Andy

Gonna look at a 2006 Starcraft Starfish in the next day or two. Not much on the web about them. Any help? Thx in advance, Andy.

I have a 10/2 amp CTC automatic charger and I don't trust it anymore. (I had one before w/ same problems)

I will no longer use it on automatic mode. My first one cooked a battery on automatic.

The one I have now would not fully charge my deep cycle or my lawn mower battery on automatic. I thought it might be my deep cycle battery at first, but it will take a full charge on the manual setting. I certainly don't trust the gauge on the front, it jumps all over the place. My next charger will NOT be a CTC model. I am looking at an onboard charger to get away from removing the deep cycle for my trolling motor every day. Andy

I bought one last year and kinda have a love/hate thing with it. I like fishing precise pieces of structure on shoals, rock piles, etc. I will occasionally drift flats.

Often it is too windy to use the trolling motor alone, and the sock does slow ya down. But it can be a pain in the rear at times. I like to use one marker to ID the structure I want to fish, usually drifting with a worm harness. I'll try a few drifts with the sock so I have an idea where I'm going in relation to the structure, and then I'll drop off a marker in the general area I need to routinely start at for a good drift. This can be quite a ways from your actual structure. I have a Cabela's model with lead on one side and foam on the other to help it deploy, and it usually deploys well, but it is a pain with the constant sock in the water, drift, pull it in, move the boat, throw it back in again, etc. But it does work magic on certain days. Once it's in the water, I'll use the trolling motor to fine tune the drift. I've already put it thru the boat propellor once.

Cabela's, and I think Bass Pro ,have charts on their sites for sizing. Go on the big side. I couldn't imagine working two at once, it would be a pain. I bought the strap that matches the sock (it comes at a reduced price if you by the sock) and it has an orange float on the rope which is a must have feature if you need to quickly release the sock.

If your not sure about the money, I'd jump at Lew's offer, give it a go, and see what you think. I'm glad I have mine, but it's an occasional use item. Andy

I was all over South Bay last week Tuesday to Thursday and found it very slow. I tried various flats, especially if I marked fish, and was only able to pull up a couple small perch out of 25' to 30' of water. I did catch a few pickeral, but I wasn't able to come up with a consistent pattern in the unsettled weather. Andy

I have only been once, a few years ago in the fall. A small lake, but quite pretty with very clear water. I caught a few small muskys, a small bass, and no pickeral.

Lots of small islands. There is a nice trench between two of the bigger islands.

Lots of shallower flats and bays that get very weedy in the summer.

There is a main dam on the west side, with a smaller dam at the NW corner of the lake. Good current flow coming in at both, but check the regs, I can't remember if one or both are sanctuaries for a bit. Both dams have deep holes. The little dam empties into a little bay with shallow flats around the edges. Sorry, can't really help w/ lures.

Good luck, Andy

From the little I've read, it seems when a fellow in the military commits an offence and is placed in a military detention centre, the punishment is regimented and harsh.

Yet when an person outside the military commits an offence, our punishment is often little more than a slap on the wrist with zero accountability after a phony apology blaming everyone else but themselves for their conduct. Seems strange to have such different approaches to those who offend. Andy

I agree with pikehunter. They are not going to fire a valued employee over a Timbit.

I suspect that they were looking for a reason to fire her, and that we'll never know the history of her poor work performance or other issues that really led to her being let go. I'm not ready to feel sorry for her yet. Maybe I'm just cynical, but I find it very hard to believe that she was unaware of other issues re; her employment. Andy

Did you happen to catch a phone #? Andy

I don't know if the Smokercraft line of boats appeals to you, but I enjoyed dealing with Can-Do Sports just south of Woodstock. It would likely be a short drive for you to the dealership, so what have you got to lose?

There is a Sylvan dealer in New Hamburg that I've spoken to, but never dealt with. (Sylvan is to Smokercraft what Mercury is to Ford)

There is also a Legend dealer in New Hamburg that a friend of mine bought a Princecraft from a number of years ago. He's now looking at a new boat and is not going back to this dealer. (I don't think they even handle Princecraft anymore) My friend has done a lot of looking around and is hoping to get a Lund.

I have bought parts in the past from Hully Gully without problems, but found some of their pricing a little high.

Have fun and good luck. Andy

Is anyone here able to offer any information on G3 boats and Yamaha outboards? A friend of mine is looking at the model posted above, and neither he or I know much about this line of boats and motors. Thanks in advance for any assistance. Andy

Chuck is 68 yrs old today. Enjoy the link. I posted a couple favourites.

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity-twice.

Chuck Norris isn't hung like a horse, horses are hung like Chuck Norris.

I was gonna say that they are obviously hooked on quack, but that would just be sad. Andy

Don't assume the machines at your bank are safe. Thieves have been known to put a false front on them which contains a card reader and sometimes a camera in the false plate or on the wall nearby. Check the front of the machine, note how far your card slides in, always cover up carefully.

Be careful at convenience stores and gas bars. Clerks should never swipe twice. If you look into the slot of the card reader, there should only have one silver/chrome raised bump, which is what reads the info. These are just a couple of the ways you can have your info stolen. I've started using more cash, and only use the debit with businesses I know up close and personal. Andy

When I added weight I used a 1/4 oz. egg sinker flattened out/made rounder slightly by a vice. I then carefully drilled a whole behind the first treble, the hole sized so the egg sinker would fit snug. I put some 5 min epoxy in the hole, put in the egg sinker and covered it with epoxy and paint. It should work fine. I like Lew's method and may try it as well as I like that the weights lie along the bottom of the bait. Thanks for the photos, Lew. Andy

I'm really just a beginner, but I find the 9" ones cast pretty good. I have one of the smaller 7" Suicks and I've managed a few great birdsnests after the wind caught it, the small ones being rather light for their profile. Andy

Lew, how much weight do you add to a 9" Suick? I added 1/4 oz. to a couple unweighted ones this winter to get them close to the weighted ones you can buy. I was going to try them out and go from there. Thx, Andy

You are right, Gerry, it likely was the MOF that sent the letter. Thanks for the info. I might be getting wiser as I get older, I just wish I could remember it. Andy

I purchased a used boat privately and paid the PST at the MTO. A couple years later, I received a notice from Revenue Canada. They wanted proof that I had paid the tax, or I would have to pay it again. I thought that this was kinda strange, as you think the MTO records would show taxes paid. I was fortunate in that I had kept all the paperwork in a safe place and once the info was sent to Revenue Canada, I never heard back from them. Andy

I have a Lowrance and have now had two adapter cords break down. They are very weak where the wire goes into the adapter that goes into the GPS unit itself. The first one never worked right from the first time I used it. I received a new one and it broke this summer. I've given up on the adapters.

A message appears on the bottom of your screen (at least mine does the way I have it set up) that you are on external power. What I would try is plug the unit into your car, and slowly wiggle/bend the wire in the adapter at the GPS. This won't fix it obviously, but it may show you what in my experience is the obvious...You need a new adapter cord. Andy

I found a patch for my rain jacket at a Fabricland store. I would look at fabric shops in your area. Andy

I have purchased Loki nets from Natural Sports in Kitchener and Angling Outfitters in Woodstock. Give them a call or drop by if you are in the area. The nets are rubber coated nylon, the mesh is stuck to the mouth or frame of the net and are good value. Andy

Sorry, no experience with that brand, but....

It would be great if you could try a number of different models on the water. I have two canoes, one 16' is made of "royalex", the other is a 17' fiberglass Nova Craft. The Royalex canoe is bulletproof and is very nimble and stable in moving water. It has a pronounced rocker. It is not very nice to fish out of as it does not track very straight in flat water.

The fiberglass canoe is wide and flat. The extra length is great. It might not be as nimble, but it is a great fishing canoe in open water. When my kids were young, we would set up a little fold up chair in the middle for a child. My son would stand up and cast without worry. Just this past week my son, who is now over 6' tall, was still standing up in it, although quite cautiously. Canoes are definitely not all the same, and as long as you have an idea what you will be using it for, an knowledgeable sales person should steer you in the right direction. Good luck, Andy

http://www.bassresource.com/fish/bass_fish.html

Evan.

I share your pain regarding these techniques.

I believe flipping is the technique where an arms length of line is pulled out between the reel and the first rod guide, bait at rod tip, rod tip low, and as you swing put your bait you release the line so you bait lands a short distance from your rod to tight structure or holes in weed beds with little splash.

From what I understand, the pros can literally walk a bait on the water with either technique and land on very precise locations with no splash. Takes tons of practice.

The link above has a number of articles and sections devoted to various techniques and baits. Take a look and good luck. Andy

http://www.grizzlygrip.com/boats.asp#

http://www.durabakcompany.com/marine.htm

I have often thought that if I needed to replace the carpet in my boat I would try a product like this if the plywood was still solid. Hope this doesn't make your choice even more difficult. P.S. It was good meeting you up north. Hope to bump into you again. Andy

Great photos. Don't feel bad about the rant, sometimes you just have to let it out. When I first started camping, I would put up with other people's crap. I finally got so sick of some of the hicks and their antics, I would complain to staff working at the park. I found the staff to be very helpful and they would speak to the others so that my stay wasn't ruined. More often than not, there were other people in the area who would feel the same way I did and they would speak up as well. Good luck in your quest. Andy