camillj

Wow .. not sure how I missed this one .. lotta firsts this year Wayne and some KEEPER snaps ... love the 'buff-right-out' story ! I feel for ya on the stairs ... I did ours last summer so my 86 Yr Old Mother-in-Law could enjoy the docks/decks with us too ... but I got off easy ... mine was only 8 steps and the 63 wheel barrows of screening got dumped at the TOP of the hill for us Congrats to Jenn for the milestone (and some fancy Moet-Mulroney) ... I have a strong sense that she'll be up there again next summer ... maybe even sippin on a 2000 Dom (which I just happen to have in the cellar )

Yessiree Wayne ... I got nowhere to mount my Salty's (the boats only got gimble mounts ... so I run the rigger to keep the line in the water when I am dragging them great big spoons (even if the ball is just a few feet under the surface) ... also kinda like the 'instant' hookset of a fully loaded rod when it releases ... gives me time to light a fresh smoke ... Gonna try dragging one a them thar BIG LIPPED - poo-kinese-or-is-it-a-duckling sticks I got from ya last year ... (you know - the ones that can actually re-dredge the channel for them eco-friendly cottagers ... so I wont even need to put it on the riggers - but I may need to put the safety harness on the rod But up till couple weeks ago it was a tossup between gargantuos-lakerous-hungry-freakus and biggus-esox-holy-motherofgoddess and I wasnt too fussy either way on the biggest Williams ever made Anyhow if ya need a little break I'd be happy to pick ya up in Port Carling

Thanks Mike ... gonna speed-er-up and raise up to 15' ... most of the flat I been nailing the big Pike on are actually ranging between 16 - 30 feet (along the ridges) with drop-offs to 60-80' right next door (was actually thinking I might try a little deeper next)... spent alot of hours dragging hardware in the 10 - 20' range with nothing sighted/marked or hit. Water temps were 58 - 60 on the surface last weekend.

Never really thought of it that way ... I was actually thinking I should try just about 10' below the "top" school of Lakers ... only problem is those hungry morons will just about anything now that the season is closed

SO ... Let me get this right Wayne ... are you saying I need to go to my 20lb balls ?

I can't even talk about it .... but here's the story ... Weather Channel ... trout bait ?

Ok ... I need help fellas .... putting my meanest 12" baits on ... bangin bottom in 20-30 feet of water near serious drop offs ... and all I can seem to muster up is the odd fat-arss Pike (don't get me wrong these are beauties - but I am chasing MONSTRONIUS MAXIMUS OLDFARTUS .... PM me to stay on the right side of the 'Law' ... ps ... sorry Roy, I assume I can name the Lake since there is actually over 300 miles of shoreline Be nice and I'll share some Pike porn with ya

OK .. thanks guys ... I actually originally bought the group 31 for my Minn Kota (which I only use in Quebec) ... alongside a 9.9 Seahorse ... when i bought the Cannon the guys at Sail told me NOT to run it off the cranking motor ... so onto the boat it went ... and yes it is HEAVY .. so there it remains ... I kinda like having the 'backup' as I do run many miles up and down the 'big' lakes in Muskoka and I really hate the idea of having to call in to the marina for help (grew up fishing on Lake O with CB and VHF ... to much time spent responding to 'distress' calls ... never wanna be that guy ) I think I like the idea of having the smart battery isolater ... of course there is no getting around taking the batteries off the boat in the winter but at least that's just once a year

Hi Folks ... I know there have been many discussions around this ... but ... I think my scenario is a little different and was wondering if any of you smart folks have a 'best' scenario (that doesnt involve me having to cart a group 31 battery off the boat to recharge it. Anyhow here are the basic parameters : Fiberglass hull (Pioneer 197) - dual console Boat is moored (in the water) in a marina all season (March til Oct) and gets stored in the winter. My rented slip does not have access to power ( so running a trickle charger overnight isn't feasible unless i took the battery off the boat) It has a 150 Yamaha 4 stroke and came equipped with a single 12V battery. The console is equipped with 'cigarette lighter' adaptor which I use for running) GPS/Sonar etc. I don't use a trolling motor on the boat ... but I do run my stereo and GPS while 'trolling' (which is my preferred fishing mode) It's a pretty big lake ... so 'running' at 20-30mph for 20-30 minutes per trip is common. I bought a separate (totally isolated) group 31 deep cycle battery (and a weather resistant case) specifically to run my Cannon Magnum 10 STX electric downrigger(s) without risking drain on the cranking battery. I haven't charged it since it went on the boat two months ago- mostly because it doesnt appear to need it - I currently only have one downrigger hooked up - but I KNOW I should keep it charged up and would like a more 'permanent' setup that won't harm the motor's charging system or risk frying any of the other electronics on the boat. Also I know there is some issue about charging a deep cycle vs cranking battery ... Anyhow looking for some guidance .... cost is not the priority ... convenience and reliability and safety (mine and the equipment) are most important Anyhow love to know what you guys with the 'proper' rigs have done to make it work. Thanks Jon. oh ... and just to juice it up a bit .. here's a little 43" personal best caught last week 21' down in 29 ft of water on a 6" Williams at 1.8 MPH (about 600 rpm) ...

Fabulous ! ... I gotta gets me a couple of those producers!

I have had PLENTY of fun with lead core .. the key is to have a 6lb test leader that is at least 1.5 times the length of your rod (I prefer a 9' rod and a downeast rod holder ... and a tiny (very tiny) snap swivel beteen your leader and your lure ... we troll small mooselooks 1 1/2" - 2" (white, silver, gold) at 3 - 7 colors this time of year with best success early morning (just after sunrise) or just before sundown ... but if the temps drop sharply you can catch them up on top as well. Bigger spoons will be fine for Lakers (I have caught 13" lakers on 8" spoons )

Man those specks are gorgeous ... never get tired of catching them (or even just lookin at the pictures Anyhow little "secret" on the softwater lakers ... dont fish on bottom ... they are gonna be suspended more often than not when they are eating .... I have had my best luck trolling at the 30 - 35 foot range and at the 60 - 65 foot range ... lately the magic depth of water has been 80 feet plus (but mostly has to do with temperature) ... and DO NOT put worm on your spoon .. it kills the action

There's a reason they still sell Williams Wobblers after like 70 years I personally like the gold/silver dimpled wobbler (4 - 6") depending on species ... caught lakers, bass, pike, musky (never pickeral though) ... definitely a go-to lure for trolling (either on downrigger or with a couple ounces of weight a few feet aead of the lure)

Jeeze Wayne, sorry to hear. Thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Spectacular ... I leave tomorrow night for my late season ZEC trip ... those are some beauties and now I surely won't get any sleep Thanks for sharing !

Lake Rosseau ... Giant Lakers, Trophy Pickerel, Monster Musky, Pike, Bass ... and access to some of the prettiest (about 300 miles) of shoreline in Ontario (IMHO)

The small 12V rechargeable (less than a lb) at Le B is only 25 bucks and lasts me about 24 hrs on one charge (better part of a weekend for the hours I fish ... I always bring a charged up spare ... and NEVER run out

Le Barons sells a fabulous case for your battery .. it is weather proof and it has a cigarette lighter for charging your other stuff ... it is vented and has a strong carrying handle/strap ... worth the few extra bucks to protect your investment IMHO

Goldfish insurance ($5) ... if you dont have insurance and your name gets called you gotta swallow a live goldfish

I always carry a small bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide in my tackle box .. ALWAYS... it seems the farther you get into the backwoods, the more likely a cut will get infected and as several have said this can lead to very BAD things ... anyhow so far I have had 100% success by dabbing the cut (sliver/puncture etc) with a liberal amount of peroxide on a piece of tissue .. then putting a band-aid on it ... you will know its infected already if it bubbles when you do ... by the way this does NOT sting as many fear ... and within minutes it reduces the swelling .. the next morning your red swollen finger will be forgotten ... I NEVER leave home without it.

Sorry to hear Cliff .. if you still have the hard drive and need to save something from it ... I have some 'special' tools for that ... cant promise ya it will work but if its real important ( pictures etc) it is worth a shot ... drop on by and we will give it the old college try

I agree Solo ... we have never had a better fishery than the one I grew up with in the 80's where the Big Coho was the holy grail and kings were considered fat pigs worthy only of honorable mention

Single eggs ... light line ... no split shot ...or try a black wooly buggar (something they havent seen alot being drifted past their snouts for the past month)

Id actually say laker

One of the member at my club has invited me for the 'trip of a lifetime' .. wondering if any of you folks have any tidbits to make the experience even more fun.