Garry2Rs

For several years, after I arrived in the Kawarthas, I considered everything except Musky to be bait! However, I have converted to SMBass as my favourite, with LMBass a close second. Part of this is because the lighter tackle doesn't wear me out as fast and part is the number of fish per-hour...I'm a more-is-better kind of guy...HAHAHA.

I have three of what were their top-of-the-line rods. I bought them in the US, on sale and think they're great. In the past I have bought a couple of BPS spinning reels on sale. The prices were so low I could pretty well consider them to be "Disposable Reels." That turned out to be a good thing when I lost a handle off of one of them, because there were no parts available! I find that the USA prices are in line with other retailers. The CDN prices are another matter considering the strength of our dollar. I understand that items imported with a weaker dollar are still working their way through the system, but if they want to keep me out of CTC and Wal-Mart or discourage me from cross-border-shopping, they will have to do a better job of reflecting the value of my money. In BPS Vaughn's last sales flier most of the prices were the same as the US sale prices, so things are getting better.

Old Powerpro or Fireline makes a great underbody wrap on Bucktails etc. I was using thread, but the old Spectra fishing line is already paid for...grin.

When I went by on Tuesday Burliegh Falls had so much water it was Burliegh River...HAHAHA.

My method is similar to the knee one all ready mentioned... Put the rod behind your butt, grasp either side of the stuck ferrell and squat so that your hands are pushed out by your butt cheeks. It sounds funny but it always worked for me, back in the days of metal ferrell's

Thanks All!

Hi All; Buck and I did the 3912 klm. from Yuma to my daughter's place in Stoney Creek in 56 hours including a stop at BPS and a short visit with my son in Chicago. There were no adventures along the way, thankfully...grin. I had no trouble importing my boat, just pay the taxes and go... We/re glad to be back in Canada, and looking forward to getting home to Apsley on the weekend. My neighbour says that the snow in the driveway is almost gone and I will be able to get in and out by then. Garry2Rs

Thanks for the good wishes. We will drive with care. I plan to hole-up at my daughters place in Stoney Creek for a few days. We will monitor the driveway conditions from there. If the mild weather continues, most of the snow should be gone. If so, we will head for Apsley about the 13th. But, if the driveway is still blocked etc. I can stay in the city until things get better.

I have never been a fan of Gulp. When it first came out I couldn't wait to get some, but I was disappointed. The baits seemed leathery, they felt stiff, and looked like they were made of Play Doh. This winter I learned a couple of things about Gulp. First the material used is very porous, it soaks up liquid when first placed in water. Then it starts to release it's aroma. This means that it works best with slow presentations that allow the flavour to create a scent trail. Second the bait changes after it's been in the water for a few minutes. They become slimier, and soften up. It becomes flexible and lifelike. This might be part of the reason that the new quarts and pints of Gulp Alive leaches and minnows have been created. The baits in the pails are already wet, so they are ready to go as soon as you put them on the hook. I will be giving it another try in a couple of weeks. I plan to field test the 3" Gulp Alive minnows on Crappie.

On the way down I bought a new Shimano Critical 7 foot casting rod, to replace a 6'6" G.Loomis rod that needed a small repair. Yesterday I was Yo - Yo-ing a rattle trap and snapped a foot off of the new rod! Today I phoned BPS in Springfield Missouri, where I bought the rod back in October, to ask them what to do. I found out that they will exchange the rod in the store, on the spot, no problem. I explained that I would be there in a week etc. The discussion switched to the terrible weather they have been having... I found out that they are still near flood levels and a tornado went through last night!!! Ruby Slippers might be very appropriate...HAHAHA.

Today we cleaned up the yard. We cut some dead branches, pulled weeds, trimmed and raked etc. By 1 o'clock we had a load for the dump. I was going to drop the boat trailer, and make a quick round trip, but Buck pointed out that the dump is half way to Mittry Lake. If we were going to be that close, we could go fishing for a couple of hours after we disposed of the trash. We tried a variety of baits but wound up throwing the BPS Bleeding Tennessee Shad on a spot where we have caught big fish before. I was sort of yo-yo-ing the lipless crankbait. Letting it sink then pulling it up fast, only to let it sink on a tight line again. As I pulled up, the vibration stopped and the line got heavy. I set the hook a couple of times, and a big fish swirled on the surface then did a small jump. Buck was very excited, but stayed in the the boat ... When the fish came near I saw that the bait was on the outside of it's mouth, and the hooks didn't look too secure. I sat down it the passenger's seat to try and lip this monster, but it did a 180 and dove. Poor Buck couldn't contain himself and dove in to help... The fish turned away from Bucks splash, this brought it back toward me and I lipped it with no trouble this time. The hooks were more secure than they looked. The front hook was inside the mouth and the back hook had caught in the cheek. Perhaps on the mini jump... The scale showed 4lbs 3ounces... The ruler showed 21 inches... The rattle bait is on the deck... We will be back in Canada this time next week and I'm going to miss fishing for big fish until Pike season opens!!! Garry2rs.

Everything that has been said it true of the South end of the lake. The North end of the lake is less weedy and the farther north you go, the more rocky it gets. The lake is long and narrow, so a tinny isn't too bad to fish out of. I have a friend who lives on the lake in Bridgenorth, near the causeway. His young grandchildren swim and play around his dock, no problem. Ask the owners about their swimming area.

Great report!

Chicken liver is a good catfish bait, that's easy to get at the grocery store. It's a little hard to keep on the hook. If sunfish etc. are picking it off I tie it in nylon netting material like a big roe bag. The nylon is available in dollar stores, as wedding veils etc.

I was one of the guys who went to 8o pound PowerPro, or Tuff Line XP for casting. My Bucktails were weighing in at around 3 ounces and would break 50 or 65 pound test when I threw a backlash. Keep in mind that 80 pound PowerPro is only the diameter of 18 pound mono, so it's not as bulky as it sounds.

This might not be an original idea, but I store the drain plug inside the boat in one of the transom drain holes...It's handy, and sort of a visual reminder. My launch routine has 6 steps. 1 - Unplug Trailer lights. 2 - Unhook Winch strap. 3 - Unhook port-side tie-down strap. 4 - Install drain Plug. 5 - Unhook Starboard tie down strap. 6 - Remove transom saver. The transom saver goes into the box and the launch rope comes out... As I wrote before I use a longer rope than most people. About 50 feet... A little longer rope helps me when I launch into backwater lakes where there's no dock etc. The extra length allows me to move the trailer forward without beaching the boat. Before I back into the water I mentally recount my six steps, as a double check. Every trailer I have owned has been a little different. This Ranger trailer wants to be fairly deep to be able to drive right on. I use the front tips of the bunks as a depth gauge. If they are just out of the water I'm at the right depth. When I drive on the keel will center the boat in the bunks. The boat will stop about a foot short of the orange winch roller. With the motor trimmed up, I goose the throttle, raising the bow, the boat slides ahead and snugs up against the roller. Kill the motor, raise it a little higher just to be sure the skeg doesn't hit the ramp, walk off the bow onto the trailer tongue. Reattach the winch hook, then walk up the box of the truck and hop out on dry land. Now I clear the ramp and drive to the prep area where I go through my six steps again. By knowing I have six things to do and mentally rechecking them before driving off, I don't forget to plug in the trailer lights etc. This pound and a half Bass was all we caught today.

First of all most trailer have too small a winch. If you ever have to pull the boat onto the trailer you will want the biggest strongest winch you can fit on the tower. An oversize winch can also be used to pull the boat and trailer up to the truck if you get into some backwater lake and can't pull the trailer and boat out. It's a lot cheaper that a tow truck. If that's not clear let me know and I will expound on the idea. Launching the boat... I am almost always alone, so my launch method is designed for the single angler. Like others I use a rope attached to the winch tower. My rope is long...40 or 50 feet. I back in until the boat floats, then tap the brakes, just like others have suggested. Retrieving the boat... Every trailer I have ever owned was slightly different. When I first use a new trailer I make a guess at how deep it needs to be. What I want is a spot where the boat can idle up inside the side guides and center it's self, without hitting the winch stop. It might take a couple of launches, but I will find that sweet spot. It might be the tips of the bunks, or 3 - 4 inches of fender above water...what I need is something that is repeatable on any ramp. I idle in until the boat stops, then goose it to push the bow up to the winch roller. If you're trailer is too deep the boat jumps ahead and you hit the roller too hard. Too shallow and you don't have enough power to slide all the way up to the stop. When you find the sweet spot, you snug up against it smoothly until you see the truck move...grin. This seems to work better with glass Bass boats that with riveted hulls.

Sounds like a nice ride...Come on open Water!!!

Over the years I expect that I have seen or done every foolish thing that can happen with a boat and trailer. I can remember being a newbie unsure of backing the trailer in to retrieve a boat I had borrowed. After having the trailer turn sideways on me for the fourth time, someone came up and asked if I needed help. Those were the sweetest words I had ever heard... In the years since I have backed plenty of boats or trailers in for strangers who were having a hard time. It's like parallel parking...No one is born knowing how. We can all afford to lend a hand when someone else is struggling. Besides, it's often the fastest way to clear the ramp...HAHAHA.

MikeH... You're right, that was heading out from the launch at Sunrise, in the village of Buckhorn, traveling east into Lower Buckhorn Lake. T Bay... The Skeeter went to that big Bass lake in the sky. We now have an 18ft Ranger to play with. 2 Tone... Yes! Buck like everything about boats, fish and water. Ramble & Kicking Frog... I have been in contact with the Elders at Curve Lake Reservation on Chemong Lake...The rain dance will be going on for the next week, to help melt the snow. As a back-up plan, it has been Ninety degrees down here everyday for the last few weeks...I am trapping that heat under the tarp, to smuggle home. Trust me...I guarantee the ice will be gone for the opening of Crappie on the fourth Saturday in April.

Your problem is line twist. If you have a boat, you can drag the line in the prop wash behind the boat and the friction against the water will remove the twist. Personally, I would switch to a braided line like Power Pro. Braids are far less affected by line twist than mono. If your using 10 pound mono now, try 20 or 30 pound Power Pro, because it is much thinner than mono. You said spin-casting...This is a push button reel. When you push the button the spool shifts forward trapping the line against the front cover of the reel. On the cast you release the button and the spool retreats, releasing the line to fly out. The line needs to be fairly thick to work properly. If this wasn't what you meant, 10 pound Power Pro works fine on my open face spinning reels. However it is only the diameter of 2 pound mono...for all-around fishing I might choose 20 pound Power Pro. If you're worried about the line spooking the fish, you can always use a leader of your old line between the braid and the hook. Personally I only do this if I'm still fishing...IE using live bait and a bobber. There are many brands of mono. There are blends that are called co-polymer's, there are Fluorocarbon's that brag they are invisible underwater. They all have the same line twist problem when used with spinning tackle. It's not their fault!! It's a design flaw of the way that the line goes off and is retrieved back onto the reel.

All's well, that ends well. We should be in Apsley around the 13th, after visiting with the kids for a few days on the way home.

Buck and I are always glad to see people who fish...grin. Unfortunately, Caleron Lake is shown as Figure "E" on this map... We are way up where it says "P" That doesn't mean that something couldn't be arranged, just that it won't happen by accident. Garry2rs

In seven days Buck and I will close the Arizona place, and begin our trek back to snowy Ontario. We will try to bring the warm weather with us, but from the photos I've seen this week, it might be May before I find the front stairs!!! Looking back, this Winter was quite an adventure. Things started with a "Bang" when we wrecked the Skeeter on the highway outside of Flagstaff AZ. while driving down. I hope that the "adventures" finished with the breaking and replacing of the rusty axle on the Ranger trailer last month. In between we did some fishing, took a few pictures and drank a lot of cheap beer. Here in no particular order are some of the things we saw and did on; "Our Winter Vacation, 2007/2008. " Crushed corner of Skeeter, Broken axle on Ranger... This should be straight across... This is how it looks now... PLACES WE FISH... Mittry Lake Fortuna Pond Colorado River Martinez Lake / Colorado River Ferguson Lake / Colorado River Fisher's Landing / Colorado River Buck and Some Fish We Have Met. It's nice to Winter down here in the desert... BUT, we are looking forward to getting home to the Kawarthas Garry2R's

To clean a Catfish I lay the fish on it's side and cut the skin down to the backbone from behind the head to the tail. You have to cut on both sides of the dorsal spike. Then cut through the skin behind the head to the top of the ribcage, Cut above and around the ribcage. This line curves down to the belly, behind the ribs. Now cut the skin along the bottom of the fish from the back of the ribs to the tail. You have outlined the fillet you are going to remove. Using the point of the fillet knife, cut through the meat down to the backbone from the head to the top of the ribs, follow the skin cuts you made before, cutting the flesh off the backbone from behind the ribs to the tail. You can now remove the boneless fillet. Having scored the skin, you could have pulled the skin off first, using pliers etc, but I prefer to remove the skin by laying the fillet skin side down and running the blade between the skin and the meat. I do it this way to avoid stretching and tearing the flesh as was mentioned in an earlier post. Using this method you leave the belly flesh behind, and never open the gut-sack. There is no mess, and I believe that most contaminants are in the thin belly flesh. You asked about bones, Catfish have no "Y" bones etc. so using my method what you have no ribs to remove, just a solid piece of meat that cooks up white and flaky. This sounds more complicated than it is, and you can just remove the fillet without cutting through the skin first. But doing it this way the first time will make it simple, because when you start to remove the meat you are just connecting the cuts in the skin. I prefer to keep smaller fish for the table, this method is great for smaller fish.