Canuck2fan

Glad you are all good to go. My buddies always slay the eyes up there with something called a Swedish Pimple tipped with a live minnow, but that is in January. They usually just try fishing with different colors until something works. Btw they are tendons not tenants LOL.

Ratting is something one crimminal does on another to get a better plea bargain. What Gerritt did was uphold the law!!!!! Yes speeding is dangerous and if you or anyone on here sees someone going well over the speed limit I would hope they would call it in too. No double standard here. And don't even get me started on how I deal with people who have had one too many and try to get behind the wheel since you seem to want to throw apples and donuts together I thought I would too. LOL.

Did the double again today. Remember to vote and vote and OFTEN LOL

Awesome truck how many gallons to the mile does it get?

I would have had to call Ministry Tips and find out what they thought. Having a death in the camp is unfortunate but still not reason enough to let someone get away with breaking the law if the Ministry thought he was.

It really depends on what YOU see as your future. The trades are certainly booming all of them and EVERYTHING is paid all the way along except for your beer money while in class. I find too many people going to university has watered down the benefits. I have worked with literally hundreds of students during summers who are just looking for a paycheck over the years and frankly the ones that go to university just because mom said I have to have not found that spending the money needed has paid off for them. Most of them are just doing exactly what they would have been doing right of high school but they do have a graduation picture and a sheepskin and still asking do you want fries with that. That being said the ones who went to university because they WANTED what a program offered them are usually very successful and doing quite well financially and quality of life wise. I find my friends who went through the trades are doing very well financially too. Many of them opened their own businesses and their biggest concern right now is what work to take what work to refuse while still being able to be on their boat or at their cottages 3 or 4 days a week all summer long. The long and short of it is either route will only give you what you want to put into it. So choose something you can see yourself being happy with. There isn't a form of education that WILL NOT benefit you in the long run. Knowledge of any kind is always the most POWERFUL tool in any field or economic situation.

did the double for today.

I see the potential for two commercials from this one.... 1) we build tough trucks and/or trailers.... (for all the obvious reasons) 2) we represent clients who had have shoddy contracting work done, we get results and make the contractors responsible for building junk like this pay through the nose. That "structure" folded faster than me with a deuce seven in hold'em.

It is about 50 bucks a person cheaper and no blowfish toxin to worry about LOL

Did the double again....

I don't have an average per hour for bass.... I go by the whole trip while could be 2 hrs to 5 hrs depending on the time demands I have on me for the rest of the day. I think this way because with bass it can be non stop at certains times then long lulls between fish especially where I tend to go. So I figure if I get 6 to 10 fish in an outing it is OK. Over ten doing all right. Over 20 I will stay all NIGHT LOL. As an example Saturday before last 30+ smallies with 5 largies in just over 2 hours. Same spot last Saturday virtually the same amout of time 7 Smallies 3 Largies both days were equally satisfying in their own way though. The first Saturday was great because I was just nailing something all the time. The second Saturday was great because I knew they would be off the feedbag once the storm rolled through so finding and enticing fish to hit at all was hugely rewarding.

I don't know where the smallies are either no part of the river seems to hold larger fish this year other than the 30lb carp that are everywhere. If there were bass carcasses I could understand it but I have seen no evidence of a die off. It is just as if someone scooped them all up or something.... I would have thought with all the rain and having some depth to the river this year that we would have seen huge numbers of fish. Also I was reading that the UTCA was late in opening certain dams this spring due to lower water temperatures meaning spawning was later but I not sure what if any effect it has had. Of course with that bunch you aren't going get a straight answer as they are more secretive than the CIA about what they do and why LOL. I did get a nice poster from them in just two days though when I went the website.

In for two again today.

I pity you living in Stratford LOL. No one from around here is catching any decent fish this year. Welcome back and good luck with the fishing and farming.

Did they give you a tracking number? I would suspect it being held at customs for most of the elapsed time. Which unfortunately could happen with any shipment from outside Canada. I have had things at customs up for 12 days just waiting for them to open it so they can charge me the fees. There is no logic to how they decide on what to look at either from what I can tell. I average one to five shipments a month and can't discern a pattern? It is getting to be long enough even with the American holiday weekend that I would start tracing the package and find out where it is though.

I hear you Rich it wasn't like I had not warned my friends especially the last buddy I wrote about. That is what makes it so funny to me. Some people just can't take well intentioned advice. Seeing it happen was just so surreal though. The muffins were right there in plain sight plus smell and yet due to a couple of lawsuits in the U.S. over hot coffee unavaiable. When he offered to sign I waiver I about fell over from trying not to burst out laughing..... the guy was starving had the money the food was so close but no cigar.... As for the people who kept coming in and asking Sugarpacket might it had anything to do with the 30 to 40 commercials a day that people hear talking about all this great stuff that is available? They never say there is a time limit LOL. We have four Timmies in a town with a pop of less than 33,000 one of them acutally closes overnight and you still see people if you are in the area. Park walk up and try the dang door? NO LIGHTS are on in Timmies or their heads either I guess.

The fact is that any shipment from anywhere outside Canada not marked as a gift or over 20.00 that winds up coming from Canada Post "might" get inspected by Customs and if that happens you get charged 5 bucks for the pleasure of having them open it. Then you get to pay the PST and any duty if applicable. That is on ANY SHIPMENT new or used it doesn't matter.... Of course if they don't inspect it there are no fees. It is just a crapshoot or postal roulette. Anytime a package slips through it is a bonus for you anytime they get inspected it is a loss but still much better than UPS, Fedex or DHL outrageous ripoff brokerage fees.

No guess on the weight but congrats on a beautie.... WOW good job.

I left fishing for a long time when they started up with the fishing tax er um licence fees because I didn't see that the money would benefit the resource and in my opinion it really hasn't gone far enough to protect and enhance our resource. However, despite my problems with how the government was missing the boat on the importance of sport fishing. A bunch of the younger people from work were talking about fishing and they really just didn't have a clue. They had went fishing 5 times and caught one fish between the 4 of them. So I decided to share with them some of knowledge I had gotten from my father, grandfather and a couple of uncles who were some of the most consistent and prolific fishermen I have ever seen. I started out slowly easing back into it using equipment that was 20 yrs old getting laughed at for some pretty beat up stuff, that was until I was reeling in fish while they were standing there gawking. Then slowly they were too were catching fish after watching and finally accepting that if you see someone being successful while fishing don't reinvent the wheel, mimic as best you can what works for them. Now, seeing someone use techniques that you and your family developed over 20 yrs ago still catch more fish than thing else on certain spots is extremely rewarding. Especially since my one uncle and grandfather are gone now. Sadly my other uncle has lung problems so bad he can't find the energy to go fishing anymore. Seeing those techniques passed on is a big reason I got back into fishing. Taking my uncle who can no longer go and his wife a feed of fresh fish that is so appreciated is another big reason I like fishing.... Doing the same for my grandmother is even more rewarding. I got lucky that first year back in the sport and met some more people who fish. They expanded my oppurtunities to fish for different species. I learnt how to steelhead from some top notch guys who never cease to amaze me with how much they are willing to give of their time to impart the tricks and tips that have worked for them, and now work for me. The number of people who I have met in the last 4 yrs on the waters all over south western Ontario that I consider fishing buddies is another reason I keep going. Every stream, pier or beach has it's characters who make you laugh or make you mad but you still have the bond of being a fisherman with them. So you go sometimes just to see who of the old timers made it through another winter to be out there doing what we all enjoy so much. That is probably the last and best reason I fish the "friendships".

I have another one if you tie your own leaders (this works great for steelheading especially) Pre tie your leaders in the comfort and WARMTH of your own home before you go and then put the hook into a piece of foam pipe insulation and wrap the leader around it. Buy some small sticky labels at the dollar store to put over the line to hold it all in place. I pre cut the insulation so it just fits snug in one of my vest pockets that way it can't just fall out if I leave the pocket open too. I find it easier to make all my leaders 4ft and then shorten them before tying on while fishing.... rather than hunting for one pre sized. I find by tying at home I get much better knots with 4lb fluoro because I just take a small dish of water and hold the knot under the surface of it while I pull it tight. I then hook the hook on the clipper and do a knot test too. Which I find increasing difficult to do well in the dark out on the river when it is below freezing and the wind is gently wafting down from the north at about 1000 miles an hour. I usually also do all the tie on for up to 4 or 5 people in a party so being as ready as possible helps.

I have very limited freezer space at home so I always use the ice packs just for lunch but for some reason the car I have right now gets incredibly hot very quickly in sunlight. I have never seen a vechile with tint get so hot? However, I discovered this by accident yesterday the sun was quite strong and when I got a tin of drink out of the cooler, it was obviously not going to be cold for very long.... Then I saw the windshield reflector that the previous owner of the car had got but it doesn't fit the windshield so I thought why not put just lay it over the cooler and I have to say it sure seemed to help. So for a buck at the dollar store give one of those things a try you could even grab a couple of bungee cords and cut the windshield reflector down a bit to get a better fit. Cheap insulator/reflector if you must leave your cooler in the sun and you aren't getting in and out of it all the time as it would get old real quick putting the thing on and off everytime you needed a tin of drink....

It all started about 3 yrs ago in late April some friends wanted to go steelheading... I told them to dress warm then go put on about 8 more layers, and to ALWAYS ALWAYS pack a lunch or get early up enough to eat a HUGE breakfast. We had decided to leave at 3AM because it takes about an hour to drive to the spot. At 4:30 AM the driver of our party had still not arrived to pick me up.... They finally showed up at 4:35 my fishing bud and her father all apologetic, she is like I got a little too drunk and didn't hear the alarm. (her dad pipes up don't worry she is OK to drive I have one of those alcohol testers she passed? Umm OK) What are you gonna do I say. We better get going or the spot is going to be taken. So off to the last guys place who was going and he was not impressed either but we were finally off. So the young woman who was driving said she just had to stop at Timmies and get some coffee and a bagel. I started laughing, she asked why I told her you might get some stale cookies but you aren't going to be able to buy food before 5:45 or 6 at the earliest. She didn't believe me so we stopped at one of the four Timmies in town and were told NOPE no food is ready. She said to the cashier I will just go to the one of the other stores. Don't bother they won't have anything (all owned by the corporation at that time so no point in lying.) Anyhow now she is tired, hungover and HUNGRY. She goes wait a second you said pack a lunch did you? I go yep I did and I if I had not of eaten it while I was waiting an hour and half for you to show up I would share it with you.... She says I know I will just stop at the Timmies in the next town on the way up to the lake I go that's a good idea they might have some stale cookies because you CAN'T get food at a Timmies before 6 AM around here on a Sunday ESPECIALLY. She laughs and says watch me. Long story even longer of course they didn't have anything at the next and last town with a Timmies before the lake..... Point proven eat a breakfast AT HOME or pack something. Flash forward to the fall. My next door neighbor decides he wants to go steelheading. I tell him listen I KNOW you are going to stay up all night thinking that is easier than sleeping and waking up. Just have something to eat before we leave because I don't have enough time to run out to the store to get enough food to make you a lunch..... I only have enough stuff here to make something for my dad (who is diabetic and HAS to eat, so I always make him something because he is old school and just won't bother...) So when I pick up my neighbour I ask him did you eat? Ummm well no I got busy on the computer.... I said you better grab something because you can't get anything around town at this time of the morning. Now this is the funny part he brings TWO travel mugs and a 6 cup thermos of coffe, and he goes well you are stopping at Timmies I go yes we always do and decided to let him find out for himself..... So we get to the last Timmies on the route to the lake and we stop for a coffee for dad and I. Now remember my friend has been drinking from his never ending barrels of homemade java he brought along so he runs into the can. Now at this point we are only actually 14 mile from home but anyhow... Dad and I order and are waiting because I think we are going to see a real show when my buddy comes out and tries to order food.... OH and we do get a good one. He comes out his nose twitching like a rabbit after a carrot and says to the clerk I smell MUFFINS. She goes yes you do would you like a COFFEE? Now most people would pick up on that but not my pal. He goes no coffee but I will take 2 muffins with butter heated. She goes and no I am not making this UP!!!! I AM SORRY those muffins in the pans there that you can see are TOO HOT so I can't sell them to you..... My friends goes that was cute now could I have 2 muffins HEATED with butter please. NO SIR you may not I CAN NOT sell them to you they are too HOT!!! OK OK you have had your little joke now please get my muffins these guys here are in hurry. I think I better GET the girl from the kitchen... she is better at explaining to people that we can't sell hot muffins to them than I am. OH my gosh now I am laughing inside so hard it hurts but trying to keep a straight face. My dad isn't even trying because he drives Airport shuttle vans and knows the facts on this situation. YOU come in hungry and leave mad and hungry. So the dust in a TIMMIES uniform that comes of the kitchen must be a 105 if she is a day. Says how can I help you young man to my bud..... He goes I just want a couple of HEATED muffins with butter to go. Kitchen grandma goes I am sorry sir they are too hot.... He jumps right in with but then you don't have to heat them... OH you are a funny one but no MEANS NO!!! My buddy goes for broke with, I will sign a waiver here give me a pen and I can use this napkin..... I used to draw up contracts for a living.... NO sir that won't work and if you don't leave we will have to call the police. OK OK I am leaving but I have one question. When can you sell the muffins. When they are completely cooled. So then you heat them how to melt the butter In the microwave of course Well couldn't someone hurt themselves that way if the muffin was too hot? OH NO sir the microwave has a muffin setting that could NEVER happen. So I had yet another steelheading trip with a starving victim who had been under the illusion that Tim Hortons is a 24 hr restaurant..... Final part of the story the following spring the same three of us were going to a different spot and so my buddy tried to get a muffin in another town 90 miles away and was threatened with I better get the girl from the kitchen she is better at.... My buddy gave up then because he knew how it would end this time. Anybody else have any strange early morning Timmie stories?

Did the double again..... system would NOT let me vote yesterday.

I was catching before and during the rain on Saturday.... The fishing however there was much better last Saturday. I did not get back to that spot on later on Saturday or Sunday but the fishing was HORRIBLE where I did head to. On Sunday it was slow during the early morning sprinkles for about 1 1/2 hrs, but fish were biting. After the rain stopped EVERTHING but the sheephead had lock jaw. Of course by that time the water was the color of a chocolate milk SHAKE. Then grass was atangling your line every cast too. Not really great conditions for perching anyhow. I think wind direction, water clarity play as big a part in things as a storm every could. Barometric pressure I don't really follow but if will give an edge or another scientific excuse I will have to start I guess LOL

You mean they engineered a lure that immitates a wounded bait fish that triggers the killer instinct of a pike... and it only costs a buck!!!! I am sold LOL. Actually I gave my nephews a bunch of those dollar store lures and they did slay some panfish with em and they didn't have to get upset when half of them landed in trees and were left there 30ft above the water while they were learning how to cast.