DRIFTER_016

I plan on purchasing a flasher very soon, but i am not sure of which one to get.I would prefer to get the top of the the line,but I know that I wont use it to its fullest potential.

I have experience using a few but im not sure which one to go with.

Any view points good or bad, no matter on any that you guys have used will be apreciated.

I also have an aqua view in which I do like in most situations, but with a few that ive been in it was a pain in really deep water.

Any suggestions would be greatly apreciated, thanks a ton.

You can't really go wrong with any of them.

I have a Marcum LX-5 and it is a very good unit.

The movable zoom and super fine line as well as the dual beam transducer are important to me.

It also has the best target separation and most power of all the top units as well.

I have heard good things about the HBird flashers as well.

I have the same question Rob. My little 2Hp x 9 inch lightning has THOUSANDS of holes under it's belt thanks to 6 guys all liking to use it when we're on Temagami for a week at a time. Still cuts like it was new and this will be it's 5th year.

 

I think part of the issue is ones like mine use the ripper blades on them and these strikemasters and the likes use the same blades the hand augers use... and they just don't hold up to the abuse of being powered.

 

MIND YOU.. this Tempest is showing it has a serrated tempered blade ! The strikemaster that I bought of Misfish's brother Rob had two normal blades on it just like a hand auger.

There are 2 styles of blades in wide use in power augers 1/ Cutting blades like the ones on hand augers and 2/ Ripper blades.

Strikemaster and Jiffy use both types depending on auger model.

Mine uses the ripper blades which stay sharp longer than the cutting type blades.

Until you hit a rock that is.

Only done that once.

The cutting blades cut through the ice faster but need sharpening more often.

Ripper blades are much better when you are drilling dirty ice or redrilling old holes.

Out West (Alberta, BC, Yukon, Alaska) there is a lot of dirty ice (due to glacial sediment) and this dulls cutting type blades very quickly.

Ripper blades reopen old holes with ease while cutting type blades tend to bind when breaking through.

OMG DROOL Thats so sweet Dave. ERA?

Not sure of the ERA but I bought it off ebay 5 years ago.

I think it was a refurb.

$300 and change incl. shipping.

It's a 10 1/4" 3HP job.

The new Mo is an 8" 3hp that will be used on them lakes wit de small fish in dem.

Hoping it's a little lighter as that Strikemaster gets pretty heavy by the end of the day.

PS I always have spare blades handy.

I've got 3 sets for the strikemaster one stays home and one set is in the storage pouch in my auger bag. Along with allen key, wrenches, spare plug and new rope for the pull starter.

Don't want to be in the middle of nowhere with 5' of ice and a broken auger.

 

 

 

Should of bought a strike master. PROVEN.

Got one of them too.

Just a heads up - Peterborough Costco is clearing these out at $249.97. Had 7-8 units in stock.

 

I'm assuming this is a great price. Brand may be unproven, but with Costco's return policy is probably a no-brainer for those looking for an auger.

Brand is not unproven, they are rebranded Eskimo Makos the same as the Rapala power augers CTC had on sale last week for $249.

centerpinangling.com carries the round gremlin shot you like bud. Cheap prices and fast shipping.

Should be ok for a few years after my shopping trip to LeBarons when I was back in October Mike.

That's what cheap labour in Barrie is for

Fixed it for ya Bill.

And yes, their website blows!!!!!

But it's the only place I can get good splitshot. LOL

Nah, I think they still use salt on the roads there, helps keep ice from forming on the highways.

.2766 fer this old feller.

Thanks Dave, I'll have to search around this area to see what I can come up with

FYI

I have caught them on my CP in the Nipigon river both spring (June) and fall (September).

Man, I'd love to try that out with my flyrod I'm assuming any whitefish lake would pattern the same? (ie move shallow in the fall, etc)

Yes Bill

They move shallow in late September/early October to spawn.

We have good runs in the rivers up here not much difference other than timing down South.

Here is some interesting reading on first nation housing from CBC.

Housing Story

Had one, used it once and returned it.

Didn't like it.

We have one up at the lodge that has been around for many years and it's still running just fine. We use it for getting around and for hauling luggage/freight etc. We have a 2 axle heavy duty trailer that we can load 4 barrels of fuel on and it hauls just fine.

That's 1,600 pounds of fuel + the weight of the barrels and trailer.

So yest they are quite capable and very reliable.

Be thankful if you get anything at all from your employer.....Mine has no party, no bonuses and they don't let too many off during the holiday season.. We get a nice little letter telling us if we call in sick in the two weeks before Jan 2, we can expect disiplinary action that is more severe than the usual....which means a days suspension for each day taken off, sometimes even when you have a doctors note...if you're scheduled in on Christmas, too bad....some years they might let us trade shifts with someone who is off if they feel like being nice. But only if you can find someone who wants to work it...

Sounds like a great place to work.

I'm no expert anymore but that doesn't look like a "Coors" in the cozy

It's a Coors Light by the looks of things.

I've seen the less fortunate drink them before.

I however would only use them for making beer batter.

Actually drinking one is beyond comprehension!!!

I feel the same way. Thanks for your contribution to this discussion Drew and thanks to ehg for bringing it up.

 

I know next to nothing about this but I will add one thing. De Beers is making a killing from the diamond mines and they should be forced by the government to help or get out. De Beers has made mountains of money in Africa and has not done anything but fuel tribalism, hatred and slavery amongst it's people. They are not a trustworthy corporation (are any?) so the Canadian government in my (uneducated, ignorant and meaningless) opinion should tag some more demands on to the conditions of their mining license.

 

Transportation of materials seems to be a very large issue. De Beers gets all sorts of mining equipment up there.

 

Wherever De Beers seems to go, they fill their boots as the people who live where they extract live in severe poverty. We shouldn't allow that here.

DeBeers, BHP and Diavik do a lot for the people of the NWT.

They employ a lot of the native people and pay them excellent wages. They do a lot for the communities and for us here in Yellowknife. Millions have been donated for many projects and causes in Yellowknife alone.

I don't see how DeBeers can be blamed for African tribal issues that have been going on since the dawn of man.

Cheap, low grade Yankee beer?

You would do best with a quality large hub shelter for your needs.

Most of the hub shelters have thin 300 denier material but the Clam Command Post and Cabelas Ice Team both have 600 denier fabric which is twice as thick. Look closely at the specifications before you spend your $$$.

I have one of the Sub Zero 2-3 man hubs to use early season and it has thicker material and is pretty warm. I heat with a 14,000 btu tank top heater and stay pretty warm even in brutal arctic temps. Here is a shot from last year early ice with ambient temps of -30C and -40 windchills. As you can see I'm not even wearing my coat.

Look at grabbing one of those Rapala gas augers they have on sale at CTC as it's a really good deal.

True, it is located on the coast but that does not diminish the issues they are having there.

The lodges are in between Attawapiskat and Lansdowne House (another native community).

Here is some more info on Attawapiskatt that may interest y'all.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/storm_watch_stories3&stormfile=attawapiskat_residents_recei_011211?ref=ccbox_weather_topstories

Good stuff!!!

Having your own business is pretty satisfying but a ton of work.

I had my own for over 10 years and got tired of the 7 day work weeks.

Now I work 5 days and don't worry nearly as much.

A spiral wrapped rod will counter the rotational torsion of having the reel mounted on top of the rod. A conventionally wrapped bait caster will try to fall to the side when under load because of the tortional twist on the rod as well as the weight of the reel on top. A spiral wrapped casting rod counteracts these forces and when under load the rod does not tend to want to fall to one side or the other.

I too have been using the Fenwick twist rods for 20 years and build quite a few spirally wrapped bait casters. I even build spirally wrapped heavy ice fishing rods for big trout.

I'd be more impressed if you said that he could cast a trico to a rising brown under overhanging willows or hit 25 straight at the trap range. But I guess standing's good too.

Not a big fan of the taste of ducks and goose but they sure are fun to hunt.

I really like upland hunting for grouse and ptarmigan and like the taste better too.

Plus they stick around and there are alot of them.

Fish now while you can - before ice ruins everything.

Ice ruins nothing Craig.

It makes it possible to hit all those lakes that you have to fly into the rest of the year.