Jonny

Yep, I was in and out with my Matrix in an hour at the North Bay dealership and they washed the car too!

Fishing in the places I have fished, I didn't know that walleye would sometimes suspend for long periods. You learn something every day. I looked up that site, thanks. Lots of info and opinion there. It will keep me busy for a while! Good to hear some positive stuff, thanks!

Well there could be something to that, johnny, we have one hell of a smelt run in the spring on the North Shore. You'd think that might also mean bigger walleye. I don't know how the biology would fit, though. Aren't smelt more of a suspending fish rather than foraging near the bottom? That doesn't sound too good, CR. I know the MNR does some catch surveys on the lake - counting off and measuring what fishermen catch. I wonder what those numbers show. Maybe they don't want us to know. Talking to several people I know who fish the Burritt I/Goose I area a LOT, there were very few pickerel taken in that area last winter. You're right about those perch. They cook up to a real treat, just a little more fussy to clean.

I was kinda hoping somebody would chime in with "Hey we got some good pickerel on the South Shore". It would have made me a touch disappointed in our outing but would give me some better hope for the fishery. Maybe I missed something in another thread. I wonder, what have other guys who post here heard about pickerel success (or lack of it) so far on Nip this winter?

Manning's a good QB - there's no denying that. Being down, and with time running out, he had to take chances on forcing the play. It hurt the Colts defense considerably that Dwight Freeney wasn't quite up to speed on the pass rushes because of his injury. I would have been OK with either team winning, but the Colts won a Super Bowl recently and the Saints needed it more.

Old Harv and I fished the South Shore of Nipissing a couple of days ago. It's an area I have no experience with. I usually fish the North Shore and the Goose Islands, both in summer and in winter. The large concentration of huts is something we don't see on the North side. Some of the hut groupings looked like subdivisions, and there were numerous bungalows (over-nighters). We got on the lake in the Bear Creek area with the truck and had a friend of Harv's lead us on his snowmobile over the pressure cracks to a hut in the vicinity of Muskie Bay, well past the major concentrations of huts. The friend, who used to run a large number of huts, drilled holes for us and got a fire started, then left us to our devices for the day. (I'd mention who he is but I forgot to ask permission.) We had a good catch of perch, but unfortunately no pickerel or pike. Great day just the same. Minus 18 in the morning, minus 8 in the PM, gloriously bright and sunny, no wind. Fishing about 25 feet of water. Ice was close to 2 ft thick. The pressure cracks in this area were not large or high. The reports we've heard in talking to quite a number of people are that the pickerel are generally scarce so far. Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on the wood stove for lunch, a few cigars, traded fishing, hunting and other adventure stories all day, sometimes just sat quiet waiting for the next bite... it doesn't get much better. Going out: The hut: Drilling in the hut: Drilling outside: Waiting patiently: The catch (kept 32 out of about 60): Fillet slabs: Ready for the pan:

Yes, there obviously is a problem. But in the manner of a lot of news nowadays, it's hyped up extensively. It's probably hard to separate fact and fiction in a claim that a gas pedal got stuck because of a faulty part. You can bet some claims will use that excuse to cover up driver error. Even that stuff about the floor mat creeping forward and getting stuck under the gas pedal --- people should notice stuff like that but they don't pay attention. I noticed it in my old Matrix until I had the floor mats clipped in properly (there are clips in a Matrix to hold them in place - I assume those clips are in other Toyotas as well). When I traded in my first Matrix to buy the 2010 model, I kept the rubber floor mats that go over the fabric ones. They used to clip in "doubled up" in the old car, but the design changed ever so slightly, so in the new car I had to remove the fabric mats so the rubber ones would clip in and hold. I've never owned a Big 3 vehicle that even had floor mat clips. I wonder how much of the "floor mat problem" (the other aspect of the Toyota discussion) is simply because people just get in a car, turn the key and go. That would be typical, just like people get in and go without clearing their rear-view mirrors, back license plates, snow off the roof, stuff like that. Sloppy, good enough, let's go. People buy non-OEM floor mats all the time. Has anybody ever sued a manufacturer because they didn't pay attention and they slipped out of place? Not that I've ever heard.

This article suggests what I suspected... http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=2519112 I got a call from my dealer today. They have the parts and are keeping their service centre open on an extended schedule to do the repairs. I'm busy this week so I booked my Matrix for Monday.

Shaving is a chore, not a pleasure. Now that I'm retired, I shave about every second day, unless I'm going somewhere. Splash with hot water, lather with liquid soap, shave with 5-pak triple-blade swiveling disposables from Dollarama (made in Israel or India, I think). Good razors, and $1 does me for about a month. The money I save can buy me some extra rye whisky every once in a while.

In the North Bay Nugget today... That's only a few miles from where I fish. Would be nice if they could catch the b*stards cause if they don't they'll do it again.

We're using a portable hut for a change this year but for the last 3 years we had a season hut out on Nipissing. Nobody ever touched it.

You know, the thing we all do, I think, is that we base our opinions on very limited experience, and then we tend to give more credence to things we hear or read that affirm our opinions, and discount things that don't. That can be a bit of a trap. My opinion that Toyotas are better than Big 3 cars I have owned is based on comparing relatively new Toyotas to Big 3 vehicles that I have owned going right back to the 1970's. I have little first hand experience concerning the build of Big 3 vehicles for the past 7 years or so. What I do know is that I bought a second Matrix after owning my first one because in the years of ownership of the first one, not one thing went wrong - not one. Nothing broke, nothing fell off, nothing wore out, and regular maintenance at the dealership was an efficient and pleasant experience. Now maybe I could have gotten that with a newer Big 3 car from a Big 3 dealer, I don't know. (By all indications the Big 3 are building better cars than they used to.) What I do know is that I'm not going to pull the plug on my opinion of Toyotas based on a recall that has received a lot of publicity and comment that is at times almost gleefully critical of Toyota.

That Phil Edmundston rumour sounds pretty far-fetched. I took my Matrix in to the dealer this afternoon. I was in and out in half an hour. My accelerator linkage is the kind that will have to be replaced. I'll be notified when they have the part in so they can do the replacement. The service manager told me, "We checked, and you're good to go til we get the replacement." I said, "So the car is safe to drive?" He said, "If it weren't, you wouldn't be leaving here. What I mean is you wouldn't be leaving here in your own car." (The dealership would provide one.)

Sounds like you don't like Toyotas. That's OK... you don't have to drive one.

If a cruise of 100 to 105 in a 90 is too slow for you, you can stay behind me until you get a chance to pass. And if you're in front of me when my gas pedal sticks, I'll use your back bumper to help me slow down.

You mean like some of the rust-buckets produced by the Big 3?

I've since talked again to the Toyota service manager and set up an appointment to have it looked at tomorrow. He said there are two suppliers of the part (can't remember the names). He said parts from one supplier are suspect, parts from the other are OK. They'll have a look to see what parts I've got in my Matrix.

Could be, but it's the same boat I have seen working nets farther out. We just don't usually get such a close look at it. Usually we watch it with binoculars.

I called the local Toyota dealer and I was told that despite Toyota Canada not having issued recall letter yet, they would be happy to take in my 2010 Matrix right away and check the accelerator linkage to see if there is any problem. Can't ask for much more than that. It sounds to me like a lot of the press that Toyota is getting about this potential problem is pretty overblown, considering the high-quality build of their cars. I'm on my second Matrix, the first one was so good.

Sounds like fun to try. Where I fish for smelt, however, is a tiny creek just 200 ft. from my house and I usually have it all to myself. I check it on nights when I think the smelt might run, and when I get a good run I might get half a dozen per scoop with the net. To smelt fishermen who hope for nets almost too heavy to lift out of the water, that probably sounds ridiculous. But if I spend half an hour at the creek, I can get more smelts than I care to clean. -- Thanks for the excellent detail, Dabluz. It would be worth trying around here to see if there are any results. If I ever get to it, I'll have a copy of your post to refer to.

Sharp pair of scissors, snip off the head, snip the belly, strip the entrails, rinse and bag. I've found that the fastest way to clean the tasty little buggers. Dredge in flour, fry crispy brown, grab by the tail and eat. Can't see how anybody that likes fish wouldn't like 'em. This is the first I've ever heard of anyone catching them with hook-and-line though! We net them in the spring and that pretty much satisfies the craving for a year.

Thanks for the heater tip, Irish. I'll give that a try. It certainly throws enough heat to cook something. Tb4me, the material is some kind of nylon, I think, but much thicker than tent nylon and looks to be double-layered. It gives the impression of being pretty tough stuff. Johnnyb, you're right, I was skeptical about the quick setup claims but I can't see how it would be any easier and faster than this hut, without giving up some rigidity. I'll tell you, what really impressed me, besides the hut itself, is the ice anchors in their pouch. Good quality anchors laid out like one of those roll-open tool kits. Better than you would expect. Jer, I'll keep in mind the anchoring tip when the conditions are windier or if I'm alone, thanks. Grt1, I got mine at Costco in Sudbury in November for $179. At that price it's money well spent! I don't know if I'd go smaller, unless I did most of my fishing by myself. It's nice and roomy for two people (and gear) without them tripping over each other or getting in each other's way. It's the kind of hut you could fish in all day without feeling cramped. If you used it just as a warm-up shelter and had all your holes outside, it would easily seat 4 people plus have room for a heater. And the QF3 folds up into a bag only slightly bigger than you can get your hands around and less than 4 feet long.

Oh man, so sad to hear that. There but for the grace of God... (when I was younger). My heart goes out to the young lad and his family. I agree that sleds are set up to be way too fast. There's no need for a speed above 80-85 kph in almost any situation. The conditions in which you can safely run a sled at above that speed are few and far between, IMO.

Glad to see you fellas aren't jumping all over the guy. That's a mind-numbingly boring job. He can keep it.

Finally had a chance to try out this 6 x 6 ice hut for ice fishing, and my verdict is that it was a damn good buy. The best thing about it is that it really is a snap to set up, and if anything, takedown is even easier. With two people, you simply unbag the hut, fold it open, pop out the top, then pop out the two pairs of sides and the whole thing stands rigid. You then simply move it over holes you’ve drilled, position it to your liking, and peg down the corners. The good-quality ice anchors are in a nicely-made folding pouch, with a separate loop for each peg. Also included are pegs and rope for tying the walls to stabilizing anchors for really windy conditions. The anchors screw into the ice easily and do not need pre-drilled holes. Apply some pressure for the first few turns until they grab and then they pull themselves in nicely. The hut has plenty of room and to spare for chairs for two people, a full-size propane heater, a couple of holes and extra gear. The bulged walls mean plenty of elbow room that makes it feel bigger than a 6 x 6 hut. It would fit 3 people fairly comfortably. The zippered door at one corner is well thought-out. Never once did we catch our boots stepping over the sill. The four plastic windows let in enough light and are at eye level if you’re sitting, so you can see your outside holes. There are also two ventilation ports. Position the door to the lee of the wind and you can leave it open, or partially open, too. The construction and fabric seem sturdy enough for a lot of use. Folding the hut is a breeze. Remove the anchors, pop in the two pairs of sides, then the top. When you’ve done that, the hut almost folds itself – you have to experience this part to believe it. Tie the folded hut with a Velcro strap (provided), and it slips back into its storage bag with minimum fuss. The bag has two padded shoulder straps if you want to carry it on your back. It weighs about 35 lb. I doubt whether you could find a better hut of its type. Kept a nice feed of perch from this outing.