wormdunker

Thanx Ironmaker. I'm looking forward to your report. I've been to Simcoe twice this year - it's a 2.5 hour drive 1 way! Erie is so handy for me (Fonthill) but the conditions are brutal. Hopefully more toward you is better.

Thanx guys, lottsa good info here! c10 - It's a 2008 King Ranch with only 90k on it. $190.00 at the dealer vs $26.00 for the same part is not a nickel or even a dime difference! LOL! Cliff - Thanx for the info about Costco extending the warranty by 2 years - AWESOME! Lew - Too bad you are located too far from my garage. I'm sure I could fabricate a bracket to hold your monitor. And it will only cost you a Timmies - large double cream! LOL! After discovering the pricing on ebay, (ebay is new to me) I've decided NOT to purchase anything unless I go on line & check their pricing first. Another good story. The clerk at a business supply store advised me to purchase the Otter phone case (charging case) on ebay cause it is only 50 bux - his store price $100.00! WOW!

Awesome pix! Thanx. What is that lure hanging out of his yapper?

I checked out Erie this afternoon in 3 different areas. Ice as far as I could see but, extremely rough. I wouldn't be able to walk it. A sled or atv would be impossible! Rough ice started right at shore & continued at least 2 kms. Port Colborne, Pleasant Beach & Crystal Beach was terrible. 1 walker was coming off the ice at Crystal Beach & he stated the walk was brutal!! 2 groups were off Pleasant Beach fishing out 1 - 2 kms - I think a helicopter dropped them off. The ice conditions were unlike past years where you would have large chunks of ice piled up near shore for about 300 meters then smoother ice beyond that. I've never seen conditions like this before! It's too bad cause I've heard reports of 6" of ice out 3kms. I don't know how he got there either?? In my mind Erie is a bust this year unless we get a thaw to smooth out the surface.

I'm heading there this afternoon on a scouting trip.

You remember cleats? So do I! Maybe I am as old as you?? I loved the sound they made while walking on a concrete floor in school. Yes - we did have a school! I tied my horse up out back!!

Welcome to the zoo! You'll have lottsa fun here. Very good info to be enjoyed by all the knowledgeable members.

You are right on c10! I've had numerous small plastic items break & I'm very careful with my gear. My wifes van has a small clip which holds the windshield washer hose to the wiper arm. Attempting to remove the hose the clip snapped. Off to the Chev dealer to purchase a new one. $34.00 - you must be joking right?? Nope that was the price. I went on ebay. Same clip $2.56. What do you think of that? Back up sensor on my F 150 malfunctioned. New part $190.00! Wow! Ebay $26.00. So I bought a set of 4, thinking that probably another will crap out on me. Set of 4 cost $75.00 total, tax,duty, shipping to my door!

Good one! You got too much time on your hands! LOL!

Lew - I'll never be as old as you ! LOL!

I like Granny Clampet

Hey Nick lottsa good advice here. I've work outside in the construction industry my entire life. Here is where the problem begins. Your hands get wet from handling snow covered lumber & other materials, then they dry out. Then the cracks/splits begin. Winter is a drier climate as we all know, then you put on dry leather gloves, this compounds the problem. Wool gloves are also the enemy as they are dry as well. Catching a perch every 30 seconds - I wish! Now your hands are wet, then they dry out without any "lubricant". I had many splits at the end of my fingers that were very painful & would not heal. It was at this time I discovered "Neutrogena" hand cream. The label states "Norwegian formula" in red lettering. Many years ago their product label stated it was formulated for the Norwegian fishermen. More recently that description has been deleted. It's available at Shoppers Drug mart. Apply it several (5 or 6) times per day to get the healing process started, once starting to heal you can cut back on the # of applications per day. I don't care how bad your hands are at this point Neutrogena will work! I always have 2 or 3 tubes nearby in the winter. Why - CAUSE IT WORKS!

Yup kinda sad when I read this post. When we were kids we would leave the house early Saturday morning to head to the local neighbour's back yard rink with skates hanging over our hockey sticks. We'd play shinny for the entire day. When it got dark we went home to watch the leafs WIN! Yup they had a winning team back then. Our parents always knew where we were. I feel there is way too many indoor activities for youngsters today. Computers, xbox, tablets etc. They talk about obesity in our younger children today, Just take a look at their activity levels & amount of junk food they consume. That tells the whole story! Just my opinion.

yup! Spring fishing show is on my calendar.

Nice report Nick! Your little guy is awesome!

I like the extra sleigh for man's best friend! Nice report. Thanx

I still have the same opinion as my above post - AWESOME! Welcome to the OFC zoo! Do you have to seal (waterproof) the rca plugs? I'll be working on this project soon. No time right now - I "have" to go fishing today & tomorrow. I'm heading to Caseys huts in Port Bolster! WOO HOO!!

Good info Gmech. Thanx

Nice walleye! Yup, I've moved to another hole only to see a fellow angler drop a line in "my" hole & yells - FISH ON

A fiend told me they're catching perch right in the marina at Port Colborne. That area usually has good ice by now. I haven't been there myself this year.

Yup I remember following the line of xmas trees to find our way back to shore. That was in my father's 1956 Buick - it was a few years? ago.

Good advice Porkpie. Thanx

Auto back up camera - Awesome idea! Please elaborate how you put this unit together.

Wow! That's awesome. Good goin OFC! Happy I could I could be a part od it.

Update to my original post. Last Wednesday & Thursday I booked with Caseys. Taj (new owner) is an awesome guy. I fished for 2 days, stayed 1 night in a room at his inn. Service & hospitality was the best! Huts are clean & comfortable, as is the rooms at the inn. Servers in the restaurant do a very good job! His shuttle driver (Taylor) was a real good guy. Checked on me every couple hours to ensure I was on fish, had lottsa minnows & checked the propane. I'm going again this coming Thursday & Friday. He is very generous with the minnows! I like the fact I park in his lot, fish all day, have a nice dinner, crash for the night, breakfast the next morning the go fishing again - AWESOME!