porkpie

If you get a micro let me know how it works, I'd be interested to hear, thanks!

How far do you want to go with it? You'll need an auger. You'd be surprised how big of a fish you can pull through a 6 inch hole, and a 6 inch manual auger generally cuts pretty easy. You'll need 2 ice scoops, because you'll eventually drop one down the hole. A second fishing pole as you can fish 2 lines through the ice, and it's good to have a back up. It's nice to have a simple wood tip up as well, and they work great for whitefish! If your fishing minnows get a pail. I use those insulated Coleman drink coolers on the ice. You can usually find one at your local bibles for missions or goodwill for $2-3, perfect for bait! Then just a selection of jigs, a couple slip floats and some hooks and splitshot etc. I use ball head jigs and swim baits, airplane jigs, Swedish pimples, buckshot rattling spoons, jigging rapalas Johnson thinfish, and a selection of genz bugs, but there are lots of good Lures out there! Also get yourself a pair of ice picks to hang around your neck in case you fall in. You've got a flotation suit so your covered there. Also, if you don't have any experience it's best to fish with a friend, and carry a rescue line. I have only had one incident in 25 year of fishing lake Simcoe, but I still go out prepared to have one! As for shelters and whatnot, fish on sunny low wind days and see if you like it, if so then spend the money on a good hut, they are worth every penny!

Simcoe, January 2014. Still waiting as well lol. You've been waiting much longer!

You should be able to find insurance for half that for a beater. I get a discount thorough my employment but I only pay $312 a year for a 2005 ATV and a 1998 snowmobile.

I welded a piece of pipe for a T handle on mine, it works well. I used a thinner piece of rebar though, so it makes it much more comfortable to use!

I'm sorry to hear about your wife, I'm sure you'll come to the right decision.

Go to Nippising. I have been taking my kids for the last few years for 4 days to a week in the area during the summer. They love to get onto Nippising. It's always a good time. You may not get many dinner fish, but the perch bite can be pretty good, and we usually manage a couple of keeper pickerel.

The only time my fishing rods become outdated is when they break.

I tow with a 4 cylinder SUV all the time. If the ramp is crap where I'm headed then I might take my truck instead. My boat went across the scales fully loaded with gear, 16 foot with a 50hp and it weighed right on 1480LBS. My towing capacity is 1500. My exact vehicle they use in Australia to tow 3500LB glass boats regularily. The only difference being trailer brakes. I believe a lot of North American vehicles get under rated. It depends how much heavier your boat is! If it where my vehicle, and it was within a couple hundred pounds, I'd probably do it.

Ordered a full price striker ice suit from fishing world. I wouldn't call that Boxing Day shopping but I bought it yesterday lol. My mom and in laws where pretty good to me at Christmas so I am returning the clearance floater suit I bought at Canadian tire and putting the money towards the striker. I'd like to get one of those clam drill conversions at bass pro for $60, but by the time I drive there and pick it up its not worth it for gas alone. Other than that I didn't see many deals worth driving for! $279 for NHL package PS4 is a deal!

We gave my oldest kid a go pro for his birthday. He wanted an accessories kit for it, so I ordered it for him off amazon, and he paid me back. He is pretty well satisfied with it and it was at our door in under 2 days. I order plenty of stuff from them, as where we live I have to make a drive to one of the box stores, and Amazon usually has it at my door in a few days. FYI I've made several returns and it's very convenient. If the item is defective, you won't pay any return shipping charges.

Garmin has been coming out with some pretty nice stuff. I almost bought one last go round and ended up with a raymarine instead. I'd look at them again!

Check PM, if you don't want GPS there is a CT with a helix 7 no GPS in stock. $250.

I bought the same screaming deal in a helix5 to update my ice sonar. So far, it's screen resolution is great, and functionally it seems pretty much the same as my 385, and my 597 where. Both of those units where/are excellent by the way, I still have the 385. If the helix is anything like the other units I've had, you probably won't be disappointed but I couldn't give you an honest review of it yet.! I know another guy who bought one and I think it was $300 plus tax for sonar/GPS in the 7 size, and that is a screaming deal!

Without question the diawa 1300 or 700 are still some of the best reels out there for that money. I have a pair of each and they've held up to hard use for years!

It was extremely low all summer, I drive by almost every day. The fishery will be stressed as it stands, never mind adding angling pressure. It's a good call I think.

Nice fish, you have good taste in augers as well!

Brian, which company did you price match? At that price I might return the pants and jacket that I bought and get an arctic armour

I remember nearly burning the hut down once cause we where so hammered we couldn't see straight to re-gas the stove properly with white gas. I stopped on the beer after that incident!

DanD, that is one helluva setup!

Yep, TSC is crap for stock, and service is marginal, but if it's on sale online I've had very good luck ordering to the store. I will agree that if the sale is over, well I guess it's not their fault. I will say that often CTC will honour a sale price if it's within a couple days and you ask very nice, but CTC is pretty good about most things, and their clearances can be unreal. I cleaned up on tackle, electronics, floater suit etc. Last month!

I've never replaced bearings in a spinning reel, but all my casting reels have bocas. They are easy to deal with and good quality. Unfortunately for you I think the 35% off sale they had going on is now over. Worth looking into though!

I generally fish from a shelter, unless it's really nice out. I use power pro braid, generally 20lb with a fluoro leader for most pickerel/pike/laker fishing and 3lb mono on my panfish rods. I do keep one medium action outfit spooled with mono in case I have to fish outside in the cold. I tried nanofil last winter, cause I use it all summer long, but it shreds to bits in the cold.

I generally fish from a shelter, unless it's really nice out. I use power pro braid, generally 20lb with a fluoro leader for most pickerel/pike/laker fishing and 3lb mono on my panfish rods. I do keep one medium action outfit spooled with mono in case I have to fish outside in the cold.

That's a pig!