LesCulpJr

Oh boy, what a mess!

I use siterightnow.com very cheap and uses templates to build your site. Never had any prob with them in 3 years and they are very helpful and quick to deal with any issues. I don't think I've ever waited longer than 5 mins for a reply to any question. Les

Only got to fish this lake a couple times but the fishing was good for me. Lots o Bass to be had and the walleye seem to be pretty aggresive as well. They had a bit of a problem with some blue/green algae in the lake, not sure exactly where its at now but the issue was blown alittle out of proportion by the local media. Basically the issue was bad enough to post an advisory on the lake, but didn't get much worse than that. I believe they pinned it to a farm in the area where the cattle was spending alot of time in the water. The great fishing has remained.

length x length x length 1600 =6.655lbs but I doubt the measurements are actual looks alittle over 4 to me.

The only real shore fishing spots are right in town. I think they are still catching the odd eye in there at night but lots o rock bass in there too. The walleye are very hard to catch for most on this lake (myself included ) and is much better for smallies and some largemouth. There is some nice pike though. you may want to look at renting a small boat as all land around this lake is private property. Wish I had better info for ya Les

Oh ya, and you'll likely find your better priced lines usually perform better than the big name brands due to its quick turn over off the store shelves. Its always new fresh line!!!! I had wondered for years why I could get a whole season off the old river trail stuff ffrom home hardware or the cabela's pro line but change the trilene and other brands monthly or worse.

I'll share some info with ya, Most testing done on fish as far as what they can and can't see has all been performed on certain minnow species, not your individual game fish. Most if not all claims made by the companies who sell these products are based on these findings, so no one really knows what any other species can really see, they simply assume or make some kind of an educated guess that all fish species see the same thing or count the number of rod and cone cells in the eyes of various species and note the familiarities between the two. That said, I have a friend trying out the cajun line and he loves it. Says its a bugger for him to see once the daylight starts to fade but hasn't noticed any difference in his catching. He says its a good limp line with great abrasion resistance and is lasting longer than any trilene he has purchased in a very long time as he hasn't had to replace it yet. Now I'll share some more info with ya. There is only about 3 different manufacturers of line out there for all lines you see on the market. Which means that the bad spool of trilene, stren etc. you picked up a while ago was prob. due to a bad run of line, how it was stored or the shelf life of the product. Not the name on the label. So the next time you spool up try looking for a lot number if you encounter problems and contact the company (they will prob replace it) and make sure you don't buy line from the same lot when you return to the store, also make sure the label on the package isn't 5 years old either Give the red line a go man! Might be the best thing you ever did for your fishing. Les out

I just purchased the hummin bird 727 system which also has the dual frequency transducer (83/200). It actually came in pretty handy while putting on a drift for some walleye this weekend as I was able to see where my bait was the whole time to stay in the fish, so long as I was in water deeper than 14 feet. The detail is just amazing with these new units and are calibrated as such that the depth of water you're in is equal to the amount of surface area you are viewing on the bottom of the lake. If you want to get in close to structure you can either go to split screen mode to view both cones simultaniously or simply turn the larger cone off. I was a little skeptical of it at first but the ducer came standard with the unit and I knew I could shut the second cone off before I bought it. Very happy with it.

MONO??? I've got briad thats 8 years old on some of my reels that I'm still waiting to wear out. And I fish...........Alot! The only time I'll change line is when something new comes out and I'll try the new line on one of my reels. When I feel the need to use a leader I go with 20# floro Pline. I use to worry about running a leader alot till I met Rocky Crawford quite a few years ago. Said he doesn't even use one on simcoe! And you know what? I haven't had a prob. since. Bass don't know what fishin line is. Its all about matching your equipment to the presentation you're offering the fish.

Not the best time of year to be looking for large pike, you mayy have to wait a couple months for the water to cool. Pike are ambush predators, more so the bigger ones so fishing edges will be your best bet for fish. this time of year you'll find lots of pike up to 5lbs or so in these locations. Any large pike in the lake you describe will only be in the deepest areas and may actually have to move a little shallower to feed but will go right back down again. Fish over 10lbs are notoriously hard to catch this time of year. Should you catch a big one be quick to let er go as nothing will kill a pike quicker than stress brought on by warm water. good luck

That's just awesome! hope you get a good buck for it

I prefer the sounds of nature itself

Water melon red flake, black w red flake, Smoke w silver/gold flake, Pumpkin seed. It will be good to stock up on the watermelon as this dissappears off the shelf quite quickly and I find alot of stores don't restock colors after a certain point in the season, which always seems to be way too early. Les Oh, and the baits will last forever so long as they aren't made of something like Gulp!

LOL Yes I should. And don't worry Brian, that tube can float my butt in less that six inches of water. Just wait till I try'er out in some of the secret bass lakes around here! Thanx for reading all!

Sorry I don't get on here much everyone. But I do stop in from time to time. Here is a report I hope you all enjoy! Les I jus been give'in er too hard this year I guess and maybe even just a little fished out from all the ice action this past winter as this week would only be my fifth time out on the water this season. A big change for me as I am usually on water at least 3 if not 4 times a week this time of year normally Sometimes it seems, the older I get, the easier it is to get caught up in the rush of everyday life. Cut the grass, go to work , pay the bills and don't forget being so retarded as accepting the odd overtime shift as if you already don't have enough to do , makes it really hard to relax and enjoy a day on the water. The Bass opener had come and gone as I lie awake in bed early monday morning after a long weekend at work. And while my stratos sits patiently in the garage awaiting our first foray into a weed choked bay full of our favourite fish, my mind can't help but wander back to a time in my childhood where I would share a canoe with my father, usually accompanied by a close friend or family. Where it was my place to sit in the middle of the canoe trying to get a cast in edgewise in hopes of hooking one of the speckled red and blue haloed beauties, that call home, the small lakes and ponds that surround Algonquin Park. For me, there is quite possibly nothing so nostalgic in this world, as trout fishing. Excited as I was, I had made one rule for myself come Tuesday morning, NO RUSHING. Pretty hard being that I haven't caught a Brook Trout in quite a few years and I had been iching to get a new float tube wet that my kids had got me for fathers day. With the kids off to their last day of school and gear loaded I started my slow and deliberate trip back towards the park. A beautiful day for a change, though a little on the warm side, those who go fishing with me know all to well that it usually rains whenever we plan a trip out for the day. A curse I have had for as long as I can remember, but one I don't let on about for obvious reasons. It could be a beautiful day with out a cloud in the sky, but at some point, it will rain long enough for you to be soaked to the ass and then clear again Just ask anyone! And so goes the journey.... As I make my way up the access road I start to think of a time a few years ago, where a friend and I were probing the pools of a small river for Brookies. We had just bought our first pair of neoprene waders and were exploring areas we had never seen before and places many never will. As I slow down on a peticular bend in the road I am looking for an old trail that goes back to a water fall where I remember taking a photo of a woodcock on her nest in the long grass. It was then and there I had fallen in love with photography, but like many hobbies I have niether the time nor the patience to pursue actively, however as I looked up the road something caught my eye, that I had never witnessed before. A snapping turle laying eggs on the side of the road. After a couple shots I left quickly as to not disturb her. I took a left heading north of the access road shortly after as it was getting late and I still had a fair walk ahead of me, but what I thought would have been a 40min walk turned out to only be 20. I figure all the deer flies must have carried me part way. I reach the log jam at the end of the lake and then remember I had packed the bug spray bye bye, deer fly. Time to go The water on my little lake is crystal clear and with the high blue bird skies, it was going to be a tough bite to say the least. No matter, I wasn't here for the catching so much as the peace and quiet anyway. Four Ospray have made this lake home for nesting. Their cries along with the soft laping sound of the water made for an almost too relaxing atmosphere as on more than one occasion I found myself dosing off in the tube I had thought about getting out on a smooth rock point to have a snooze but I had much more of this lake to see and I was a little afraid of sleeping too long to get out of the bush before dark. An over night trip may be in order before the summer is out. A parting shot of the launch: A shot off the port bow: Paddling a float tube around takes some getting used to, but is the ultimate in portability. I was able to make it around the entire lake in about three hours before the wind came up and made it a little harder to stay on course and fish at the same time. I couldn't get mine going quite fast enough to troll though so I stuck to casting small spinners and spoons. I had brought the fly rod along as well but suck at casting on a good day standing up. Casting from a tube presents a whole other ball of wax! The best I could do was about 30 feet. I'll get the hang of it one day. It was time to pack up and get out of the water for a while. I hadn't seen any sign of fish all day and wanted to hit a splake lake a friend and I had fished in the winter, another lake with supper clear water I hadn't been on in the open water. Upon arriving at the lake I was surprised to find a couple of really shallow areas I was glad my friend never found with his new auger! At one point you can almost walk across the entire length but has steep drop offs on either side. Hmmmm.... Good spot to fish???? Later I thought, I want to make it to the end of the lake. Again most of the time at this lake was uneventful save for a whole bunch of perch flying out to grab my spinner, but was in good company as most of my stay there I was surrounded by six Loons. Sorry for the quality on this one as he was a ways out and moving fast! I'm getting a little more serious now, and have yet to see or feel anything that resembles a trout , or a splake in this case. I had been pulling lures off deep edges all day with out a hit, it was time to head to the middle of the lake and see what I could find. Areas where deep water comes close to shore and such. Just like bass fishing After tying on a small spoon I headed out deep and with the first cast I let it flutter all the way to the bottom. There, two solid thumps, set the hook! I was day dreaming again though and the fish came unbuttoned after a short fight. I had thought I had solved the puzzle until after a few dozen more casts came up empty. I had then remembered the long shoal forming a saddle across the middle of the lake and headed over that way. When I arrived I cast the spoon as far as I could and let it flutter to the bottom in about 30 fow. I find there is sand grass carpeting the bottom in this area, bright green in color and there is perch here as well. Just as I start a pumping retrieve with my spoon BAM! Fish ON! This is where I find out how awkard it is to fight a fish in a tube With light rod and line I should have lost this fish at several points, but finally ended up getting that skunk smell out of the tube and a 1/2 hour later: WOOHOO, what a day! Happy and tuckered from all the paddleing I did , I decide at this point its time to go. Only about a mile back down the lake ;D I two time it back to the launch realizing I had perhaps over done it abit and with legs cramping up, my mind once again drifts off back to a time A friend and I ...... Well ......, thats another story Thanx for reading

Like another fella on the thread here, I pour my own and it is definately turning out to be an addiction! The best I've used though are the strike king zero's in the 3X series plastic. You can literaly fish all day with one bait. They are pricey and come in at only 5 baits per pkg, but will last you a long time.

Tough questions. I listen to everything but classical or jazz Favourite genre: Country and classic/southern rock Favourite band: Kid Rock, Brad Paisley, Nickleback Most underrated: the band juice. (if you've ever watched extreme angler tv you've heard their music)

I have no idea why companies still even offer the old style of hand auger. I've owned a fin bore III for 10 years now and it is the single reason I have not bought a power auger for my ice fishing. The biggest problem I see guys create for themselves while using my auger is they're elbows are too high and they're arms are too stiff like they are still trying to drill using the old style. Also they still try and put down pressure on the auger using the upper hand when all you have to do is lean on it alittle (with both). Lean too much and the blades will bind. If you are not used to this type of auger you should start each hole slow, standing up as straight as possible and keeping your arms loose until you get a comfortable rythm going and gradually pick up speed. I've shown alot of guys on the ice how to use this style of auger and once they got the hang of it they never went back to the single hand model. Think 2 guys on an old model is fast? Man you ain't seen nothing yet

Steve: we were fishing in 7fow but the fish were actually hitting only a couple feet under the ice. Read a post on another board how some catch these fish deep while others catch em shallow. Went back out today for a couple hours to see if I could find any out deep. Caught one out of 27 fow. Just learning about these fish myself as I only caught my first one last year but will post what I find. misfish: where you been brotha? Us northern boys are cold blooded an those floater suits are just too dang hot. we prefer something we can take off once we know we're ok out there. That new nils is something else and has a cutting head similar to our finbores. I hope I get to see what it can do to a couple feet of ice this year. Give us a call when you're up for a fish. Thanks all for the great replies and stay safe this weekend, the lakes are starting to slush up a bit after the snow we had monday. One more for the road:

Yup, on the small ones anyway. The bigger fish can get a thin layer of fat under the skin which is pretty impossible to cook off enough to make it appetizing with out over cooking the fish. I'll cook the fish long enough that the tail and fins become crispy like a potato chip then eat them too The fins must be very well done to do this or you'll end up with a mouth full of bones.

Man... Was beginning to think winter wasn't coming this year Last year saw us on the ice by Dec.15th... This year - Jan.13th. Ice is still pretty thin in most areas, but is shaping up nicely. I spent last friday touring lakes looking for good ice in hopes of icing a couple trout to kick off the 2007 season. Lakers were out of the question as any larger lakes with deep water had only just iced over a couple days before. Brook trout lakes were iffy as most lakes I visited had really un-uniform ice. What is nice about this year is there is hardy any snow, some lakes didn't have any on them at all, so it made travelling easy as well as let me see any potentially unsafe areas before I came upon them. I finally settled on a lake that had a good 4-6" of ice,and being stocked with splake every other year by our local MNR was sure to give us some first ice action. Lake X would not disappoint, as when we arrived Sat. morning, the rain we experienced all day friday would clear with temps dropping to -15C over night. This would give my companion for the day, Good friend Dirk, the opportunity to try out an new power auger he had purchased all the way back in July! To say this individual is absolutely crazy about fishing the hard water would be an understatment, as while the rest of us are getting ready for spring and summer fishing out on the open water, Dirk will spend alot of his "off season" getting ready for the moment the hard water returns. Here are a few pics of the new Nilsmaster power auger in action: You'll notice in the pics that Dirk here is still wearing a life jacket. We can't stress enough the importance of safety gear at this time of the hardwater season. A floatation device, being a jacket, coat or full suit. Along with a spud bar/ice chisel and a set of ice picks are vital, to ensure you return home at the end of your outing. Also, take your time! When using all of this equipment properly it should take a good while, under most circumstances to reach the area you'll be fishing. I'm guessing it took us a good 45min to 1 hour to travel about 200 yards, stopping to chisel holes, etc. along the way. Should you find the direction you are heading to be unsafe, calmly turn around and retreat in the direction you came, being careful to stay in your foot prints as this is the only area you know that the ice is safe enough to support your weight. The Action: The action was pretty spectacular as far as trout fishing goes. While we decided to wait for the fish to come to us, as opposed to traveling to new locations on the thin ice, The splake finally showed up about 2 in the after noon and kept us occupied until our departure. Nothing of any size for sure but perfect for what we had come for. A good feed for the family Delicious Splake panfried in butter and garlic amoung other things, and served up with a side of homefries and baked beans - my fav. Head on out and get yourself a stocking sheet and a good map of the area you'll be fishing from your local mnr as these fish are stocked here for your enjoyment and your consumtion.They are often easy to catch as well. These fish were all caught using light to medium action ice rods rigged with a single split shot, a size 4-6 octopus style hook and 4-6lb monofilament line. The bait of choice were pinhead shiners or a small fly rigged with the same. Also, be sure to check the exceptions listed in the Ontario fishing regulations before heading out as many trout lakes are restricted in the use of live minnows for bait and may only allow the use of one line while ice fishing. - enjoy Les

Here's one for ya And another

Oh its gonna happen one way or the other, I just hope we don't have any ice on the lakes when it comes time to get the boat out in may Temps dropping next week, lets hope they stay that way for a while. Les

Holy smokes, which thread do I post to Excellent pics by all. Looks like everyone had lots of fun with BBR and crew being the life of the party. New site looks great btw. I don't stop by all that often but look forward to attending one of these functions one day. cheers, Les......formerly largie69

Thanks for posting the link nemo. I,m going to post the link on a few other boards myself Les