Dabluz

I belong to a site here in Quebec where there are at least 20 to 30 different sections on fishing and then there is another on hunting that is similar . It's a real hassle and very slow going from one section to another. As long as each message has a good title, it's easy to spot the one's that most interest you.

There is always the good old tactic of using a light line and a tight drag. At least you don't lose all of your line.

I think you will find that the walleye are better tasting than the pickeral.

A Sportspal canoe will cost about 850 dollars. They are not cheap. However there are two big point in their favour....they are extremely light and are great for fishing. They are quite stable. In the over 40 years I have fished from a Sportspal, I have never even come close to flipping over. As a conservation officer, we used the 12 foot model (24 lbs) and a 1.2 h.p. Tanaka to patrol remote places. 2 bad points...lol. They are expensive and they are fragile. You have to watch out for sharp objects. They are just a bit thicker than a soft drink can. Do not loan it to anyone. I loaned mine once and it came back with a hole in it. I patched the hole with some aluminum tape....the stuff that you use to repair mufflers etc and it has stayed that way for over 20 years. They have an excellent resale value. You will have no trouble keeping the 14 foot model on top of your small car with foam blocks as a support. The 12 foot model is a bit too small for fishing with 2 people aboard. If you only want to go fishing, you can always get a good inflatable boat with a solid floor but you will need an electric or a gas powered motor. Another option is a folding boat but you will still have to carry that on the top of your car and you won't be able to carry that thing with just foam blocks. If you do decide to buy a fiberglass canoe, get a 15 foot model.

You should have seen Lake Ontario 30 or 40 years ago. Floating alewives were everywhere and they would form large drifts on the shore every year.

I've often had great results before a thunderstorm and it has happened a couple of times that the fishing was great after a thunderstorm but if it came to betting money, I would'nt bet on good fishing after a storm.

I give GPS coordinates to things like launch sites, restaurants, stores that sell fishing stuff, bait stores, bars and hotels but when it comes to pointing out small lakes and the backcountry roads to get to these places....that's another thing. And those honey holes that I have discovered over the years....they stay secret.

If you have the budget, get a 14 foot Sportspal canoe. They weigh about 34 lbs with seats and paddles (which also double as oars) included. If you want to paddle, get the canoe with 2 pointed ends, otherwise, you will be switching the paddle from one hand to another due to the fact that you cannot comfortably use the "J" stroke when paddling. I'm pretty sure that the motor support comes free with the canoe. The motor mounts on the side of the canoe and you can use up to a 2 h.p. 2 stroke outboard. I have been using Sportpal canoes all of my life. I've had my own for over 30 years. With a 9 lb thrust electric motor, my canoe goes about 5 km/hour with me and a bunch of equipment aboard. 9 lb thrust electrique motors are no longer sold. The smallest electrique motor is the 30 lb thrust and you can buy a Minn Kota for about 100 dollars (they are often on special at that price). What's nice with the side mount is the fact that you don't have to twist around in your seat to steer the thing. If it's a canoe for just paddling and very little fishing, there are faster canoes on the market. These canoes are narrower and are made for paddling. You paddle one stroke and they glide further. Due to the fact that these canoes are narrower and lower....they are lighter. However, narrower canoes are less stable. You can solve the stability problem by installing an outrigger. A kit called "duo-flo" can be bought for 200 dollars if you ever want to use your canoe for fishing. However, you can easily make your own "duo-flo" after seeing a photo of one. (search the internet) If it's a canoe for excursions and camping, you will need a larger canoe....at least 16 feet. If it's a canoe for rivers, you will find canoes that have a rounder bottom and fewer splines along the bottom in order to make them more manoeuverable but if it's for still water and/or large lakes, you will need a canoe with higher sides to prevent the waves from filling the canoe a flatter bottom for more stability and more splines along the bottom to help keep a straight line when paddling. If it's for hauling lots of equipement long distances, there is the freighter canoe with the square back where you can install a big outboard engine. I've seen some freighter canoes that had a side console and were pushed by 50 h.p. engines. So....as you can see....it depends on the why, where and how as to the choice of a canoe. I used foams for a long time with my Sportspal canoe. However, the foams do scuff the paint on the roof of the car a bit. No matter what kind of car you have, there are roof supports for them. Yes....they are expensive but if you are good with your hands, you can make your own after seeing how the expensive ones are made.

I think that the rod should be pointing in the other direction.

I don't believe anyone's bible. I make my own bible by trolling at different speeds, with a GPS and sonar and different lures and different lengths of line and then putting the data in a notebook. I definately get more depth with the finer 17 lb test lead core than the larger diameter lead core. The size of the lead core is the same in both lines. I do the same with wire and other lines I use for trolling. Now that I live in Northern Quebec, I don't use lead core or wire anymore. Mostly it's due to the fact that there are not many touladi (lake trout) in my area. In any event, it only takes a few minutes to find out what you have to do to get to a certain depth and still have good action on your lure. To get even deeper, I use monel line (steel).

Most outboard engine problems are due to a dirty carb and water in the carb. Look in the gas tank to see if there is any rust etc too. If there is a fuel filter, you can change it and if there is no fuel filter, install one.

From what I have heard, the bowfin tastes terrible.

Yes....abrasion resistance is only a matter of diameter...almost. As you can see by the resistance tests....the most resistant mono or fluorocarbon was good old Stren Original. It was even better than many braided lines. But, Stren Original is a line that has inconsitencies in it's diameter. It's diameter is also larger than other monos of the same lb test. There are IGFA rated lines that are huge in diameter. Most of the fishermen using an IGFA rated line don't care about the diameter of the line as much as the rated breaking point. So the IGFA rated lines are usually very large in diameter in order to resist abrasion and failed knots. With those 2 aspects put aside, the fishermen wanting to break a record just has to worry about catching their fish on a rated line.

Absolutely nothing. Here are a few myths about flourocarbon: 1. It has less stretch than mono. Not true. I have done a series of tests with mono and fluorocarbon. Sure they were simple tests....hanging a weight on a certain length of line and measuring the stretch and then comparing the results between different lines. 2. It as strong as mono. Again not true. Visit this site and read carefully. : http://www.sportfishingmag.com/techniques/...ngth-53412.html 3. It is more abrasion resistant than mono. Again not true. Visit this site and read thoroughly. : http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp...;categoryID=262 Yes....fluorocarbon sinks. This is good if you want a sinking line.....not good if you are a bait fisherman and want to reduce snagging on the bottom. And yes, tying a solid knot in fluorocarbon is iffy. Is it really invisible? I don't really think so. I get as many bites using 6 lb test Fireline as I do using 6 lb test clear mono when fishing for walleye. I got as many bites using 6 lb test Vanish but often got broke off. The stuff was weaker than my 4 lb test mono. The 15 lb test Vanish fluorocarbon leader material broke as easily as 8 lb mono when fishing in snag infested water so I upgraded to 35 lb test Seaguar and that stuff was weaker than my 8 lb test Fireline.

100% fluorocarbon line and 100% fluorocarbon leader material are different. The leader material is stiffer even though the 100% line is quite stiff to begin with. I tried Vanish, Vanish leader material and Seaguar. I hate them all. As for bite offs, the larger the line, the less apt to have a pike slice through your line. But, who wants to use 80 or 100 lb test leader material? This huge stuff most definately affects how the lure works in the water. Might as well use huge tandem streamers because at least a streamer will have some movement. Since 10 or 12 lb test is very adequate for pike fishing, you can find very fine steel leaders that are about the size of 6 lb test mono. If the line or the leader do break....the clutch on your reel is too tight. If your target is musky, you can use a stronger steel leader material because the huge swimbaits are not affected by 20 to 30 lb test steel leaders.

Buy 17 lb test lead core. You can buy stronger lead core but the amount of lead is the same as the 17 lb test lead core. When you buy the stronger lead core, you end up with a larger diameter line and you will have to let out more lead core line in order to get to the same depth as the 17 lb test lead core. Yes, by all means, put some good braided line under the lead core. To make sure that you put on enough backing, load your reel with the lead core first then fill the reel to the desired level with the backing. Then, take an electric drill and fix an old empty spool on the drill in order to quickly remove the backing. Do the same with the lead core on another spool. Use a pencil covered with tape or something like that to hold the empty spool on your electric drill. When the reel is empty, reload with the backing and then the lead core.

With a bait that big, no need to go fishing....you eat the bait.

Went walleye fishing with my Okuma Stinson spinning reel yesterday. For a spinning reel that sells in the 50 dollar range, it's a fine reel. Very smooth, very tight (no loose parts), very quiet and an excellent clutch. I was using 6 lb test mono. On top of that, it's a good looking reel. I'm quite sure that the anti-reverse gear in the reel (see first message) was just cleaned and lubed by the repairman. Now that the anti-reverse acted up again, it's pretty certain that it will have to be replaced instead of serviced. I'd give 20 dollars for the reel and I will buy a new part for it and fix it myself. That way, I will know that it is fixed. Some people can be hard on their equipment. I see lots of used baitcasters for sale and you can always read the following comment...."reel has some boat rash". This means that the reel was permanently sitting on a rod. I never let my reels sit permanently on a rod. Part of going fishing is setting up my rods for the day. This means putting a clean reel on a clean rod and tying your lure to good mono using a fresh knot. I take apart my reels regularly. I clean and lubricate them regularly. Sure they do get the occaisonal scratch (I do a lot of shore fishing in very rough conditions) but that is called "normal usage". Since they do not sit permanently on a rod, they are almost pristine in appearance. I guess that due to the fact that I do not have any money makes me appreciate what toys that I do have, a lot more.

All the ATVs are good. I would say that in general, stay away from those ATVs that use a chain for a power train or a transmission like a snowmobile (variable belt drive). Another thing, you don't need a big engine. Anything between 300 cc and 500 cc is ok. Get an ATV that you can start even when the battery is dead. 4X4 is nice. That's what most people buy. But a 2X4 is all you need if you plan to just cruise around. 4X4 is a must if you want it for hard work. Buy a winch. It can save you a lot of headaches when you are alone in rough conditions. I have an 88 Yamaha 350 cc Big Bear. It's the same as the later model Grizzlys that have a larger motor. It works as well today as it did when brand new but Hondas are very popular too. The Honda Foreman is great work horse. I like my Yamaha Big Bear because I can put it into reverse without going back to neutral. That makes it great for plowing snow. However, it is not a true 4X4 because the front differential has slip in order to make it turn a tight radius more easily. There are ATVs that offer the combination of 2X4, 4X4 and 4X4 with locked differentials. One of the hardest working ATVs was the Suzuki 250 cc with 15 forward speeds. However, they were quite low to the ground, quite small and hard suspension.

I have an Okuma Stinson spinning reel. Works nice and smooth with an excellent clutch and anti-reverse. However, after a 2 months of use, it started to jam up on me. I took it apart and lubed it. Works great now. Ok....it's not an expensive reel but it is quite decent. I had the same problem (reel jamming up) with an Abu Garcia Ultra Lite Pro (quite expensive too) that I bought about 15 years ago. The company re-lubed it for me and it has been working fine since then. However, in those days, instant anti-reverse in tiny reels was hard to find. My Shimano Symetre 2000 that I bought about 10 years ago and have used extensively, works as well if not better than the day I bought it. I carry all of my reels in small cloth bags and install the reels on the rods when I get to the fishing site.

Here is a trick for those small boat operators who do not have an expensive bowmount electric motor. Take a transom mount electric motor and reverse the direction of the motor by either removing the screws at the base of the shaft and turning the motor 180 degrees or at the top of the assembly (control housing). The reason for turning the motor 180 degrees is the fact that an electric motor is much more efficient when in forward gear. On top of that, there are usually more forward gears than reverse gears. Now, you can install your electric motor at the bow and the handle of the electric motor will be within easy reach. A bracket at the bow of a small boat is easy to make. As for what kind of line to use, I would not use Fireline over 10 lbs because 10 lb test Fireline breaks at about 20 lbs. It's not true that 20 lb test Fireline is the same size as 8 lb test mono. Just look at the stuff....it's at least equal in size to 14 lb test mono. I prefer a smaller diameter Fireline due to the fact that it cuts through the water much better. I use 6 lb test Fireline most of the time when bottom bouncing. I make my own worm harnesses because I make nicer and better ones than those that sell in the stores. Beads.....take a look at the beads that Walmart sells in the sewing department. There are a series of 5 mm beads that are perfect for worm harnesses. They look like cat's eyes and come in various colours (blue, green, yellow, red and orange). To the uninitiated eye, they look quite non descript but put them in a dark closet, open the closet door a tiny bit and shine a weak flashlight into the closet....those beads light up like they eyes of a cat or fox as they cross the road at night. The beads don't cost much more than peanuts. Use high quality hooks (Gamakatsu, VMC etc.). Stay away from fluorocarbon line when making your worm harnesses. It's not true that this stuff is more abrasion resistant than mono and it is not true that it is less elastic than mono. Use a good quality clear monofilament. Not flourescent clear but just clear. Learn how to make a snell knot. Don't believe me about mono and fluorocarbon....read these 2 sites carefully. http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp...;categoryID=262 http://www.sportfishingmag.com/techniques/...ngth-53412.html Unfortunately, the article on the 20 lb line abrasion test has been modified. The original article was about 6 pages long and showed much more detail, statistics and test results. If you want to pump air into your worms, find a diabetic who has to use a syringe. They use a very very fine syringe that is perfect for pumping air into worms. The hole is so small, the air does not leak out. Another way to make your worm harness stay off the bottom is to slip a piece of styrofoam on the line. One of those small pieces of styrofoam that is often used in packaging. However the best ones to use are the ones sold for worm harnesses or those spinning type styrofoams like in one of the above photos. You can even do a lot of the steering with just your knee if you are standing up. If you must, you can easily add an extension to the motor handle. Put most of your gear at the rear of the boat in order to keep the front of the boat light and more responsive. In any event, you will have much more boat control than when back trolling.

Those water snakes can grow to 4 feet long.

My buddy used a 3 inch minnow (smelt imitation) when fishing for brook trout through the ice. He caught a few brookies even though the minnow was not moving. There are smelt in the lake and the brookies love to eat them. I still prefer live nightcrawlers but I guess having a jar of Gulp Alive is a good idea.

The only poisonous snake in Canada is the Massauga Rattler. I have never heard of anyone dying after being bitten. The snake is so shy that it quickly hides. It is not agressive in the least. I imagine that the day someone is seriously injured or dies from a snake bite, the news papers and tv news will certainly make a big thing of it.

Those snakes from the south will probably migrate north into Canada due to global warming. I have an old American Wildlife field guide and some of those snakes were found just south of the Great Lakes.