Ron

Nice looking pooch! Now.... how did that joke go Wayne??? ha ha ha

Wow! The donations have been over whelming! I really want to thank all of you for brightening my nieces last few days! They are just amazed on what a couple of forums can do! My one niece Kari asked me to forward this: I would like to thank everyone for their support in fighting ALS. With your support and help we will find a cure. It means the world to me to fight this disease that is not only taking away my Dad but also my best friend and hero. Words will never tell you how grateful I am. Thank you again and your generosity will never be forgotten. Kari Spry Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie I personally would like to thank you all too!

Nice work Gerrit! A company you can be proud to work for for sure.

Words to live by Splashopper. Thank you so much for sharing.

You should try what Wayne and I did. I use my X135 out of the boat. I did have a Vexilar but found it annoying staring at the screen all the time. Got rid of it and now use the graph instead. Gives you lots of additional features as well, zone alarm, real time, zoom features better than anything else. (this is for ice fishing). For out in the boat you can change it easily just by removing the bracket to hold the transducer to a suction cup to mount on the boat. Mount it to any boat and have a self sustaining unit. Here are the pics. you can use any unit you'd like this way. It all fits in the box for easy storage and portability.

Thanks guys and gals, You have no idea the emotions that I am receiving from reading all the posts! Good thing there isn't a live video feed. I've got a few PM's to answer. I promise to get back to them shortly.

As some of you may know, a good friend of mine has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He has been diagnosed with this tragic disease going on for 7 yrs now. It is a very slow death sentence, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. This once was a man who enjoyed playing hockey, baseball and how I met him, fishing. I have watched his life slowly being robbed from him. It will be 2 years now since the last time he has been able to hold a fishing rod. I have taken Denis out a couple of times last year but all he can do is just enjoy the boat ride and for a short time at that. It saddened me to see this injustice being done to a great human being. Well, this life taking disease has hit home even closer now. My brother in law Bob Spry has been diagnosed with ALS in late November. Bob has been one of our family members for most of my life. He and my sister have 2 great girls, one graduated Nursing in 2007 and the younger daughter is finishing her BA. We like all close families, receiving news like this effects us all very deeply. From a personal stand point, I think this has effected myself the most. Having to see a close friend go through various stages and then knowing what Bob will be going through. The sad part is, Bob is progressing rapidly. What my friend Denis has taken 3 yrs to show signs of, it has taken my brother in law only months. This is where I am asking for your help. Both of my nieces have set up a web site through ALS to help raise funds for the walk. They have set a goal of raising $500.00. With your help, we can achieve their goal. Here are the links to their website. http://www.als.ca/events/mysite.aspx?fid=1722 http://www.als.ca/events/mysite.aspx?fid=1713 My good friend Denis Wamsley This is an excerpt from our local paper. Fourteen children from five different local families will unite on April 27 with one common goal: to fight to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, the disease that is slowly robbing each of them of a loved one. Ranging in age from six to 37, Charae and Nicole Wamsley, Jenn and Cameron McNaughton, Katrina and Kari Spry, Cameron Stinchcomb, Adam Bath, Lori McCulloch, and Katelyn, Brandon, Craig, Tyler and Lisa Brooks all have a parent with ALS. They will be joined by relatives, friends and strangers in the seventh annual Waumer Walk for ALS on April 27 and will be walking for their parents - Dennis (Waumer) Wamsley (diagnosed in 2001), Gerry McNaughton (July 2007), Heather Stinchcomb (1998), Paul Brooks (December 2007), and Bob Spry (November 2007). The fundraiser is named for Mr. Wamsley. He has said since the event's inception that his only wish is for people to come out, have a good time and learn more about the disease. Pro wakeboarder Mike Maynard from Hastings Marine will be on hand for this year's family-oriented event, Gilmer's Home Hardware in Port Hope is giving away a free barbecue, and silent auction items include a signed jersey from NHL player Shane O'Brien. Proceeds from the Waumer Walk will go toward ALS research and awareness. In the last six years, through the generous support local merchants, the walk has raised over $300,000. Registration for the April 27 Waumer Walk is at 10 a.m.; the walk starts at 11 a.m.

updates, please see initial post.

Here is what was written up in the local News Paper. An annual exercise to encourage the propagation of rainbow trout returns Saturday, April 12, and volunteers are needed. And for you young people, adds Jim Jubenville (who is organizing the event with Fred Ball), this could count toward your high school community service requirement. The fish lift under the falls at Pratt's Pond - at the corner of Elgin and Ontario streets in Cobourg - begins (weather permitting) at 9 a.m. with two important purposes: to give Ministry of Natural Resources representatives a chance to evaluate the rainbow trout population and to lift the fish over the falls in order to help them to their spawning grounds upstream in Baltimore. Volunteers with waders and nets are needed for the event, which will see 100 male and 100 female rainbow trout netted, presented to ministry personnel and then lifted over the dam. The ministry officials inspect the fish for eel marks, measure them, check if they have spawned yet, Mr. Jubenville said, as they have done annually for at least several decades now. In all that time, there have been no reports of any fish killed or even traumatized by the experience. This is important, he continued, as the rainbow trout population is decreasing. One example of the challenges they face is the silting of the pool beneath the falls from the golf course. Mr. Jubenville remembers when that pond was seven feet deep. It's closer to two and a half now, and its capacity for supporting the fish is dramatically reduced. To go in with a backhoe to dredge it out is not an option, as that would undermine the dam. Mr. Jubenville remembers a time when catching 300 to 400 fish for the lift was a snap. On Saturday, the event will last until 200 are caught, which he estimates will take three hours or less.

Thanks Stoty. This year I have stepped up in the ranks, so to say..... I will be one of the spotters. I'll be the guy set up on the top of the dam giving directions to the ATV and such. Woo hoo! no more hip or chest waders for me netting fish! (actually I will miss that part.)

THE FISH LIFT HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THIS WEEKEND. DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. IT IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT WEEKEND, APRIL 19th. Folks, Looks like the Cobourg Fish Lift will occur this Saturday (April 12), beginning at 9:00 am at the golf course in Cobourg. For anyone interested in helping out or would just like to play spectator, please feel free to show up! I have been volunteering for this project for about 20 yrs now. I get great satisfaction doing my part. It's my way of putting something back into the fisheries. Hope to see you there. I will post more information like directions and so forth later on.

Hello peoples, Here is the link for the updates on the Simcoe Project. It is a Power Point Presentation. http://www.muskiescanada.ca/lsmrp/2007_LSMRP.pdf

The initial meeting will be held in Peterborough but the locations for this project will be through out zone 17. I don't have all the locations but if you were to call Andrew Lowles at: (705) 748-6324 ext 253 or Dan Taillon at: (705) 755-3302. They would be more than happy to give you more background information on this project.

Hey guys, Long time no post. Been a very busy Winter with lots of issues. (I only wished fishing was one of the issues.) Anyhow's I just received this "flyer" from the MNR and was asked to spread the information. This has to do with doing counts of spawning walleye in various areas through out the new FMZ 17. For this year, they have selected 4 areas and are open to other spawning areas if there is interest and enough volunteers to cover it. The meeting will be held in Peterborough, Tuesday, April 1. Here is the flyer for anyone interested in putting something back into the Fisherie. Sorry, you need a PDF reader to view it, I haven't had time to convert it to MS word. http://www.muskiescanada.ca/articles/FMZ17...ic%20notice.pdf Cheers, Ron... PS: The tentative date for the Cobourg Creek Fish lift is slated for April 12. Once again we will be looking for volunteers. This is for the Rainbow trout and is a great hands on experience!

Once again, Thanks for your hospitality Wayne! We had a lot of laughs and the fishing was second to none! Doh! Forgot..... "There's no fish in Temagami". Keep us posted on your daughter will ya... She is in our thoughts. Cheers, Ron...

This is a male.

Long tailed duck, They used to be called Old Squaws. The one in your photo on the left is a juvenile, the one on the right is a hen. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds...ailed_Duck.html

August 17th, 2009 is the first predicted fish to be caught. Nah just kidding, That was one of the questions raised. Statistics show... most juvenile fish are not caught. Saying this, they feel fish won't be seen or caught until they are at least 3 - 4 yrs of age. Correct me if I'm wrong but that would put the muskie at around 24-30 inches. http://mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/muskie/habitat.htm

The minute I get badgered for posting this information, it will get deleted just as fast. We had an extraordinary presentation on the Project from Jason Borwick. Some great information has come out which I will be working on to submit to the MCI web page. For the time being, I have dug up a link which Jason also presented. It was on our local ch 12 news. http://www.muskiescanada.ca/articles/Newsw...skieProject.WMV He also had some excellent photos in his presentation as well. Here is one of them. If you look closely at the dorsal fin, you will see one of the tags they insert into the fish for future data collecting. Only one muskie has been recorded to have been caught with a tag, first time by a MCI member and remarkably a second time by another angler. With all the netting they have done, they have yet to have caught another tagged muskie. (I think they have caught and tagged 59). With this only being in the 3rd yr, the data collected can start to form useful information. Some of the info I recall off hand, just don't quote me for the accuracy! There have been 11 different pairs introduced, well on our way for 0% chance of genetic mutation, (my own words). Existing habitat will sustain a viable healthy population, more habitat improvements are still planned though. There has been a successful amount of stocking this year with over 1500 muskie stocked from 5 different parents. There has also been muskie fingerling released back into Georgian Bay. The reason for this is due to the VHS waters where these fish were raised. They have stocked fish in 6 different areas which has excellent habitat for muskie reproduction. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, who have contributed a good chunk of change towards this project in return for muskie fingerling for their program, did not receive their portion. This project has potential for lots of other projects, saying that the monies spent on setting the tanks and such up is already an investment where money won't have to be spent on again. This project has been funded by numerous sources. Not only Muskies Canada, but also Canadian National Sportmen's Show, Sir Sanford Fleming College, Fishing Forever (Bob Izumi Outdoors), MCI Muskie Odyssey, One of our founding members, Paul Gasbarino personally donated an exceptional amount as well. I am sure there is more but this is what I have recalled so far. Be sure to check out the News coverage. It was nice meeting you Bruno, nice to out a face to a name.

I have to agree with 2r's on this one... Big Lake Simcoe!

Lake Simcoe

Well Lew got the winterizing thing, so I'll try to help ya with the trailer hitch thing..... If you get a peice of 1 1/4 square stock welded on that plate, the finish will burn off. You might be better off to remove the 2 "spring clips and see if you can use some self drilling, self tapping screws in those holes and secure the tubing that way. Make sure the square tubing is ling enough to fit in your hitch to allow the pin to secure it in place.

You might be better off to ask your area MNR office. Firstly there will be a lot of paper work involved to receive the permits for it.

The Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project (LSMRP) is a ten-year program of stocking, habitat rehabilitation, and assessment. Marked fish will be stocked for the first five years and assessed through juvenile and adult stages to evaluate the success of stocking in rebuilding the population. Spawning and nursery habitat assessment, rehabilitation and creation will continue throughout the ten-year life of the project. As taken from the included attachments..... Since January 1st, 2005, the muskellunge fishery on Lake’s Simcoe and Couchiching has been closed and will remain so until at least 2010, when the program will be evaluated to determine whether another five year closure is necessary. The goal of the first five year phase of the project is to restore the muskellunge to Lake Simcoe by stocking fall fingerling fish in late September/early October. Muskellunge are very difficult to raise due to cannibalism and take a tremendous amount of care and “feeding” therefore stocking muskellunge is all about quality and not quantity. The habitat component of this project is also essential to the successful restoration of muskellunge to Lake Simcoe. Wetland creation, enhancement and protection on both public and private land will enhance the present spawning and nursery habitat available to muskellunge around the lake. ...... 2006 LSMRP Highlights • Initiated a Lake Simcoe spawning and nursery habitat model ........ LSMRP Plans For 2007 ..... • Further develop habitat model to identify muskellunge spawning and nursery habitat as well as potential habitat rehabilitation sites around Lake Simcoe. I guess you will just have to take our word for it for the time being as we don't have everything in writing at the moment. Similar to the accurate amount of fingerling released, it just isn't in writing yet. I guess in this situation where Muskie don't spawn in the first few years of their lives, perhaps someone more experienced or knowledgeable than myself can tell us what age they are successful to spawn. I would think the reasoning behind restoring the population which equals the horse, before restoring the habitat which would equal the cart, is to give the Muskie a chance to develop.