... those are the types of Bears that unfortunately need to be taken care of. They will always be around. Great progress on the Cabin as usual. Cheers

Excellent Report. Love the back lake largies

Somewhere in the Frontenac area..... or pull a complete 180 and head into Quebec. Depends on weather.

I notice the Bunks on my Lund / Shoreland'R trailer have the carpet all the way around... although they might looks a bit better they definitely hold more water for longer and some fungi also growing in them as well. I planned on leaving the bottoms open as well. Personally i'd really like to go see the 2x6's to make sure they are to my liking... I guess I'll have to wait a while for that.

Thanks for the replies guys. I think some 2x6 cedar boards and some quality marine carpet will be the ticket.

To be fair.... this might be someone from down south looking to book a stay at one of our excellent lodges in Ontario. Sadly though I would say 2021 fishing season in Ontario probably won't be open to US anglers.... or even potentially ones from Ontario.....

If you think this in ending in a month I think you better be prepared to have the boat on stands for much longer than that. With this logic, are you allowed to ride your ATV? Go hunting? Drive anywhere in your car other than to get food, booze, or go to work? Can I do curbside pickup for a project in the backyard to keep me sane? Lots of ways to end up in the ICU..... but towing my boat to a ramp to go fishing by myself is a highly unlikely one. Much more danger in the trees I was cutting down over the weekend.... should I have not done that on my own property because of a risk of going to the hospital? I have been thinking about other people for a year now.... that doesn't mean I should be robbed of doing outside activities that in no way show any data to rising case numbers. Is there another place in NORTH AMERICA that has Boat Launches and Golf Courses closed based on nothing? Its ridiculous.

Hey everyone, Launched the boat the other day to play with some of the new toys acquired over the winter months and noticed the my bunk carpet was torn fairly bad and the wood was growing mushrooms... looks like its time to replace them. So this begs the question, standard bunk carpet and 2x 6 boards or do you go with a GatorBak, Tough Bunk, or even Caliper Bunk rap solution? Looking for experiences as well as pro's con's etc... Thanks in advance. BassMan

Tiller for sure with what you will be doing. Be patient, go used and be constantly on FB market place, Kijiji and of course the classified's here when you are really seriously looking. For longevity, stick with Cresliner, Lund, Alumacraft imo. The well looked after boats and good deals are gone in minutes. Also be willing to drive a long way to see a boat. I bought a used 2014 Lund Pro Guide 1675 in 2017 off a guy on kijiji in great shape for under 20K. I was the first to call and in 1 hour he has received 20 phone calls to buy the boat. Good luck with your search!

I think looking at the responses this is a fine question to ask. Lots of different responses here. Just because we are not in the same shape as the states doesn't really mean we are totally out of the woods. Nor will we probably ever be. That said I think everyone hiding in their houses because the media has BREAKING COVID NEWS every day every hour is horrible for everyones mental health. I plan on going on the trip.... but if everyone responded "thats a horrible idea" then maybe i'd rethink my decision.

Few tree's to cut down Dave to achieve the "perfect view" Dave. Still my favorite thread on this site!

Thats what I figured. I planned on going, opening the windows is a good idea as well. The hand washing and disinfecting is a given. Also making sure everyone is taking the necessary precautions leading up to the trip and limit exposure where possible. I don't get to see my Dad as much as I like and this is our 1 week a year to do what we have been doing for the last 20 years together.... just fish.

Whats everyone's feelings on fishing trips right now? Here's my situation: I live in Ottawa, my Father in Niagara, and the other two older gentlemen are also from the Niagara area. We go on a fishing trip almost every year. My dad and his friends are older... over 60, and I in my 30's with 2 little kids. I have tentatively booked a cottage for the 4 of us in September up my way. Do we still go? What is the general consensus?

Best bang your buck would be the Costco blue brand with a noco charger. AGM being better than the lead acid if you can afford it. As Akri said its very important to charge them asap when you get home from fishing. Just to make them last longer. In the winter top them up once a month. I tried to leave a noco genius charger hooked up all winter and unfortunately it boiled my batteries dry! Luckily they were only everstarts! So I don't recommend leaving them on all the time. Good luck.