grimsbylander

Very nice. I used to drive a 4Runner and this size truck is great for running down fire roads into back lakes. Mind you, this was before 4 wheelers were popular. Slept in the back of that truck more than once....once even while fishing! lol

^^^ LOL ^^^ It's funny because it's true!

lol

From what I've seen, most people that use those tents still have a separate tent for storage, changing, etc. and just use the vehicle tent for sleeping. Personally, I have had a few uncomfortable and damp nights in a tent and like the idea of being up off the ground if it's raining. I'm older now too and getting spoiled! lol I'd consider getting an additional, cheaper utility tent and investigating decent vehicle tent as well. Asking about the setup effort is important just in case you need the vehicle during the day though to me, 10 minutes of setup is worth not sleeping on the ground.

^^^^ I think I need your glory bags

Just my point...it's not struggling and that's with a very popular spring season already in affect in NY. BTW, that spring season is utilized not only by NY fisherman but a ton of Canadians and bordering Pennsylvania anglers too. Honestly, here in Ontario we were raised to believe bass fishing before the end of June is akin to homicide. Then they starting opening seasons a week early? Zones 17 and 18 are the 3rd sat in June and zone 16 which is southeast of the other two zones opens a week later? Someone explain how opening bass season a week earlier in a zone that has a later spring makes sense? And the northern zones 1 - 9 with the shortest growing seasons are open all year?? lol I call Bull. It's even stranger when the same lake or river has different seasons. If there's some obvious logic here I'm missing, please explain it to me!

LOL, Yup! There's a few labels that were acceptable in 1917 that no longer get used.

I agree Ohio. I bottom line is, you can't look at just a couple variables to make the decision and lump any of the Great Lakes in with smaller lakes. As big as Kentucky lake is, it's no Erie...Erie = 10,000 sq. miles & Kentucky = 250 lol You just can't compare the activity that the "big" southern lakes see to the Great Lakes.

This isn't a political issue so let's not try to make it one. And they're not "yanks", they're Americans. It's this kind of disrespectful post that ruins a good conversation and healthy discussion.

Yeah great tip. I've done it before by going from one reel directly to another as well.

I agree Ohio...there is certainly no harm or risk by NOT implementing the new spring season. If there wasn't already a working model of that season in New York, I'd be very skeptical of it too.

You had an excellent showing considering how tough that bite was. Congrats!!! I stayed off the lake Friday and Saturday so I wouldn't fish any of the same spots a tournament team needed. Today, the lake was quiet and dead calm until around 1:30pm when a small SW breeze picked up. David, did you mark a ton of fish that just wouldn't go?? That was the theme for today...all my spots held good fish from 12 feet out to 40 feet but they either outright ignore the bait or all you feel is a tick and they're gone. Tough conditions right now. I got fish but nothing over 4 - 4 1/2 and not the usual numbers.

I had a great pair of neoprene stocking foot waders that I'd had for about 20 years before a mouse ate a 1 inch hole through them. I just threw them out....they would never have fit me anymore but now I get to blame the mouse!!

The answer is not so cut and dried. Lake Erie has four states and one province bordering it's shores and each one has it's own seasons. New York state is just east along the southern shore and has had a spring bass season as long as I can remember. Actually, it's not a spring season per se, it's "December 1 through the Fri preceding the 3rd Sat in June", 20" minimum with a one fish limit and artificial baits only. And 1 km away in Ontario the season starts in June! You would think that the "experts" from these 5 jurisdictions could agree on something closer right?? Here's the thing with the spring season, anglers fishing for table fare on Erie are not fishing for smallmouths. The perch and walleye population is too good to be out hunting for ONE 20" smallmouth. The idea of having the restricted open season is to get more people out on the water and spending money. I've fished spring bass tournaments before and the reason NY has a one fish limit is so it's legal to put a fish in your livewell. Truthfully, it's TOUGH to get two 20" fish some days out there. Regardless, I find it strange that the same body of water has completely different seasons for the same fish. The lake is doing just fine with the current early seasons plus the catch and release measures in place. If it wasn't, Ohio would not be considering it would they? As of right now, the biggest threat to smallmouth in Lake Erie are sheephead and walleye. They are coming on strong and competing hard for gobies making smallmouths switch to baitfish. It's not the people exercising catch and release. BTW, this weekend's Berkley B1 was out of Port Colborne, ON and among many others, the #1 and #2 place finishers fished....New York water!

Yeah so close. Perry's a good guy and strong on Erie.

I wish!! Next year back to tournament fishing! So hard to just watch!

Sitting in 4th place after day one at the Port Colborne B1 tournament and David takes time to contribute on OFC!! Weigh in starts LIVE on the Berkley B1 website at 3:30pm. Good Luck David!!

I made my first worm mold around 1989 and used my BBQ to melt down the old plastics! Lol

Good of you to post this Steve. I've bought clearout plastics just to melt them down for my use. You can buy metal flakes at Michaels too. Make sure you are using the properly rated ppe!!

Lol We've ALL been "that dude"! So much great material on OFC it's easy to miss a thread.

Agreed. Here's the "problem" with fishing Erie or St. Clair all the time....you go to Simcoe and catch 8 good fish with a couple 5's and leave disappointed. Lol It doesn't matter which lake is best, bottom line is we are spoiled here in Ontario for numbers and size of trophy smallmouth. Oh, don't forget Lake St. Francis too!

Lew, if that is something that really interests you have you gone to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton? Check out their website it's quite amazing. You can book flights on a dozen different planes from a bi-plane to the Lancaster bomber! The B-29 will be there at the end of August and you can tour inside the plane or book a flight. Not cheap for the flight but not many options to fly in one of those old classics. The Lancaster flies over my house periodically and the sound of the engines is amazing. I can imagine it would have been terrifying to hear that thing coming in it's day. http://www.warplane.com/

Rocks aside, PAB is an expensive trip when you're facing roughly 300km one way. There's a great bunch of Canadian anglers I'd love to fish that area in a 2 day tourney.

Erie is definitely not blown out from fishing pressure. Lol it's tough to over fish a 26,000 sq.km lake when the far majority of the smallmouth anglers are practicing catch and release. Don't guess, go fish it. 20lbs a day won't win you a penny.

Lol...Ohio, have you considered a late career in research data?? It doesn't matter what or where, you get the answers!!!