MuskyGreenHorn

X-rap strikes again....

Weeds brought up the Diawa Saltist during the winter. I haven't used it but some guides in the states love it. fast gear ratio for sure. Liek peopel have mentioned, bigger spools and power hangles make up the difference for gear ratio. a higher gear ratio means you will give up some torque. Soem guys are tossing big inline bucktaisl using shimano saltwater reels with no levelwind. Some models bring line in around 40 inches per full crank, talk about super speed. Get ready for a second morgage though. I use a 400 TE, a couple of abu 7000i HSN's and a Shimano Tekota. My Musky Fishing partbner loves his penns, 965 and 975. I used his 975 quite a bit last year. Great Reel. These all pulled lien plenty quick. He also had record, died pretty quick throwing double 10's. End of story. The nice thing about abu's is you can easily get parts for them and it won't cost an arm and a leg. Check out Mikes Reel Repiar from out west online. I recommend anyone using abu 7000's to get your hands on the ceramic line pawl the he sells. This guy sells a lot of stuff to "pimp" reels out. lol

hooks are cheap and when u cut a hook, all parts come out. I haven't cut many either, more for big pike than muskei as they really seem to inhale baits deeper. Tom Gelb has an article about romoving hooks off teh split rings to make it wasuer to unhook the fish in teh latest issue of musky hunter. Now thats cheap and kills fish... Way to much time operating on a buck or less... I just got a bunch from lebarons's 1.85 for 3 4x strong 5/0. VMC's. nuff said.

It simply boils down to the skeaky wheel wheel gets the oil. Susan Irving is squaking the loudest and relentlesly, so she is getting the most attention. I say let her keep it up, if we keep fighting back fair like Ron and Micheal have been, she will dig herself a deep deep hole.

I grew up fishing the kawarthas and now guide on LOTW. the difference in the fisheries is almost not decribable. I have had days where we boat 150+ wallye and some guys report catching 100+ smallies in day. Pike and muskie fishing is also just phenominal. Many of the fly in lakes and portage lakes in the area where i guide are even better. Not to say that some places don't false advertise, but honestly the fishing is usually with out a doubt an experience you will never forget and will keep you coming back time and time again. Crappy wether, biting/swarming bugs and mayfly hatches are the three things that I feel can sour a back country adventure. But if you come prepared it is easy to deal with these things.

even if were out there in a month from now targeting pike up shallow, there hopefully won't be many musky vruising around. If you do come across them, simply move along. My buddy and I have been talking about fishing percy reach/boom? on the trent for pike. anyone have any experience there? Where do you think the biggest pike in zone 17 live?

I will try to make it if I am not working. Chances are I will be working though. What do you need for nets?

Oh and look for creek mouths that may dumping warmer water in, baitfish magnets in the spring...

when pike first move in shallow they will be looking for the warmest water. Bays that are protected from the wind and on the north shore get the nod. Darker bottom will also warm faster. Also look for bays with last years standig dead weeds or reeds. Pike do not lay their eggs in the sediment, they need something standing. they will go in water so shallow that their tail and dorsal fin will stick out. They love areas of flooded vegetation as well for spawning. the watar will be cold so they will be slow slow slow, like everyone has noted. Jerkbaits and light weight spoons that sink slow like williams wablers are a good choice. Do yourself a favour and bring some soft plastics. Dark colours and longer stuff, lizards, reaper tails, berkley leeches, pike will eat leeches and salamanders/mudpuppies that they find in these flooded areas. so imitate them. Drag these really slow and let them rest twitching them a little on the rest. Large tubes and grubs bodies work well as well. Also try slugos and pork rind if you can find it.

Nevermind the farm water, its all the nuclear waste that may actually produce a fish like the three eyed one in the simpsons.

Wierd. That doesn't add up. If you pay for membership you should get to use it.

Could not have said it any better MJL and thanks for the post Ben

Location location location. 3 most important words ever for that type fo place. I'd be concerned that is on a dead end low traffic road. Its not in Bewdley, Hastings or Keene, the three major traffic spots on Rice. Next to that you'd be looking at Gore's landing and Harwood. Did i miss anywhere?

LOL, Good on ya mate. I have been offered the ultimatium myslef before in more indirect terms. Why on earth do some women think they can change a man. And why oh why would they want to snuff out our greatest passion. So they can have a shell of a man mope around the house? Just beyond me. It stopped being an addiction for me years ago. Its my life now, they day i stop fishin' is the day I die.

One reason i am advocate of x-rap (even though they are cheaply made) is they are easy to work. One of the easiest jerkbaits out there to work. I do want to try out the max-rap this season and the husky jerk is also great. X-raps seems to work no matter how fast or slow you work them. I have trolled them, ripped them in super fast and also caught fish on super long death pauses. I have caught musky, northerns, bass, and walleye on them, and i here guye nail trout and salmon on them too. Once the water warms up though, i move on to bigger jerks for musky. Just be prepared to break lots.

its just an x-rap, saltwater version. size 14, the freshwater ones only go up to size 12. 14 seems tougher, tougher hooks thats for sure. Oh and no tail feathers, which kinda sucks, but you can always tie your own on.

Usually when a bait goes on sale for $3 from $15 there a good reason. but I guess at $3 anything is wortha shot. I haven't used teh gliden raps, but the gusy at in-fisherman rave about them for pike and musky. SXR-14 is a good early season musky lure and big pike gobble em' up, I think you will be happy Dirk.

It really doesn't take that much time. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Think big drum style power scalers and electric knives. I've seen it first hand. Add in some beers and mke a race out of it and you will be having yourself a time. I've seen this fiirst hand happening on rice lake. I would put money on it that I could fillet 100 panfish in an hour with a regualr fillet knife.

I just want to point out that for every dollar you spend as bass pro would have been spent at a local shop if basspro wasn't there. i think there was enough healthy competetion between stores in the GTA before bass pro came along. I agree that fishing stuff with bass pro name on it usually sub-par when compared to the product it intends to copy/mimic. They fishing section actual has a pretty pathetic selection, since half of it flooded with stuff with their own name on it. Someone pointed out about internet sales, good point. I have to agree. Most local shops would be happy to order in something if they don't have it in stock. You mean I have to wait... Gasp, oh the horror. Good customer service is worth paying for and driving to imo. I mentioned my concept in the openng post. If you buy local, your money stay local, therefore it has a better chance of ending up back in your pocket. Its not rocket science. I honestly try and stay out of all big box stores, especially ones that aren't Canadian, which is most of them. Like I said, if I spend money at a shop down the street, maybe that person will come eat at my restraunt, or buy something at my clothing store, or use my landscaping buisness. When you spend your hard earned money at BPS, where does it go? Yes I get that most of the products come from overseas, china, taiwan, mayalsia, blah blah blah, so it doesn't matter where you buy them. Trust me, that gets to me as well. I really like x-raps, guess where they are made, Estonia. Not Finland, no wonder they are junk. The point is at least some of your money stays local by shopping at a local shop. I have actually started buying some lures and baits directly from the makers. I am currently obsessed with musky fishing and some baits i buy now are right from the guys who labour to build them themselves in their own basements and garages. In the future I also hope to buy my rods this way as well. Its pricey, but a few quality items will get your further than a bunch of mass produced ones imo. You save a buck today sure, but what is the cost in the future? I beleive we have to start somewhere. I made my choice and stoppped going to PBS, Walmart, home depo all of it. Just wanded to see if anyone else out there had as well. I do believe everyone can do as they please, I don't begrudge anyone. Thanks for sharing.

I know I am gonna' catch a ton of flack for sayin' that, but I am just wondering if anyone else out there agrees? Not only is bass pro not the one stop shop it pretends to be, but it hurts the little guy. I for one like to buy off of a neighbour, in hopes they will send money my way in some shape or form by buying goods or services that i have to offer. And before anyone says they can't afford to shop anywhere else, you really haven't shopped around. let the ranting begin....

I really want to go there with my musky gear. What a riot.

LIPDIP, I use 8'6" rods myslef and I use both flouro and wire leaders. I agree with you 100%, but i also think its a matter of personal preference, hence why it is debatable. I have been trying to sell my 6'10" for a while now actually.

I only fondle my calcutta TE reel.

Bass spinnerbaits sure catch pike, but they also get raped. Check out Northam Tackle in barrie, they makes some nice spinnerbaits. Bigger 1oz models are great for pike and teh skirts are tied on with wire, and the wire used to make the baits its heavier as well. Or northand tackle, they make some nice pike/musky spinnerbaits. The mor eyou look into musky spinnerbaits teh more you will find good pike baits. I have a grim reaper spinnerbait that has caught me plenty of nice pike. Even small ones will still hammer oversized spinnerbaits. And you can throw hardbaits all you want at post spawn pike and go home fishless. When they are still up really shallow right after they spawn, softbaits worked really slow, will catch you way more pike than anything else. thats a good time to catch yourself a pike and not a snot rocket.

You hit the nail right on the head beans. There is no eveidence what so ever that a hardwater season will hurt the bluegill, or any other species for that matter, hard. The RLTA, is simply using that as an angle/leverage to argue for no limit and only open during the summer. Its a smart tactic, and just about all they have anyway. but they have no hard evedince/stats/science to back it up. Now if they are right, then in a couple of years they will get their way and they can smile and say I told you so and we will all have to take it in stride. But zone 17 waited 80 years for an ice season, so now its our turn to smile.