cheaptackle

Wayne, I actually had heard and asked about that - when the lake was at its highest there was still a couple feet of freeboard to the house, but the break water did have waves topping it. Grade slopes down from the house to the breakwater, about 2-1/2 foot drop from the top of the breakwater to the beach. Water's real low right now, usually about 6" up the breakwater I'm told, now there's almost 6 feet of "beach".

Ha ha! - that sounds even worse! Thanks beans & hunter, I'm finding it difficult to not just pack & get there now (could if I wanted to) just because my new view of the lake will be much better than the inground pool I'm looking at now! Michael

Not one to normally get all uppity about moving, BUT! Check out my new (formerly Uptergrove) location in my avatar. I've never fished this lake in my life in spite of it's proximity. Today, while picking up the keys, I spent 45 minutes tossing out a slip float/micro tube jig set up just to get a line wet. I was fishing from the "front yard", which is a small cove on the north shore, fairly deep & well protected. You might say I christened it (the lake) today but it was more to get my float balanced to chase crappie (every time I take a car load up ) later in the week. It's only an apartment in a house, but it's big enough for me and has the LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION! Along with being new "turf" to explore & enjoy year round, YAAAAY! Now I have to find me a boat (on a dime store budget) and start really "testing" all the goodies that seem to find their way into my satchels (yes, plural!) instead of on to the shelves (one of the few perks of being self employed - can't get busted for raiding the inventory!). I move in the middle of April and will probably still be unpacking in December 'cause the water is only about 50 feet thataways from the front door! Yippee! Michael

Wayne - are you sure this isn't a news item? Sho' nuf sounds like CTV to me! Michael

Fact is you can't use sunfish or any other game fish as bait unless specifically excepted. Hope that is what the confirmation you are waiting for from the MNR will reveal. I'd hate like hell to see you or anyone pinched for trying it, especially after asking for and receiving the number of "don't do it's" on this thread. If you do try it, and do get charged, let us know what the fine is and what your experiences with it were, please? I'd rather not hear it happened, but IF it does it would be educational for the rest of us. Good Luck! Michael

What 4thgen said! That was the point I was trying to make - it ain't whether the bait is still kicking, it's what it is! When one exercises based on their own interpretation, one has only their own counsel to consider when one gets pinched. I hope it doesn't happen. 'Nuff said. Michael

So this "status" only appears on the main page and can be toggled? Can't see what the big deal might be. Kinda neat that there's that spot for daily messages I think. Not intrusive, is about members only (or is intended to be). I thought I hadn't turned it "on" because I only saw it on the main page. Works for me, but maybe it should be scrollable to see all messages (if it is I haven't found out how yet). Michael

Where might one find this "toggle" control? Just curious! Michael

Very minor but the "italics" doesn't seem to be working on my signature, codes for it are still there when I checked in my settings. Michael

I used to shore fish it right by the eastern swing bridges. Road on the south side leads to the old railway bridge. Seen bass, the usual small stuff, sheepshead, pike & occasional walleye, and gobies of course. Never any crappie though. It was a nice place to shore fish, better before or after the highway swing bridges were in operation for the day. Threw everything in the tackle box in there just to try it out. Slip floats with worms & small minnows worked well (as always), or a walking sinker/floating jig head tipped with all kinds of plastics etc. Michael

That was from 2007, a prototype product, and in the states is my first observation. 2nd would be "what species" of skins were used (didn't read the whole thing - dial-up!)? 3rd - did the baits get released in Ontario or kept south of the border? 4th - I'd have probably bought them & used them IF I hadn't already had the experience I had just a few weeks ago (that's when the perch skin discussion happened) - they look COOL! Michael

It would seem like that wouldn't it? Especially since (I'm told) the law was enacted to prevent introducing non-indigenous species (e.g. perch to a trout lake etc). I'm way out of touch with using roe, but isn't there an exception for it in the regs somewhere? I don't currently use it personally and can't remember from years ago when I did. Never had that discussion with my friend and can't recall seeing anything about it, but I wasn't looking either. Might it have something to do with how they're preserved? Just took a quick look at the summary and I didn't find anything about roe at all! Time to e-mail my buddy. Michael

I did "rice lake panfish" figuring if I were targeting panfish on rice lake that would be how I would search it. It all came up the way I said. Michael

You are most welcome! I just wish I had won the argument but he had the law on his side (go figure eh?)! The use of real skins seemed like a novel idea. Bottom line was it was part of the fish whether dead or alive, and classed as a game fish to boot. I'll have to stick to beating him at cribbage from now on! Michael

A friend who has been a career C.O. his entire working life since he graduated college targeting this profession. Read up a little higher in the thread where I talk about perch skins. That was the specific conversation I had with him. Michael

That was the idea I too had, brifishrgy. The answer I got (which we've all heard before) is that the regs we get copies of are summaries of volumes of legislation. Bottom line, I was told it's still classed as live even if its dead unless specifically excepted (i.e. salties in certain circumstances). I only put the start of the sentence in to identify the section of the regs as opposed to making any point. What I'm merely suggesting is that I wouldn't do it just because of what I've read & heard. I don't see the words "dead" in that section so I'm not going to make any determination about it. Michael

I just tried googling "Rice Lake Panfish" based on your idea Gerritt! Wow! About every 3rd result was either the newspaper articles, OFC Thread, other board threads - try it! Michael

Dunno if this helps - had a friend asking about using actual perch skins (after fileting & eating the meat) on a wood body, clear coated etc. to produce a stick or crankbait. MNR C.O. buddy said that technically charges could be laid because perch are a game fish, the skins are part of said fish, and more complex charges could be laid if said bait was used where perch don't occur naturally. I argued the live vs. not alive, and I think I lost (he was a little better at legalese than me). The regs do say "only the fish species listed below..." at the top of the list, and sunfish aren't on it. Michael

Ummm... Maybe we could call it OFC? Actually Gerritt, it's not a bad idea but I'm thinking there's a lot of American members here who are spreading the word. What I'd like to really see is a TV News report about this entire thread, the players and what they've said on here! Michael

I'm just glad I watched it on dial-up so that he didn't hit the ice as hard! Michael

During my time in Trenton I met a young fella (about 10 or 11) with a broken down old spin caster who was determined to fish (as well as learn how). We were shore fishing at a grocery store parking lot right beside the mouth of the Trent. I put a new line on his reel after cleaning & lubing it up, set him up with a bit of tackle and let him have at it. His first catch was a gobie. So of course fishing had to stop while he asked eighty-eleven million questions. I pulled out the regs, showed him how (then) they said not to return gobies. I challenged him to come up with a good way to do that. In the corner of the parking lot nearest the bridge was a unmanned sewage pump station building. After a few minutes of thought he fired the gobie up onto the hot (it was a sunny hot day) shingled roof. Wasn't long before a sea gull came along for a half cooked meal! That kid was so proud of himself for what he figured out that he swore he would target fish nothing but gobies until they were all gone! That was about 4 years ago - wonder how the gobie population is doing at the mouth of the Trent now? If it's any worse - it won't be from a lack of that youngster's efforts! I met him there or observed while driving by how much time he was investing in his quest - and having an absolute ball doing it! Michael

DO NOT TAPE OR BIND!!!! Get ye to a hospital for x-rays NOW! Just in case theres a complete fracture. Then they'll send you home saying they can't do anything but advise you to restrict any activity that hurts and maybe prescribe something like tylenol 3. Oh, and under no circumstances should you laugh. It'll make you cry! Get the idea it's happened to me? (much more than once!) Michael

If I were paying, I'd like to see the ads kept out of the threads. But if the revenue is needed, I must admit I do like the one ad per thread approach if the technology supports it. I'm guessing the page templates don't as we found out this morning. Perhaps a way to keep them out of the body of the threads, like the banners, or having them as the first post would be better. Would I pay to be here - I probably would if it were something modest like 20.00 a year or 2.00 a month even (monthly to help the cash flow?). I really do think thought that the free membership is what attracts better than 95% of us to begin with, along with the quality of the board and it's material of course. I don't think I'd drop out if it became a paysite, but I wouldn't continue if it were pricey either. It's not easy to answer this - on the one hand there's the business aspect, on the other there's personal views. Let's just hope we never have to answer for real...! Michael

Geez - all I did was ask if something was urgently wrong! When I saw "bot" in the avatar I thought the board was being hacked. Yes, I did say the ads were annoying, but I also said that it could be gotten used to in time, and shut up about it. TJ and the entire support team - my apologies for this entire fiasco. I had no idea this would balloon the way it has. To those would might be a bit unhappy with the changes - give them a chance! TJ had the ads pulled almost right away once a few voices indicated they weren't happy, let it go for now please! Let them all do their jobs to bring us the best internet forum experience one can have for free! And I don't think any paysite could do any better than the gang here has. If we keep whining like this, just imagine what would happen if they decide the grief is enough and shut it down completely? I for one do not want to see that day come, and hope/pray/beg you all feel the same. PLEASE - lay off! Enough already! Let's get back to fishing talk now! Michael

Randy I am shocked! and absolutely tickled pink! I just finished a conversation that confirmed some of the other gents offerings about coaching, you as a supervisor, & power squadrons that would get your client his operators card. Logged on to tell you about it and BAM! You've already done did gone and done did got it done! Well played sir! Very well played indeed! My hat's off to you! Michael