bare foot wader

these stories are an annual thing.....I've never cared to confirm if any are true or not...but I suspect that more than a few of them probably have some truth behind them.... I've witnessed musky taking down ducklings and goslings quite a few times....in my experiences I personally believe that when a musky reaches trophy proportions and are at the top of their food chain they seem to become pretty curious critters....I've had the same musky, season after season, come check me out when I'm wet wading.....literally within 10' of me at times, sometimes popping her eyes out of the water, similar to a gator.....she'd would immediately cruise towards me after she realized i was in her "turf", back off and then pretty much just circle around me at varying distances..... I lost a lot of smallies this way....lol....I wouldn't exactly say a fish is ever "intelligent" but this big girl picked up on me fishing as providing her an easy meal..... and no, I never landed her....hooked her a few times but never when i was targetting her.....

this is a very passionate topic for me...lol...lots of interesting situations over the years.....I have used a lot of stashed boats in my day...I have also dragged and left a few of my own/shared ownership boats into the woods too.... my opinion on this is: -if it is not locked up it's fair game to use -if it is locked up don't mess with it -always return to where you found it, or very close proximity -always return it flipped over so it doesn't accumulate a few hundred lbs of water...drain plug or not, just flip it over, nobody wants to deal with draining a boat full of stagnant water at 5am when they're anxious to get on the water -dont' steal anything...ie paddles or safety equip...that is a huge piss off and it happens alot...easier for a thief to carry out then a boat maybe?... we've never sprayed a msg on any of our boats but seen it a few times....probably a good thing to do.... the mason jar idea sounds like it could work too....I've visited a few campsites way up north and that type of thing goes on....interesting to see how far back the notes go('57 is the oldest I've read) and to read everybody's reports and experiences..... in most cases guys are reasonable, should you bump into the owner someday.....applying common sense and some respect goes a long way.....

as others have said - very addictive and can lead to an empty wallet very quickly I started out tying jigs and other than the raw materials I didn't use any of the above mentioned tools....unless you have for sure decided to drop the cash and get into the hobby, you don't really need to.... I clamped a pair of pliers into my dad's bench top vise...works fine....I didn't use a bobbin, just wrapped by hand, you're not wrapping little #20 dries here, you can easily wrap by hand on a jig....you don't need a tool to tie a whip finish, it helps I guess if you're just learning but it is very easy to do by hand too....you don't need to drop 20-30 bucks on a pair of the best scissors you can buy....you're tying jigs, not exactly delicate work....just use what you have.... all of the above tool recommendations will make tying easier...but not necessary if you just want to tie a few for fun. for materials to play around with I'd suggest the following in whatever colours you prefer: -bucktail -maraboo -peacock herl -yarn or chenile -tinsel -parachute cord be sure to post some pics of your jigs too....always fun to see what others are tying.....

hmmmm....the fish warden and police divers....lol I better get my local authorities involved where I wet wade....those damn sunfish have been picking at my toes for years....

beautie brookies....lyndsay area eh...I spent 4 yrs going to school in ptbo...pretty sure I know the creek you're talking about...there are a few in that area.... good on you for keeping a tight lip about it too.....it doesn't take much pressure...aka catch and keeping...to deplete a small fisheries like that.... spinners are great...i would suggest snipping off the treble and adding a tiny split ring with a single hook....will make it somewhat more snagless and easier to remove from the fish....i personally think better hookups too, fish don't throw the single hook as easily as the treble... going barbless for everything and getting a pair of hemostats will help a lot too.....like other people have said using natural bait(gulp worms too) set the hook immediately...the fish will swallow live bait very quickly...if you have a deeply hooked brookie just cut the hook off, better odds of him surviving than ripping it out of his gut jigs work great too...1-2" twister tails, dressed jigs ie maraboo or lindy guppy jigs, small cranks and jerk baits.....most people go tiny in small streams and that will get you the most hookups...but sometimes throwing something bigger in the deeper areas will call out the brutes....

buy a clip on line counter.....and a secure rod holder for your canoe.....

a poor man's way of downrigging is to use a three way swivel with a big bell sinker....I've had success doing this and trolling rapala's and spoons....a portable electronic unit would be very handy with trying to find lakers....

former walmart employee here....they will exchange without a receipt for you but they have to have the exact same colour and size on the shelf.... we all break lures....but there is a big diff between a manufacturing defect and a neglect/normal use failure.... the entire lip breaking away from a brand new bait...come on now, that's not right, especially on a new line of baits, that's obviously a manufacturing issue...at least IMO....10-12 for a rapala these days....the exact problem has happened before and I know my buddy complained and they sent him a decent package of lures...wasn't Rapala obviously.... you drive away from a lot with a new car and alternator dies 5km's down the road(true family story) you'd be pissed too.....except the diff is you get a warranty with big purchases, not the case with small crap.... so you either suck it up or you go the customer service path......I agree with buddy that he didn't receive the best customer service....it sounds like it is a problem with the new DT's.....stay away from them for a while until they get it fixed.... you could try emailing the link to this discussion....word of mouth does make an impact....companies know this....

if you want specific rod recommendations your budget is a big factor as well....

IMO you have a right to be bitter....lures are not meant to last forever....but it should take that type of abuse for more than a few hours....it is a little ridiculous how they treated you, sending it back, $5 to keep a customer happy and they chose not to.... I know that other companies have sent out freebies, packages of lures with more than just what the guy complained about....so yes, you received some crappy service but when it comes down to it, is customer service worth that much to you? or is having a lure that's proven to catch fish worth sucking it up? keep the broken lure...if you break more complain again....might get luckier second time around...

oh man i miss the north....solid fish there..

hahaha.....automatic editing...lol....I meant "inconsiderate" boaters....

there are still solid fish in there...but like everybody else has said, it's a tough bite....over crowded, garbage every where, excellent person boaters, etc, etc..... I would recommend fishing during mid week, early morning and downsize your lures a bit.....definitely be flipping all the stumps....spinner baits, plastics, short fat cranks, top waters and drifting big chubs below slip floats....all of those have produced for me

there is a distrubution warehouse and I think also a warranty centre located in Peterborough....I actually put in the floor during construction.....you should be able to google some contact info. I also recently learned that there is a shimano warranty centre in London....on Adelaide street right beside Angling Sports...I think Angling Sports either runs the centre or is affiliated somehow. I know when buddy was trying to sell me a rod he mentioned that with Shimano if I ever break it I can walk in and out with a new one and they take care of it. good luck with this, should work out for you.

longer casts...more sensitivity....easier to break off....smaller line diatmeter = less resistance, deeper trolling.....increase your spool capacity.... I personally think 20-30 lb power pro is fine for a general multi-purpose spinning outfit....but there are exceptions where going lighter pays off.....ie for my jiggin rod I use 8lb power pro....1 or 2lb diamter I think but still has the strength....my jigs drop quicker and I can feel bottom better with lighter jigs and much easier to break off when I get snagged... I also run 8 or 10 lb power pro when washing spoons off the docks in the fall...and I consistently outcast guys using 8 lb mono.....don't always catch more but at least it makes me smile when I bomb my spoon an extra 30'.....

don't buy them.....alright action at slow speeds, will prolly catch a fish here and there but they don't track properly worth a damn....

that's not good....FYI - especially for a beginner, there will probably be much more knots involved with learning to baitcast......and if you're having that many problems with your line on your spinning setups you're doing something wrong..... I would guess line twist would be your culprit.....try respooling and google how to spool a spinning reel properly or most spools come with an tiny instrucion booklet....make sure you aren't reeling against your drag.....splurge on quality line....if you're getting loops when you're casting make sure you are closing your bail properly, with your hand, and that you are beginning your retrieve without any loops or slack line on your spool (this will become second nature very quickly - works for me at least).....I would start by replacing your line and starting over right as for your new rod...you are asking for a rod for two very different techniques...a good slop n frog rod will not be a good jerkbait rod....many manufacturers make technique specific rods....pick up a frog rod and then a jerkbait rod and you'll see the difference as mentioned before, save up as much as you can, quality equipment makes everything better.....but in your price range i woudl take a look at the st. croix mojo series or the new rapala rods, the mid series, ts2's i think they're called....both mojo and ts2's under 90 bucks.....for a reel the shimano citica is a nice one that fits your budget....so is the quantum accurist.......i've cast both and would say they're decent mid price point reels.....

but we're not talking about trailer wheels here, we're talking about a spinning reel, big difference in stresses.... pack your reel full of grease and then come ice fishing, winter steelheading, etc, etc.....and then tell us you can never have too much grease.... I have always taken apart my own reels and cleaned them......eventually, at some point in time, YOU WILL MESS SOMETHING UP.....this is a fact....and then you will need to send it away to get put back together professionally.... I would recommend simply taking off the spool and revolving body, remove the side plate.....wipe clean and remove as much grit as possible and then give it a squirt of simple green (or your fav degreaser), I have a mini brush I scrub around a bit, use a qtip to get into the hard to reach places...then I rinse the whole thing under water and let dry under a lamp...make sure it's dry, a few burst from an air line to make sure you get all the water out.....you can take every last piece out of your reel if you like, but I find keeping it together is quicker and just as good......just make sure you dry your reel properly splurge the few extra dollars and buy high quality grease, the quantum stuff is good and is more consistent in cold weather...ie ice fishing.....I grease the gears but not excessively, SPARINGLY, and put a tiny layer around the edges of the side plate and frame body...don't actually know for sure if that helps to improve the seal but in my mind it's a comfort thing.... you'll have a plastic bearing sleeve with rollers in it, right around in the centre of your reel where the spool shaft slides through.....DO NOT remove that, the rollers will pop out and is tricky to put back in place....just put one small drop of oil on it and your solid put a small drop of oil on your roller bearing too as said before, grease on the gears and oil on the bearings "In my opinion, a DROP of oil on the bearings and a DAB of grease is all that is required. These units aren't hitting 6000 RPM or doing 12 second quarter miles!" well said....

first, doesn't matter what reel you buy...somebody, somewhere will have had a bad experience with it....just a fact of life, there is not a single manufacturer that can say that they roll only perfect products out their doors....you will always find a few bad apples, no matter what orchard you're walking through.... I've had a stradic for 5-6 yrs and have beat the crap out of it....it does show a ton of use and battle scars but it still performs flawlessly.....aside from abuse on fishing trips, I do take good care and maintence of my tackle....which most guys do not.... as for bail arms not functioning properly...huge common problem....and I would say that 90% of those problems are from people engaging the crank and letting the reel close the bail....CLOSE IT WITH YOUR HAND and then start reeling....it will add yrs to the life of it I've never been a fan of quantum snapshots....not a big fan of shimano quick fire either....but if you like that, then so be it.....I would get the spirex over the quantum you're looking at... guessing that about 50 is your budget?....I would also look at the shimano syncopate (quickfire), solstace, sonara and sedona....I was looking at the latter two over the weekend and they were both 50-60ish..... if you're looking for a great rod....I was looking at the new rapala ts2's ( might have that wrong but close enough) and it's a pretty sharp looking rod, feels great...I was looking at a 6'7" med fast action, labelled as a slash/jerk bait rod but i'd say it would be great multi purpose rod....was 66 bucks at the shop in lambeth.....

I prefer braid for almost all of my fishing techniques.....you can feel everything and especially if you are ripping jerks in or near weeds you'll find the braid will cut through the weeds like butter.... but a lot of pros prefer mono as a bit of stretch helps the crank get a bit more action and helps to prevent from pulling trebles out of a bass's mouth....personal choice really why won't fluoro work? if you're concerned about fluoro sinking and affecting the action of your xrap....I'd say that's a bit of overkill thinking IMO.....

I noticed the reel pouch as well...I have the aventa....pretty confident that is not an okuma reel....buddy is prolly just using the pouch with his reel...... that reel looks like a kingpin maybe???....beautiful reel for sure....

well for starters, IMO at least, very rarely do suspending lures truly suspend....they either float/sink very slowly.... what happened....pike + jaws + lure + hookset + fight = broken lure how it happened....there are cavaties inside the bait, some hold air, some hold steel bb's which are used to create a rattle but also help with casting and to suspend the lure....I'd say that your lure took a big hit when the pike hit your lure, or during the fight, and the pressure on the body of the bait caused one of the chambers to break inside the bait... does the xrap float up head first by any chance?....

retired?...it'll still catch fish if it floats up..... add some suspend dots to make it suspend again....I would guess that chambers inside the bait have been damaged some how and the balance is off...

I find far less of a problem with line twist when using a braid line....if i get snagged and break off or even once or twice a day I'll cut the spinner off and let the current take my line and run the twist out of it....i don't mind the inconvenience to avoid using a swivel......

"The lower the water, the fewer the fish." this is not necessarily true....especially this time of the season....they just hide better and stack up thick where they have cover....at least in my experiences anyways.....fish ultra finesse and you can clean house....no floats or swivels, minimal shot, fluoro leaders and even try dead drifting with no weight....keep a low profile on the bank will help a lot....