fishinggeek

I'm actually young and I don't like it either. I turn on WFN for the fishing, not the annoying music. But the commercials really annoy me. They are so much louder than the show that I end up changing the channel or muting it anyways, which is not what the advertisers wanted when they chose to have the volume so much louder.

Good luck with them Rich. Out of 14, hopefully a couple will become a "top 5" lure. That's what I'm hoping for with my 2.

I haven't used them either, but they do look good. One thing you might want to note is that this is one of the very few items that is actually cheaper at Bass Pro than Le Baron, at least the last time I checked.

I admit I was sold. Bought 2 at a local dollar store. Bought the biggest ones hoping they'd be the best to cast. I do appreciate not worrying about chucking them near rocks, branches, and other snags. I'll make a note of doing the modification in case the lure breaks mid-fight. My theory is try and get good stuff at the best price, and at a buck a piece, I'm trying them hoping I find a real bargain. I tend to usually root for the little guy, the littlest guy in the fishing business is us. I'll keep you posted on how they do, and hopefully I'll find that gem in the dollar store that Snag was blessed with.

I know I'm going to pick some up next time I'm in the area. Thanks for the info! I find all my lures, no matter how expensive they are, come with a lead paint warning. Something about complying with California disclosure regulations...

Sorry if I offended anyone, especially Ryan. OFC seems to be a really good forum for deals, and I just really get excited over good deals! But I agree the colours sure look catchy Ryan. Keep 'em comin'!

drwxr, which Dollarama store has those? Can't beat 99 cents a lure!

While there seems to be a lot of positive experiences, I think the returns some have had might not be a reason to invest. You should be looking at the risk-adjusted returns. When you have all your eggs in one basket (in the cottage), as well as an uncertain (and illiquid) market for recreational property, combined with the fact you have mortgaged it, the risk can become very high. As well, these returns are over many years, and mortgage interest builds up fast over these years if you borrow to make the purchase, which makes these rates far less attractive on an annual basis. And when you factor in the opportunity costs of sweat equity, you could earn those returns with far less risk through other channels (e.g. taking a part-time job). We all love fishing and there's nothing more grand than to spend time in our great outdoors. But exposing $50K of your own equity, not to mention borrowing from the bank and increasing your risk, is just not rational to me, especially when someone is not in an affluent financial position. To me, a cottage is a luxury purchase, similar to going on vacation or buying a Harley. They're fun, but only get one when you are in the proper financial position. And even if one is comfortable with the risk, should one's future family live with such a decision when the equity could have been invested elsewhere? Personally, if I made a financial decision that I regretted in hindsight, and my future children had to go on OSAP or work 30 hours to go to the school they wanted, I would have much guilt. Why not take your ideas to a reputable financial advisor, one who is independent and preferably doesn't love fishing as much as we do . See what he/she thinks about such a purchase.

I say don't do it. As an investment, there are much better investments for the same amount of money, those that can offer better returns, less risk, or both. You will probably not accumulate significant wealth by renting out a cottage on the side. For pleasure, like Wayne mentioned, you can rent a pile of other cottages over many different bodies of water. So if the investment isn't good and the pleasure can be had for much less money, don't do it. I think owning a cottage is something one should do later in life, when you have discretionary income. If you haven't moved out yet, your best bet would be to save for that.

Thanks MR and GBG for the input, and keep them coming please. What really intrigued me is the composite flooring. I would want a boat to last as long as possible, and the idea of plywood in rain, sun, snow, and whatever else we put our boats through doesn't sound that good. Plus a retired boat dealer told me that was the brand he would choose if he were me. He said they had the fewest problems of the different boats he saw in his many years working.

Misty River boats look interesting. Anyone have any opinions on them, either positive or negative? Too bad they weren't at the boat show this week.

Blake, you always mention Fishing World. I haven't been there yet, because it's fairly far away from me, and I worry that all these deals you mention are for only a few select items (such as Shimano reels). Do you know how their prices compare in general to Le Baron's? I'm talking about the everyday things like lures and line. I have yet to find a place that is generally cheaper than LB's, and I am still searching for the cheapest store. BPS is good to browse while taking the woman shopping at the mall, but I rarely spend money there.

I wouldn't have kept it either, but I agree with bassman that they taste as good. Comparing it with shoe leather is a bit of an exaggeration IMO. I always enjoy reading some of the rants here, like keeping fish or taking OOS pictures. Thanks for keeping things interesting here!

What happened to the pic of the OOS bass?

Not having things in stock, especially driving to Woodstock 7 times, really adds much to the cost if you factor in gas and time wasted. And I have been to JB's Fishing Depot many times, as they have some of the muskie baits that no one else carries. But when I look at the "core" items that I buy, like line, rods, reels, and popular baits (eg. Rapalas, jigs, Powerbait), the little shops never come close. I am not one to try and negotiate. To me, I prefer the retailer offer their lowest prices and compete like that. So when faced with the choice of trying to build a relationship with a smaller retailer (which may or may not work as I'm not the most likeable person), which wastes a lot of my own time and money on the initial purchases, or a guaranteed lower initial prices at Le Baron (and guaranteed low prices in the future), I'll take the guaranteed savings option. And as for fishing advice, this is what OFC is for (at least for me), as well as fellow fishing friends, and especially time spent on the water. To each their own, but it really does baffle me how some consumers choose to pay more money for the exact same items. Supporting smaller businesses isn't really that compelling to me. I think some of the best businesses support their consumers with low, low prices!

Charles, which smaller shops have better pricing than Le Baron's? I'd definitely be interested in going to a place that can beat the lowest prices that I know of. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Ah thanks Lew! I prefer to not fight the crowds today so I'll check it out later this week.

I know Le Baron is having a no-tax event for Boxing Day (though no other discounts apply - including the membership). Anyone know what Bass Pro Shops is doing? From browsing the website, it doesn't look like they're doing anything, which means there's no way I'll be going there. Thought I'd ask...

Thanks!

Anyone have any tips on how to clean whitefish? Never caught one before and want to try my luck at catching and maybe eating one. Is the skeletal structure the same as trout/salmon, or more like a walleye?

Thanks for the Believer on the top tips! I never heard of that, and will surely try it next season. Bucktail, that must've been a crazy few seconds. I go nuts over bass hitting my topwaters, let alone a muskie of that size. I believe the giant Zara's are plastics, and I saw Rapala has new saltwater topwaters that are relatively big and plastic too.

With respect to enforcement, I agree with eveyrone here as well as our provincial auditor general that the MNR has not been effectively enforcing the reg's. I also agree with increasing the penalties, like higher fines and more convictions with jail time served. But correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought all fines were paid to the provincial treasurer and not the MNR. If that is the case, any extra fine revenue will likely not go to more CO's, but might still deter poaching from the would-be poacher. It's so frustrating when there really is so little incentive to follow the rules. A poacher will likely never get caught, and even if he does, might be found not guilty or face only a small fine at best. I'm sure most of us have seen poaching, many have reported it (including myself), and hardly any of us saw any real action from our efforts. I guess it really shows how "stand up" about our natural resources us law-abiding fishermen on OFC are.

I think there are groups with a lot of diverse motivations, and all these make it hard to make the "right" decision. I am leaning towards believing the biologist, and from the few research reports I have read, they seem to be generally in favour of reducing limits, implementing slot sizes, and shortening seasons. But then again, bureaucrats have had hidden agendas in the past, using their expert knowledge to justify their budgets, so this has to be taken into account. Are they not totally unbiased in their findings, and are subconsciously (ie. unknowingly) trying to inflate their budget and power? Animal rights groups may want to slowly reduce fishing over a long time in a manner that is barely noticeable at first, until it gradually becomes almost non-existent. Have their lobbying efforts somehow affected the reg's? And I will probably take a lot of flak for this, but we as fishing folk form another stakeholding group. Some of us lobby either directly or indirectly through member associations. Some of us have motivations that might not be "best". Having the best fishery (eg. heavy stocking, trophies of one species at the detriment of the ecology) does not always mean having the best reg's. For example, I enjoy going carp fishing (but I rarely have the time to do). But if the general consensus amongst scientists was Canada should have no more carp, then I would gladly support their extermination and never catch another carp again. Same could be said for stocked salmon or trout, which I also enjoy catching. I don't believe that a body of water with great fishing with lots of big muskies, walleye, bass, or any other species stands on its own as proof of a healthy ecosystem. My enjoyment from fishing, be it C&R or eating, should always be secondary to the general health of the system. I think the real test is what is best for ecology and the environment. So in my own personal opinion, I tend to favour allowing sports fishing for all, so I believe in keeping license costs low and support initiatives like Family Fishing weekends. But to counterbalance this universal allowance to fish, I also would bet that restricting limits, slot sizes, and certain seasons is the way to go. I agree fishing is not necessary for survival, but also think the occasional meal is part of our heritage. I wouldn't mind in the least if policies such as walleye limit of 2 with a slot, zero possession of musky, or laker limit of 1 with a slot was implemented.

If you're just starting to learn, I suggest going to a local fly fishing club like Izaak Walton's. Kitchener has one too but I don't recall the name. It's much more difficult to learn on your own, and other tyers can steer you clear of some of the errors. But if you're not just starting, sorry I don't have any sites off hand.

I was contemplating buying a membership at Le Baron's for so long now. At $25 a year and 10% discount, I have to spend over $250 a year there to make it worthwhile. I am sure I spend more than that a year there, so maybe I'll buy that before I do my Christmas shopping.