Garry2Rs

Well Friends, the weather is cooling off. At the beginning of November it was at least 80 every day. This week it struggled to reach 75. The overnight lows are still around 50, so it's quite pleasent. We are still fishing with the neighbour and over the past week I have caught a few small Bass in the Colorado River. We aren't fishing in the river proper, but in "lakes" that are flooded backwaters created by the various dams. My friend Kelly has been tossing Senko worms as well as spinnerbaits of his own and one from the KVD box. I'm still only using the baits that are in the KVD Sexy Shad box that I bought on the way down. So far worms and spinnerbaits are a bust, but the Red-eye Shad Rattle bait is working. I have also caught fish on the #2 and #3 crankbaits. As I said earlier, the fish have been small... Here's the best one: On the other hand...You will note that I'm still fishing in a T-shirt. Things have a way of evening out...hahaha. In the past, all of my big fish, down here, have come out of the Mittry Lake Reservoir. My neighbour has preferred to fish the river, because we are catching fish there...I can't fault his reasoning. However, I think it's time to make a trip to Mittry, even if it's just Buck and I on our own. I will keep you posted on our progress... Garry Fishing is my favorite form of loafing.

The new DT9 is a casting bait, as opposed to the new trolling baits which Rapala also introduced at I-Cast this year. This flat-sided bait is called DT9 because DT stands for "Dives To" and it runs 9 feet deep. It fits in the the Rapala line-up along with the older Flat DT3 and DT7. These flat body baits have a tighter wobble than the round bodied DT series. Those who have used the new DT9 Flat Rap say that although it has a balsa wood body, it has what they call a "slow rising characteristic." Therefore, I think that a stop and go retrieve should work okay. However, please note that the coffin shaped bill is designed to deflect off of wood and rocks and bounce off the bottom at odd angles to trigger strikes. That would indicate that, at least around cover, a steady retrieve might work just as well. Garry2R's

Hi fishinguypat; You said, in your post, the lake can't sustain the fishing pressure, the answer is therefore self-evident...get rid of that pressure! The first thing you could do to improve the fishing is ask the Conservation Authority to make this lake Catch-and-Release only. People will only listen if there is something in it for them. Therefore to gain support be sure to point out that by doing this the lake could be left "open" for a longer period of time thus generating more revenue. More access to these waters would benefit both the non-fishing boaters and the fishermen. Everybody wins, even the fish-eaters...because it's far cheaper to buy fish-for-food at the Supermarket...GRIN. Garry2Rs

Ontario should be in a late Fall pattern. Look for Bass on the last remaining weed beds. I'd start looking in about 10 -12 feet of water and work outward. Ideally these beds might be on inside turns of the first deep break line coming off of a cove, bay or large flat. If the water temp. is still above 40F, crankbaits should work quite well. Work the areas I mentioned, don't expect to find Bass on mid-lake humps or rocky points at this time of year. As always, the predators will follow the bait. At this time of year the bait will move toward the shallows and locate around those weeds that are still alive outside of coves etc. When the water suddenly cools, many schools of minnows suffer large die-offs. If you find the weeds and the crankbait bite is slow, you might want to try yo-yoing a Rattle Trap or the Cicada type bait mentioned in another post. A jigging spoon might also be good in deeper water. These baits can be worked at steep angles or vertically to imitating unhealthy or dying minnows.

Perhaps to those who grew up in a Uni-sex, one size fits all, instant everything, fully automatic world, the concept that a tool, such as a new reel, might not be ready to use straight out of the box is shocking. A casting reel is, in essence, a fully manual tool. You even need to educate your thumb to control the spool at some point! Out of the box they all need to be adjusted to suit the weight of the bait, the stiffness of the rod and, to some extent, the technique of the caster. These adjustments are not hard, once you understand them. If the idea of making slight mechanical adjustments frightens you, or you're not ready for this level, there are other options open to you. But, please don't talk down to me or bad-mouth something you don't understand.

I don't notice any difference. I suspect that the 12 month growing season is the reason the fish look leaner. Or maybe they're just buff from working out...HAHAHA

The Colorado River is always fast and right now it is going like 60! About the skinny fish... I think the fish grow so fast down here that they don't have time to fatten up. About water temps...Good question, the night time lows have been in the mid-fifties. The water surface temps were about 65 everywhere we went. Tomorrow, I plan to hit them again. This time with a local guy who is a real fisherman. My plan is to try secondary points in larger backwater bays, looking for the first break-line where there might be big schools of Shad. By-the-way, I didn't buy the KVD kit until now, when I was going south, because there are few if any Shad north of the Great Lakes. Regardless of all the advertising, Sexy Shad and Spicy Shad etc. are strictly USA patterns in my mind. Garry2R's

Oh my God! Who let the kids out? This has nothing to do with warranty. This is baitcasting 101!!! These are the normal adjustments, like tuning a guitar, that you are expected to do in order to make the reel work for you, your baits and your rod. If this is over your head, go back to Barbie and Sponge Bob and don't call us, we will call you!

Well thank-you Roy. The truth is that there's a three hour time difference, so it wasn't suppertime here, only mid-afternoon...grin. Garry2R's

That would be a big 10-4 there, Good Buddy!

When you cast, centrifugal force can cause the spool to accelerator to a speed that is faster than the bait is actually flying away from your rod tip. This causes the coils of line on the spool to become loose. As this burst of acceleration slows, the lure can pull the outside wraps down tight against the loose inside wraps. This in turn can causes the spool to lock and everything to stop in mid-air and crash on the water...leaving you with a birds nest on the reel spool. When in the on position the six brakes that you see fly outward, at the start of the cast, and momentarily rub against a brake drum. On some reels you click them on and off, on others there is a knob that physically moves the brake drum in and out. Some reels use magnets, which are adjusted closer or father from a brake drum or other metal surface. In each case the result is the same. This slight braking effect slows the extreme acceleration of the spool, in the first milliseconds of the cast, enough to prevent the birds nest described above. You can't go wrong if you follow Roy's suggestion and start with them all on. Or you can try to short-cut with 3 or four and work up or down as you fine tune the rod-reel combination. Your next question will be how do you know if you have too much or too little braking? As a rule of thumb, too much braking causes the cast to "die" in the air, instead of arching out gracefully. Too little braking, on the other hand, will allow loose line, which you can see hovering above the spool and hear flapping around as it hits the reel's frame. The other control, on the reel, is a friction brake that presses against the end of the reel spool. This is the knurled knob under the crank handle on most baitcasters. The purpose of this brake is to slow the spool at the end of the cast so that the spool will stop when the lure falls to the water. Traditionally you adjust this brake tight enough that the weight of the bait drags the bait slowly down to the water, then stops. Too much braking steals distance from your cast. You will start loosening this brake as you learn to use your thumb to stop the spool. Eventually you will probably back this brake off until it no longer creates any drag at all. Garry2R's

Okay, you already know that Buck and I arrived safe and sound at our winter hideout in Yuma AZ. on October 28 or 29th. The first two weeks down here were devoted to settling in, stocking-up the larder and cleaning-up, and hauling to the dump, eight months worth of dead leaves etc. from around the property. Almost as a signal that phase one was over, last weekend the cable man restored our TV and internet, so we are on-line once again. On the way down we stopped at several Cabela's and Bass Pro outdoor store locations to search for bargains...grin. We bought a couple of spools of new line, several lures that were on sale, and a box set of Kevin Van Dam "Sexy Shad" pattern baits. In case you haven't seen it, the KVD Sexy Shad Kit consisted of 17 lures and a plastic utility box. The full breakdown on the collection is as follows... 1 Chartreuse Sexy Shad and 1 Sexy Shad Pro Model crankbait in each of these sizes: Series 1, Series 3, Series 4, Series 5 and Series 6 Three 1/2 oz. Red Eye Shads – 1 Sexy Shad, 1 Chartreuse Sexy Shad and 1 Chrome Sexy Shad. Plus, 4 KVD Spinnerbaits. Two each in 3/8 and 1/2 ounce weights, also in the Sexy Shad pattern. At the regular USA price of $60.00 it was about a $20.00 savings over regular retail. I think that this year they are changing-out two of the spinnerbaits for two swim-jigs, so the older model kit I bought was on sale. That made the deal even sweeter. Like I said, the last two weeks were written-off to shopping, home improvement and grounds-care. However, on Tuesday we went fishing in the Colorado River with the neighbour across the street. More correctly, we fished in a couple of the backwater lakes that were created by the flooding behind the Imperial Dam at Yuma. The weather has been clear and hot...90+ everyday, with bluebird skies. Not surprisingly the fishing was tough. In the morning, we were in what's called Martinez Lake. As lunchtime approached, we knew that we would have to leave soon. Kelly had an afternoon appointment in town. Trying to change our luck, we decided to relocate to a spot up river called Franklin Lake. All morning I had been alternating between the KVD spinnerbait and a shallow running #1 crankbait. On a hunch I switched to a Red-Eye Shad rattle bait. I've had good luck with this type of bait down here. It only took a couple of minutes to hook about a 4 pound LM Bass. After the photo, I cut-off the bait and offered it to my neighbour. I tied on the new Chrome version of the same bait and caught a very small Bass on the next cast! No picture on that one...grin. The fish down here are long and skinny compared to the Kawarthas. They are also quite light in colour. Since time was running out, we opted to end on these high notes and headed home. You probably don't care to know that I came home with a slight sunburn...grin. I'll will keep you posted as the season goes on. Garry2R's Fishing is my favourite form of loafing

PS... I don't buzz cut Buck's coat. The temperature down here is dropping slightly, week by week. Bucks winter coat will fall out as fast as it comes in. This means a lot of brushing, but he enjoys it and I don't find it a chore. Garry2rs

PM me for any details you want. I agree that 80's and 90's that are normal Fall temperatures in the desert are nothing like the 80's, with humidity, that we have in the Summer back home in Ontario...

I'm pleased to report that Buck and I had an uneventful trip south. We arrived back around the 28th of October, but it has taken until now to get our cable Internet connection reinstalled. It's the busy time down here with flocks of snowbirds arriving every day. So far we have spent a lot of time shopping to restock the pantry in our winter place and cleaning up the yard etc. This coming week we will hit the water. Hopefully we will have pictures as well as a story for you soon...grin. The weather has been quite warm...in the low 90's everyday. The forecast is for temps. in the high to mid 80's next week. In the dry heat of the desert it doesn't make much difference...What really matters is the overnight lows. They are still in the mid- fifties... This makes it very pleasant to sit out with a cocktail in the evening. By-the-way 24's of bottled beer are $9.98 at the grocery store this week and 750 bottles of CC were $9.98 last week... Gas is about $2.50 a gallon, so that's .65.8 cents a liter? The exchange rate is about 10% so say $0.73 a liter Canadian. Garry2rs

Tomorrow evening Buck and I will close the house and start trekking toward my winter place in Arizona. I will not really get going for a week or so , because I have some work to do for my daughter first. When I get settled down there, in about two weeks, I will check in again. Over the winter I hope to tease you with pictures of warm weather fishing ...and some nice Bass...Grin. Garry2rs

Fiction This is what Italo and Henry got in trouble for. They claimed they thought they had permission but the MNR said No!

I don't think the Fall fishing has started yet. Over the last seven days I have had several clients out for Bass and Musky. The shallow weeds are still green and healthy. Until these shallow weedbeds start to die I would fish as if it was July...it's about the same temperature isn't it?...HAHAHA!

The Curado is a fine reel. It has been the top choice of many non-sponsored tournament guys for the last 10 years and it has gotten better with each new generation. The Citica isn't in the same league, but at half the price it's okay. The Code is a great value for the casual fisherman, but with it's chrome plated plastic parts I don't think it's meant for heavy use... Since Hometown Handyman has already posted, let me put it this way, for me a $20.00 Black and Decker drill is fine...it makes holes. For a him, a guy who uses his drill three or more days a week year round, it wouldn't last...That's what we're talking about here. The buyer need to make a choice based on his/her personal wants and needs.

First of all Co-polymer isn't Fluorocarbon, it's mono with a Fluoro. coating...possibly the worst of both worlds...grin. Second, not all Fluorocarbon is the same. the better brands even have different versions for reels and leaders. Third, Kevin Van Dam swears by (his sponsor) BPS' 100% Fluoro. He is a better fisherman than me and I will defer to him. Fourth, any 15 pound plastic line Mono or Fluoro. will fish Cranks or Spinnerbaits okay on a casting reel. Fifth, I think 15 pound test plastic line is too heavy for a spinning reel. My rule of thumb is that spinning reels are used for baits of 1/4 ounce or less...You don't need 15 pound test line with lures that small UNLESS it's Braid. Sixth, I use Braid most of the time, but heavy plastic lines work okay on casting reels for pitching, or for cranks, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits or Mono for surface baits etc. Seventh, fish IMO, don't "see" the line, no matter what you use, on fast moving baits like cranks and spinnerbaits. Eighth, Fluorocarbon sinks, so use it for divers, but not surface baits. Ninth, there is very little difference in the stretch of mono or fluoro. Tenth, some Fluoro is more abrasion resistant than Mono.

I have a couple of these Accurist's that I like okay. The reels in question were replaced by a new model last year, that's why they are on sale. They aren't a Chronach or a Tour Edition PT, but they're smooth enough and for $100.00 a good value. In a couple of years there might not be any parts for them, but Quantum is a division of Zebco so we might be okay. You might want to phone Rocky's in Orillia or Aickmans and ask them about parts... Like I said I bought two because of the price. When I got them I opened the reels to make sure everthing was in good order. One had grease on the centrifical brake, and the other had dry bearings. A little lighter fluid cleaned the brake drum, and a couple of drops of Hot Sauce made the other one work perfectly. I believe that most of the complaints about these reels could have been cured or avoided the same way. A friend of mine who has fished tournaments for the last 5 years has had a couple of these reels since they were introduced around 2001. He more days a year than most guys and has had no issues. Rick Clunn uses his signature series BPS rod and reels exclusively and that is a good recommend as far as I'm concerned. The trouble with BPS is you don't know if there will parts available down stream. Browning is another dark horse. I don't think they make any of there own reels, so they are not much different than BPS or Cabela's house brand reels and parts will be the long term problem. Abu's have always had problems with their pawl and worm gear wearing out. The secret is to oil these parts after almost every trip. This advise is in their packaging. Garry2R's

IMO anyone who kills a Musky should slash his wrist and drizzle about a gallon of blood on the fillet.

About 90% of the outboard troubles I have ever had were caused by air leaks. Cracks in fuel lines, that are almost too small, will open on turns or at certain RPM's and you will lose your vacume. This causes the motor to lose RPM's as the fuel is cut off, but regain them when the crack closes and fuel flow is restored etc. Check all the fuel lines. If you find nothing, remove the float bowls and clean the ends of the needle valve that is attached to the float. It could have crap on it that is causing it to stick. While you have the float bowl in your hand, check for cracks where the fuel line attaches to the bowl. I had a cracked float bowl on an Evenrude 120hp. that caused much the same problem as you discribe. Garry2R's

Great report!

The spool bearings on new reels often need a drop of oil. I like Hot Sauce, but any good reel oil will do. Open the reel up and clean the brake drum, if it has centrifical brakes. The reels sometimes have too much grease inside them when they are shipped from the Orient. Lighter fluid is a good cleaning fluid, use it on a Q-Tip to remove excess grease and oil. Garry2rs