doubleheader

I added the Cisco mounts this year. two mounts are required with a 12" track. I use mine to support rod trees, but you can also buy a mount from Cisco that allows you to attach the Down East rod holder for trolling big musky baits. I also have the Lund brackets which are fine I suppose for most applications, I haven't broke one yet anyhow. I really like the Cisco system, it attaches in seconds and is easy to move. Also pictured are Traxtech rod trees which are great for running planer boards or just increasing your spread using long rods. .

 

Is this hook actually called the Eagle Claw TroKar Re-Volve Rotational Hook? I would think that Mustad would have a patent on the Slow Death name. Want to make sure I'm buy the right one. Thanks for the tip!

That's the one. I like the Size 2. They aren't cheap but they last 2x.

For those of you that run slow death, this hook is a vast improvement over the Mustad hook. The crawler spins better, the worm is easier to thread onto the hook and stays in place better when fished thanks to a barb on the shaft, and the hook is sharper and keeps it's edge longer.

I think we will be losing many of our friends from the south. I have seen USA tourism drop in Kawarthas and now it will be Nipissing.

You guys have some amazing walleye fishing down there, so not sure why anyone would spend the time and dollars to come north.

Here in western PA I live within a two hour drive of 4 fine walleye lakes. My home water is 15 miles away and a beautiful lake with 100 miles of shoreline and no private camps or resorts on any of the water, Lake Erie, a trophy fishing, is just an hour to my west, Chautauqua lake is just 45 minutes to my north and Pymatuning is 2 hours to my south. The thing is, the reality is, none of these waters match the beauty of Lake Nipissing. Every place I go, even in other waters in Canada, I always find myself comparing that water to the west arm and invariably they come up short. Last year I was at Lady Lake Evelyn, a tremendous walleye fishery, and a very nice lake, but no comparison to the west arm in terms of scenery. For this reason alone I don't see much of a fall off in tourism for the west arm as a result of the walleye decline. Most obsessed walleye fisherman moved on to more productive remote water a long time ago, and the west arm still boasts great bass, pike, and trophy musky fishing. No, I'm surely in the minority in my decision; perhaps I just need to reset my expectations or target another species when i plan to come that way again, who knows. For right now though I'm kind of fighting that idea.

Very sad state of affairs and the major reason why after a number of years i won't be returning any time soon.

Yes it's a crazy sad world, and I'll continue to send my prayers to all those who have been killed or injured and their families. Hopefully the authorties will get to the bottom of this and bring them to justice. Sad day in the States.

I have a 420 Rancher, and I also owned a 450 Foreman. The Foreman has a larger frame, if you are talller than 6' sit on both and you'll probably find the bigger frame more comfortable. Other than that the Rancher can do all those things you mentioed very well. That said, if I were to buy based on your list I'd lean to something around 500cc with Yamaha probably my top choice, then Suzuki and Honda.

I have a 420 Rancher, and I also owned a 450 Foreman. The Foreman has a larger frame, if you are talller than 6' sit on both and you'll probably find the bigger frame more comfortable. Other than that the Rancher can do all those things you mentioed very well. That said, if I were to buy based on your list I'd lean to something around 500cc with Yamaha probably my top choice, then Suzuki and Honda.

I'll check them out. Thank you.

Thanks I'll check that out.

Does anyone have recent experience on this lake? The google searches I've tried have been inconsistent relative to walleye fishing; anywhere from "it's fished out" to "we caught a bunch of fish", and most of the infiormation is more than a few years old. Specifically I'm considering Ritchie's End Of Trail Lodge, which looks to have very nicely maintained cottages. I've also read horror stories about the condition of the gravel road back to the pick-up area, but the lodge owner says it's regulary maintained. Anyhow, I apprecate any feedback from those that have made the trip.

Ellen Island Camp on Lady Lake Evelyn may be worth a look for you. I was up there last year. Very good walleye fishing and pike fishing isn't bad either. Hosts were excellent, not sure about the cost, but this lake, while fairly remote, also has designated campsites.

One option for you is Pymatuning lake. Walleye are open year round and the ice comes off Mid- march. Fishing is very good, and some large fish can be had. It is probably not quite 3 hours south of Buffalo, NY. The crappy fishing is also really good. The only drawback is that despite being a large body of water there is a 20 HP limit. You can, however, have a bigger motor hanging off the back as long as it's not in use. This isn't too big an issue as good fishing is closeby. I would launch in Espyville. As the lake borrders both PA and Ohio you can fish any part of the lake using only the license from the state from which you plan to launch.

The Alaskan is another really nice rig. I had an 18' Alaskan for a number of years.

Try Walleye Central's Boat forum, there have been numerous posts over the last yeat on this boat.

http://www.walleyecentral.com/

After comparing the CI4, Ballistic and Patriarch I picked up the Plueger...lighter, smoother and a carbon drag system superior to almost any factory offering.

 

 

http://www.fhcoutdoors.com/pflueger-patriarch-review/

I had the same experience. I have always been a Shimano guy, but in my opinion their quality has slipped. The CI4 being a good example based on the few I examined. Used to be you could buy just about anything in their line-up and get a very servicable reel. I purchased the new Plueger Supreme last year, think that's what it's called, it's the black one. So far so good.

I'm sure a well armed militia would be beneficial in 1791, but it's 2013... The guys pushing their 2nd amendment rights are as bad as the folks calling for an all out gun ban if you ask me...

 

There's always room for improvement, but on both sides you've got people that aren't willing to budge at all..

The nature of man hasn't changed. This issue is being highlited by a morally bankrupt governement and elitist types looking to place blame on the shoulders of law abiding gun owners. Why? They truly believe they are superior human beings, while we average Americans are nothing but country pumpkins, nothing but a revenue source. The fact that collectively we represent the largest standing army in the world is is a very real barrier to them furthering their agenda. Two they are completely inneffectual at understanding and dealing with the real root causes of violence in our society, and in fact many of these heretics profit from the culture of violence our children are bombarded with on a daily basis in the form or music, movies, romanticized gang culture, and video games, It's a far better soundbite to just blame "assault weapons" and it serves their purpose. The truth is, what we're seing today is a pretty good analogy as to what occurred in this country while under the thumb of England, the main difference being the government is taxing future generations visa vie out of control deficit spending and quantum easing vs levying unbearable taxes upon the current generation which they know would get them thrown out of office. So no, there can be no "bargaining" with these misquided nincumpoops, they are only demonstrating the wisdom of the founding fathers.

With all due respect, the founding fathers did not protect our gun rights so that we could hunt deer and squirrels.

It's a shame this is happening, but, we're still going, as it's one of the top fishing show venues on the east coast.

Truth is, for many years the vast majority of serious walleye fishermen have passed on Nipissing, Personally after 3 consecutive declining years for us, each year being 2 week "hunts", and given that walleye are our primary target, we'll probably pass on the lake this year. First time in more than 10 years we won't be enjoying this beautiful lake, but in the end it is a fishing vacation, so we'll move to more productive water. If I were interested in bass, musky, or pike, however, the arm remains an excellent fishery. As for restocking, I find it inconceivable that stocking works so many places but won't work here. Especially if the brood stock is taken from the lake. I think what's going on is a little cat and mouse game, Your MNR not willing to invest in restocking walleye without agreements to restrict commercial fishing. One would think that at some point as the populations continue to decline the commercial fishermen will find other productive employment. No one can stay in business without a profit, and as that occurs the lake will likely rebound if efforts are in place to wipe out those cormorants. In the meantime though, I would agree, the lake should be billed as a multi-species lake.

And on the opposite end, a number of years ago I accepted a job assignment in Budapest Hungary. We lived there for a few years, and while we enjoyed our stay immensely, I have to say that their idea of a fish chowder is the most God aweful thing known to mankind. A Hungarian friend of mine asked us to go on a road trip with him one weekend to enjoy what he called, the best fish soup on the planet. It was about a 2 hour drive, so when we got this much anticipated soup I didn't have the heart to tell him this stuff is horrible. It was all i could do to choke down a bowl without getting sick. meanwhile he lapping this stuff up like a hungry kitten on a bowl of milk. So, I guess everything is in the eye, or in this case, the tastebuds, of the beholder. It wasn't until late into my 2nd year that i discovered Zander, which as you know is very similiar to our walleye. They fry them whole over their, head-on, scaled only, and they were very tasty. Interesting also is their fresh fish market. The most common fish sold is carp from the Danube River.

I've built only a handful, but, lots of good advice above, especially the advice of starting with an inexpensive build. I picked up my knoweldge thru you tube videos and a couple books. I built my own rod wrapper, modified it, modified it again, and i need to modify it again yet. Don't get too worried bout making a nice rod wrapper until you fine tune your wrapping skills and decide how you want it. Remember the ability to maintain moderate tension on the thread at all times is important, design your wrapper accordingly. "Moderate" you learn thru trial and error, but too much tension isn't good either. It's also easier to start with a spinning rod than a fly rod, wrapping the smaller eyes of a fly rod can be a challenge. Good light is a prerequisite for good wrapping, and wrapping was, for me anyhow, the hardest skill to pick up. My only other advice is be patient in all phases.

I also have an electric Strike King. It works fine but if I had it to do over gain I'd buy a gas auger.

I recognize that beast as well as the view.

cabin 11?

Came back to camp for lunch one day and noticed the cabin door was slightly ad-jar. Not being afraid of any man nor beast I entered. Little did I know a rogue red squirrel was scavenging our camp. I cried like a little girl.