Big Cliff

First these guys were lucky it was an Argo, had it been a side by side the outcome could have been very different. Second, although an Argo will go almost anywhere, transitioning between water and ice takes some skill and experience, it is my understanding that these guys had little of either. They may not be the smartest dudes but they sure were lucky. 

As for all the rules and regulations (desigined to protect us) it won't be long before you have to take a carpentry course before you can use a hammer because you might hit your thumb with the hammer😲 

Well done🤗

Yup, one of misfish's creations. I tipped it with a small shiner, a couple of pieces of split shot about a foot above it. Dropped it down to bottom then lifted the split shot just off the bottom. They were inhaling it,  I easily caught 4 to his one. 

Got out yesterday with Tim Hales, a solid 8+" of ice where we were. It started off slow, didn't have a single bite in the first hour. Then I landed a nice one and as the day progressed so did the bite. It never got crazy busy but the ones we were getting were all good size most were in the 11 to 13" range with several over 13. 

Now here's the interesting part. My fishing partner was using our triditional drop shot rig, he caught 10 fish all day. Of all the other huts we talked to, most reported 6 to maybe 15 fish,  I used my new secret weapon.  

Very impressive 🤗

What Bill said. I use to fish rainbows up in Elliot Lake area many years ago, almost all were caught just under the ice, 2 to 10 feet down (more in the 2-3' range) usually in about 7 to 20 feet of water. 

These new regulations are becoming so complicated it's almost impossible to understand them. We have been trying to figure out FMZ 10 and the changes and even the boundaries. One of the places we fish is VERY close to FMZ 11 and the regulations are quite different but we can't find a map that clearly shows which zone we are in.  There are so many exceptions for so many bodies of water and a lot of it would be up to the CO to determin what's what. 

As far as transfering live bait between BMZs my understanding is you are not supposed to. 

3 hours ago, akaShag said:

This is all adding to my education, thanks folks.  I have been sitting in the weeds about switching over to a lithium battery for my trolling motor, but maybe not yet.

Doug

Doug I bought this one on Amazon last year it was over $400.00. Lithium batteries have come way down, the exact same battery in now about $325.00. It has the BMS system and comes with it's own charger.  The light weight, long life, and 5 year warranty were all factors in my decision. In my book the advantages outweigh the risk. 

It certainly looks like there is some potential for problems, this one came with it's own charger but I sure will keep an eye on it and watch for any sign of over heating. So far I am really impressed with it. 

At 60 (after being semi retired for about 7 years) I decided I wanted to do something different. I have always liked working with my hands so I did some research and decided "small engine mechanic" would fit the bill. Convinced a local shop to hire me with the understanding that I wanted to persue my apprenticeship. Two years of school (part time) and 5000 hours later I got my license. It was hard, I too had been brought up with the imperial system but I am glad I did it. 

Never stop trying to learn and advance your knowledge, I bet you will do fine you seem like a pretty smart young man! 

Thanks everyone, much appreciated 😊

Ok so you have been banned from ever creating, advertising, or making any more fishing tackle in the intrest of conservation. That is just plain  mean and crule, the fish don't have a chance 😂( can I  buy a hundred cash ? 😊)

5 hours ago, CrowMan said:

Not sure why you think you're too old. I'm 65, and except for my nephew, we were all between 63 and 75. This is perfect "old man" fishing...a golf cart, no hills to hike, flat gentle water, and a perfect 27c...

Most difficult part of the trip was the insanely long walk from the check-in counter to gate 87 at Terminal 1....lol

 

Well I am 78 (or will be tommorow) travel insurance for me is probably about as much as the cost of the trip (if I can even get it) Do it while you can because all of a sudden you look up and..... that place sounds amazing, beautiful, friendly, and affordable. Please keep posting your adventures I love reading and dreaming 😊

5 minutes ago, Cast-Away said:

Hey Cliff,

 

Be careful not to let it run too low. Lithium batteries can overheat when the voltage gets too low and the cells can catch on fire when charging if the voltage is off on any one cell. Make sure to charge it out of the house somewhere safe.

I use lithium batteries (LiPo) in my RC planes and had this happen a few years back. It ended up being a $65,000 insurance claim for smoke damage to my home. I was really lucky that I was charging them in an amo box on top of some bricks, otherwise my house would have burnt to the ground.

Be safe!

 

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure if it might be an issue with these larger batteries, this one has smart charge technology, we've never noticed any heat while using or charging it but we'll keep an eye on it. 

Wish I was younger and could do trips like that. Beautiful!

8 hours ago, akaShag said:

So Cliff, you did not sell the Argo after all, I guess?

Doug

No, I had a couple of low ball offers and decided to hang on to it. It turned out to be a good choice because my son bought a 40' park modle trailer for his property up in the French and I can spend as much time as I want up there. 

Mine is the 6X6 and I  have no trouble taking it out into any depth of water, it is nose heavy but even with my weight and loaded with gear I have tons of freeboard. Moving from side to side, netting fish, it's far more stable than a canoe and I have never taken on water. Besides that, you can't sink them as long as you have air in those tires. 

My son did put a 2hp motor on his, switched back to the electric, it was much easier than reaching over the seat to start it. Also there's something special about the silence when you are way back in the bush. 

Even with the battery, if it does go dead you are never stuck, just start the Argo , it moves surprisingly well in the water under it's own power. In fact often if I am trolling for pike I just run the Argo, the turbulence from the wheels seems to excite the pike. 

I was starting to find it hard to lug my lead acid battery around. I love my argo but it's not quite as efficient as a boat so with the lead acid battery i could only troll for about 4 hours. I decided it was time to invest in one of these. What a huge difference in so many good ways. No worries about off gas when charging. I can pick this thing up with one hand and lift it in and out of the argo easily. I am not sure how long I can troll with it on the Argo but I have run it for over 7 hours at a time including wide open down the lake and back about 1/2 an hour each way with a 55lb thrust trolling motor. No issues at all. 

Only thing I would do differently is I would spend the extra to get one with the Bluetooth capability. Guess what I'm getting my son for his birthday this spring😊

It is so sad to see what has happened in some of these situations. When you remove pride and opportunity from a person's life there is little left and drugs and alcohol become an easy escape. I wish we could do better! 

Michelin 5 star hasn't got a chance compaired to that😊

Had one, got rid of it. Having the cable hanging down the hole was a PITA. Fish would make a run and wrap the line around the cable, or swim up to the camera and ignore the bait.  I went back to a flasher, gives me all the information I need. 

With a boat that heavy on a trailer, in a trailer, how do you plan to load/unload the boat and trailer from the utility trailer?

Best one I know of is Tim Hales out of Beaverton, nice clean huts, plenty of safe parking, excellent service. I have been using them for many years.  

I think we are going to have to ban the use of these things or the fish populations are going to be decimated 😊

Forever in the hearts of those left behind ❤

I have been using Norton Antivirus for years now and haven't had any problems but I am finding it is getting expensive. I just got my renewal notice and it's $129.00 for a year and that's just the basic service, there's always extras that they want you to purchase. 

I was wondering if anyone can offer a suggestion on an alternative based on their experience.