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Thanks Rusty for that link. Might be a good idea, I'll check them for pricing. Yes Disco that is life in the Muskokas! I know a guy who has a business there who said its cheaper and faster to have a plumber come up from Barrie than to try and get the work done from the guy down the street! Normally I have a boat when I go up, but I guess the fishing gods may have conspired against me this weekend.

Thanks Dave, that could be a good alternate. Sudzy: I'm staying down the street from Port Sandfield Marina. They're asking $140 + gas and oil (which is at least $20 no matter how much you really use) which is pretty steep for a 10 hp tinny. I guess that's just Muskoka pricing! I just found out the boat is normally have is dead, so I'm trying to avoid fishing from shore the whole weekend! I hope to target Lakers with some deep jigging. What do you normally go for?

I'm headed up to Rosseau this weekend while the lady works and normally have access to a boat and fish solo while she works. Unfortunately the motor on that boat is broken and I'm trying to find an affordable boat rental on Rosseau. I've found a few online for a 14-ft, 10 hp (that's what I'm looking for) that run for $140 + gas and oil, and hoping someone has some local knowledge the can share. If anyone can recommend a rental spot on Rosseau or nearby, I'd really appreciate the help. Thanks, -j

Thanks guys! I can't say enough about how awesome the day really was. A charter trip all comes down to the captain. Lloyd is a amazing guide, host and friend. He's the one that made it all happen, so full credit and praise goes to him. We just reeled up the fish!

Nothing quite beats getting someone close to you onto some really big and memorable fish! Awesome stuff!

The title says it all. What I love about fishing out on Lake Ontario is that most people I know have never experienced fighting monster Salmon and Steelhead out in the big Lake, only ever playing with them in our local creeks and rivers. What a difference it really is. So once again I got another newbie out, and another good friend who hasn't been out on Lake O for over 20 years and accompanied my girlfriend and I for some big water fishing. The action was consistent for most of the day with times where the rods were just lighting up. The first two fish hit before Lloyd could even finish setting up. In the end we had 5 missed hits, 1 lost and 14 successful fights. If you haven't had the chance to try fishing out on the big water, I highly recommend it, especially with Lloyd. The fishing was great, but the company today was even better. Enjoy. The day started out with a few steelhead like this, fresh and full of spunk. Then a King came out to play. She had those Steel dialed in all day! And here's another. After a 20 minute fight my good friend had his first deep water Chinook. Watching him battle this brute made my day! It weighed in at 24lbs 5 oz. There was a rumour that Lloyd broke 30 the day before... And just as our time was about to expire, in came a bonus Brown. Thanks for reading.

The boat is filled for Sunday. Jose when am I gonna see you out on the big lake?

No one here doesn't support catch and release fishing. But I find it concerning that you would take the opportunity to further fan the flame of an issue that doesn't even exist in this report. I kept some fish. Yes. Do I keep every fish I catch? No. I release 95% of the fish I catch of all species. But I post one report, Joseph decides to flame it and you take the opportunity to group myself and my party under the same blanket and use my trip as an example of why we "must lead by example with higher levels of catch and release to sustain the fishery." For someone in your position I'd expect much more due diligence and process. If I was posting report after report of limit-out steelhead fishing, I'd at the very least understand your reason for announcing your position. But to take one of my many fishing reports and use it as an example to validate your position is unfair and unappreciated.

You say you didn't mean to attack anyone in particular yet you called me out specifically by saying "you're not making any friends by posting deathboard pics of wild steelhead." You say you care about Steelhead and that "bonking" them is not cool. If you really care as much as you claim then you should retire your rod and never again pierce the mouth of another fish with a sharp hook and stress them to shore for your own personal enjoyment. But no it seems you've decided to tread into the gray area where you stand on your pedestal and proclaim that it's "ethical" for you to hook a fish and battle it for your own pleasure while deceiving yourself in the process that no harm is ever done, but anyone who does exactly the same and then decides to consume it is no longer "ethical." Until you figure out how to stop contradicting yourself and realize that your personal interpretations are neither fact or law, no argument you make will ever hold any weight.

That's some exotic fishing Victor. I don't think fishing back in Ontario will ever be the same for you ever again.

Finally figured out how to embed a video from photobucket. Fight of Chinny added.

Thanks for the comments guys. And yes Lloyd really knows his stuff. This was my second trip out with him and it just gets better. Mike I definitely did think about throwing the pin on, but after battling that King I'm not so sure! Nestor you definitely will be a veteran soon and I hope I can help you out too!

What got you hooked on fishing? I first held a rod in my hand at about four years of age. While the sport was likely already a part of me having grown up in a small town on Lake Superior, I think what really sealed the deal was hooking into that first big, unforgettable fish. That feeling of the first "big one" has always stuck with me so when I introduce new people to the sport, I like to seek out something big. Well it doesn't get much bigger than Lake Ontario and it doesn't get any more guaranteed than having Fishhunter as your guide. So on deck with me was my partner in crime Jessica, a new but growing with experience angler. Then there's Massa who has fished several times before but despite my many attempts, nothing over 2lbs has blessed his line. Also along for the trip was fellow OFC buddy daking_eh2007, a soon-to-be Lake O veteran. Of course I had my own motives for this trip and before we set out I asked Lloyd for just one thing: "Please get me into a big Chinook!" He gave me a reassuring nod of confidence and off we went. Within about 5 minutes the rods lit up. Daking was first up and pulled in a nice football sized Steelhead. Here he is gettin' it done! I was next and brought this piece of chrome to the boat. Massa then hooked up with another Steelhead and landed his personal best fish. Jessica has landed several Steelhead north of the 10lb mark in the rivers and creeks, but as anyone who's fished on Lake O knows, the Steelhead out here are a whole different kind of fight. This chromer was peeling drag with aerial displays and really got her adrenaline going! I love watching my friends fighting big fish and this battle was one of the most entertaining so far. We would catch several more fish over the next few hours when suddenly the action slowed down, as it did for everyone else out on the lake. This is where a good guide really comes in, as Lloyd was nonstop in trying to get us into the fish again. He was changing depth, lures, patterns, and areas about every 20 minutes trying to find a active school and really working hard. After a handful of strategy changes a rod lit up. Just as he passed the rod into my hands, the line started screaming off the spool. That was the sound of Lloyd keeping his promise. The rest was up to me. It took at least 15 minutes, but I had my King, all 21 lbs of it. Short video clip of the fight: <embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid608.photobucket.com/albums/tt162/s700svt/Lake%20O%20June%2013-10/chinnycut.mp4"> It was an amazing day of fishing and for me it was all about getting Jessica and Massa into some "big ones" and Lloyd did not disappoint. The fishing was hard at times and Lloyd really went above and beyond, rarely sitting down, to make sure that everyone went home with a lot of great memories. While Jessica would loose a mighty King after a short fight and Massa have his two biggest fish pop off, they both had their encounters with the "big ones." When I heard them both say "Let's do it again!" on the ride home, I knew they were one big step closer to getting "hooked." Now that's a happy group of fisherpeople. Thanks for reading.

I used it last weekend in an area known to be full of mosquitos. What's critical is to wear the patch at least 2 hours before you enter the bug zone and additionally to make sure you are doing something to get the Vitamin B1 flowing through your system, ie some physical activity. When it starts flowing through your blood, you'll know as the smell will be coming from your pores (more so the closer the the patch). I still got bit, but in my first attempt I do believe there were fewer bites. I got bit mostly early on, having only had the patch on for about an hour which was spent in the car driving to my destination. By late afternoon, after a few good sweat sessions, I decided to roll up my sleeve on the arm with the patch and let the mosquitos have at it. As I waited, I watched as several mosquitos buzzed onto my arm then immediately flew off. After about 5 minutes of not getting bit, I moved off and promptly got bit about 4 inches away from the patch. I still get bit with Deet, so I don't think anyone should expect this patch to be 100% effective like anything else in this category. I think combined with a layering system it can be quite useful and reduce your usage of Deet. As some mentioned I think it is a great idea to put on two if venturing into dense mosquito territory. I've used my Thermacell in this same spot as well with excellent results. I was literally being swarmed by mosquitos as I fired up my Thermacell and within 5 mintues the space I was fishing in was cleared out and I did not get bit at all for the rest of that evening. I've also ordered myself some Permethrin, not available for sale in Canada, to treat clothing against bugs. It's the same stuff used in the Insect Clothing sold stateside. From what I've researched, it looks to work extremely well.

That's a sweet looking camp and one serious brookie! Nice work.

The price for Thermacell can throw you off as it's not exactly cheap, but it does work, and quite well at that. Shop around, as the price difference can be quite big between retailers. The less open the area is, the better. For example I used it at the trailer under the canopy and it kept the hoards of mosquitoes away. I've also used it while shore fishing up north out in the open. Not quite as effective naturally as the vapors quickly dissipate, but it still worked well if you stayed close to the unit. For such an application it would be ideal to have a stool or something to elevate the unit as high up as possible.

Beauties all round!

Nice stuff man on the new pin. I'm sure it'll get a good workout this weekend.

I guess you weren't that tired after all! Nice fish man.

I have the Humminbird 343C with the portable case and use it for ice fishing and on the boat. No complaints. As for the suction cup it comes with, I found it doesn't always stay on so I purchased one of these: Transducer Clamp It makes things much easier, especially by allowing you to tilt the transducer out of the water when you move.

You can order them online from here: Beads

LL Beans lifetime warranty is probably as good as it gets. You never pay for duty or shipping on the replacement pair and lucky for us Canadian's Bean has a returns depot in Etobicoke. No warranty inspections either. You will have to pay to ship it back there. I returned a pair of waders that didn't fit right (after a few trips) and it cost me about $8 with full insurance to ship it there. The new pair arrived in just over a week and cost me nothing. What they do is ship you a new pair and charge your credit card. When your return item arrives at their shop you are credited that amount back to you.

Beautiful photos Solo. I really appreciate the time you take after every trip to share it with us all.

That's sad to hear. Last time they had the no-tax sale I also got the membership discount and loaded up as a result.

The movie Love the Beast does a good job, IMO, of explaining why not only is it important to have a passion but also why you shouldn't lose it as your life changes.