Northhunter

A windtunnel "O" fun?!?!?!?!? I gotta try it out!!!!!!!!!! Its one of those things where tons of mental ideas comes into my head. I could find out if my fiance's chiaua can fly!! But seriously when no one's watching .... what do you do with a windtunnel "O" fun?

Heh. I bet someone's got some stories they can't tell. I know I would

They don't work for skunks

We put a couple on the vehicle we took to Red Lake last fall. On the entire trip up (almost 24hrs driving), we saw one mammal. It was a black and white stinky sot, and we hit it

We did see a couple whitetails one night on the drive back, they were off the side of the road watching us go by.

Southern Ont. to Calgary is a long drive. They're cheap - throw a couple on and let us know how you make out. I know one report from 7 years ago won't stop me from trying them again.

Awesome report!!

My ice fishing was severely limited this year.. I was almost over not getting out and exploring frozen northern shield lakes for trout and you go and post that.. lol.

I use fairly full spool of low diameter, low memory line. Light mono is good, but fireline or powerpro is the bomb. Length of the rod helps, but I also have a 4 1/2' ultralite that can really throw some stuff out there. I think a light action or soft tip really helps. It has a slingshot effect that really gets the bait out there. That said, small, floating rapalas are some of the hardest baits to get distance on.

No no no... it's all because of "supply and demand", remember?

They're crooks. They'll use any excuse they can to jack the price and keep it up. We didn't have any new wars or conflicts, busted pipelines, tornadoes, hurricanes or wild sea monsters take out any rigs for a little while and prices were actually somewhat reasonable... but then here comes reading week/march break...

Dude.. I lost two monster walleyes in the same hole my first and probably last weekend ice fishing this season

I went home for winter break and gave my buddy a call when I got up there. We hit a local river system the first Saturday with a couple other guys - the plan was just to have a few and watch the lines and more or less shoot the $#!! for an afternoon. The spot we were at gets hit pretty hard and we didn't expect much, although they pulled up two keepers the week before.

First day - just checking the lines. Picked up the tip-up to make sure my bait was where I wanted it and felt a fish hit. Let it take it a couple seconds, tighten up the line to make sue it's still there.. gave it another moment or two and set the hook. I was using 15lb dacron with a 12lb mono lead in 42ft of water. The entire rig stretched tight and when I went to start pulling up the fish immediately after the hookset it didn't move. Just gave a couple headshakes and it was all over - I was kicking myself because the mono had been on since last season and that's what failed. I lost 2 more smaller fish after that (set the hook too quick) while one of our party pulled up 2 more.

We figure "well that went better than expected" and went out the next day. Same hole, same tip-up, different rig. I used fresh 12lb mono on the lead and had a dropper off that made with 35lb flourocarbon. Same deal - checking the lines and feel a fish on the line. Let it take it, set the hook, entire 42+ feet of line pulls tight and I can't move the fish without stressing the line. No headshakes this time - just dead weight. It was on a second or two and the hook broke!!! It was a solid hook. Only thing I can figure is there was a weak spot near the barb, but it was still a damn good fish. The bite stopped the day after that and all I landed were two dinks all week.

The fishing gods can be cruel sometimes. Be thankful you didn't get it so bad

Thanks for the comments! I usually take more than one of the same shot, and pick out the best. The "moss" pic was an exception. We were tracking a bear up near Red Lake and I had to stop and take out the camera for a quick pic. The "island" and "dock" shots are from the same trip.

The rest are mostly from Nipissing.

Bly - go ahead. I have full-size versions if you'd prefer.

I have others, but a lot of them are from film and would need to be scanned.

Awesome pics. The bald eagle and the rainbow, in particular are amazing!

A guy totalled his machine in front of our house last weekend. They make those things too damn fast these days (IMO). I read an article about a new model that has a 4-stroke engine that pushes it at 140mph. That was a "stock, as it came from the factory" high performance machine that anybody with the coin could buy.

I worked with an older guy that said way back when they used to ride them out to lodges and what not, throw back a few, then ride back. They had a lot of fun, but the machines were slow. Very slow compared to the new ones. You could get hurt, obviously, but even if you went off the trail and nailed a tree the chances of you walking away were pretty high. They quit doing it when the "fast" 300cc+ machines became more common.

My Habs lost too I didn't know how this would effect slower connections if I posted to Basskicker's thread..

Couple have been posted before.

I picked limit, because this year that will likely mean 4 fish under 15 3/4" where I'll be fishing if I choose to eat walleye.

Last year it was 6 fish, any size. It was a good year, but the number of 'eyes I personally caught and kept was probably in the single digits. I kept a few fish that would have been slot fish had they been caught with the new regs, but I also released a few and kept nothing that would have been above it. IMO low slot fish are the bread and butter, but are also reproducing. I feel better about limiting my catch and keeping 1 - 3 fish that have reproduced, vs. keeping 4 that have not. I'd rather keep other species than eat those young fish, but the majority of the time will not have a choice this spring/summer for 'eyes.

Thanks all for offering the opinions and clarity.

 

I think it is important to remember that the % of people who hunt and regularily use weapons isn't a large part of the country. Much like fishing, we tend to gravitate towards like minded people and end up with lots of friends who share the interest but that doesn't mean that those numbers reflect the typical views of canadians with respect to going out and fishing.

 

For most Canadians, our views on firearms and weapons don't include much distinction beyond thinking there are three basic types - handguns, rifles and automatic weapons.

 

Maybe with more time by both sides rationally explaining their positions for and against guns the issue would be less clouded. I have learned things from this thread I didn't know. It hasn't radicallty changed my opinion on guns much but it has given me a bit more understanding on the position of hunters.

We are a minority, but only when you include the big cities. Take Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver out of the equation and it's a whole new ballpark. Rural Canada is a far cry from someplace like the GTA. I'm from a small northern town (not that small, but in comparison..). Growing up I and my father hunted, as well as the fathers and sons living on either side of us. Same with a family that lived across the street. A lot of my buddies in school hunted and came from "hunting families" as well. Most people camped and fished and the majority of those also hunted or used guns to some extent. If you didn't, you were likely close to someone who did.

The problem is the demographic of the big cities (10% of the population in the GTA alone) and the politics involved (remember the spring bear hunt fiasco?). That and the fact that those of the "anti" mindset are not rational. They lie and distort the facts to push their cause. As an example, there's a stat floating around, put out by those supporting the registration, that the registry has been used so many times (forget the number - it sounds impressive) by our police forces since registration started. What they don't say is that the stat is actually generated by traffic stops. When the plate/liscense is run, the computer also accesses the registry (that's based on memory from what I read, so it may not be entirely "on", but it's close).

IMO, the worst are the relatives (mothers in particular) of those who have been lost to gun crime. Don't get me wrong, I feel for them. But a few of them seem to dedicate their lives to pursuing tougher gun laws and become irrational somewhere along the way. Forget it was a criminal on the street that took their loved one, or that no form of gun control would have prevented the tragedy, in their mind the gun has to go and everything will be peachy keen. They are relentless, and it gets to the media. Then people like yourself (not a gun owner/user, not familiar with the situation, and does not particularly have a stance) gets the story.. but mostly one side of it. Enough people take notice and/or get involved and then it snowballs into stuff like this Resolution #47... and for what??

The whole Kimveer Gill (one messed up cookie) situation a while ago threw a lot of $h!t at the fan. He did something with a legally acquired, registered gun that the current laws did nothing to prevent. So what does the Liberal government do? Forget that what they've already implemented isn't working and throwing BILLIONS of dollars away in the process, or that they've lost much of the public support they had for it... lets go after the good guys some more. Their actions are telling me they are anti-gun, plain and simple. "As all firearms are potentially dangerous, all firearms need to be regulated, and all firearms owners regularly screened. " - That's a recent quote from a certain Wendy Cukier, president for the Coalition of Gun Control, who at one point was actually on the Liberal payroll (maybe still is? I dunno).

I could go on, but I kinda got into an unintentional rant there. One last thing I will mention is that the term "semi-automatic" is being misused. It is being used in reference to guns that are actually autoloaders, which cycle on their own. By definition, any gun that fires a single shot when the trigger is pulled is a semi-automatic, so that includes any type of break, pump, lever or bolt action firearm. Repeating or not.

The tired old NRA logic that banning people hunting guns will lead to the banning of legitimate hunting guns has never held water here.

If you really need an AK-47, hunt something less armored.

What would be considered "people hunting" guns are already prohibited or restricted here. You cannot legally hunt with or carry a repeating shotgun holding more than 3 rounds in Ontario (unsure of other provinces). Under the Criminal Code of Canada it is illegal to be in posession of a clip or magazine for use in a semi-automatic, centre fire rifle capable of holding more than 5 rounds. The only rifle caliber I'm aware of that doesn't fall into this category is .22 rimfire.

Fact: Registration has lead to confiscation in every country it has previously been implemented. I believe the most recent was Australia. The gangbangers in "T-dot" are already illegally importing, illegally selling, and illegally using guns that are illegal themselves. They don't care what's banned, prohibited, etc., but somehow this Liberal "policy" is supposed to save us

Jughead - semi-automatic guns have been used by hunters for a very long time without issue. Some of the advantages to an autoloading gun are quicker follow-up shots on wounded game. The guns immediately load another round after one has been fired, so someone who is disabled or somehow impaired in such a manner that they cannot work the action quickly can still hunt and fire after the initial shot, if need be.

A lot of autoloading shotguns are also gas-operated, meaning when a round is fired the gas and pressure produced by the gunpowder actually activates or "cycles" the action of the gun. This design can greatly reduce recoil. If you're of a 6'2", 230lb frame, that probably doesn't matter much. But if you're an average person firing heavy goose loads, it's a real advantage. If you're a youth, a woman, or just someone of a smaller stature, or someone who maybe has an injury... even more so. The difference can be such that it allows a larger gauge to be used that otherwise wouldn't be handled by the shooter, allowing in safer shooting practices and more ethical harvest of game.

I'm sure there's other scenarios and advantages, but those are the ones that come to mind at the moment.

It was a late hit and behind the play... no one saw it as it happened, which is why there was no call by the refs and no immediate reaction by the Leafs. Although they did come from behind to take the win.

Bad hit on Drury.. everyone's all over Buffalo and Coach of the year Ruff is a cancer to the league for taking care of business.

Bad hit on Kaberle.. everyone's all over TO for not sticking up for their teammate, not having tough guys on the ice, making someone pay, etc, etc.

Irish.. didn't even know I could do that!

I thaught about a portable unit.. but I fish out of smaller boats. With all the crap I already take with me (trolling motor, fishfinder, extra battery, multiple rods etc., etc.) I don't think it would help keep the clutter factor down.. but I'll keep it in mind.

Thanks for the replies.

I have XM radio. Picked it up because I listen to a variety of music and the local FM radio stations were just ticking me off.

The receiver is a portable model, but I can only power it by plugging the adapter into a wall outlet or using the car attachment, which pops into a cigarette lighter.

It's a nice unit, but would be an awesome one if I could take it along on fishing excursions. The unit itself says 5V DC. The adapter lists INPUT: 100-120v -- 0.4A 50-60Hz and OUTPUT: 5V -- 2.0A MAX

Is there any way I could power it off a battery for use in a boat, or at a campsite? They make a portable "boombox", but it runs close to $100 and has a lot of cons (looks, reception, battery life, etc.).

Anyone?

They aren't albino's. They are regular moose with a recessive gene.

Now you know

I disagree - Gainey's about as good a GM you can find. He built the cup winning teams in Dallas.

Kilger? Kilger?? lol. The guy's big and plays hard but has hands of absolute stone. I can't remember how many breakaways and 2 on 1's that guy fouled up when he was with the habs.

Rivet was overrated. He had leadership and always said the right things, just couldn't do them on the ice.

We got a prospect and a 1st in return and have more cash to sign Souray/Markov.

Montreal had a french Canadian superstar - Jose Theodore. The man was god in Montreal for 3 years. Wish I knew what the hell happened.

I hunt and fish, so I am deffinately not jumping on the tree hugging band wagon. However, I believe you should only take game which you are going to consume. As such I will never hunt black bear. The exception of course is self defence, and if you are a farmer who needs to protect his herd. I was also under the impression that cougars were a protected.

Bear roast is awesome. Kinda like the most tender, mild tasting (but flavourful) beef you'll ever have.

I've been told Lynx is amazing, I don't see why cougar would be any different.

I don't get this board sometimes. Impaling fish for pure enjoyment is fine but got forbid you use anything but a rod (the spearfishing vids), hold it incorrectly, kill one and eat it, or (IMO) act more humanely towards a mammal in the act of hunting.

Leafs are a mediocre team and will continue to be one until someone comes in and changes the way they are run. Problem is they are always on the bubble and can never rebuild because "Leaf Nation" refuse to let them take a step back. The Perrault deal is a good example - they gave up a 2nd round pick and a prospect for a player who was a 3rd round pick himself and will be gone at season's end.

I was surprised the Oilers traded Smyth - but the article I read eluded that he could also resign with them after the stint with NY.

Habs did good - shipped off Rivet, who hadn't been doing much (I was never a fan, even if he's from North Bay). They save money, have one less UFA to worry about, picked up a big young stay-at-home D-man and a 1st round pick (nothing wrong with that!!).

If the goalie is the dude they picked up today it was off waivers.

I've seen both pics before - they aren't related.

The first is from someplace over in Europe, but there's an email going around with both pics saying the fish is Canadian.

I don't know where the 2nd pic is from but saw it for the first time about 3yrs ago.

I stay away from shorter rods unless they're ultralites - most of the short ones made for something other than panfish are quite stiff or they would snap under load, and kinda defeat the purpose of a rod, IMO. They can also make using a reel awkward.

One of the current ones I have is a Bass Pro Shops model (Extreme Ice??). It's a medium action that extends from 27" to 32". It's a very good rod - good sensitivity and strong. I caught a few 'bows on it last year in the 3-4lb range and they were probably about as big and as hard a fighting fish as I would target with it. I wouldn't use it for larger pike or lakers.

Maybe go to a heavier action in the same length.

For reels I'm not terribly picky. I pay attention to size and weight and go with what feels comfortable on the rod. Smooth is nice but you're not using it to cast and retrieve like in open water. I don't like the cheapos with plastic housing because they don't react well to cold weather - they tend to seize up and the drags on them start to stick.

I saw a list once of a lot of the junkfood that was unique to Canada. It was surprising - a lot of flavours of chips and a whack of other stuff. I don't think they have Smarties??

I tried to find a site that had a list - no luck.

It was several years ago I believe that they implemented the first "5 year study". Everyone knew what was happening but couldn't do much about it. If you tried to bring in a bill like this without scientific evidence it would get shut down in a heart beat by the bleeding heart tree hugger types. They even protested the controlled studies that were being done to see what effect removing the birds would do (oiling eggs, culling birds, etc).

Last March or so was when the first MNR report came out that said the colonies threw fish stocks out of whack and backed it up with hard data, and here we are. That's the reason for the wait.