BillsTheBassMan

Then why'd you by three? "Fool me 4 times? Shame on?" Joking aside, I don't think they turned out exactly how people were raving about them for awhile there. I fish St. Croix and I'm sticking to it unless I shell out for a loomis.

Mike, This is my big fishing passion too - it's an amazing way to fish. You either get it or you don't . . . if you hear "those fish are only 8 inches!" then that person definitely doesn't get it. I've managed to pound a few rivers and a fair amount of streams this year and it has only renewed it as my favourite kind of fishing. Amazing. Do you fish anything lighter than a 5ft to 5'6" ultralight with 4lb test? Thanks for all the great shots and taking the time to post this. I will have one coming up soon (though my pictures have been pre-trumped by you!). Cheers, Ryan

Way to soldier it out through the rain and give the girls a day they'll remember for a long time! I'll be on Scugog for the long weekend . . . looking forward to it. Cheers, Ryan

Good Job and a nice fish Vin. It's always nice when us river cynics realize that our waters might not be in THAT bad of shape after all.

Ive fished it 2-3 times - all successfully. Lots of lakers in there and some good sized Pike. GL

Welcome Aboard - Look forward to your input!

I'll reword it: Put that dog at the KW Humane society and it'll find a good home. I've seen the work they do and been a part of it - high turnover and many good homes found. If you're going to give it away on a fishing board, you might as well give it to trained professionals. Mercman - two minutes for instigating.

Done and Done. Good idea and a good cause. Get on board people!

There is a family on my street that always take in troubled huskies and have a network of people who do the same. They may not be in the market as they just got a husky pup, but they may know someone. If you still have the dog and would like me to knock on their door, I can gladly do so. Stick it out for the time-being: It's not uncommon and it's not immediate grounds for panic, but it's good you're reacting. Ryan

Perhaps I should do what the dog did and bite some lip, but this really bothers me and its what keeps the animal shelters teaming. People get a dog, fail or give up in the training of the dog, and opt to give it away instead of doing the work. Rinse and Repeat. It's quite sad. Put that dog at the KW Humane society (dropping it off vis-a-vis to a worker and not being spineless and letting it just run away) and it'll find a good home. Maybe a more deserving soul from these boards will find a good pet.

Sorry about the negative experiences on the water Jedi. Having grown up in Elmira I can get a pretty good mental image of the type of person that was sitting across from you. Nice haul on the Crappie though! I'm on Scugog for the long weekend and am going to target crappie almost exclusively - it'll be something almost new to me, so it should be a fun experience. Thanks for the report.

Welcome aboard! If I knew you were coming I would have got you to bring some of those really tiny Mepps Syclops that they only make available in Europe Look forward to sharing conversation.

Call that tip line . . . it definitely helps.

Hmmm, I never use a swivel and line twist is extremely rare and minimal. My question would be what you're doing or what rod/line you're using? One thing you can do with flouro leaders and real small base line is use a micro swivel to tie the leader on. I'm not sure if the micro swivels I use occasionally have ball-bearings or not since they're the size of a small ant. As for my favourite spinner, it's the one that my fishing vest has like 14 copies of - hands down the best spinner I've ever fished (and got me my first two browns of the season yesterday in like 49 degree water). A truly great lure.

Very well done, thanks for the thorough report and all the pics.

Thanks for all the responses folks. So far I'm digging the doctors since it seems the most pocket-friendly and durable.

That camera is a good watch! If you look real close there is consistently something real big hanging out in the background (4:55). It has appeared 3 or 4 times.

Hopefully the roofers wait until the wind calms down a little.

Your boat license has to be the original. I would assume the same rules apply to your fishing license.

There was just a big article on all the early season Crappie habits in Ontario Out Of Doors magazine. I'd suggest locating a copy and giving it a good read - I'm no crappie fisherman and it helped me understand things a fair amount. I'll be on Scugog for May 24 and I'll have no choice but to fish for crappie at that point (and naturally hit a few creeks for the usual suspects).

I like the PM advice more but thanks nonetheless And as far as the infrareds getting wet, well, they're definitely going to . . . the joys of wading near-chest high.

Yeah, that was painful and my last sighting was with the topwater mouse when I pulled it away too early He got spookier as the year went on and then it died and the season ended. Hopefully this year I get him in and ideally a picture or two. I've been back to check his home a few times before opener (to observe only) and once on opener (rivers blown) and saw something suspiciously similar in the same spot . . . nice to see he's still there. It's safe to say that the hunt is on again . . . As for your Pike, slow it down and see if that helps. Try the sucker minnow, but give it a few whacks first to make it slower/dazed. That could be the ticket. I wouldn't spend a lot of time blazing spoons and spinners and fast presentations through their area at this time of year . . go slow or mid-range at the fastest. One thing that often can work (and this is what LOTS of people told me about the big brown I'm chasing) is to try something completely outside the box. For example, I caught a good brown last spring on a gulp fish fry grub and a orange jighead. Sometimes it's just about throwing something at them that will peak their curiosity. Best of luck and keep us posed.

Hey Folks, I've been looking at picking up a thermometer for all the river-trouting that I do in trout season to take quick accurate temps. I've been debating between a run-of-the-mill pharmaceutical thermometer and the higher end infrared point and shoot thermometers (such as the one by William Joseph). So, I guess I'm asking: 1) Has anyone actually used the infrared thermometers and if so what are your thoughts on them? Are they worth the $40+? 2) Are the mid-range thermometers reliable? 3) Are generic pharmaceutical thermometers accurate enough to warrant using them? Any of your experiences would be appreciated. Regards, Ryan

I recognize that body of water . . . it looks just like every river in my general area for the entire past week. Tough opening stretch but you made out ok with a nice fish. Thanks for sharing as always Mike.

As a lifelong lab owner I've got to tell you that big vet bills are not uncommon. My last lab required a $2500 surgery at the age of 2 (granted that was accident related). What I find is common among labs are the consistent ear infections and symptoms from growing too big or too fast. As far as eating stuff goes, I once saw one of my labs pass a piece of tinfoil with an entire chicken breast and bone in it. He got into the neighbours garbage and the rest is history. Best dogs ever but they have their share of issues health-wise. Thankfully, since their so friendly, people will go out of their way to help them out. When my last fella got cancer he was enrolled for free treatment in a program at the University of Guelph (the best vet school in the country). Initially it was said he only had three months left at 10 1/2 and he lived to 14 due to that program. Best of luck and get the pet insurance next time. With most labs you'll make your money back in the first two years on ear infections alone.