DRIFTER_016

Hmmmmmmm, what's that I see to the right of my pooch? Answer=YES

I know guys that use manual augers but they're all Tundra Hugging Hippies that would rather snowshoe 20K into a lake than take a snowmobile.

Uh, yes. Look under my avitar at my location. It's not one of the more travelled ones and over the course of the trip I saw no other people at all. Just a few ptarmigan, shoulda brought the shotgun. I guess it would be pretty interesting to run into another sled though.

After a warm early winter followed by two months of liquid nitrogen like temps it finally warmed up and I made it out for the first time this winter. I loaded up the sled to head to my favorite little laker lake but missed my turn off. I ended up riding for a while because the trail I found myself on was just too much fun plus I need to get myself into shape for the big trip in March. I ended up putting about 110 KMs on the sled today with a lot of the riding on tight and twisty trails like this. I eventually made my way back to the big lake and decided I would run out to some islands and see if I could find some whitefish. The wind had picked up so I took shelter behind one of the islands and checked depth through the ice with my trusty LX-5. First spot 20', nah lets look a little deeper second spot 30' and I'm marking fish through the ice. I start up the auger (after changing the plug because I went and flooded it ) and drill through 3 1/2 feet of clear black ice. Dropped the transducer in the hole and start marking fish, a good sign. Start my jigging with a 3" hammered 1/2 & 1/2 williams, got a lot of looks but no takers. So I switched to a different rod with a Badd Boyz jig and crappie tube, as soon as I dropped it down the hole fish started swarming it but wouldn't commit. I eventually tried thumping bottom with it and then slowly raised it about a foot off bottom had a follow and as I moved it up a little bit more the fish drilled it!!!! After 4 or 5 min I get the fish close. I had visions of a sweet 24" whitefish but it wasn't to be. Ended up being a pike about 24". Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Back in the 80's I caught one that weighed 55# at the lakeview generating station in either May or June. Somewhere I have a picture of it floating around, I'll have to try and find it sometime.

It's the voices, the voices in my head compell me. That and the fact that I can fish tons of lakes that are only fly in in the open water season. Plus my ice season is 7 months long!!!!!!! Drilled through 3 1/2 feet of clear black ice today, not going to be too much longer until I need the extension.

True, and lack of said wrenching is what leaves people stranded on the trail or in the bush most times. In the engine department 4 strokes need less work than 2 strokes do however. I have one buddy who rides 2 stokes Cats (him and his wife have the same sled) and he ended up being stranded 40km from town because of a cracked exhaust pipe. Because of it the engine grenaded. Same thing happened to his wifes machine 2 weeks later. He takes care of his machines and takes care about maintaining them. Me, I dive under my Yammie every spring and do a full check up and maintenance regime because I don't want to get stuck miles from town alone in the middle of an arctic winter. Ther are a lot of guys who just drive their sleds and don't think of maintenance and that's fine if your running on groomed trails in a popular area, but when your life depends on your sled you better look after it.

When I'm on the road I'm usually listening to my Sirius satellite radio. Channels 21 or 22. Or my cd player is most likely loaded with Green Day disks.

I haven't seen a used one for sale up here since I moved here. I think people hold on to them.

They did when I smacked a 12 pointer near Luther Marsh. Deer did $7K worth of damage and was gone before I got stopped. After dealing with the cops I went looking with the dog, never did find him.

Ahhhhh, you wouldn't like it any ways. I found mine at a Yamaha dealer. I only have 45 more payments and it's mine!!!!! You can have one too, for only 15K!!!!

Get hold of my buddy Brian. He's a guide down there. Tell him Dave from the NWT gave you his info. He'll give you some info and maybe you can even book a flats trip with him. Capt. Brian

And how much snow in the area you are going to use it. Where I am there is usually no more than 3 feet of snow on the ground and my 700# 2 up cruiser has no problems with getting stuck. I don't know how it would do in the mountains or breaking trail in areas where the snow is really deep. The utility sleds offered by all the manufacturers while not exactly sporty are very good in deep snow and breaking trail.

WoW, I lived on Haig Bl. for 15 years and never saw anything bigger than a yote down there. Saw plenty of deer along the credit though.

I'm sure if you let him know about the issues you have about making it safely over the hill and that he is welcome to park in the area that you have plowed out that he will comply. If he doesn't then I would call in the authorities.

And have an irreversible case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Yep, a quick jerk and the bottom swings open and dumps your chum out.

Last April I drilled through 64" of ice. I bottomed out my auger with an 18" extension!!!

My firdge is so covered with CTC receipts you can't see the fridge any more.

Better hit the gym now then.

It's a PIA for me to have coffee in the bush, too much stuff to haul.

We used to call them Quadrabogs!!!

NAH, it's Christmas.

I'll drive my sled on that much ice but I won't take my truck on the ice until the ice roads open. I want 3 feet of ice before the truck goes out there.

We get them the same way up here. I defrost a container and salt 'em up good on a cookie sheet covered with newspaper, leave them overnight in the fridge. The next morning add some more salt then put them back in the container with a little more salt on top. Stick the leftovers in the fridge or freezer after the days fishing. The salt keeps them pretty much thawed out, makes them last longer and toughens them up so they don't fall off the hook as easily.