Garry2Rs

I tow my 18.5 bass boat, fully loaded with gas and gear behind an old Dodge Ram 1500. I always tow in OD and have done so for 300,000 klm. with no problems. I have replaced a Cat-converter and a power steering pump, but the old 5.2L (318CID) engine is stone axe reliable and still going strong. On the downside...It is hard on gas...15 MPG. or less. I am due for a change and would like an SUV this time. Right now I am leaning toward the Toyota Highlander. Honda's are rust buckets, for long term owners like me, and in the past I have found Nissan seats too small and quite uncomfortable. I don't go "Off Road" although some of the boat ramps I use might challenge the 32 inch wheel set...grin. I really like the idea that it is Camry based. My last car was a Camry and I'm sure it was the best car I ever owned! Not flashy, but well laid out and completely reliable.

You can double the strength of the Uni Knot by simply going through the hook-eye twice. Bearing in mind that ten pound Crystal is only about the diameter of four pound mono, any ten pound fluoro or mono leader will give you some bite-off insurance when you pick-up an incidental Pike. However I don't have much faith in any non-metal leader of less than about twenty pounds for toothy critters. Garry2R's

Sorry about the double post. I tried to edit something and had a computer crash. When I rebooted I thought I had accidentally erased the original.

Well the weatherman is saying that next week, Tuesday and Wednesday there is a 40% and 60% chance of rain. Thursday and Friday both look sunny in the forecast. But it's Ontario, so pack for heat and sleet and let me know which days you want.

Bass season is only two weeks old and it has already been an adventure. Through it all the fish have kept biting, although some days you had to work a lot harder than others. It all started in the rain. Then it got quite cool with high winds. Please note the seven year old is successfully using a baitcaster! Last week we had the heat-wave. Then came a couple of days with sudden down pours with thunder and lightning Tourist's question...So; what is the Ontario weather like in July? Resident's answer...We're not sure, but if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes...It will change!

Aw yes, shorts and a parka under a raincoat, the traditional Ontario summer wardrobe...HAHAHA

Bass season is only two weeks old and it has already been an adventure. Through it all the fish have kept biting, although some days you had to work a lot harder than others. It all started in the rain. Then it got quite cool with high winds. Please note the seven year old is successfully using a baitcaster! Last week we had the heat-wave. Then came a couple of days with sudden down pours with thunder and lightning Tourist's question...So; what is the Ontario weather like in July? Resident's answer...We're not sure, but if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes...It will change!

Great stuff!!!

Congratulations on the canoe and the nice trout too! Garry

Congratulations on a very nice river bass. Glad to hear the new tackle was a success too...Although with a Cumara and a Stradic how could a guy go wrong?!?! Garry

NICE!

It was slow in the Kawarthas too. My client and I managed a bunch of small SMBass and a few better looking LMBass, all on wacky Senko type worms. Garry2R's

Hi John; I have a 6'9" St.Croix Avid that I use for Senkos. It's rated Med. Light X-Fast. I haven't used the Cumara, but if you get one and don't like it, somebody here will take it off your hands. Garry2R's

Hi Jesse; All of the tips are for weightless Texas or Wacky, except for the last one, Walking the Dog, which is only for Texas. The key to this bait is the fall, weighting the line or the hook kills that action. For simplicity, I use regular EWG 3/0 for everything, although it might be larger than necessary for wacky. There are a number of weedless wacky hooks, but I think they cost you a fish now and then. Garry2R's

There's no doubt that magazines recycle their stories. That I guess is inevitable since the fish go through the same cycle every year. There will always be differing opinions, about tackle. If you don't believe me, just start a post about fishing line, and stand back...HAHAHA. Tip number one refers to the fact that every season there are new "hot" baits. In a year or so these become just average baits...how come? The theory is that fish become accustomed to those baits and ignore them. For example, in the south where it is almost 100% catch and release and there is a year-round season, Rattle type baits like Rattlin Rap, Rattle Trap, etc. are very popular Spring baits. Over time the fish have become so accustomed to the baby-rattle sound of these baits that their successfulness has diminished. A couple of years ago, a bunch of new baits with a single large ball-bearing, the so called "One Knockers" were introduced to change the sound of these baits. Tip number two suggests that old-time baits, from forty or fifty years ago, like the River Runt, Flatfish and Hula Popper, might be very attractive to today's fish. Again, you would be showing them something they haven't seen before. Garry2R's

Good stuff!

Here are five surefire methods that'll help you hook up with pressured bass, according to "North American Fisherman-TV's" Steve Pennaz: 1. Fish New Lures— Fish often react positively to lures they have never seen before. 2. Revive Old Classics— Grandpa's baits still work, and fish haven't seem then in a long while, either. 3. Change Colours— If the bite slows on green pumpkin, try something else. 4. Tweak Speed— In many cases, fast is better than slow, often much better. 5. Alter Angle of Attack— Most anglers cast deep to shallow. When was the last time you took the opposite approach?

Hi Ben; Braid is fine. Hold the rod tip up to lift as much line as possible off the water. Keep cranking...Don't worry about the bait rolling over.

For the past three years I have had success fishing Yum Buzz Frogs, Rage Tail Toads, and many of their cousins from other manufacturers. My experience wasn't quite an instant success. Like everything else there was a learning curve. To save you the growing pains here are my Quick-Tips for anyone who is just starting to use these great baits. First, here's the technical side of the story. After much trial, error, experimentation and expense, I am now using 4/0 Mustad Ultra Point 32826BLN jig hooks. I added a stainless steel corkscrew that snaps through the 45 degree eye. I bought the hooks and screws from Barlow's, an on-line tackle making supplies place in the States. When assembled, this give me a unit that's quite similar to those expensive Owner Screw-Lock hooks. The corkscrew holds the solid body frog/toad to the eye of the hook. It can't slide down the shank and ball-up blocking the hook point. It also stops the bait from getting torn or thrown off by a fish. Although the hook had worn a groove in my toad, before the musky hit on Saturday, with this set-up one toad might have lasted me all day. The Musky tore the bait in half, but the head was still securely attached to the corkscrew. These toads are fished fairly fast, like a buzz-bait, not with a slow twitch like a hollow body Skum-Frog etc. The bait will sometimes roll over on the retrieve. When it does I give the rod tip a quick pop...If that doesn't roll it back over, I keep cranking. They seem to work either way. Last year I decided that for toads/frogs etc. I preferred a casting rod. Part of that was for the hook-set but mostly in was the amount of weed you sometimes have to move to drag-in the fish. Since this is a reaction bait, and the cover is heavy, I am using 20# Mono. I keep most of the line off the water with a high rod tip. However as the bait gets closer and the rod tip comes down, the buoyant mono helps the bait ride high. Thirty or forty pound braid would work just as well, but the thicker mono turned out to be a bonus when the unexpected Musky hit. This is a big-fish bait. Dinks will come up and grab a leg, dragging the bait under, but fish over a pound will swallow it whole! When fishing these toads, if you get a hit but no hook-up, stop reeling. I have seen two or three bass following the bait. Very often the smallest fish rushes ahead and hits the toad without hooking up. If you stop reeling and let the bait hang dead-in-the-water the biggest fish might grab it. I have seen this several times. In fact we caught a five pounder last year that way. I was coaching the clients girlfriend and saw the whole thing unfold through my Polarized lenses. One last thought on using baits that attract big fish, and a tip of the hat... Most of the lakes I fish have musky in them, but when I'm bass fishing, I don't carry a net. However, I always carry Knipex hook cutters and a Boca Grip in my tool locker. With the musky we caught on Saturday, Albert did the honours, and although he had never used a Boca Grip before he locked onto the toothy critters lower jaw on the first try...Good Work Albert! Garry2R's

I don't live that far north, but my backyard is the North Kawartha Highlands Park. We bush wolves and bears etc. I have 100 pound golden, and haven't had any troubles since he moved in. I believe that the wild critters won't look for confrontations, they will stay away from a place with big dogs. Especially if you are careful about not leaving any food scent around.

I am using 100 pound fluorocarbon as musky leaders. As you are no doubt aware it's tough to tie a neat knot in this heavy line. On the Seaguar site I found a loop knot that works. It's the old Homer Rhodes, but it does the trick. Seaguar also suggests that you use a little Chap-Stick to lubricate the line as you draw it tight. I found this a big help in getting a small knot. http://www.seaguar.com/seaguar-community/loop-knot.htm

The Tri-Lakes, Pigeon/the Bald's/Upper Buckhorn and Chemong are a great pieces of water. The big plus is that you can boat from one to the other without going through a Locke. The downside is there is a Bass tournament every weekend! Being big means big fish, but it also means that there is also a lot of dead water to eliminate, before you can score consistently. For those who know there way around, that's fine. For beginners...Let's just say that unless you hire a guide, you can count on spending a lot of time exploring. Garry2R's

Fiberglas boats are made from the outside in... First the mold is sprayed with clear-coat then melt-flake with the base colour is splayed on, then the glass is layered up or the fibre glass chop is sprayed in. When the clear-coat fades it's pretty well toast. Some of you might recall I had a boat wreck with my Skeeter on the way to Arizona a few years ago. I replace that boat with an old Ranger that I found down there. It was solid, but seriously sun-faded. I tried various products to restore the finish, but to no avail...In my opinion, you can sand and paint, and that might be okay on a Runabout but on a speed boat or a bass boat, their original high gloss, melt flake finish can't be restored. Garry2R's

I don't know of any free map web sites. The various MNR offices often have sounding maps for lakes in their area. Ask nicely and you may get a free photo copy. There is a guy in Bridgenorth that sells okay maps of the Kawarthas and other lakes in the surrounding area. http://www.adventurefishingmaps.on.ca/ Backroad Map Books sells some books of lake maps and single sheet copies of those maps. They're not very good and I think they get their information by talking to the kid at the gas station...But they're a little better than nothing. http://www.backroadmapbooks.com/main/index.html Navigation map packages for the Trent Severn are available at Marinas in those areas and from the Government. http://www.fedpubs.com/mpchrt/charts/ontario.htm These are the ones that I happen to own, but there are others. For instance, I know there are Dave Mercer fishing maps available through BPS and other tackle stores. Garry2R's

Nice work Ryan, but your friend Jay looks like a hurting unit. Tell him to stay away from those camp fires! The smoke makes your eyes red and your head ache. HAHAHA.