Fisherpete

Regarding the accuracy issue, I think he means the depth, ie sonar says 20 feet, GPS map says 30...?

Isn't a 1000 size reel really small, ie something you would use on an ultralight or ice fishing rod? My smallest spinning reel is a size 2 (2000), and it is spooled up with 125 yards of 14lb Fireline. I guess it all depends what type of fishing you do too, if you are going for light-biting walleye with 1/8oz jigs, 8lb would be a better choice, but if you are casting big spoons for pike or dragging spinnerbaits thru weeds for bass, go heavier. Heavier line gives you more room for angler error too, ie accidentaly bumping the handle and closing the bail during a cast... 8lb line and a messed up cast = *ping...5 second delay...splash*.

Maize is 'cattle corn', correct? Anyone know where I could buy a 25lb or 50lb bag in the Scarborough area? It would be so much cheaper to chum an area with...

Re-runs or not, that channel keeps me sane between fishing trips... I think I have watched Bob Mehsikomer catch the same muskie 14 times now and the next time it is on I will watch it again LOL!!!!

I would say that most people who buy Jon boats use them for a very specific purpose, ie hunting, shallow water fishing, and don't really need (or have many options) to upgrade. With deep V style boats, there is always something bigger and better out there that we "just gotta have", and upgrade. The fact that Jon boats are relatively cheap also probably plays a part in the equation.

For crap, try this: For carp, I like to use this. If the fishing is slow, you can eat the corn, and then the TP will also come in handy.

I use 30lb PP on several of my heavier spinning outfits, and trust me, if you drag it across zebra mussel encrusted rocks it will cut like butter. I have pulled in logs with the stuff, and often drag the boat over to where I am snagged, but sharp edges do it in quickly. I fished a day in a snot-rocket infested lake a few weeks ago and landed 12 smallish pike (biggest was 4 or 5 lbs) on it with no leader with no problems, not even a fray, but any time I am after muskies or bigger pike I add a 12 inch 80lb fluorocarbon leader. You don't want to lose the big one by getting bit off!

No, thank god, they were all from Dalrymple, aka 'hammerhandle lake". I have never caught a pike yet from Balsam, but two tigers.

Lake air? As in fresh air? I dunno... maybe it means "mystical place where OFC'ers will partake in the drink and of the fish".

I used 8lb Fireline on my spinning setups for a few years, and found that it tended to get frayed very easily, leading to breaks. I have since switched to 20lb Powerpro on my light spinning, 30-50lb on the heavier spinning outfits, and LOVE the stuff. I also have 80lb on the baitcasters. Last year CTC had the Fireline Crystal on sale, so I could not resist and bought a couple spools of the 14lb, and same deal - it frayed very easily. I still have it on one of my reels, but find myself having to cut off the frayed sections and retie several times in the course of a day of fishing. I'm sticking to PP from now on.

Yup, all casting, mostly minnow type baits like x-raps and jointed rapalas.

Well, our second annual June fishing trip has come and gone. It was a great week, despite some poor weather for the first five days. We had eight amazing days of good food and drink, tons of fishing time and fresh air. Balsam (4 days), Dalrymple (2 days) and Rice (2 days, but never left the dock - didn't have to!) were the lakes of choice this time. The final big fish tally: Fisherpete - total 39 Muskie landed = 0 Muskie hooked/lost = 1 (mid 30's fish on a figure eight) Muskie follows = 3 (and one was the biggest I have ever seen, high 40's+) Walleye = 10 SM bass = 3 LM bass = 9 Pike = 14 Carp = 2 Panfish - 1* (we only counted panfish over the OFAH award minimum size - I caught a PB 9.5" bluegill) Fisherpat - total 20, but really the champ due to musky being king! Muskie landed = 2 (24" and 36", no pic of the 36" as it jumped out of the cradle after unhooking!) Muskie hooked/lost = 0 Muskie follows = 2 (one small, one mid 40's class fish) Walleye = 3 SM bass = 3 LM bass = 5 Pike = 7 Carp = 2 The two of us are true casters, jigging and trolling just does not keep us interested for very long. Of all the time we spent on the water, maybe 3 or 4 hours in total was spent trolling. The same goes for jigging, I have no problem doing it in the winter through the ice, but give me open water and I just have to chuck lures all day! There were a few really nice bass caught, and they actually came from deep water so I doubt they were spawning, but out of respect for the whole OOS issue I won't post any of them. I still find it incredible that a 19" largemouth will nail a 10" believer, or a huge bucktail. Shy they ain't! Anyways, enjoy the pics - we sure had fun in the making and taking of them. First fish of the trip, a nice walleye. All 15 walleye caught on the trip were in the slot size for Balsam, so no yummy Chronzy-style shore lunches Another. Pike time... no true biggies, but lots in the 22-25" range, and some fought like champs. Pat gets his first pike of the trip. Another for me. Notice a theme with the rain gear? Didn't hurt the fishing or dampen our spirits though. Nice walleye by Pat. A few more walleyes by me to close out the evening. Time for some more Pike action... I was on fire on this day, 12 pike over 6 hours, 11 of them coming in the final 1.5! Pat got five for the day. A deer came by the shore to say hello, not shy of us at all. Nice sunset on this night. Pat's second muskie, 24". The cast before this guy followed right to the side of the boat. Next cast, he SMASHED the lure. Walleyes came out to play, despite bluebird skies and glassy water. Final sunset at Balsam before heading to Rice. Our target at Rice was carp, and at my cottage you don't even have to leave the dock. Throw out some corn and wait, and ye shall soon be rewarded! Anyone who hasn't yet caught a carp - TRY IT. These things fight harder than you can imagine! The kids had a blast with the panfish right off the dock as well, Rice is perhaps one of the best places to bring the little ones as the action is constant, and the sunfish are pretty big too! I hit the first two carp within minutes of getting there, a 28" and a 32.5". The second one fought like a freight train for a good ten minutes, screaming drag off my Stradic making long runs. My son Nick and his friend Justin had a blast in the little tinny with my minn kota hooked up to the back. They stayed close to the dock, and caught piles of sunfish. Justin's sister Chrystal was quite the little fishergirl! I had some fun with the sunfish on the ultralight. Amazing colours on the various species of sunfish. Pat gets his first carp, 28.5". Nick with a sunny. Chrystal with one. Pat with carp #2, a 29". Next fishing holiday - first week of July! Bass better beware, and hopefully a muskie will grace my line.

The only muskie I have ever kept and eaten was a deeply hooked 36"/9 pounder that could not be revived despite trying for half an hour. It was actually pretty good, I would actually say maybe even better tasting than pike. Or maybe I was just really hungry that night LOL! That being said, I would not want to eat any Pike or Muskie that was 40"+, firstly because bigger fish of any species generally are not as good tasting as smaller ones, and secondly due to toxin build up in their tisssues from age. Keeping tigers really is not a bad thing, as they can't reproduce at all, but maybe you might want to let them go as they are so nice looking and someone else would love a chance to catch them!

These two tigers were caught on Balsam last June two days apart. Bigger one was 37". Never caught a pike out of Balsam yet, but have seen some on people's stringers. It would be really sad if Balsam turns into a Dalrymple type fishery. OFC'ers unite and CNE (catch and eat) all Pike from Balsam!!!! On a positive note, we have caught a number of small muskies in the past few years as well, so at least there is still succesful spawning happening.

I have caught many largemouth in recent years with spots like that, but the spots are usually the size of a toonie or so. A few years back, I did catch a largie on Rice that was virtually black, but not blotchy like the one in your pic. I took a picture of it next to a normal colour largie for contrast. If you look at the belly of your bass, up near the front, was there some sort of wound or sore there? Maybe the black spotting is some sort of skin virus like lymphosarcoma that muskies get. My "black" bass pic.

My brother has the Legend 14 widebody (bought it 4 years ago) and loves it. It handles rough water very well, has a high weight capacity, and overall is very well made. It can also take a 30hp motor. You might want to spend the few extra bucks and get the 14 Prosport, it has flat floors and a livewell built in. I have been seriously looking at the 16 Prosport recently, you will likely see me in one by the end of the summer! (Still working on the wife... )

Sobeys, no Metro, better species available there. Don't fight much when hooked though.

Thanks Tybo, I just hugged my Christmas-gift-never been used Calcutta 400 TE/St. Croix Premier combo and had a cry. Still have 18 days left until I'm on vacation and on the water from June 5-15! Methinks it will be time for the boat name to have to be revised... (currently named Quest for 50") Bring on the SLIME!

OOS stands for Oh-Oh-Shouldn'thavepostedthatpersonalbestilliegalfish

The tail is still there... have you ever watched a LM's or SM's tail while you are holding them by the lip? I don't know if this is the correct word, but often the tail 'undulates' as you hold them... looks almost like that breakdancing move called the worm... LOL even more confused now? And by the way WOW, nice fish! Here's a pic of a nice LM I caught 2 summers ago with his tail doing the worm LOL.

Nice fish! Is your GPS unit mounted to your paddle??? If so, that is AWESOME lol!

The Blue Fox #3,4 or 5 spinner in Firetiger is a killer on many Kawartha lakes. I have caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, muskie, walleye... come to think of it everything on it! LeBaron has the best prices on both these and the Mepps spinners in the GTA. Mike Pike - as far as I know, it's only the Mepps Comet model that allows the hook change.

At the cottage, I will dump the remains in the swamp for the snapping turtles to munch on. At home, I clean fish on the kitchen counter (wife LOVES this), then put remains in a bag in the chest freezer until the morning that the green bin goes out. A few years back, when the green bin system first started, I cleaned a few pike and left the remains in the bin for a week in the summer heat... DEAR GOD that was the worst thing I haver ever had to clean up when the racoons managed to open that bin up!!! I have been freezing from that point on...

There we go... new logo in place. Cudz - I thought the smaller one looked a little different too, the markings on the top were really nice - but like you said, maybe just the markings of a young'un...

Oh yeah! I didn't even realize it still had last years team on it... I'll do that now.