spincast

atta boy vince - sounds like you're dialing into them Boats runnin', fish are bitin' - it doesnt get much better than that. a 12 lber is just icing on the cake

Good on ya Simon. Well worth the effort, and your family will thank you for the rest of your life. The first week is the physical part - after that its all in the head - and if you beat the bottle this will be a breeze (of fresh air) - kicked a 2 pack a day habit.

Beauty fish - while it won't point out an Atlantic, this page is kind of helpful if your just learning. My link.

or you could pm me My link

awesome report, thanks. What a fanatastic get away!

Great report Frank - and what a way to spend recognise your birthday! Juli is such a riot when she has a fish on; that first picture captures her enjoyment perfectly.

Nice! - and I agree with Kevin..

Awesome report - Congrats on the PBs - that is a swwet collection of fish some of the best scenery in Ontario up there - I have wanted to fish up there for years, maybe time to strat planning a trip

great way to welcome spring - those are some nice fish.

Great report Ryan - thanks for sharing

What you say is correct Craig - but the fact is almost any claim on any policy will result in a rate increase, so if you claim on your homeowners or claim on your separate boat policy, either way you will likely get an increase - the amount will depend on a lot of other factors (years with the insurance company, quality of your brokler, claim free years, loss ratios on all your policies, your credit score). Most insurers target 25% of premium as an overall payout rate. If you insure a boat for $300 / year and have a couple grand claim, you will have a longer and higher increase (loss ratios used in calculating claims go back a minimum of 4 years). If you have a couple grand claim on a $900 household policy, it represents a smaller % of payout of the premium. You will likely eliminate the "loss" to the underwriter in a shorter period of time, but likely pay the same amount back over the term of the increase. If you are paying out $300 year for separate insurance, and only have 1 claim during the life expectancy of the boat, you would finance the couple grand claim in about 5 years. If you don't think you will have 5 years of claim free boat operating, then your premiums, be they separate or rolled into your household policy will be brutal, and the example above changes significantly. Really, an insurance claim should only be made when the cost is beyond your means. It's not designed to be a savings account for an unfortunate situation. Its designed to insure you don't loose your shirt when the crap hits the fan. Fire, theft or a damage equal to the value or near vlaue of the boat - or in the case of personal injury to you or a third party. Almost everything else you want to pay out of pocket. Just my $0.02 from over 20 years of buying commercial policies for highway trucking operations where the stakes are significant.

Check with a dealer. Give them the VIN and tell them what you plan on towing. You may need to install an upgraded cooler. Not sure about Chrysler products, but in my old mini van (GMC) it was recommended I install one by a few people I spoke to (mechanics and tranny shops), so I put one on to deal with the higher temps. My newer Sante Fe and the Sierra both already had one, so it really depends on what it came with from the manufacturer - but a 20 fter and a full load will put a lot of heat on a mini van tranny. A couple hundred bucks on a cooler beats a few grand for a tranny + an afternoon on the side of the road.

16 ft and under you should be able to include on your homeowners if you have full replacement. Call your broker to check. This will cover it for the big stuff (fire, theft etc), which is all you really need on a boat that age. Do the math on the other options - annual premium, taxes and deductible if something happens. Just put that away in a savings account and see what happens after 5 years.

I'll take today over the above any day, anytime. Shovel or cut grass - there's a poll for ya. My vote - grass, followed by an ale on the porch Penguins can have the snow.

--- As a starting point I would be checking to see if it is equipped with a transmission cooler - there are a few other things to check into as well, but a towing package should take care of thees as well . Without the cooler however, you're a break down on the 400 waiting for a hot long weekend.

Congrats to both of you on the PB's - those are some beauties

Hey Vince - always a geat day on the water when we get out Tough stuff out there today - lots of lookers but no takers Next time, its our turn. Nial 'em tomorrow for us

I read the title of this and it brought me a flash back a few of us might remember from the early 80's - a strange phenomenon called gas wars? At the peak I was driving a cab in London Ont, and one day they had a photo - a tanker truck had pulled into the Petro Canada around the corner from the flop house I shared with 5 other poor starving students (or used-to-be-students). He was pumping INTO the tanker because they were selling it for $0.10 / litre....

I think it was the shirt you're wearing in pic #3 . Fish just love a winner (you should have an EDIT button when you click on your post to correct the beerslips)

Looks like a great weekend Ron - great pics of the kids and looks like you got a walleye fest to boot Did ya get a length on that Gator? Thanks for the report!

awesome -

Nice gators. That last one's got a gut on it!

Mine did the same. Was great to watch -Camping meant wet dog, wet tent, wet, wet, wet. She actually learned to pick upwaterlogged sticks at Algonguin - she woudl stick her snout under the water and exhale, and come up with a stick in her mouth and proceed to charge me, and then shake out 2 layers of fur. But it did mean the end of my taking her river fishing. Kind of hard to sneak up on the fish with Kisha the swimming keeshond charging into every pool I stopped at. .

a great way to welcome spring. Thanks for the report.Campfire, fishin' and barley sandwiches on tap....sounds like the rapture came your way

Nice Simon - need a spot like that for when I retire - for the summer anyway