ccmtcanada

I tried to post asking if there were issues, but I kept timing out....LOL.

My mother and father-in-law have been long time GM employees. She no longer works there, but he does. They've always bought GM because of their discounts....they said they'd always do so because of that. When I came into the picture, she asked me what car I'd buy. Talk about a loaded question seeing that I'm Japanese....LOL. I decided to be honest and I said my next car would be a Toyota Camry.....for comfort and reliability. She just said "Oh....". Next thing I hear is that she's going car shopping. After test driving GMs at a local dealer, she spies a Toyota dealership on the way home. She pulls in and test drives the Camry. She bought it!!!! LOL. She's very happy with it and has never had any problems......

Awesome pics!!! Love the action shots! Keep em comin!

The Star seems to be having some problems with their site...keeps going down for a few minutes at a time...here's the full text.... ================================================ Joy Canning has had an ice-fishing operation on Lake Simcoe for 36 years and only once has she not been able to set up her huts. That was in 2002, when freakish weather made the ice unsafe. Now she's worried that this winter is shaping up to be similarly memorable because of the warm temperatures. With Lake Simcoe still ice-free and with just two phone inquiries for reservations over the holiday season, Canning, 64, who runs an ice-cream parlour during the rest of the year, wonders how bad things might get. Her 25 huts remain on dry land. "I believe Mother Nature has her reasons and if she doesn't want us out this year, then we are not going out," said a philosophical Canning, whose business is on Kempenfelt Bay, near Barrie. News of a cold front sweeping down from the north and snow falling yesterday in places like Gravenhurst brought hope to many people north of Toronto – especially those whose livelihoods depend on winter sports. About 1,300 seasonal workers have been laid off at Blue Mountain ski resort in Collingwood, but there's also concern among those who rely on other winter sports to make a living, including ice-fishing, snowmobile and cross-country skiing operations. Whether there will be winter is a bit more complicated than just a bit of snow, Canning said. What is needed – both for operators like Canning and the 5,000 to 10,000 people who regularly fish on a frozen Lake Simcoe during weekends – is a deep freeze. Without it, the ice doesn't solidify properly – which means either unstable, unsafe ice or a short season, because the ice will melt too soon. Canning said she fears that many of those who have not phoned her have already planned to do other things. "Even if the cold comes, I probably won't be busy as I normally am," said Canning, who still considers herself pretty lucky that she's had a completely failed season only once in 36 years. Like Canning, Craig Nicholson of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs said yesterday that while he welcomes news of snow, it's the cold that is needed most. There are still no trails open in Ontario. Snowfall this week and next could lead to a mid-January trail opening, he said, but that's only half the story. Snow, he explained acts, as insulation. So if the snow falls before the ground is properly frozen, it could mean a much shorter season. In Toronto, meanwhile, the story is very different. The city is saving money – even though contract snowplow operators continue to be paid from the $62 million set aside for snow removal and remain on standby for a big storm. Contractors have to be paid a base amount for the workers and the equipment, whether it snows or not, said Gary Welsh, general manager of transportation services. But he expects the balmy weather will bring savings of between $5 million to $6 million without overtime and other snow-clearing costs. The prolonged warm spell in 2007 is welcome, Welsh said yesterday. "We appreciate this weather and we'd like it to continue," he said. "I just feel sorry for the ski operators and other workers that are dependent on winter activities because it's going to be a bad season for them." But it makes Welsh's job easier, with lower overtime costs and less salt damage to roads, bridges and parking garages. And the lack of freezing weather means fewer potholes, he said. Salt is being applied selectively to problem areas such as hills, bridges and intersections, but in much lower quantities. In a normal year, the city goes through about 140,000 tonnes of salt. "Our salt consumption is significantly down," Welsh said. "We haven't been ordering it this year. We'll probably not replenish our salt piles as frequently this winter." The savings will be rolled into the city's reserve fund for snow removal. It currently stands at about $11 million, but officials would like to see the figure doubled. Welsh said maintaining a reserve is important because Toronto can get hit with a major snowstorm with little warning. Storms like those that have hit Denver in recent weeks could cost Toronto $1 million day for snow removal.

Toronto Star News Story.... Winter sports face year on ice This season is looking bleak for skiing and ice fishing, but in Toronto the weather is a boon January 09, 2007 Phinjo Gombu Joy Canning has had an ice-fishing operation on Lake Simcoe for 36 years and only once has she not been able to set up her huts. That was in 2002, when freakish weather made the ice unsafe. Now she's worried that this winter is shaping up to be similarly memorable because of the warm temperatures. With Lake Simcoe still ice-free and with just two phone inquiries for reservations over the holiday season, Canning, 64, who runs an ice-cream parlour during the rest of the year, wonders how bad things might get. Her 25 huts remain on dry land. For the rest of the article....here's the link.... http://www.thestar.com/News/article/169153

Wow....you astound me with your constant successes! Makes me want to go out even more!!! thanks for the post...and awesome pics!

Very cute kids!!! Great lookin Steelie too! I've been trying to hook into some of those for the past two weeks....as a newbie...nothing yet, but seeing pics motivates me more!

Hey everyone, I was doing a search on the web about night fishing for Steelhead and came upon this site http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/ They start out by saying.....and I quote....hehe "How The Shocking Discovery Of A Long-Lost Evening Secret Fishing Weapon From 1947 Will Send Swarms Of Blood-Thirsty Game Fish To Your Spot So You Can Double Your Catches, Guaranteed!" "So Powerful It Was Banned In 2 States! 100% Guaranteed To Double Your Catches!" They are selling it for a bargain $200 USD...LOL. I've visited some other boards who have discussed this and there isn't a clear answer on what this thing does. Some say it's an underwater light that you can get at BPS for $20. The website says it attracts plankton, which attracts bait fish, which attract big fish. Anyone heard of this product? Or use it? Or know someone who uses it? I'd never buy it...I personally think it's a big gimmick....

Thanks for the vote of confidence Kennyman, but I'm not the seminar type!! hehe. Blyght and I have landed about fifteen 10+ pound walleye's this fall from shore. We had one night where we pulled in 5. We've probably gone out at least 35-40 times, so do the math...we are skunked most nights....LOL.

Hope you're feeling better soon snag!!!

Just wanted to throw a few questions out there to the trib fisherpeople out there... I was just wondering about time of day and trib fishing. Most of the reports I have seen begin very early in the morning (before sunrise) and end early afternoon. Is there much action in the evening/night? It's hard for me to get out in the morning cause of the kids, and was wondering about trying it out in the dark after they are in bed. Also, there is tons of fishing pressure locally, and I'd assume a little less after dark. Also, do lighted floats spook fish? If so, then I suppose I'll be bottom fishing for them with some small floats in the roe bags to lift them from the bottom. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

When we camp we prepare something ahead of time and freeze it in large zip lock bags (Spaghetti sauce, chilli, some soups etc....). We use it to help cool the rest of the food down in the cooler. We boil water on the stove/fire and place the bag inside to heat it up. This way the pot doesn't get dirty and you can use the hot water to wash up other dishes/cutlery! Saves time and fresh water.

Kennyman...I've had some luck lately with crank baits...rattling and some jointed for pike. Not sure if this is the preferred, but it's what I've had luck with...oh yeah...I caught them at night, so in the daylight, something else may work better.

I've never eaten them before, but my 4 year old daughter loves to play with the dead ones in our minnow bucket when we are fishing....

When we first moved in here, the room above the garage was always hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. I insulated and drywalled the entire garage and that helped out greatly! Our main floor (lots of windows), used to get really hot in the afternoon sun. We used to keep the blinds closed...kept it cooler, but it sucked we didn't get the natural sun in. I then coated the windows with a film that reflected the solar energy back out and still allowed some sunlight to get thru. The basement is usually colder in both winter and summer, but we have a fireplace down there for winter. The second story used to be hot in the summer, even with the central A/C there. I upgraded the blower motor from a 1/4 to a 1/3 hp, and now it's much better.

Thanks for the vote of confidence and encouragement everyone! It's supposed to rain again this week...the tribs could be prime for another outing!!! Friday rain then Saturday sunny and +9C!!! This time I'll set the hook a little more aggressively!

If I got stressed out every time I got skunked, the I would not be fishing anymore!!! The original reason I went out as much was to unwind after a stressful day...without kids....just my wife and I. It's a little disappointing, but I never leave mad. Golf...now THAT stressed me.....BIG TIME!!! To the point where I no longer play the game.... BITEME: Not sure if you read this in another thread I posted on, but your Avatar scares the crap out of me when I see it....LOL. If I ever saw that face while fishing, I'd probably jump in the water and become friends with them....vowing never to hook one ever again....haha.

WOW!! Fantastic shots!!!! Thanks for sharing!

What kind of bug??? The kind RAID was invented for....hehe.

Wow...awesome report and fish! Thanks for takin the time to post it....that last picture is awesome...I can see why you wanted to end your post with it.

Man...I'm sooo jealous!!! I just posted my skunk report....LOL. I'm new to the trib thing...hoping to end the skunk soon!! Congrats...those are beautiful fish you pulled out there!!!

I decided to broaden my horizons when it comes to fishing, so over the Christmas break, I began my steelhead hunt! Fishindevil loaned me his roe bag tying equipment (thanks a lot by the way!), so with my brother-in-law's help, we tied about a 100 bags. Went out and bought floats, swivels, hooks, sinkers and leaders. Read a bunch of stuff on the net (including many of the reports here on OFC) and in a great book we have at home. Excursion 1: Hit a local trib on December 29th...water was very clear and low...not great conditions. Was there before sunrise, and found a spot. Had one hit between the two of us in 4 hours! Everyone else we talked to didn't pull anything out that day either. I quickly learned about snags...and had to tie lots of hooks back on. Because of the water clarity, I could see how the roe bag would acted in the water and experimented with floater depths. Big Lesson we learned was to try and scope out ahead of time locations along the banks....we wasted lots of time looking and walking only to find out we were on the wrong side of he creek. Excursion 2 and 3: Went out again on Jan 2nd and 3rd. It rained a lot on New Years Eve, so we knew the water would be good for a few days after. Again, there before sunrise...much of the same results as our first time out...a few hits...no real action. Main difference was that we knew which holes we wanted to be skunked in.... Excursion 4: My brother-in-law went back to the States, so this was my first solo mission. Got to the spot I wanted just before sunrise and started fishing on Sunday Jan 7th...a few days after a rain again. About one hour in, I had a HIT!!! I set the hook (not good enough) and a big one went crazy...pulling lots of drag and swimming FAST! I lost him after a HUGE 12 second fight....LOL. I was pumped up after that one! Saw a guy about 50 feet to my left land one and lose 2. A group of guys a few hundred yards on my other side landed 5 and lost a few...I could hear their shouts...man was I jealous!! Anyhow, no fish so far...sorry about how long this report was. I'm hoping to end my skunk this month. I'm hoping the weather cooperates so I can get out a few more times. I still have TONS of roe bags to get thru!!!

Aww man...that really sucks! It does sound like they did their homework...just happy to hear that so far no one has been hurt! I hope the find the ppl who did this and that they pay for it!!!

Thanks for the reintro!!! Great pics too! As far as posting full sized pics, don't use the file attachment section when you are editing your post. The best way is to upload them to the site's photo albums or another offsite location like photobucket. I use this forums albums. View the full sized pic and right click on it...chose "properties" and then copy the http address. While typing in your post, click on the icon next to the envelope...it looks like a tree. Paste in the address of the pic and you should be good to go. Click on "preview" before posting to make sure it worked. Good luck and congrats again!

Awesome report and pics!!! There's nothing like pulling a PB out of the water...esp in January!!! Congrats!